Above:
Jake by Diver Photography
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Monday, June 9, 2014
Award Show Fatigue?
There was a time watching The Tony's was one of the highlights of my year. Although I love the stage, I especially love great musical theatre and was myself apart of many great musicals through High School, University and beyond. This year, the show held little interest to me. It might be a bit of award show fatigue, or it might be that the show has been on a repeat cycle the last few year. Neil Patrick Harris and Hugh Jackman have been rotating as host for the last while and although Hugh is a GOD, I am not sure he can ever do better than the year he both hosted, and won for his role in The Boy From Oz. To me, in many ways that was the last year I really enjoyed the Tony's, and they were not trying to be something they are not.
The Tony's have always had television and movie stars, but it seems to becoming more an more a focus. Not only as presenters, but for shows. Great Broadway musicals were often turned into movies. Now.. so so movies are turned into so so stage shows. I am also one of the few gay men in America who is not in love with Neil Patrick Harris. This makes it difficult, as he is always featured heavily. I know Harris is insanely talented, and a great entertainer. That, I do not argue. I have never been able to shake my feeling he can also be a smug douche. Some of this is based on things I have heard, some it, based on what I have seen. I fight hard to like him, I actively try. I listened to his recent interview with Howard Stern, but only left with my previous instinct about him confirmed multiple times. Although I hoped for a win for Bryce Pinkham in A Gentlemen's Guide To Love & Murder, Harris richly deserved his win. He put his heart, sweat and tears into each performance of Hedwig.
Favorite moments of the night; Carole King and Jessie Mueller, Jackman introducing the lead actress in a musical nominee's and the emotional win for Audra McDonald (although I was hoping for a Tyne). I also enjoyed the performance from Bullets Over Broadway, it was not great, but love the choreography in that number. My favorite performance was from Gentlemen, with Bryce and co-stars Lisa O'Hare and Lauren Worsham. If you did not see it, check it out below!
Flipped: Jake by Diver Photography
I know that most people would assume those of us who have a passion for images of the male form have a preoccupation with the penis. I have no doubt this is true for some, but for me, there has to be so much more. First off, I am much more interested in a great rear shot than a frontal, but secondly, I am not usually interested in any body part that doesn't have a great face attached. The artists that most love to feature, focus on people, not just their bodies.
The body of course is important, but for me, it is not the most important. This is my third feature on the work of Mark from Little Rock's Diver Photography. When I first contacted Mark, it was not about a penis, or butt or even a body. I contacted Mark about a smile. The smile, belonged to Will, who I featured in our second post last January entitled Grin And Bare It. Will has an amazing body, but it was that smile that had Mark's images stand out, and it was that smile, that motivated my wanting to contact him.
Jake has incredible body as well, especially as shot in the lush green Arkansas woods, beautifully flanked with tree's and foliage. Jake also has a great face, with an engaging ear to ear goofy grin that lights up each of Mark's captures. Jake also has bright and soulful eyes act as an emotional lever, able to switch the emotional reaction one has to each image. Mark really enjoyed his time with Jake and would recommend his work, and his professionalism to other artists.
'Working with Jake was a pleasure! Jake felt very comfortable in front of the camera and was assertive with his poses, yet very flexible to work with. Jake was not bashful at all and was willing to do a multitude of poses, nude, implied and clothing shots to diversify our shoot together.'
Oddly, what struck me most in Mark's images of Jake was how different the images looked, and how different the images felt, depending on his hair. In a few of the shots, (including the ones above and below this text) Jake's hair was combed down, flat on his head. In most of the other images, the product came out and James hair was hair, bangs flipped up and back. A small change maybe, but with his hair flicked up, there was a change in his look, he looked a little older, a little more current and his great facial structure seemed more evident and defined.
Although I like his hair combed down, the images have beautiful, quiet quality. When his hair was combed up and back, the difference in appearance brought out a distinct increase in energy and perceived burst in confidence. This of course might be all in my mind, but then again when viewing an image, the reaction of the viewer is really what it is all about.
So Last Year... Max Papendieck by Joseph Lally
I had stuck away an image from Joseph Lally last year, one of his many of the ultra hot Max Papendieck. Although Joseph released this series in early 2013, I just uncovered the image in my 'idea' folder. If you have not seen the series, or even if you have, nothing wrong with spending a bit more time with Joesph's images of Max! Better late than never!
You can see more on Joseph's site HERE: You can also check out Max starring in episode 2 of Joseph's SOAP OPERA series on YouTube HERE:
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