Above:
Gabriel by New Manhattan Studios
-See More Below-
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Husky
'If you look into a Huskies eyes.. he'll show you his soul'
Christian Monik is one of my favorite models, and I have featured his images previously on FH. (HERE:) Christian has the most beautiful facial structure and I'm loving his longer hair. If they ever need a new Tarzan, Christian is also an actor, and would be perfect in the role. Also love Thor, Christian's husky that has been making quite a few appearances in his recent postings.
Darryl Powers: Sixties Summer
'If someone thinks that peace and love are just a cliche that must have been left behind in the 60s, that's a problem. Peace and love are eternal.'
John Lennon
I sometimes wonder if someone stumbles upon a post in FH in the future will context matter? Will they just look at the model and see a vintage dated image. Will the naked man in the image, and artist behind it be considered in conjunction with changes in media, the ever changing progression of photography and the happenings of the time.
Will they consider that while that naked guy posed in front of camera, Trump was horrifying the nation with hate and division, Games of Thrones was the talk of TV, Carrie Fisher had died, Brad and Angelina were history, Prince Harry hadn't married yet and opioid crisis was only fraction of what it would eventually become...
One of the reasons I love looking back to images of the past is context. When Champion model Darryl Powers posed on the beach, it was during the decade that Kennedy was assassinated, The civil rights act of 64 was signed, The Vietnam war was in full swing, Rolling Stone Magazine hit the stands and Julie Andrew's The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins were both box office hits.
I first noticed Darryl when I was putting together a small piece a few years ago about some of my favorite Champion models. (Champions) Darryl had a great body, but it was his face that had me sticking away an extra image for a future post. The image I stuck away was the shot (2 above) of Darryl in the row boat.
Darryl rowing naked was hot, but it was the shape of his nose, and especially his beautiful lips that really struck me. I came upon that image again the other day, not in that long deleted folder, but on Pintrest. I was able to find quite a few more great shots of Darryl, most of them, taken on the beach. I wasn't however able to find out much about him.
I would guess that if alive, Darryl would be in his early to mid 70's and would love to know if the man, photographed naked on the beach when Kennedy was President, is still alive and kicking. I am guessing many of the Champion models did not use their real names, but would be curious if anyone knows more about Darryl and his life beyond the beach.
Tight Ship: Gabriel by New Manhattan Studios
Wes shooting Alex shooting Gabriel NMS
'Gabriel was one of those ships that pass in a very contemporary night. It was a pleasant and productive winter evening, to be sure, but a fleeting moment when Rio and New York City intersected. An international meeting, born of social media, manifesting itself in the studio.'
Generally, the expression 'Ships that pass in the Night' refers to a memorable, but fleeting, one time meeting. The truth however, is that we all pass many ships each and every day. The difference is, most of them are not really that significant. It's those ships we notice, those ships that cause us to pause, stop and take a second look that implant and linger in our psyche. The become the ships we remember, and the ships long to see on the horizon again.
For most artists, one of the most rewarding aspects of their work can be the creative connections made with the models they work with. Models who understand their vision, models able to flow with their concepts and ideas and at the time, shift and maneuver when the creative energy inevitably changes directions. This is why so many artists find a muse, a model they work with multiple times, a model whose work and image not only completes their creative impulses, but inspires them.
Regular FH readers are aware of the creative connections forged between NMS's Wes and many of his models. Wes' work with Alex and Bond is not only creatively rich, it is also work that has grown in both depth and scope over multiple shoots, over multiple years. As relationships deepen, and trust is established, concepts intensify, boundaries get pushed, and creativity beautifully expands. Bond and Alex aren't the only two models which inspire Wes, if you check out his pieces on FH (HERE:) or his on-line portfolio, you will see multiple appearances from models including Norm and Ricardo, two I have been fortunate to feature.
Then of course, are many models that are only shot once. Sometimes the single shoot is enough if there is no connection, or if the experience is one that neither party has a desire to repeat. Other times a second, third or forth shoot is not only wanted, but longed for, especially when the first shoot began a creative connection and produced work the artist would like to expand upon. Sometimes a revisit isn't possible due to schedule or circumstance. Sometimes, it location, especially if artist and model live in different states, countries or as in the case of Wes and Gabriel...different continents.
Their correspondence had begun when Gabriel, a Brazilian fitness model, and chef in training, was planning a trip to the United States. He wrote Wes to arrange for a physique portfolio session while in New York at the beginning of of his trip. A bit of a language barrier let to exchanges limited to the basics, scheduling, and questions about what type of images Gabriel wanted for his portfolio, fitness, implied or full nudes. Given they could not meet first, Wes had only been able to see a few images of Gabriel on-line. It was always a little risky to invest in a model you were not able to meet, not every images on-line is a reliable indication of a models current look and physical form. Wes however, says that Gabriel delivered which he shares in his comments on their shoot below.
'Fit and trim, he was an established model who was at home in the studio. The ambiguity of whether or not he would be posing nude was resolved shortly after we began shooting. He had signed up for implied and partial nudity. As he became comfortable with the work style of the studio it was a boundary that passed without comment and so naturally that I recognized it as a protective filter I've seen many models use: meet the photographer first.'
'Half way through the session we had met his portfolio needs and we continued with some art nude work that more than met the studio's needs. Or expectations. At the end of the evening, I promised to deliver to Gabriel the set of portfolio shots that had been the initial purpose of the session. Then I asked him to sign a model release and paid him the studio's modeling fee for an outstanding physique art session that generated images that will be appearing in upcoming issues of Captured Shadows.'
'Our real world missions fulfilled, the meeting ended and we reverted to our ongoing cyber relationship. It's almost enough to inspire faith in the Internet. Almost. As we prepared to open Gabriel's Gallery (henceforth known as Gabriel 3), we were curious as to how much time had lapsed since the session with our first Gabriel, the Venezuelan actor and model. Last we heard, Gabriel 3 was home in Brazil, working as a chef and Gabriel 1 had escaped the chaos and turmoil that has engulfed Venezuela and was living in a land famous for welcoming refugees, Canada.'
You can check out all three of the Gabriel's on NMS,s starting with Gabriel 3 by clicking HERE: But... that's not exactly the end of the voyage. Although Wes had assumed the passing ships were never to meet up again, it did indeed occur a second time. When Gabriel decided to vacation in the US this past summer during his break from school, they passed again, this time on a sunny Sunday in July, passing along the East River and the historic Brooklyn waterfront. Their new work will be appearing on the New Manhattan Studios website soon. In the meantime, additional shots from the winter shoot, featured here, can be found on Gabriel's page on NMS HERE:
'Gabriel was one of those ships that pass in a very contemporary night. It was a pleasant and productive winter evening, to be sure, but a fleeting moment when Rio and New York City intersected. An international meeting, born of social media, manifesting itself in the studio.'
Generally, the expression 'Ships that pass in the Night' refers to a memorable, but fleeting, one time meeting. The truth however, is that we all pass many ships each and every day. The difference is, most of them are not really that significant. It's those ships we notice, those ships that cause us to pause, stop and take a second look that implant and linger in our psyche. The become the ships we remember, and the ships long to see on the horizon again.
For most artists, one of the most rewarding aspects of their work can be the creative connections made with the models they work with. Models who understand their vision, models able to flow with their concepts and ideas and at the time, shift and maneuver when the creative energy inevitably changes directions. This is why so many artists find a muse, a model they work with multiple times, a model whose work and image not only completes their creative impulses, but inspires them.
Regular FH readers are aware of the creative connections forged between NMS's Wes and many of his models. Wes' work with Alex and Bond is not only creatively rich, it is also work that has grown in both depth and scope over multiple shoots, over multiple years. As relationships deepen, and trust is established, concepts intensify, boundaries get pushed, and creativity beautifully expands. Bond and Alex aren't the only two models which inspire Wes, if you check out his pieces on FH (HERE:) or his on-line portfolio, you will see multiple appearances from models including Norm and Ricardo, two I have been fortunate to feature.
Then of course, are many models that are only shot once. Sometimes the single shoot is enough if there is no connection, or if the experience is one that neither party has a desire to repeat. Other times a second, third or forth shoot is not only wanted, but longed for, especially when the first shoot began a creative connection and produced work the artist would like to expand upon. Sometimes a revisit isn't possible due to schedule or circumstance. Sometimes, it location, especially if artist and model live in different states, countries or as in the case of Wes and Gabriel...different continents.
Their correspondence had begun when Gabriel, a Brazilian fitness model, and chef in training, was planning a trip to the United States. He wrote Wes to arrange for a physique portfolio session while in New York at the beginning of of his trip. A bit of a language barrier let to exchanges limited to the basics, scheduling, and questions about what type of images Gabriel wanted for his portfolio, fitness, implied or full nudes. Given they could not meet first, Wes had only been able to see a few images of Gabriel on-line. It was always a little risky to invest in a model you were not able to meet, not every images on-line is a reliable indication of a models current look and physical form. Wes however, says that Gabriel delivered which he shares in his comments on their shoot below.
'Fit and trim, he was an established model who was at home in the studio. The ambiguity of whether or not he would be posing nude was resolved shortly after we began shooting. He had signed up for implied and partial nudity. As he became comfortable with the work style of the studio it was a boundary that passed without comment and so naturally that I recognized it as a protective filter I've seen many models use: meet the photographer first.'
'Half way through the session we had met his portfolio needs and we continued with some art nude work that more than met the studio's needs. Or expectations. At the end of the evening, I promised to deliver to Gabriel the set of portfolio shots that had been the initial purpose of the session. Then I asked him to sign a model release and paid him the studio's modeling fee for an outstanding physique art session that generated images that will be appearing in upcoming issues of Captured Shadows.'
'Our real world missions fulfilled, the meeting ended and we reverted to our ongoing cyber relationship. It's almost enough to inspire faith in the Internet. Almost. As we prepared to open Gabriel's Gallery (henceforth known as Gabriel 3), we were curious as to how much time had lapsed since the session with our first Gabriel, the Venezuelan actor and model. Last we heard, Gabriel 3 was home in Brazil, working as a chef and Gabriel 1 had escaped the chaos and turmoil that has engulfed Venezuela and was living in a land famous for welcoming refugees, Canada.'
You can check out all three of the Gabriel's on NMS,s starting with Gabriel 3 by clicking HERE: But... that's not exactly the end of the voyage. Although Wes had assumed the passing ships were never to meet up again, it did indeed occur a second time. When Gabriel decided to vacation in the US this past summer during his break from school, they passed again, this time on a sunny Sunday in July, passing along the East River and the historic Brooklyn waterfront. Their new work will be appearing on the New Manhattan Studios website soon. In the meantime, additional shots from the winter shoot, featured here, can be found on Gabriel's page on NMS HERE:
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