'Ten years ago I was afraid to take off my shirt in public, now I'm not afraid of my body image or who I am.'
John Cooper
Although I have profiled many men who's goal had always been to professionally model, many who step in front of the camera do so for personal reasons. Models are not born 'camera ready', in fact even the most successful models have to both work hard, and have a lot of assistance to be ready for their close-ups. As a story teller, my favorite stories involve change, and I love featuring models who have experienced a transformation, both physical and then emotional, before finally deciding they want to share their metamorphosis with the public.
Many people struggle with self esteem and body image issues, and making lasting changes as most of us know, can be a challenge. Going on to share one's hard fought achievements, not just with those you trust, but with the heavily judgmental masses on the web can be a scary risk. For many people, especially those who have experienced self esteem struggles, doing a naked photo shoot is about as appealing as poking yourself in the eyes, yet for so many, the exposure ends up being a profoundly powerful experience.
Since first featuring his imagery last September, Jim from Studio1x has become one of my favorite photographer's to showcase. Jim has a knack for choosing not only great looking men to shoot, but also manages to photograph them a beautifully complete way. Jim doesn't shy away from full body shots, he captures his models from head to toe, shooting hundreds of different poses, looks, themes and emotions which encompass so many facets of the model he's working work. I love that Jim leaves no moment undocumented, and sends on each of these moments to help with the telling of the story. The images featured here, are some of my favorite 'split second' moments from the hundreds that Jim captured of John Cooper
Jim first began planning a shoot with John late last year, but it wasn't until February that their schedules meshed up and they finally got together. John had not only never posed nude before, he had never done a professional shoot before. John shares that in his early twenties he was severely overweight, had become socially withdrawn and was very self conscious about his body and appearance. Through a lot of hard work at the gym, and an equal amount of self-control with eating and dieting, John managed to take off 70lbs and built considerable lean muscle.
Given his past, John had some reservations about being photographed, especially naked. Communicating with Jim before hand helped him feel better, doing his research and taking control of the process helped immensely. Jim calls John a photographer's dream, eager to learn about the process, taking in all the information Jim shared and following his suggestions to the t.
'As you can see he is a very good looking guy with a fantastic body. I had some ideas on the direction of the shoot and he did as well. We set the whole the whole afternoon aside for the shoot so we were able to capture many different looks and styles. It is so much fun working with a model of his caliber who is open to many different looks. We did some cowboy looks, fitness, a bit of yoga, dramatic lighting, high key, suit jacket, robe, bedroom, milk bath and ending with shower shots. I think we both were a bit exhausted after the shoot but by the photos you can tell it was so worth it.'
'Ten years ago I was afraid to take off my shirt in public, now I'm not afraid of my body image or who I am. At first I had some misgivings about the photo-shoot, but Jim created an atmosphere that made it easy. These photos are works of art: just like any other piece of art a lot of time and effort was put into it. Getting your body in that time of shape isn't easy. Finding a photographer with a real sense of lighting and perspective is at least equally hard. Now that it's done, I'm looking forward to working with Jim again and another artist in a collaboration.'
John Cooper
I too look forward to seeing more of John's work and the results of a second shoot with Jim. John's body looks incredible and Jim's lens captures all of John's well earned muscle definition and tone. Jim made sure to cover all of Johns physique and I especially love some of the creative ways he shot John's back. (and backside!) John slides into whatever them and wardrobe he was given, skillfully and seductively removing his vest, robe or whatever he's wearing for a satisfying and sexy reveal.
'John warmed up very quickly to the camera, a shot before hand might have helped 😀. He knows his body very well and how to move, he responded to direction very well. He was very pleased with his experience and the photos. We are already talking about another shoot. This time we have found another model to pose with him and we are excited about the direction we will go with this shoot.'
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