Bouldering:
-A form of rock climbing that is performed on small rock formations or artificial rock walls, known as boulders, without the use of ropes or harnesses.
Earlier this year I had the pleasure of introducing FH readers to model John Cooper in a shoot with Jim from Studio1x. I loved Jim's work of John and the poses and shots he captured of the Seattle based model's incredible physique. Although it was a nude shoot, unlike this series with Mark from StudioMGPhotography, there were metaphorical ropes and harnesses providing both safety and boundaries.
In the previous shoot featured, items of clothing such as a t-shirt and jeans, a bathrobe and cowboy hat were used not just as fashion accessories, but as a layer of protection. As you can, the layer has been lifted, and not only is John bouldering on the rocks, there is nothing limiting John's both his exposure and his connection to his physical environment and the relationship with Mark's lens. Maybe part of it is the location and being outside of the studio, but John looks in his element outside, on the beach, and while scaling the rocks and cliffs. Mark has shot many models on the rocks and along this stretch of beach but not all look so natural and at one with the location as John.
'I find this type of photography liberating, but also very artistic. I seem to have found my strong point in more athletic movements, particularly in hobbies I already enjoy -- rock climbing (well, climbing anything really, lol), and working out. If it requires strength, it's probably something up my alley!'
John
John remember seeing Mark and Mike Tossy's 'visually stunning' images on Instagram and began following their accounts. When an opportunity arose to visit family in California, John got in touch to see if there might be interest in doing a shoot together. After chatting back and forth for a while, a weekend was set for John to visit. In between Mark picking him up at the airport late on the Friday of his arrival, and dropping him back again on Sunday, John was busy shooting with both Mark and Mike.
The weekend began with a Saturday morning sunrise shoot at the beach, the location John demonstrated his rock climbing skills for Mark's camera. Next, it was time for a naked beach work out, followed by a visit to one of Mark's favorite urban decay locations where he's been shooting images from his Bedtime Stories series.
'I did encounter some people during the shoot on the beach. The guy that passed-by saw me start to reach for my shorts and then laughed saying: 'Dude, its Santa Cruz! Apparently, a couple women were watching from above too. When we were done and heading back to the car they approached me and wanted to fill me in on other places for nude rock climbing.'
John Cooper
After finding a couple of additional abandoned warehouse locations, they returned to the house and Mike took over shooting John in and around the pool in the afternoon light and the 3/4 truck they had borrowed from friends. Lastly, on Saturday, they visited a friends property where they are getting rid to build a home. The old trailer they stay in while working on the property also provided a great place to shoot.
'Exercise is a key part of John's day and without a gym handy he had improvised a pre-shoot workout very early Saturday. On Sunday I suggested he go through some of that workout again, but this time out on a deck, and nude... It was a delightful weekend with John, both creatively and because he's just a nice guy to hang out with, that passed all too quickly. John was a delight to create with. Smart, mature, and well grounded, in addition to handsome!'
'Mark and Mike were amazing hosts: very respectful and fun! Both have amazing eyes for photography and were great to work with!'
John
Over the last several months, since getting his work out there, John's been approached by numerous photographers, artists and a mentor who thinks he may have 'the look' to make it in the modeling word. John says that overall, modeling has been a great experience and he's excited to see where it may take him. If things work out, great, but if not, John is still enjoying the journey and says if nothing else, he's found a really fun hobby, one both he, and viewers of his images can enjoy.
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