Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Testing the Waters: Kirkland by JeffsPOV


'I feel like I am a very sexual and sensual person, along with other things, so this shoot was up my alley.'


Sensual is exactly the word, and the feel, that came to mind when first laying my eyes on JeffsPOV's (Jeff's Point of View) work with 21 year old Kirkland Mawae. Jeff has always had an eye for the sensual and it is one of the reason's I have loved following his work. Many photographers try to capture a big moment, but Jeff's images welcome the viewer to linger, taking in the the entire shoot and experience in a gradual, but intensely seductive way.


Jeff's imagery is about enjoying and celebrating the male form, and his visual point of view match beautifully with Kirkland, who also takes his time, slowly seducing the camera with his eyes, poses and sensual shower and strip. Like Jeff, the Florida model does't seem in a hurry to 'get there', instead, enjoying each step of the process and journey.


If you check out Jeff's previous work on FH, (HERE:) you'll see he has an eye for beauty, and when he saw Kirkland on ModelMayhem, he knew instantly he wanted to work with him. Jeff says it didn't take long to have Kirkland in front of his lens after first reaching out. Although Kirkland didn't have a lot of shoots under his belt, or in this case, under his towel, Jeff describes him as a natural in front of the camera.


'Since I moved to Florida, I don't have the studio space that I used to have. I feel this has only made me more creative in using the space that I do have. Kirkland was a perfect fit for what I had in mind. He has this beautiful long hair, as you can see, and I knew I wanted to get him in shower. We had a great time shooting together with both of us open to the other's suggestions. He was professional, kind and fun. I was extremely pleased with the outcome of our shoot and I can't wait to shoot with him again.'


As Jeff notes, Kirkland's beautiful long hair, especially when wet, adds an alluring element, showcasing Kirkland's face and captivating hazel eyes. Legendary Hollywood photographers have always known that long flowing hair covering one eye, (think Veronica Lake or Kim Basinger) is both incredibly sexy as well as mysterious. Kirkland proves the look always works well on the right man.


As natural as he appears in front of the camera, modeling wasn't really something he planned, but instead, something that kind of fell into his lap. Although it was something he sort of thought about, growing up, sports and school to priority. It was after a move to Florida earlier this year, that Kirkland finally had some time to explore other intrests and passions. After being contacted by a local photographer for some TF shoots, Kirkland decided he didn't have anything to lose by giving modeling a chance.


'Jeff photographs the male figure and I, well, am a male with a figure, so it kind of just worked out haha. I knew that I wanted to try some shoots with water and that's where the shower shots came from. '
Kirkland


Rocking the wet look is something Kirkland is both comfortable, and familiar with. A swimmer most of his life, Kirkland says the sport helped him to grow very comfortable with his body. That being said, Kirkland says that being comfortable with his body, and being comfortable having someone photograph that body, especially being naked, were two different things. Although Kirkland knows the lines between tasteful nudity and porn are blurred at times, there' a line he's looking to balance, but not cross.


'Basically, I don’t want my dick and my nakedness to be the main focus of the entire piece, but rather just a part of the whole photograph. I don’t know if that makes sense, but, to be honest, as I evolve as a model, so do boundaries and what I am willing and not willing to do. So far, I have only done nude/semi nude photographs, but would love to get into more editorial and fashion pieces as well.'


'I am a marine biology major in St. Petersburg, FL and I was a swimmer through my freshman year of college, so water is a major part of my life. I wouldn’t be who I am today without it. I have a wave tattoo on my right arm and my turtle tattoo, otherwise known as a Honu in the Hawaiian language, was my first tattoo. It was my 18th birthday present. My father’s side of the family is Hawaiian and it’s culture was instilled in me by my grandparents and my dad throughout my life. The Honu, in Hawaiian culture, is a symbol of good luck and leadership. The protected man, lead them, navigated the oceans, and are basically the link between man, the land, and the sea.'


Jeff not only beautifully incorporated Kirkland's love of water, but also understood the line he wanted to balance, shimmying right up to the edge. Kirkland loved how the photographs turned out, especially Jeff's use of lighting which he describes as impeccable. Kirkland also loved that Jeff stresses not over editing his images and loved how he looked and all the positive feedback he got from others. 'Jeff has a great eye and he really stresses trying not to edit the photos to much. But, for real, like I look really hot in them and I all the feedback I have gotten from people are positive and uplifting.'



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