Above:
Jesse by Photography by George
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Sunday, January 21, 2018
Favorite Five: Joseph Bruza
Some of you might recognize actor and model Joseph 'Joe' Bruzas from Kylie Minogue's Sexercize but it was his work as a model, and seeing his images in magazines that first had me seeking out more shots of the curly haired, beautiful brown eyed model. Check out more on Joe's Instagram HERE:
Next two shots by Brian Jamie
Joseph by Gabe Ayala
Doug Jones: Amphibia Allure
'Monsters are beautiful.'
Over the last decade working on FH, I have featured the male form depicted in many variations, styles and methods. I have featured the male form visually created and captured in photographs, drawings, sculptures and in cartoon form. Although I have included a few sexy beasts and monsters, I believe this to be my first male physique in the form of an amphibian.
Like Sally Hawkins character Elisa, (and maybe Richard Jenkin's Giles...) the attraction of The Shape of Water's Amphibian Man is both powerful and avoidable. Although the reviews I read were stellar, I still for some reason wasn't really drawn to see Guillermo del Toro' award winning film. Sometimes peer pressure is a good thing, I feel in love with both the love story, the performances and actor Doug Jones beautiful turn as The Amphibian Man.
I want to say Jones made his water dwelling creature almost human like, but most humans don't rise to the level of beauty and humanity his character manages to reach. Jones connection to his role comes from both his personal experiences growing up, and his decades of emoting from behind rubber, latex and make-up. The attraction begins with those eyes, but quickly moves to the soul.
On the set of Pans Labyrinth (2006)
'As a teenager in high school myself I felt that I was an absolute monster. I didn't fit in with the pretty kids, the football players, the whatevers. I was a gangly cross country runner who had to do armpit farts to get people to laugh at him. So I felt like a monster within. So playing now monsters on film, I can find the sympathy and the beauty in them.'
Hocus Pocus (1993)
It's always to be introduced to actor, as I was with Jones in this film, only to realize he has been apart of your love of film for years. I remember actually thinking Billy Butcherson was sort of cute when seeing his try to terrorize in the grave yard in 1993's Hocus Pocus. Jones also appeared in one of my favorite episodes of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, playing one of 'The Gentlemen' in Hush, one of the shows most acclaimed episodes.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1999)
Jones has been been having us humans look at monsters, aliens, mummies, clowns and Silver Surfers's since the late 80's, including most recently as Saru, and Kelpien Starfleet officer on board the USS Discovery on Star Trek Discovery. Now that I have discovered the beauty and talent of Doug Jones, I will be looking at my monsters, a little differently, and a little more closely.
The Making of a Monster
'That's the beauty of the story. I love the underdog-coming-out-on-top thing that Guillermo often plays on. Empowering all of us, really. No matter how flawed and other than normal we feel, that we've been told that we are throughout our lifetime, his movies have a way of empowering us to find the beauty in being other than mainstream. It's gorgeous, monsters are beautiful'.
Doug Jones
Amphibian Attraction
Bidirectional Views: Jesse by Photography by George
'George's approach to his craft is to serve the viewer as mirror, window, and door.'
One of the most interesting things about windows, mirrors and doors isn't just what they reveal, but also what they conceal. They also don't necessarily reflect a complete truth, instead a narrow glimpse into something only made complete by incorporating the viewer's perception. Some photographers guide you to exactly what they want you to see, others simply provide a map, leaving the destination a mystery. Photographer George Krause purposely avoids unveiling the full picture, instead, he provides a visual entrance for those who wish to peek forward and inward.
Photography and art is so much about perception and assumption. If you don't like men with red hair, tattoo's or who are hairy, can you enjoy an image of a model with these qualities. Some would argue that could with a skilled photographer with a well constructed and creative image. I would argue one's ability to appreciate qualities, ones you might otherwise ignore or discount, is more about what the image asks of you, rather than what you actually see.
George
The first images from George that I saw were of model Ivan Bohman whom I featured in 2016. (Mature Content Beautifully Enabled) George's images of Ivan were so erotically sensual with a clear appreciation of the almost sixty year old models physical and sexual allure and charisma. I made a note to check out more of George's work, and to contact him again about possibly featuring more of his imagery. Whenever I profile a photographer, one of my first questions is what led to them focus their camera on the male form. Upon returning to George's portfolio, I could see that question may not apply and was left wondering if the male form was his focus at all?
'My first experience photographing a nude model was a bit out of the ordinary. It was with a female model named Kamarose (above). We did the shoot in one of the hot tub rooms at the Berkeley Sauna. I think I was more nervous than she was since it was my first nude shoot and she had been modeling nude for several years. Not to mention that we would both be naked during that shoot.'
Ok, now before I explain why George was also naked, let me go back a little bit. Ending up in that Sauna at Berkeley, was in a way, coming full circle for George. George spent many years living and working in higher education, and loved the community atmosphere and the almost small city feel to life on campus. After retiring, he and his wife drove to California. For George, photography came about from his desire to get back on campus, something he'd been missing since he retired. One of George's friends, a life model who modeled at a few local colleges, had an interesting idea...
'My friend knew that I was a nudist and suggested that I look into nude art modeling. The modeling and photographing of the nude fit together hand and glove so I began pursuing both . As a nudist I have always appreciated the beauty, power and grace of the human form. As a bisexual I am equally passionate about photographing both women and men.'
Lately, I have featured a few artists who shoot both women and men. Usually, I detect a preference, but not with George's images. Some photographers are skilled at capturing the visual beauty of both the male and female body, not all capture the sensuality as well. George certainly achieved that with Ivan, and with Jesse as well. So much in fact with Jesse, some of the shots were a little too intensely sensual even for FH...
George's work with Jesse also occurred in Berkeley. George is always looking for new models to collaborate with and Jesse answered an ad George had placed looking for models in the area. Jesse was attending culinary school, and shared that he had never modeled in the nude before. Even so, Jesse seemed totally comfortable in front of the camera, so much so, he got an erection almost immediately, and to George's surprise, began masturbating during the shoot on his own inspiration. Although I didn't know Jesse's shoot had such a climatic ending, I chose to feature George's images of him due to how comfortable and organically sexual he appeared in front of the camera. I also especially love how his long curls frame his face.
'I prefer shooting with natural light. I love the play of light and shadow on the body and frequently include some "bodyscape" shots in every shoot. I also enjoy the use of masks and other props during a shoot. So my shoots generally end up being some of this and some of that rather than being confined to one predetermined concept. I shoot both fine art and erotic so whatever the model is comfortable from mild to wild is fine with me. As a matter of fact not all of my shoots involve nudity at all. I'm perfectly happy doing clothed/costumed shoots as well. And, lastly I do not limit myself to models of any particular age range or body type. It's all good so long as the model is of legal age, has proper identification and signs a model release.'
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