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Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Happy Birthday today October 17th
Horror Hunks: Len Travis in Private Parts
'When Cheryl moves into her estranged aunt Martha's rundown King Edward Hotel, one of its offbeat residents, disturbed photographer George, takes special interest in her. Everyone there seems to be a pervert in one way or another, and when murders start occurring, Cheryl realizes that she is in over her head.'
Directed by Paul Bartel and produced by Gene Corman, brother of Roger Corman, the 1972 psychological thriller Private Parts successfully hits the creep-o-metre with it's collection of colorful characters. The movie routinely plays TCM, usually late at night on the weekends. It was after reading a synopsis on-line earlier this year that had me setting my PVR.
I was surprised at that brief, but memorable nude scene from actor Len Travis which opens the horror flick. There is something incredibly hot about Len's 1970's hunky look, especially the sexy tan lines which highlight his gorgeous ass. There's also a 'don't blink or you'll miss it' frontal when Len's gets up from the bed.
I couldn't really find out anything about Len when researching, Private Parts was just one of three film appearances he made in 1971 and 1972. Good for us, but sad for Len, he had sex in the film and although not right after, (Spoiler Alert) he meets a bloody end shortly thereafter. If you're into the dark, odd and creepy in your horror, find a copy of Private Parts, you may not enjoy it, but it has a certain something that's hard to shake off.
The Man He's Become: Max by YogaBear Studio
' David's a class act and I couldn’t have felt more comfortable during my time working with him.'
Being a class act is just one of the many reasons I always look forward to featuring the work of David from YogaBear Studio. I love the respectful, yet incredibly erotic style David utilizes within his visual celebration of the male form. One of David's goals is to broaden the scope of what men, and what models, are usually chosen to represent the idealized representation of the masculinity and the male form.
I have never seen a shoot from David in which his subject is presented as anything other than a multi faceted, beautiful and sensual representation of male perfection. David accomplishes this is through his use of classic poses and themes to best showcase the man in front of his camera. I especially love's David nod to classical Greek statues, his use of re-pose, not to mention throwing in a bit of a voyeuristic touch by often shooting his models dressing and undressing. Through his process, I love how David no only captures the beauty, but hits on the essence of who they are as a man and a person.
When I recently visited David's port, I was drawn to his recent shoot with a Max, who looked incredibly hot and alluring in each of the themes he and David work in. Although Max's curly dark hair may grab many's attention, it was Max's body and beautiful eyes, and the shape of his face, especially his mouth and nose, that first grabbed mine. I especially love the shots of Max's eyes and face peeking through the long curls cascading over his face.
As someone who has curly hair myself, I grew up trying to tame my mane though out most of time as a teenager. I used every product on the planet and even tried straightening it after borrowing a hair straightener from a girlfriend I had a the time. Like many guys with curly hair, I stopped fighting when I started working and cut it short enough to deal with. Max too, struggled with his curls, sharing it took a long time to embrace it.
'I faced criticism from family and friends (and still do to this day) but seeing my mane in it’s full glory every day has made persevering worth it'
'I had a great time working with David, he was able to help me understand certain body movements clearer to be able to achieve specific poses. I had done a nude shoot before so in terms of being nervous about that I wasn’t, though I do remember feeling a little self conscious about being bloated that morning. He’s a class act and I couldn’t have felt more comfortable during my time working with him.'
What was your reaction when seeing the final shots and do you have a favorite from the shoot?
'Quite astonished! I had an idea of what they photos might’ve looked like afterwards but they really blew me away. My favorite is definitely the B&W side shot with my head in my hands.'
What has been your favorite experience modeling thus far?
Probably the series I did with the white bedding. To me that really highlighted that nudity is about far more than just arousal and I feel that those photos convey much more a sense of intimacy than anything else.
What factors did you weigh before deciding to take it all off?
How does my SO feel about this? What is the purpose of this shoot, and do I agree with it? Do I trust the photographer that I am going to be working with? I was happy with the answer to all of those questions and was able to go in with a sound state of mind.
Did the response from friends/family enter into your decision?
The only person I even asked was my SO and they were okay with it. I know most of my friends and family would probably be opposed to it and to be honest I don’t really need the insecurity of other people and their perceptions of nudity to influence my personal decisions.
Any odd or strange stories from any shoots?
During one of my shoots I was talking about my interest in being a male dancer and it ended with me showcasing my dancing abilities haha.
Has there been a theme or concept suggested that you've nixed?
I was interested in exploring androgyny but I’ve since put that off when I realized how attached I am to my beard. I would love to come back to it at some point though.
Is there a photographer you would really love to be shot by?
John Rankin, I love the way he uses light and I’m a big fan of his eccentric makeup photos. I think he could really bring out the warrior in me.
What would your dream scenario be for a shoot?
On the beach in Bali, or somewhere comparable. Just the clear water, incredible tropical landscape…Nature is something that is really important to me, and doing a shoot in that setting would be something I’d cherish deeply.
Why do you think you like modeling?
I grew up as the fat kid, you know the one that always got picked on people were never interested in and was picked on as middle schoolers tend to do. I have worked hard to get to the point where I am at with my body now, both physically and mentally. For me, stepping in front of the camera and being confident and proud of the man I’ve become is a way of reclaiming my body, and my sense of self.
I love the last line in Max's quote above, it encapsulates why I love to explore the story behind how a shoot or image is created. We so often only process, and then form opinions, on what we see in he present, and on the surface. A good photographer is able to capture the essence who a man is, but a great artist, and one in search of it, can also capture a glimpse of who a man was. To me, the is holds so much more depth and beauty with some understanding of the was.
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