'His masculinity was apparent and his confidence strong.'
Steve Jerome
Steve Jerome
It often surprises me how subtle some photographers attempt to be when shooting a naked man. Some try to mask, cover, obscure a model's sexual side, and even when a penis can be seen, it's shot in a way not to draw attention, or maybe more directly, a certain kind of attention. I understand this when the purpose of the shoot is to feature the male body in the promotion of a product, or for a campaign. Many times however, this isn't the case.
My favorite images of the male form are when it's clear the artist's focus is on the entire man, both body and soul. They neither focus just on only one body part, nor do they ignore or attempt to downplay it's significance. The images don't have to be necessarily sexual, the human body is so much more than just this one function, and many photographers utilize the naked male body within their work in an erotic, but not necessarily overtly sexual way.
Usually however, within those shoots, the male form is naked throughout, without the benefit of a reveal. FH readers know that I often lay out features on the site with a reveal. I like the reveal for several reasons, including that introducing the model with a portrait image, or in clothing, you're introduced to them as a person, not just a body or an assemblage of body parts.
For me, the reveal also increases anticipation, and intensifies the viewers reaction to what follows below. I've seen many images in which a model's body, or their body parts, don't match what I observe and feel is being expressed through their eyes. It's always a bit disconcerting.. The opposite of reveal is to conceal, and photographers who choose to reveal are making a promise to the viewer, and seem less interested in subtlety, instead have the goal of capturing bodies connected with the desire and emotions the model is expressing.
Steve Jerome consistently captures this connection with creative care and precision. The San Diego based photographer always manages to tap into sexual sides of his subjects, encouraging them not to pretend or exaggerate, but just to be. As hot as 22 year old Jay's body may be, it's matched by intensified by both the physical reveal that Steve captures, and by what Jay reveals and expresses with his beautiful brown eyes.
Steve first connected with Jay through a modeling website and was impressed by both his solid body, and how agile and flexible he was during the shoot. Steve says he took his work seriously, hitting the gym at least five days a week, working hard to keep in shape for when modeling gigs came through. Definitely sports minded, Jay considers himself an athlete, but at the same time, doesn't take himself too seriously.
'A Midwestern transplant to sunny Southern California, Jay is full of energy and inspiration, bringing a fresh attitude to each and every assignment. A quiet person who was a bit shy when the shoot started, he got more comfortable as we progressed. Jay was friendly from the start, did not talk a lot, but flashed a shy smile at every compliment and was eager to do a good job.'
Steve shot hundreds of photos of Jay, a small representative sampling shown in Jay's gallery on his website. (HERE:) There are many more available, so check out Steve's website and let him know if you want to see more!
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