'David was one of the first photographers who contacted me for photoshoots, and he is still one of my favorites.'
One of my favorite pieces from last year featured San Diego based model Shane Le and his work with YogaBear Studio. (A Liberating Experience) Regular FH readers know how much I love exploring the stories behind the shoots, models and artists that I feature. The most interesting pieces of the story however, aren't just the who, what, and where. The most fascinating pieces of almost every story are always the why and the how.
I ask models a ton of questions, but the two most important, the two the give the most insight, are why a model chose to pose, and how they felt, both during and after, the experience. As the title of the first piece indicated, for Shane, shooting with David, especially shooting completely naked on the old train and tracks, brought forth feelings of liberation and increased confidence for Shane.
We tend to assume that models must already be confident to stand naked in front of a camera, exposed both physically and emotionally for all the world to see. Often however, that confidence comes after, from the experience itself. Given his incredible physique, it's clear Shane is committed to his health and fitness and pushing his body to the limits. Positive results however, aren't necessarily only seen by what's reflected in the mirror. Often, they come from seeing the results reflect through the lens of another.
Working with David, and seeing the images they created together, certainly did that for Shane. So much so, that during their most recent shoot together, they returned to the location of their first shoot back in 2011. Returning to the tunnel, not only provoked discussion on the changing appearance of the location, it also had Shane reflecting on his bodies physical changes over the last eight years.
'What is interesting about this recent photoshoot with David is that we had been to that same location a few years ago. On the way there, we were discussing how much new residential development had happened during the years. Of course the tunnel where we did the shoot had gone through several cycles of graffiti-cleanup, then covered with fresh graffiti. David and I were not intentionally recreating the same photos from years ago, however I did find a few that were shot in very similar angles and poses.'
'It was very cool for me to have this chance of reviewing my growth (physically and mentally) through the last a few years.'
Since my late profile of David's work, he's moved to a new site, you can check it out, and more of his work with Shane in the gallery section of the new YogaBear Studio site HERE:
Check out David's physique themed studio shots of Shane on PAGE 2 HERE:
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