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Friday, April 12, 2019
The Second Sunday in April
'Each year on the second Sunday in April, a 125 year old student-rowing tradition takes place in a canal just a little south of the dutch town of Utrecht.'
Ewoud Broeksma
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The Spirited End: Nelson by New Manhattan Studios
'Your body is yours and no one else has it. Your uniqueness is shown and your story is seen. You are your own definition.'
In order to define Nelson, you'd have to pin him down, and slowing down bursts of energy isn't easy. It's like trying to put lightening a bottle, both a fool hearty and ultimately futile task. Nelson found himself in front of the New Manhattan Studios' lens after reaching out to Wes. Nelson had seen Wes' portfolio on-line and loved what he saw. Wes shares that Nelson not only brought his exuberant energy, but with his own ideas and his own bag of tricks, props and wardrobe.
'The variety of energy levels that models bring to their photo sessions is vast. It's a reflection of their own, unique and often idiosyncratic personalities. At one end are the stoic, body-builder/statues that require constant direction and at the opposite end are the always-moving, bouncing-off-the-walls enthusiasts who need to be contained as well as captured. Nelson fits comfortably at the spirited end of the scale in a sweet spot that makes for a high-energy model who takes direction and enthusiastically goes with it.'
Wes in the process of closing out his studio in the historic townhouse in SoHo, one of five different studio spaces he's leased and occupied in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens over the last several years. Nelson was one of the last models he and NMS shot in the space.
'That first hour long shoot was awesome and I loved how the pictures turned out. I felt both confident and sexy while shooting. The model that was supposed to shoot after me didn't show up so instead Wes and I were able to continued shooting and creating!'
'More than most models Nelson has the knack of leading the session, stamping his own personality on it as he goes with the spontaneity of the moment. If these collections are fantasies constructed to engage the viewer, I had the impression the model was engaged in some fantasies of his own.'
Nelson may have been one of the last shoots for Wes in the SoHo townhouse, it's wasn't their last shoot together. After an unplanned break, and a move to their newest (and hopefully permanent) studio space in midtown Manhattan, Nelson was one of the first models Wes brought in to shoot in the new space.
Wes shares that Nelson’s first session in SoHo. (marked by the black-and-white tiles) was one of his few solo sessions one-on-one with the model in awhile. Usually, Wes has at least an assistant or two, and sometimes even a small crew, depending on the theme, set-up and requirements for the shoot. With Nelson being an experienced model, Wes shares they captured a lot of great work. This one-on-one experience however, wasn't replicated when it came time for their second shoot together.
'The second was in a relatively crowded studio; and we accomplished less. Not only was Alex helping out, but Timothy, a retired model, showed up and waited out the session before heading out to a late dinner. I’m sure Nelson didn’t mind, but I found the presence of a fourth (non-participating) person had an inhibiting effect. It’s a relatively small space and I was reluctant to ask Nelson to do explicit work while the straight dude sat in the corner engaged with his phone. No doubt it says more about my hang-ups than those of the models. I’m still living and learning. There’s always next time!'
I'm sort of guessing Nelson may have been less inhibited with the explicit work that Wes may have thought.. Nelson shares that he's always been athletic, going to the gym, dancing and participating in martial arts. Nelson's created a strong connection between mind and body and grown to love and appreciate his body, and shares he has no issue with showing it off.
'I understand that physical expression through nudity full or semi is still stigmatized and frowned upon. I am guilty to say I have censored myself many times to this day, however I find naturism to be not only beautiful but essential in unlocking ones personal awareness. I have done suggestive/semi and full nudity for close friends of mine before so my work with NMS wasn't necessarily foreign to me.'
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