Sunday, July 21, 2019

Favorite Pic of the Day for July 22nd

Above:
δέκα by TR Pics
-See More Below-

Heat Dome

Beating the Heat

Big 'n' Little Thighs


Big Little Lies ends it's second season Sunday night and all though I'm still two episodes behind, I wanted to mark the occasion. In the last episode that I saw, there was a scene with Adam Scott (Ed) where he was positioned in a particularly inviting fashion...


I've long lusted after Adam Scott, and many of his other male co-stars on the HBO drama.  Although the female leads get the lion's share of attention, as they should, I thought the men deserved a little fanfare as season two comes to a close.  Check out my favorite skin scenes from the cast of BBL on


Exhibition Island


Being on vacation this month, I've been away most of the last couple of weeks.  Home the last couple of days, I've been trying to clear by DVR before I take off again.  With no time to watch everything I recorded, I was forced to delete and fast forward through some of it, but I have to admit that I've been sucked into the guilty pleasure that is Love Island.

Cormac

I usually hate reality shows where love and romance is the theme.  I'm not really sure that's the case of Love Island.  I'd say sexual attraction and multiple hook ups are more what the producers hope.  Last week, I posted a few shots of Irish stud Cormac Calvin Klein boxer briefs.  (HERE:)

Michael

Love Island pretend to be anything it's not.  It's goal, is to show as much flirting, as much skin, and as much titillating content they can get away with on network television.  The games always have the contestants in bathing suits, they even put the guys in speedos for one.  They usually have them wet, doing something that encourages them to act out and erotically contort their bodies in some way or another.

Zac

Love Island was inspired from the UK version, unfortunately, given it airs on an American network, even it's erotic content is censored down to ensure not one gets them self in a tizzy.  There's still plenty of eye candy on display.  I especially like Michael, who although a little boring using reality standards, was about the only guy on the show who may have actually been relationship material.

Dylan

All of the other island studs, and they're all great looking, are players on the Island of audition.  If you check out their Instagrams, almost all of them seem to be models, and most are quite skilled at playing the game.  Cashel seems the biggest player, but Zac, Weston and the others are giving him a run for his money.  I continue to lust after Cormac, but behind his sexy accent and beautiful smile is heart breaker for sure.  Still, you don't have to be a choir boy to be eye candy, although that can be fun too...

Yamen

TR Pics: Decennium

Daniel

'My photography gives me the chance to create and explore on my own. It's my outlet.'
FH readers are aware how much I like a celebration. I look for any reason to celebrate, holidays, seasons and of course my regular birthday feature. I also love celebrating anniversary's, and featured many of my favorite artists and photographers when FH entered it's 10th. (Ten) Tom Rubeck (TR Pics) began shooting the male form back in 2009. A couple of years later, and a half a dozen or so shoots under his belt, Tom's imagery first appeared on the site. (Part passion, part obsession, complete expression...)


'Daniel was the very first model I ever shot with, and we shot a lot. I experimented with him, using our time to play with lighting and trying to mimic different styles. He is amazingly handsome, but never really felt comfortable in front of the camera. He has since dropped out of modeling.'


Since 2009, Tom has gone from shooting dozens of models to shooting hundreds, many of which I've had the privilege to feature.  (HERE:)  I've always been drawn to models Tom chooses to shoot, and the way in which Tom so uniquely see's, and captures them.  When I first showcased Tom's work back in 2011, I asked him about what he looks for when choosing a model to work with.

Andy

'Coming from a Germanic/Swedish background, for some reason I have always found more "exotic" looks fascinating. Dark hair, strong features, angular structure... I am drawn in this direction, and I guess is reflects in the models I choose to approach for shooting.  I like men to look like men. I much prefer models with hair. The whole notion that "shaving shows your muscles better" is pure bunk. Masculinity is something I enjoy highlighting.'


Given's Tom expansive body of work, I recently asked Tom about doing a piece featuring some of my favorite images.  Tom was on board with the idea and I began the grilling task of choosing my favorite images of the many naked men Tom as shot.  As we were piecing together the story, Tom mentioned that he had just hit ten years of shooting the male form.  Given my love of celebrating, I asked Tom to take me a back to the beginning.


'Back in early 2009, when I started to pick up my old photography habits (I had been shooting video professionally for 14 years at that point) I set out to see if I could shoot headshots and "model shots" like you see in magazines and papers, catalogs and the like. I had never tried this sort of thing, and so after signing up on the Model Mayhem website I found a local wannbe "model" named Daniel.' 


'The timing was perfect, as we were both setting out to try new things. I really didn't begin with the intention of focusing on "the male form" at first. But in all honesty, as a gay man, I was much more compelled to shoot men than women. As weeks and months went on, I would look at magazines and books to get ideas on examples of lighting styles, and poses, etc. It was then when I realized I could easily replicate the same sorts of shots if I found the right models. So as I began to search for a style or system to my shooting, I also began to branch out to the subject matter and seek out guys who wanted to shoot "artistically" and not just "fashion shots" (which I suck at taking). Fortunately I was lucky, and landed some very handsome and very expressive male models to shoot with.'



'Andy was my third model to shoot, and he had amazing ideas he wanted to try. He sort of became my muse and we would have marathon shoots. We lived about four hours apart, but for a few months we found time to shoot several times together, with each session being very different and unique. '

Sam

'Sam was the first man I ever shot nude. And it was set up that way. I knew I wanted to try my hand at capturing male nudes, but I also knew I wanted it to be with someone who had experience, knew what they were doing, and wouldn't mind being patient with me. Sam is an amazingly handsome man from Israel, and I had seen Sam's photos before as a Google Search showed him to be all over the internet, having shot with many photographers. So I approached Sam, and started a conversation. I was nervous when I wrote about the idea of someday shooting with him, and to my delight he said he was coming to Texas to visit some family in Austin. (He lived in Philadelphia; I lived in Dallas.) We arranged it so that on his way to Austin, he would get off the plane in Dallas, we would shoot for a few hours, and then he'd continue his trip. I arranged to pick him up from the airport, and had booked out a suite at the "W Hotel" in downtown Dallas.'


'As every first shoot is between photographer and new model, it started out a bit awkward. There is always that dance of, "this is how I shoot, this is how I pose", etc. The first few shots Sam wore jeans, and I think he could tell I was disappointed because I had specifically said I wanted nudes, and that this would be my first try at it. So he stripped down. Sam seemed like somewhat of a naturalist anyway so I don't think he was at all uncomfortable. I was more nervous because to me he was a somewhat famous model and I didn't want to appear as more of a silly nerd than I was.'


'Once the shoot really started going, it was a marathon. And I loved it. Sam was a pro at posing, taking his time, allowing me to be sure I had what I needed. He even stepped over to my camera and showed me a little trick about exposure. (Side note, Sam is now an amazing photographer and seldom models anymore.) That first shoot with him was a dream, and the photos we got are some of my favorites...for both the looks and the memories of the experience. Before I knew it the shoot was over, and Sam wanted to go out and try some Texas beef before his plane ride down to Austin. I shot with Sam two more times after that, and the work was amazing. Each session I seemed to learn more. And we became friends. That is why those early images hold such a dear place in my heart.'


Daniel, Andy and Sam are not only three of the early models that Tom shot, the images continue to resonate, and and remain favorites of many who love of the male form in art. Sam was actually the first model Tom shot fully nude, and I love the story Tom tells below.  If you thought I'd forgotten about featuring some of my favorites images, have no fear.  Given we're celebrating Tom's 10th anniversary, I narrowed down 10 favorites which you can check it out, on  PAGE 2 HERE:

Favorite Pic of the Day for July 21st

Above:
FaVorites by TR Pics
-See More Below-

~Check out today's BIRTHDAYS HERE:~

Room With A View

Image from Von Melzer
Sweatin', even in the Shades

Grey Sway


Jackson freeballing his way through the Big Brother House


TR Pics: FaVorites


'Different roads sometimes lead to the same castle.'
George R.R. Martin


Although individual artists have their own specific goals when shooting, I believe there are a few things, most photographers of male form have in common.  Most artists use their skills to capture something they find visually stimulating and beautiful.  The goal, to trigger a reaction, hopefully something both enjoyable and unique from the viewer.


They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the best artists, know better.  They know, with the right image, almost any eye can be tempted and drawn towards the beauty they capture.  How often have you seen an image of a model, and although at first glance they don't fit your usual definition of beauty.  But there is just something about the image, the model, the emotion captured, that his you redefining and expanding your spectrum of beauty.


I hesitate to use the word diversity, as it's far more complicated.  Diversity has become a series of words, corrupted by politicians, the racist in the White House the main offender, but he isn't alone.  Diversity to me is simply about variety, and if you're truly living a full life, you know variety is key.


Unfortunately, so many artists continue to put limits and barriers on beauty.  For some photographers the limits are about age, you know the ones, who rarely shoot anyone under 21 or 22.  For some it's about body type, they shoot only skinny guys, only muscled hunks, only tall men.  For others it's race, or hair color, hair length, it's about body hair, rock hard abs or penis size.  I know in part, these limits are connected to media, and what they feel their audiences want, but to manipulate a line from Field of Dreams, if you see it, they will come, or cum, if that's a part of your goal.


Tom Rubeck is truly limitless in his personal spectrum of beauty.  He's beauty in all men, even when they don't see it themselves.  If you've checked out any of my previous pieces featuring Tom's imagery, (Quaternate) you'll know that in addition to his visuals, it's also the stories.  Some see's, then captures the beauty of Wolfgang's body hair, the beauty in Rohan's alter ego, the lyrical flow of Sunel's movements, the muscles on some men, the lack thereof on others.


Working on FH now for over a decade, it's variety that keeps me working and writing.  When Tom sends on a shoot for a feature, I have no idea what's flying into my inbox, there is no past pattern other than whomever Tom shoots, he will key into something beautiful, something erotic, something raw and unique.


When narrowing down favorites to celebrate TR Pic's ten years of shoots, I only managed to wiggle them images down to about sixty.... so there are many more favorites, many more looks, themes and definitions of beauty to come!



The Men of Big Little Lies

Jeffrey Nordling (with Camryn Manheim in Love Hurts)

With the exception of James Tupper, all of the main supporting cast male cast members of Big Little Lies have dropped trou for projects prior to joining the HBO drama.  Some, like Alexander Skarsgård and James Nordling (below) have even lost their pants on the show.  It was interesting deciding on my favorite nude scenes.  Although some, like Skarsgård and Adam Scott have done numerous nude scenes, for the most part, my favorites ended up being the first time I saw them sans pants on screen.


I first noticed actor Jeffrey Nordling (Gordon Klein) when he played one of the hot daddies on the ABC drama Once & Again. I never watched the show when it aired, but loved Billy Campbell and devoured the show on DVD.  Other than his brief butt flash on BBL, I believe Nordling's on nude scene was in the 1993 TV movie, And The Band Played On.  The EMMY winning film featured an all star cast in TV movie and focused on the early days of the AIDS epidemic.

And The Band Played On (1993)

Alexander Skarsgård

So Alexander Skarsgård has done dozens of nude scenes, including his frontal in the last season of True Blood.  I first saw Alexander just before he put in his fangs starting the HBO min-series Generation Kill. Although the nude scene is not meant to be sexy, it was my first view of the Vampire ass I would soon come to covet.

Generation Kill

Adam Scott

Now Adam Scott (Ed Mackenzie) has been naked a lot on screen, most notably, his numerous nude scenes in the short lived one season of the HBO show Tell Me You Love Me. (2007)  With so many nude scenes to go through, Scott might be a great candidate for a future outing of Actors & Skin..

Tell Me You Love Me (2007)

Although I believe there's a brief frontal in the first episode, there was a prosthetic used in the scene where Adam gets a hand job. (below)


Douglas Smith

I've loved me some Douglas Smith since first seeing his adorable backside on HBO's Big Love.  Although Douglas played a teenager, he had actually just turned 21 before the series debut. Douglas has also had a couple of nude scenes on screen including the 2013 film, The Boy Who Smelled Like Fish. (HERE:)  With just one episode left, it doesn't look like BBL's is going to give more of Douglas's derriere, but I'm sure the talented actor will have many roles and opportunities in his future.

Big Love (2006)