Thursday, September 24, 2020

At the Turn of the Century: Björn by macpics


Doesn't the turn of the century seem like an awfully long time ago....


I always enjoy featuring Ian's (macpics) recent shoots, but I also really love when he digs back into his archive to share his work with models from decades ago.  In addition to the look and feel of the shots, I love the stories that so often go with them.  Before Model Mayhem and social media became the main way photographers and models connected, it often required a more personal touch...


The last few times I featured older shoots of Ian's, we travelled back to the 90's.  This shoot, spanned the last couple of hours as the year, the decade, the century, and a few hours into the new.  Like many of you, I distinctly remember New Years Eve 1999. I was in my early twenties, and enjoying my Christmas break.  I had recently finished school, and was out working full time for the first time.  The talk, especially at work, was focused on what would happen at midnights if the world's computer's all went down.


It seems almost silly looking back, but it was a big concern, especially for businesses  that spent months preparing for a catastrophe.  I was at a party, but remember gathering around the hosts desktop at midnight waiting to see if his machine would crash or blow-up.  Of course nothing happened, computers continued to function, bring us our porn, and move along like every other day.


While I was at house party, preoccupied with inconsequential matters, Ian was out partying, ringing in the turn of the century with hot men at a nightclub in Germany.  Although off the clock, photographers always have their eye out for potential future subjects.  That's exactly what Ian saw and thought when first saw Björn.


'I spoke to him at that bar and he was pleased to be asked to model. With a little encouraging, we decided to shoot right away and ring in the New Year by celebrating Björn's first nude shoot.  Some of the shots were taken at my place and some at his. He was a novice, but he took direction well and enjoyed being in front of the camera.'


Proving you can never rely on stereotypes, they spent a lot of time talking about religion, as one does during a naked photo shoot....  Actually, the conversation began with Björn' wondering if his being circumcised mattered for the shoot.  It didn't.  It ended with the new model discussing being a born-again Christian. (Ian called him a Björn-again Christian.)  Although a man of deep faith, Björn was also an art lover and believed the human body was a work of art, and not something many religions like to attach with shame.


Sticking with the 2000's, you check out another of Ian's shoots from the decade, this time with Fabien, another model shooting nude for the first time.  Check out more on the NEXT PAGE HERE:




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