Saturday, December 12, 2020

Last Winter: Alexander by New Manhattan Studios


'I realized half way through Alexander's session that I really wanted to work with him again. I finished the 2-hour session thinking there would be a part 2 a few weeks later.'

Last winter, Alexander's life was active and full. When he shot with Wes, he was juggling jobs, including just finishing performing in a run in a holiday production of The Nutcracker.  I first noticed Alexander earlier this year after Wes shared an image of him on the NMS Instagram page. I immediately took notice of his great look and incredible physique, and shared with Wes my desire to feature their work together int he future.


I remember being a little surprised when Wes shared that he was a classically-trained dancer.   My notion that all trained dancers have similar body types was quickly and rightfully proven wrong.  Alexander's body is clearly fit, and incredibly tight, but he also has some incredibly sensual curves, and a deliciously voluminous bottom, clearly sculped from hours on the floor and at the barre.


'In the best of times, dance is a a challenging, competitive profession with limited opportunities for regular work. Like most performers, dancers string together a life of gigs, forever grabbing at fleeting jobs. The pandemic has devastated the As with all of the performing arts, the pandemic has devastated the profession. In a cruel twist, the "plan B" employment option for many New York dancers, working as waiters and bartenders, has been equally obliterated.'


'The pandemic has demanded a pound of flesh from all of us. We are all paying differently, but paying a price nonetheless, in diminished hopes, expectations and opportunities. I can hardly complain about the inability to bring models into a studio while so many others are paying far greater prices. '


Alexander was one of New Manhattan Studio's last sessions before the pandemic fully set it.  This is one of the reasons it took awhile to feature his shots on the site.  Wes considers their work only half done, and had hoped to bring him back into the studio for a part two.  Waiting a few weeks turned into waiting a few months and Wes held off editing and releasing his work with the hope that he could bring him back into the studio to finish what they had started.  Unfortunately, Covid-19 had other plans.  Other than working outside on Fire Island in the summer, with provided social distancing, the studio's operations have been essentially closed since March. 


Alexander's was one of our last pre-pandemic sessions and, as with Grant's session, we consider the work to be only half done. We have held off editing and releasing his work with the expectation that we would be bringing him back into the studio to finish what we had started. Unfortunately Covid-19 has had other plans. Other than some socially-distanced shooting on Fire Island at the end of the summer, the studio's operations have been closed since March. 


' At some point in the future we hope to bring Alexander back into the studio, but it's increasingly obvious that we are many months out from managing such a feat. It's time to share what we have already captured with this striking model.'



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