Favorite Pic of the Day for January 2nd

Above:

TJ by New Manhattan Studios

-See More Below-

~Check out today's BIRTHDAYS HERE:~

sNOwescape

I thought, with all my holiday and wintry themed posts, it might be time for a little escape. Something for those snowbirds out there who head to the heat when the thermometer drops. If you can't physically escape the snow and cold, one of the hottest spots to check out on FH is my annual scrapbook of images from Lake Powell. 

Check out this year's shoot HERE: & check out Gordon Nebeker's Muscles and Mountains: Lake Powell IV for an even more intense blast of heat.

Bonus Gift:

Every year at Christmas, there would be one gift my mother had hidden away, that she couldn't find to put under tree. We always considered this our 'bonus gift'. It would usually show up a week or two later, and it was fun to get a surprise gift as the holidays winding down.

Today's bonus gift is Phil Dlab's images of Peter. Peter made his debut on Bodytorium over Christmas, but FH took a short break after Christmas, so Peter's unwrapping had to wait until today. Check out a bit more of Phil's work with Peter on PAGE 2 HERE: and check out MUCH more on Bodyorium HERE:

Blanc Slate: TJ by New Manhattan Studios

'White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light.'

One of the reason's a year's beginning can be so overwhelming, is because of how white it is.  For many, the white is visually real, it's the snow and ice that surrounds them.  The white is there for everyone however, and it's vast and persistent.  No matter how much we try to resist, there is an almost something organic whispering in our ears, pressuring us to make a change, do something different, and to make the most out of the twelve months that lie ahead of us.

It's not about resolutions really, resolutions are more a coping strategy we developed, a way to convince ourselves we've responded to the earth's changes, and the turn to a new year.  Some believe, the persistent January whisper stems in part from the sun.  We are closer to the sun in January, yet at the same time, so many struggle to feel it's warmth and light.  This has many searching, looking for ways to fill in the colorless white, to create something on that  blanc slate, that's comforting and colorful, and filled with optimism and hope.

It's a daunting task for sure, but if you can get your head around it, it's also incredibly exciting.  A blank slate is not defined by by time or the calendar, no matter when you pull it out and face it, it's completely empty, ready to be filled in.  It's also not defined by color, as white is the sum of all possible colors.  It's open and ready for whatever you want to create and add to it.

'I try and reduce myself to an almost blank slate and hope to God that I am creative.'

Ben Kingsley

Most artists will tell you that they are most inspired, when the canvas is blank, and when the creative ideas are still swirling around in their heads.  I know with writing, including putting together pieces for FH, they are at there most spectacular, before my fingers hit the keyboard.  When I have a set of images that inspire, my mind begins visualizing the story, and how to creatively, pull all the pieces together.  The stumbling blocks usually occur during the process of doing. The beginning, the thinking about doing... now that's the creative sweet spot! 

This story wasn't written today, in early January, for this piece. It was typed today, but it was creatively put together last month, when New Manhattan Studios Wes first sent on his work with Trevor (TJ).  Many FH readers may remember TJ from his appearances on FH from last April. (HERE:)   When I saw his work with NMS, I hoped to share some of the results.  Wes though that his series Trevor blanc, would be a fresh and inspiring way to begin the new year.

'Trevor’s shoot was months in the planning and coordinated with Keith Ingram, a professional friend on the West Coast who shared the expenses of bringing Trevor from Ohio to New York City. The photographers shared two days of shooting around some of the iconic venues of lower Manhattan.
The weather in late summer was ideal and New York made a good enough impression on the model that he returned less than two weeks later.

Business brought Trevor to the city the second time but he was able to arrange his schedule to permit a full photo session in the studio. The work featured here and in Trevor blanc came from that second session. I wasn't shooting alone, many of the images featured here were captured by NMS's Taylor Edwards and Alex Bustamante'

Wes, NMS

TJ on ModelMayhem

TJ on Instagram

All Thing Trevor (TJ) On New Manhattan Studios

Playgirl Celebrates the New Year!

Holiday Under Wraps

Last New Year, I featured Holiday Under Wraps, the New Year's themed photo story from 1973, the first year of Playgirl Magazine.  (HERE:)  I decided to go on the hunt to see how many others I could find.  Many remember the iconic images of Jean-Michel Villette, but I found a few more New Year's themed shoots to add to the collection.

Jean-Michel Villette

See more of Jean-Michel Villette, New Years 2001 HERE:

Through much of the magazine's run, the January issue meant announcing the man of the year.  Often, the pictorial to celebrate the magazine's choice was themed around New Year's, and the man of the year as the perfect date to get the new year started with .

Daniel Jacobs

See more of Daniel Jacobs, New Years 2003 HERE:

Brett

See more of Brett, New Years 2007 HERE:

Kory Wolf

See more of Kory Wolf, New Years 1984 HERE: