'Mikael's proportions are practically perfect, it was almost like shooting an animated statue.'
Practically perfect could be a pretty daunting description for some, but I believe it accurately describes the beauty of Mikael. It's certainly what I was thinking after first seeing images from photographer Mark Leighton of the 23 year old Manchester model. The tall and lean Mikael has a beautifully proportioned and statuesque body which he elegantly poses and a great face and his strong, but kind green eyes.
It's been shitty year for so many and most photographers had to overcome lockdowns and local restrictions in order to shoot. This was especially true for Mark Leighton, who due to his location, often needs models to travel in order to shoot. Portugal came out of lockdown the beginning of last summer. All was ok for Mikael to visit last October, although it still meant a 14 day self-quarantine after he arrived back in the UK.
Mikael was Mark's second model after Portugal's first lockdown and the timing for the shoot fit in the perfect window. After Mikael headed back home, the number began increasing again and Portugal and in anticipation of a second lockdown, Mark chose not to schedule any more shoots, or models visits until things improved.
The window in which the shoot occurred however, proved a good one. Mikael was fairly new to modeling, and only had a few shoots under his belt before heading to Portugal to shoot with Mark. Despite his spectacular body and beautiful face, initially, Mark shares that Mikael was still struggling a bit with confidence and feeling at ease in front of the camera.
'We worked on that together and with each shoot he got better so that by the last one we did, we were getting a lot of strong images that we both liked. Mikael was a very kind and thoughtful person, easy to get along with and appreciative of the work that went into the shoots.'
'Mikael's proportions are practically perfect, it was almost like shooting an animated statue. The weather was good when he was here and in October that means a nice soft light, as you can see in some of the images - it is one of the best times to shoot in this part of the world, providing the day temperatures hold up - and the ocean is usually at it's highest also.'
Although 2020 proved a challenging one for Mark, it didn't really hold a candle to the first half of 2021. This past February, Mark caught pneumonia and ended up spending 8 days in hospital and a few additional weeks recovering at home. This was the first of a few health scares that sidelined Mark for most of the winter and spring.
Mark shares that he's feeling stronger every day and looking forward to life getting back to normal this summer. Normal for Mark Leighton includes a summer with many hot models flying in to shoot. I look forward to the fall to see the results! In the meantime, you can check out more of Mark's work, and more of Mikael, on Mark's Patreon page HERE:
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