' I have bit of a reputation for being the first one naked at a party...'
An aversion to wearing pants is a plus for a model who shoots nudes, but I'm glad model Willi Gardner isn't adverse to all forms of fashion. Now one might argue that sport socks are not really considered fashion, but it was a pair of sport socks that first drew me to Willi's work. I was on Model Mayhem and noticed Will's avatar image. In the image, Willi was sitting on the floor wearing a white shirt, tight white briefs and a pair of striped sport sock. I found the image incredibly hot and proceeded to click to see more.
The image, (below) was shot by Bradley_Reyes Photo, a pair of artists whose work I've admired for awhile. I love their fusion of form and design and spectacular lines and curves within their work. I was also impressed with the strength and creative array of imagery Willi put together in his port. Especially impressive given Willi only began modeling early last year, mere weeks before the onset of the pandemic.
As you can see from this series of images, some of Willi's favorites, the Los Angeles based model has worked with a variety of some of the best chroniclers of the male form. I love the confidence Willi expresses in front of the lens, and the creative risks he takes. Although Willi's images are incredibly hot, they seamlessly mesh art with eroticism with visually stimulating results! In addition to sharing some of his favorite shots, Willi graciously shared many of his experiences since entering the modeling world last year.
What or who first brought you to modeling?
JT Seaton, he's (jtfotoguy). He's awesome. Very professional and made my first shoot comfortable and fun.
Can you tell me about your first shoot?
JT reached out to me over Grindr, at the time I think I had a couple selfies and maybe the photo of me looking out at Las Vegas on there. He let me know that he thought I would be great for a photoshoot, and he would love to shoot me sometime and linked me to his Instagram to see what sort of shots he gets.
Now, I had really just started to branch out and gain confidence, and greatly desiring to try a photoshoot, I jumped on this opportunity, but was not 100% sure what to expect and wanted to make sure I brought what he was looking for to the shoot. So he and I decided I would come over and we’d sit down for coffee and just chat so that we could build a rapport and make sure I was comfortable. Well we sat down, and I really wasn’t expecting it, but we talked and time flew by chatted for about 4 hours.
We decided to shoot the following week. I think it was early February 2020, and I had a blast. JT was very patient and professional with me and offered quite a bit of direction, which was fantastic. I was comfortable and don’t mind nudity, so we ended up shooting nude artistic and erotic shots for his website as well as clothed, underwear, and even my detective Pikachu costume from Halloween the previous year. The shoot was long compared to a lot of shoots I do nowadays, we shot for about 6 hours, but it was such a good time. Afterwards I was starving though and it started my tradition of getting McDonalds after a long shoot / weekend of shooting.
What has been your favorite experience modeling thus far?
It is so hard to pin down at this point because I have had so many great experiences. If I had to choose one, it was shooting with Josh and Andre of (Bradley_Reyes_Photography) in February of 2021. It wasn’t my best outing as a model, due to my being up late the night before with friends and I was hungover (This was actually the shoot that made me swear off ever being hungover for a shoot again, because I was feeling so bad). It was one of the few times I have ever struggled to get and stay hard for erotic shots. I even ran late to the shoot, but they were gracious and professional and were still able to make it work.
They had a vision for the shoot and clearly had a lot of experience which I tried to learn from as much as I could. They were prepared with outfits and the location was beautiful. The natural light that came through different locations of the house made for some amazing photos, and I still even use one of our shots as my profile picture across a lot of my social media. I am looking forward to shooting with them again at some point now that I have grown even more as a model.
Any odd or strange stories from any shoots?
I am not quite sure it counts as odd per se, but when I shot with (mehphotography1) in May 2021, I had actually broken my foot the day before. I didn’t know it, just thought it may be a sprain, but I did all of our shoots while limping around and in quite a bit of pain. It was not until the next day when I got an xray that I discovered that my foot was actually broken.
Have you had any what you might qualify as odd or strange offers or requests?
I keep up a professional wall as best I can when at a shoot, but that still doesn’t stop some photographers from overstepping. I try to be very clear that I am at a shoot for us to create art first and foremost. I am fine with nudity and erotic shots for platforms like OnlyFans, but I am NOT at a shoot just so the photographer can see me naked or for them to try and get touchy.
For something a bit more strange, it does seem like some photographers very much enjoy having models pose on or in uncomfortable areas. Notably, I’ve been asked to crouch in bushes absolutely swarming with bees, lay in the most uncomfortable positions possible on a tree with branches poking up in awkward ways, bury my naked dick in sand and more.
What factors did you weigh before deciding to shoot nudes?
It was something that I considered heavily before starting to shoot. At this point in my life, I am absolutely not shy, or ashamed of my body, but there is the fact that once these things are out on the internet, they can be found forever. I ultimately decided that is something that I am fine with as it is just as much a part of me as anything else. Which is the same reason why I don’t use a pseudonym or stage name.
On a scale from 1-10 how nervous were? What was your biggest concern or worry?
I’d say a 2. Very minimal nervousness, but there is always the thought of “What if” like, “What if this hurts me when I look for job opportunities in the future?” But I have come to realize that anyone who would care about something to that level would not be someone I would want to work with any way.
Did the response from friends/family enter into your decision?
Not particularly. I do shoots for myself because I enjoy them. But they have all been very supportive. And my aversion for pants is well known (and now, VERY well documented haha), so they understand.
Had you ever been naked in public before modeling?
I have been to Black’s Beach in San Diego a couple times and went full nude there. Otherwise, I have bit of a reputation for being the first one naked at a party, though at this point it's played for laughs.
What are your boundaries for a shoot? Have you ever said no to a concept or shot idea?
I touched on this previously, but I try to set clear boundaries for photographers prior to the shoot about the type of content we will be making. I am not on board with touching without asking ahead of time. Ultimately it is about intent, as I am not creating content as a part of anyone’s kinks, but rather because I enjoy the creative process and have no shame. But having no shame is not the same as not understanding my worth, and I have no interest in being taken advantage of in a negative way.
What's the best compliment you received about one of your modeling images?
The one that has really stuck with me, was someone saying that I was “Like a Greek statue.”
Is there a photographer you would really love to be shot by?
Alberto Photographer. He’s based in the UK, and I love his work. The shots are so clear and the backlighting he does combined with the shot composition and editing is just perfect. I would love to work with him at some point if I made it out to the UK to shoot.
What part of your body are you most happy with? What part gets the most attention from others?
As a model, we probably get tunnel vision on parts of our bodies we want to improve more than your average person. My butt and my chest probably get the most attention, and I am proud of those, but I’d say I am most happy with my shoulders.
Why do you think you like modeling?
I like modeling because I am inherently a creative individual. I always have been, and I love the collaborative process. Plus, in my adult life I have gotten really into fitness. So modeling gives me the opportunity to flex those muscles, both creative and physical.
Do you have a dream scenario for a shoot you'd love to do?
I would love to do a cosplay shoot if I ever dive in and buy or make a cosplay. I think it would be a departure from most of my work and very interesting and fun to shoot. Maybe it’ll happen this year on or around Halloween!
What made you decide to open an OnlyFans?
It's fun to have. I enjoy posting that type of content online and making a little bit of extra money for doing things that I would be doing anyway, just now on camera haha. It is (or was) also a good outlet for artistic content that isn’t a good fit for Instagram or Model Mayhem.
What can those who join your page expect?
A lot of solo content, but I am excited to say that I am gonna be branching out and getting some other folks in videos soon. I also post the erotic photos that I can’t post elsewhere. I keep the cost on the subscription very affordable and I enjoy interacting with the people that reach out!
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