Monday, November 29, 2021

Bed Rest: Freddie by Jack Saul Photography


'When I first saw Freddie, my first thought was how classically handsome he was.'


Being described as classically handsome is usually a good thing, especially for a male model.  For photographer Jack Saul however, it's a look he hasn't actually worked with a lot.  It's not that Jack hasn't shot his fair share of sexy, great looking models, he has. The London based artist's focus however, is often more about what he and the work can bring out. 


Jack loves to focus on exploring body image, "style", conscious v subconscious body language and other themes related to masculine physicality.  Because of his philosophy of shooting, Jack often ends up shooting artists, musicians and men whose sensuality flows through movement and their art. 


The variety of men Jack shoots is one of the reasons I'm so drawn to his work. Classically handsome is nice, but can get a bit boring, but Freddie has a bit of an edge, something I think Jack perfectly capture.  I've been fortunate to feature many of the models he shot from the classically handsome, the boy-next-door and my favorite, the sexy artist type. 


No matter who is front of his camera, Jack always manages to capture something compellingly erotic.  Some of my favorite models of Jack's, including  Colin, Damon, Charlie and Conner may not necessary be considered classically handsome, but their presence in front of the camera is powerfully hot. They also have some of the most interesting stories to capture and tell. 


In some ways Freddie combines the two.  Although incredibly good looking, he's also an artist, an actor who has worked in both film and television.  He also has an incredibly beautiful and expressive pair of eyes.  Jack and Freddie first connected through Instagram.  Freddie knew Jack's work though some of his friends, and got in touch with Jack about a shoot.  Because he knew Jack shot artistic nudes, Freddie was aware he'd be shooting nude, so after a few messages back and forth, a date was set to shoot.


The bigger obstacle in scheduling was actually Covid, and the lockdowns.  London went through a couple of lockdowns, and this shoot took place once the first lockdown was lifted.  Jack is also only working with vaccinated models, so the creative process was as normal as it could be given the pandemic.


Without his own studio space, Jack does most of shoots at a hotel he's familiar with, one with lots of space, and great views from the rooms panoramic windows.  Once they arrived, Jack and Freddie spent some time in person going over the ideas they'd discussed before getting underway.


In addition to his face and eyes, and is beautiful body, one of the things I, and I'm sure most of you noticed, was Freddie's bandaged arm. During the shoot Freddie shared that he was in the process of going through treatment.  Jack was actually surprised he wanted to go ahead with the shoot, but he was eager.  As you can see however, there were plenty of poses, and opportunities for Freddie to rest and relax. 


'Freddie was a lovely guy, very relaxed and chatty. Because of his background is acting,  I think modelling came quite easy to him  The whole experience was very positive, it all just flowed.'




No comments: