'How sweet. Fresh meat.'
Freddy Krueger
I first discovered the work of photographer Roc Shots earlier this year. I saw, loved, and voted for a shot he had in the Model Mayhem pic of the day contest. The image was a window shot, an especially favorite theme of mine to explore. I headed to Roc's portfolio to check out more of his work. I loved the way in which the Georgia artist photographed the male form, the poses and angles he captured and the feel of erotic isolation that I'm so often so drawn to in art.
Roc and I immeateatly began discussing a piece for FH, and what shoot and model to feature. A retired engineer and teacher, photography for Roc is a passionate hobby, but one he is loving being able to spend more time on. Roc shares that he didn't really begin to get series about his art until well into the digital age. He grew up in Kodak country, and always carried a little instamatic on trips, but up until that point, that was the extent of his photography experience until much later on.
'I got my first digital camera around 2000 but quickly realized it wasn’t going to work well for most of the things I wanted to photograph (e.g., weather phenomena like lightning, gymnastics events, nature, and a few other things) so eventually I upgraded to a DSLR and took an intro to photography class to learn how to use it. After a while I got some decent lenses to use for various purposes and learned mostly through trial and error. '
As far a male portraits are concerned, this began with Roc taking images of himself in order to share with guys on AOL. He then posed nude twice for others, just to see what it was like, and to have some images, other than just selfies, to share with others on-line.
Roc however, was felt extremely nervous and self-conscious while modeling, and decided he rather be behind the camera. Roc began asking guys if they'd like to be photographed and was surprised at the number who were open and willing. Slowing over time, Roc's work evolved as he invested in lighting, backdrops and other equipment to professionalise his work and the look of his imagery.
'Most of the guys I’ve worked with have had little or no modeling experience and I really enjoy helping them become comfortable with being photographed in a relaxed and no-pressure situation. It’s fun to meet new men and get creative together. My goal is to get to know a model a little before the shoot and to try to incorporate his interests and personality into the photos. Sometimes I have a specific idea but most times it’s a total collaboration. I do a lot of black and white photos and am inspired by genres like film noir, retro looks, and athletic gear, but I’m always open to try something new and different.'
As soon as I saw Roc's shots of Freddy Krueger, I knew I wanted to feature them over Halloween. A long lover of horror films, I've featured the Freddy series, and the work of Wes Craven, previously over the spooky season. Roc was up for sharing his work, but wanted to ensure the model, Gentlemen's Man was on board with the piece.
'Gentlemen’s Man and I established a great rapport after our first shoot earlier this year. We had some similar ideas and have done several shoots together since. The idea for a Halloween shoot came up over the summer and the he chose Freddy Kruger as the character he wanted to portray. He got the outfit and I put together a couple of scenes that I thought might work. I’ve always been a fan of 80’s horror, especially if it’s a classic and a little campy, so I was all in. I was really happy with the results! '
'I’ve always been a fan of horror. It’s been a source of comfort throughout my life. It’s like accepting the darkest parts of you. I knew I wanted to do a horror themed shoot the moment I started my Twitter and Only Fans. I binged all The Nightmare on Elm Street movies and got the costume. I was very anxious at the time of these photos so I tried to channel all of that into the shoot and I’m very happy with how they turned out. It’s fun to turn darkness into art, it’s just extra fuel.'
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