'Be naughty, save Santa the trip!'
With less than two weeks left in 2022, I couldn't let the year end, without featuring the work of one of my favorite artists, photographer Richard Rothstein. I love the men he shoots, the themes he captures and his expansive studio, the city of Manhattan. I've featured some of Richard's shoots in New York studios, at various Manhattan landmarks, in his condo and on his buildings rooftop. My favorite shoots however, are usually the ones that take place on the streets and in the parks of the city.
This shoots, featuring bad Santa Brian, took place in Manhattan's Inwood Hill Park. Located in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan, the park rise 200 feet above the Hudson River from Dyckman Street to the northern tip of the island. Densely folded, glacially scoured topography contains the largest remaining old-growth forest on Manhattan Island.
The park is largely natural and consists of mostly wooded, non-landscaped hills. If you're a fan of Richard's work, and have checked out his previous pieces on the site, you may have noticed that many of the shoots featured naked male models in different area of the park. In the woods, in the playground, and jogging naked along the Hudson.
For this shoot, Richard and Santa Brian got up before dawn and headed to the park in the darkness just before the sun rises. Given his role around the holidays, Brian is used to getting up early and throwing on his fur hat and red suit. Unlike during his Christmas Eve travels, for this particular act of giving, the red suit didn't remain on for too long.
The early morning hour meant there would be less distractions, and fewer people wanting a turn on Santa's lap. After some shots on the concrete court, it was time to head into the woods, and really lean into the naughty. Brian's naked body is nicely naughty though, there to be enjoyed by adults, especially ones able to tap into that excitement, the kind only seen and felt around the holidays.
As strikingly beautiful as this set images are, some of my favorites were the ones where the holiday spirit whacked both Richard and Brian hard, leading to a fun series of images highlighting the fun of both Christmas, and being outside on a cold winter day. Check them out on the NEXT PAGE HERE:
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