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Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Jonathan Groff: Those He's Shown...
'This picture... I texted it to everyone cause this really sums up our experience.'
Jonathan Groff
I didn't get to see Spring Awakening on Broadway, but I did become a fan after seeing many performances from the show on-line. In the recent concert film and documentary, Spring Awakening: Those We've Known, the cast looks back at the Tony Award winning show fifteen years after it's Broadway debut.
If you know the show, you might remember there's a sex scene between original cast members Lea Michelle and Jonathan Groff. I've featured the cast, and the scene previously on FH. (HERE:) In the recent HBO documentary, Groff recalls that scene, and a spectacular shot of his ass that he felt summed up his experience with the show.
Lover, Fighter, Pupper: Blake by ClearEye
'Blake had no boundaries which meant the creative ideas were limitless.. I never asked him to do anything that he wasn't up for.'
It was almost 10 years ago that I first discovered the work of Ohio based photographer ClearEye. It was during my time as editor for Dylan Rosser's tMf Magazine. Without knowing the other was doing the same thing, both Dylan and I reached out to Mason about featuring his work. Mason was on board and his work was profiled in issue #7 of digital magazine.
I loved Mason's work, especially his use lighting and space. I knew I also wanted to spotlight ClearEye's work here and Mason generously sent on a selection of bonus images of model Jason Rafael for bonus piece on FH. In the piece (HERE:) you can both beautifully see and feel the tone and mood Mason created with lighting, shadow and space. If you check out Mason's portfolio on Flickr, you'll see he has an extensive archive of shoots, many of which I've featured on the site.
Like so many photographers, Mason's shoots came to a stand still at the start of the pandemic in March of 2020. Once fully vaccinated, he began shooting again when opportunism present themselves, and I'm eager to see the results of new shoots that he has lined up. Until then however, I asked Mason about a few models in his archives that we hadn't yet featured on the site. One of my favorites, featured his work with Blake.
When I was going through Mason's portfolio, I kept going back to enjoy his work with Blake. I loved the midwestern model's look and the images and poses that Mason captured. In addition to admiring Blake's tight, hot body, I also especially loved his devilish grin and how much fun he seemed to be having during the shoot.
It was back in 2017 that Blake's then-boyfriend Keith contacted Mason about a possible shoot featuring both he and Blake. They managed to schedule time before the end of the year featuring both individual shots of both Keith and Blake, as well as some of them together.
Mason shares that it was a great shoot and he enjoyed working with Blake and the images they created. A few years later, he decided to contact Blake to see if he was up for another shoot and shoot some updated photos. Given how pleased Blake also was with the images from their first shoot, he eagerly agreed.
What first struck you about Blake's appearance?
I was immediately struck by Blake’s boyish good lucks and happy demeanor. He was like a puppy (and he is a “pup.”).
Was nudity something you brought up or was it a given?
It was a given. Keith found my Flickr profile which features exclusively nude photos and that’s why they contacted me. They wanted nude photos.
What was Blake like to work with?
Blake was great fun to work with. He was totally comfortable being nude and really enjoyed himself. He was always smiling and had a great time.
Was there much talk during the shooting process?
Yeah, we talked a lot. He’s very personable and we shared stories about our lives throughout the shoot.
Was there much discussion prior to the shoot?
I don’t usually discuss the shoot in much detail before hand, other than to confirm that the model is comfortable with posing nude. I will create a list of a few ideas, but mostly I go with the flow. A lot depends on the model’s energy so it is difficult to plan specifically until the model is in front of the camera.
Where did the shoot take place?
The shoot took place in my home. I use various rooms in my house as backdrops. Since I rely mostly on window lighting, we move around within the house as the sun shifts.
What was your favorite part of the shoot?
I guess my favorite moments were when Blake was just having a good time and smiling naturally as I snapped away.
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