' I said that he would have to get an erection, and he didn't bat an eye.'
FH viewers are aware how much I love urban and rural landscapes in imagery focused on the male form. Some of my favorite images and posts feature abandoned buildings, overgrown forests, urban decay and long forgotten spaces. One of my favorite pieces featuring the theme was Symmetry Happens, (HERE:) a 2011 piece featuring photographer Eddie Christie and his work with Jeremy Rowback. (Derek Atlas)
I loved how Eddie captured Jeremy in the abandoned building and especially loved how Jeremy's poses were so consistent with his surroundings and how interacted so intimately with the location. I featured several of Eddie's shoots in the early 2010's and have been hoping to again spotlight his work on the site. Although the Pennsylvania based photographer has semi-retired from shooting, well at least as much as he used to, he's still up for that special project or model. Eddie is also still active on Model Mayhem and I recently began to see his images pop up in the site's pic of the day contest and decided it was time to get back in touch.
Not only do I love the way Eddie tells a story with his images, he also is great to share the story of his shoots. This series, and this story, features JD, a guy Eddie knew from his childhood neighborhood. JD lived across the street from Eddie's father, and they've known each other since they were both children. When JD and his family first moved into the house, Eddie gave his family the bunkbed Eddie and his brother used to sleep on.
When JD's family moved in, Eddie's family did the neighborly thing, brining them over food and sharing the history of the house and the area. It was not JD however, that Eddie was initially attracted to. Eddie found JD's dad really attractive, and it was he, who he initially lusted after. Eddie spent quite a bit of time hanging out at JD's house and with JD's dad. Eddies expressed an interest in Dad's rock and gem collection which opened the door for many moments and conversation.
'I actually lived up the street but eventually moved away. As it being that my dad still lived in the same house I would see them from time to time. I don't really remember the first time I approached JD but he used to take a shortcut to go downtown through my dad's back yard, it was an acre long hill that went down. One day I was visiting my father and I was sitting on the back porch. JD walked by and as our usual hellos i just asked him if he would model for me.
Time went by, maybe a few days, the usual conversations go by but one day he asked me if I was still interested in a photoshoot. He asked a few questions but I think for him it was all about the money. He was totally 100% comfortable getting and posing nude.'
As soon as they arrived at the location and signed a model release, and before Eddie even asked, JD's clothes were on the ground and he was completely naked. The original concept Eddie had was for JD just to wander through the woods. Everyone once in awhile, when they hit a scenic spot, Eddie would asked him to stop, pose, and then they'd continue on. Although JD had never modeled before, he moved and posed instinctively, and Eddie shares he required almost no direction beyond asking him to pose.
'If I took a bad photo it was my fault. We did both photoshoots at one of my friends property. It was a place I had gone camping off and on. We were far enough away that there was no one around but the two of us, the birds and squirrels. We had 150 acres to roam but stayed within just one. '
'I ran into him again a few months later at a gas station, he needed some money and asked if we could do another photoshoot. I said that he would have to get an erection, and he didn't bat an eye. In fact I think that's what he thought was going to happen in the first photo shoot . We made a time and date and went back to the same place. Like with the first shoot, he was a good model, even without any professional experience. We planned on a third shoot, but he moved to another town with his girlfriend. I never saw or heard from him again. I don't think she was that supportive of him continuing his naked shoot in the woods. '
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