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Monday, February 13, 2023
Fotorebelxt Photography: Heart Stricken
Valentines is such an odd little holiday. In general, holidays seem at their core, a way to bring people together. For many however, they end up doing the opposite. 'Together' days are always difficult on the single, the ill and the lonely. Valentine's Day can be fun and romantic, or like salt, on a festering wound.
When you're a kid, eating chocolate and giving cards to your homeroom class seems pretty harmless, but as you get older, Valentines can take on a nasty edge. I remember some incredible February 14th's when I was in my late teens and through my 20's. Romantic dinners, wine, flowers and chocolate, love, sex, the whole nine yards.
I also remember a few that had me wanting to jump off a cliff. Painful Break-ups, relationships ending. Unrequited love, especially when you're young, can make February 14th a painful pit of sorrow Getting older doesn't mean the pain of a break-up is any easier, but most of us have toughened up a bit. Regardless of what you may be going through, this year, try just enjoy the food, eat the candy, and of course, enjoy the wine. Happy Valentines to All!
When I was looking for images for this year's Valentine's posts, I headed to straight to Fotorebelxt Photography and photographer Alwin's Flickr page. I've been featuring Alwin's work for over 10 years now, and whenever I return to his extensive portfolio, there's always new images that I discover and love, and of course, want to share on FH.
When I featured Alwin's work with model, and Below Deck's David Bradberry back in 2021, (HERE:) I noticed that Alwin had a great selection of Valentine themed imagery, some, with models I've had the pleasure of featuring before. These are some of my favorites. Check out my previous pieces featuring Alwin's work on FH HERE:
Bullseye:
'The fatter the shaft, the more you score'
Point taken! When it comes to taking Cupid's arrow, it helps if you have a welcoming bullseye. Despite their claim of flawless accuracy, when he grips his tool to shoot, Cupid sometimes misses the mark. This is why it's important that your target point is warm and hospitable and braced for impact. In this case, our model Cole wanted to take a direct hit, so he decided on a soft target, and a circle in the middle of the bullseye that he ensured was open and prepared for puncture.
As for who was aiming his arrow, or in this case, his lens, you have seen his work both behind and in front of the camera under the heading of both Photography By George, and Naked Ambition. Most recently we saw George decking his halls with a naked day of tree trimming. It looks like George hit his mark with precise precision.
12 Days: Nicholas Gonzalez in Playing Cupid
' In the halls of Austen Middle School, a newly single middle-school teacher is covertly set up with a divorced dad after his daughter - one of her students - begins a matchmaking business for a school project she assigned her class'
When I first saw the name of actor Nicholas Gonzalez in the credits for Hallmark's Playing Cupid, I knew I recognized the name. I couldn't initially place where, but set a recording for the movie and headed to the IMDB. With an impressive list of credits, including a regular role on The Good Doctor, Gonzalez was certainly in demand.
Unfortunately, I don't watch The Good Doctor, or most of the other television shows Gonzalez has appeared on. An image search however, provided the rewarding answer. One of the first books I ever ordered on-line was back in the early 2000's. I had seen some sample images from Greg Gorman's As I See It, and really wanted a copy for myself.
Some of the models were familiar, Christopher Atkins and Josh Duhamel, but others were brand new to me. One of those models was actor Nicholas Gonzalez. Gorman's book, and his images of Gonzalez remains favorites, and I'm so glad Hallmark's Playing Cupid had me take a visual trip down memory lane.
Be Mine: Able by TR Pics
'I always enjoy shooting the Christmas sessions with a Santa hat, and once they are over I am still in the mood to shoot for themes, and what's up next, really, other than Valentine's Day!'
Last February, when looking for Valentine's Day imagery, I knew just where to go. I'd previously featured many Christmas themed imagery from Tom, (TR Pics) and knew from his social media, that the holidays Tom was capturing had expanded beyond Santa hats and decorated packages. Last year, Tom generously shared images of three of my favorite models exposing both their hearts and their parts. (HERE:)
I reached out to Tom again this year, hoping he might have some extra images from the Valentine shoots he created last year. I was especially interested in his work with Jessie and Eduin, two of my favorite models that Tom has worked with, and two of the models I've featured multiple times on the site. Tom quickly sent back contact sheets with hundreds of images of Jessie and Eduin form me to choose from. It didn't however, stop there.
Since I first contacted Tom in early January, he had plenty of new shoots lined up for the remainder of the month. Then, like a clown car at the circus, the models kept coming! I began receiving image after image, with one gorgeous model after another. All in the Valentine theme with flowers, chocolates and big holiday red hearts.
After the images of Jessie and Eduin came contact sheets full of new models I hadn't seen before. First came Jaime, then Edgar and then finally, Tom's work with model Able Atlantis. Now I wasn't about to put myself in the position of having to make a Sophie's Choice, having to choose just one or two models to feature. Like most tasty things, you can never stop at just one nibble or bite.
'Able and I shot together a few years ago for Halloween, and has a great time together. Then, we both got busy doing other things and kind of lost touch. Flash forward to this past January when we reconnected. He wanted some new photos, and I was wanting to build up some Valentine’s themed shots… And the rest is history. I had a few props, and he was game to pose in different places and just had fun with it. We shot a lot, and we both were very happy with the outcome'
Since I couldn't possibly leave out Tom's work with Jessie, Eduin, Edgar and Jaime, you can check out them all all out on the NEXT PAGE HERE: Be sure to check out my interview with Tom where he shares a bit about his own Valentine traditions, and his thought on which model would be the most romantic, and the most sexually adventurous on Valentine's Day.
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