Monday, March 4, 2024

That Thing You Do: bad_wolf_nyc by Justin Thai


'Just a simple nerdy Brooklyn boy that likes to lift ' 


Attraction is an interesting thing.  Working on FH, I tend to scroll by many images of hot men while looking for subjects to feature on the site.  I don't usually slow by scroll for just a hot body or handsome face.  Truth is the world is full of beautiful people, but few are truly worthy of slowing down for.  What does however, having me slowing and stopping is that thing that they do.


You know what I'm talking about, that guy whose walk makes you crazy.  The guy, who when his long bangs hang over one of his eyes, drives you absolutely wild.  I'm sure may of us thought a guy in school was cute, but then he turned hot when we saw him shirtless in the locker room before gym class.  That's kind of what happened to me when I first saw images of Christian. (bad_wolf_nyc)

Some of you might remember Christian from an image by RMark Photography that I posted this past Valentine's Day. (HERE:)  I thought Christian was incredibly hot, with a great body and a strong handsome face.  It was a bit later however, when scrolling through his Instagram, and noticing that thing he did, that my attraction to his look, really began to soar.


I think Christian's quote on his Instagram really sums up what it was that really pushed me over the edge.  There is really nothing hotter than a sexy nerd.  A smart, often caring guy, and one who makes a really good friend.   Then.. you see him shirtless, or maybe even pantless, and that cute nerd strums those oxytocin, and sexual arousal hormone chords, like a master musician. 

There is something about a hot body and handsome face in glasses that plays those notes so well.  It's one of the reasons many are more attracted to Clark Kent than his cape wearing alter ego.  It's the reason Chris Hemsworth was sexier to me playing Kevin Beckman in Ghostbusters, than he ever was as Thor.  


The sexy nerd factor also adds a layer of sexual vulnerability, something photographer Justin Thai often explores within his work. When I initially asked Christian about sharing some of his favorite shots, I'm not sure I was expecting him to send on such an intensely sensual, and sexual shoot.  Some of the images were even a little to hot for FH.  For some reason, I found the images of him wearing his glasses the most erotic. In addition to sending on the shoot, Christian also shared comments on his journey to modeling,  his work with Justin, and why the glasses make it into so many of his shoots.


Did you start out with selfies, or shooting with photographers? 
I had a lot of selfies, like I imagine most others do too. But I also had a free photoshoot with another well known and great photographer, Fwee Carter. He's done so much great work and I've known him for years through a Gaymer night at Rockbar NYC. I apparently won a free Photo session as a raffle prize there towards the beginning of when I met him, sometime around 2017-2018 I believe.

I wasn't confident in myself at all, was very critical and not ready for that.  He was great, and just  always told me to "just let him know".  He would ask me for time to time, but I completely forgot I even won that at some point!  Eventually, I did reach out to him at the very tail end of 2021, and we did the shoot and it was really fun and the pictures were great :) 


Was the plan to always shoot nudes? 
No, that was something that I knew I was at least curious to try, but definitely something I had to work up to. It was fun but I was definitely still far more nervous towards the start of modeling.  I eventually grew more comfortable with myself and my own body 

Who was your first nude shoot with? 
It was with a photographer named Marcos (@Sensationsgreen). I was still pretty new to shooting but he was very sweet and respectful, as he was new to photography himself, but we definitely got a lot of great pics out of that session and highly enjoyed that shoot. 


Did you have to weigh any factors before deciding to shoot nudes? 
I definitely recognize there's an inherent risk to this, but I've taken some steps to try to keep as much anonymity as possible to keep my two worlds separate. 

What has sharing your images on-line been like? Best reactions and worst? 
It's been pretty empowering to be honest. As I mentioned before, I started this as a self esteem project and it's certainly helped me become more comfortable with my body, my strengths, and faults. I think the worst reaction has probably been the occasional message from guys who try to hit on me with the preconceived expectation that I'll meet up with them (as is the same in real life, consent is important, and just because someone is portraying themselves in a sensual way, does not mean they owe you anything).


What part of your body or look gets the most attention from others? 
I'm not really sure what my "secret sauce" is exactly, but I do think I've gotten a few compliments on my arms. 

What is your favorite part about modeling? 
Just the fun self expression and self exploration of it all. Most of my pics are just traditional sexy modeling pics, but I'm a really nerdy guy with a strong taste for anime and superheroes, so I'm starting to try to implement that more into my shoots. 


How did you connect with Justin? 
He found me on Instagram and asked if I'd want to shoot with him. I loved his work so I said yes, and he's been one of my favorite photographers to work with (I've worked with him at least 4 or 5 times now and always enjoy the pics we take) 


Tell me about the shoot and working with Justin?
Justin is really talented and knows how to set up great pics. He's very respectful as he could tell I was still very nervous, but also very supportive and affirming with his models. 

What was your favorite part about working with Justin? 
I think he's the first photographer I've ever shot nude with that I've been able to let my hair down - so I think it's just more so the comfort I feel with him which leads to some great pics.


Tell me about your glasses. They add an erotic element to the series. Was this done on purpose? 
I've been wearing glasses since I was 6 years old. I've never tried contacts as the thought of putting something on my eye scares me, and after wearing them for the majority of my life they've just become part of my identity. 

Most of my shoots I've been able to wear my glasses, but they do add some glare unfortunately. Justin did not want me to wear my glasses for this reason. I do have some pics without my glasses, but the honest truth is my eyesight isn't bad to the point where I'm legally blind or anything, but I have a very strong astigmatism, so it's hard to operate without the ability to see clearly. Thankfully Justin has some vanity glasses he always brings with him, and even though I still can't see clearly, something about having the frames in front of my face at least gives me some subconscious level of comfort (also I'm definitely vying for hot gay nerd status, so they don't hurt either). 





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