'After Ricky had seen Leo's books, he was excited about giving modeling a shot as well. Ricky shared that he definitely wanted to do better than Ricky, so it sort of became a bit of a brotherly competition.'
Many people, especially those tapping on the door of twenty, feel the need to define themselves. As a adult, or just a human with our own unique qualities, our personality and passions. This can be especially true if we come from a large family, a large family where standing out can be challenging. 19 year old Ricky comes from a large family, he has five older brothers, all of whom had already carved out their path and their place in the world.
Ricky turned 18 in 2023, and in 2024 decided it was his turn to define who Ricky is, and is going to be. This is one of the reasons Ricky opened his photo book with photographer Shax Carter with the phrase, 'call me Ricky. In part, it was a way to separate himself from his siblings by announcing that this book was all about Ricky. 2024 meant Ricky, for the first time in his life, had to make certain decisions on his own. Without parental advice, without consulting his older brothers, without the security of a safety net.
Part of the process meant deciding what his life would look like after graduation. Like most of us, Ricky desired a future with security and promise. As part of his plan, Ricky made the difficult decision to join the armed forces. As you read this, Ricky is currently in the military, away from home, for at least the next couple of months. Before he left though, he wanted to make a statement by giving nude modeling a try.
As Leo's younger brother, I would say that Ricky was following in his older brother's footsteps, but in fact, wasn't aware Leo had modeled prior to making the decision. Although Leo had shared his work, and his books with Shax with many of his friends and family, he moved away before Ricky's shoot, so it wasn't until later that they were able to discuss their shared experience.
Shax actually connected with Leo through the oldest brother in the family. Leo was in his twenties, and worked as an assistant to Shax prior to modeling. By the time Shax met Ricky, Leo had already married, started a family and moved to another state. When Ricky finally did see his older brother's books, he also wanted to give it a try. Ricky didn't just want to follow in Leo's footsteps however, that sibling competition had him wanting to push beyond, creating images his set of unique images.
How interested was Ricky in what his big brother was up to?
He had no idea at the time. Leo was older and had already moved out, so they weren't living together at that time. Although I knew who Ricky was, and met briefly, it long after Leo's shoot, that we connected about shooting.
Earlier this summer, I met the eldest brother Tom for dinner/drinks at a local place and I was surprised to see that Ricky was with him. I hadn't seen Ricky for years, he was 18 now, and he said that he was going into the armed forces soon, and was interested in doing a photo shoot similar to Leo before he went. I'm guessing the elder brother Tom, or maybe Leo, had told Ricky about Leo's photo work. Ricky seemed to enjoy the fact that he was following in Leo's footsteps. That day we met and discussed it.
Given he hadn't modeling before, did Ricky have any questions before you began?
Ricky had seen Leo's books well before we started shooting. He had some questions about the Leo shoots, specially about the Alaska trip and shoot. . As a result Ricky got ideas of his own about what he wanted to do, had goals in mind, and everything flowed very smoothly. We had use of a house in the country, and after we arrived, spent a lot of time deciding on wardrobe, discussing ideas for the shoot and just hanging out.
What did you begin with as far as shooting?
When at the house, I just began taking occasional candid documentary type shots of him throughout that first evening, and it got him comfortable and used to a camera being pointed at him. The next day, we started by doing the same thing, and then rolled into some real shooting, so it was pretty seamless.
What was the nerves situation like in the beginning, did it take him time to get comfortable?
We eased into it, as I said above. He was never nervous, he was having a lot of fun the whole time. Because were in the woods/country for that first shoot, he was also excited about being able to be naked outside. He had a lot of fun with it and enjoyed showing off.
Do you have a favorite theme you shot? Does Ricky?
I particularly like the New York shoot, while Ricky liked the San Francisco shoot the most. In San Francisco there was more time to explore the city and see new things, whereas in New York we had less time and it took longer to get anywhere to explore. However, I felt that as we progressed in shoots, he was getting better and better. New York was the last shoot we did before he left, and I feel represented his best work.
Curious how much of the work was planned, and how much was spontaneous?
I would say it was about an even split. It seemed like we were always shooting or had a camera ready. The instant Ricky did something, I started shooting, and often times that would evolve into some posed type shots, building on what was initially spontaneous.
Tell me about the 'talk' Who was the big talker during shooting, you or Ricky?
Like Leo, Ricky always had a lot to say. Also like Leo, Ricky was having so much fun with the process, it seemed like he was always talking and coming up with ideas as well. The two guys were so similar, that working with Ricky was often reminiscent of working with Leo.
Have you heard from Ricky since he left for the armed forces?
I have spoken to Ricky several times since he left for the armed forces. He is having a lot of fun, and I can tell he is maturing, and learning a lot. We have talked some about doing another follow up shoot when he gats back. I asked him to think about what he would like to do and where. After he's back and settled, I sure we'll sit down and make some plans to shoot.
You can also check out more books from Shax, including his work with Leo on his Blurb page HERE:
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