Above:
Hal by Chris Teel
-See More Below-
~Check out today's BIRTHDAYS HERE:~
Tuesday, January 2, 2024
Happy Nude Year!
First 2 images by Male Beauty by bengie
Many FH readers might remember that most years, on New Year's Eve, I post my annual Sex In Cinema feature. The post is a look back at the most memorable moments in Skin in movie scenes over the past year. I ended up doing the piece, but putting it on hold as I wanted to do a more extensive look back at 2023 through a FH lens.
Over the next few pages, you'll not only see my annual Sex in Cinema feature, (HERE:) but new stories, and a look back at memorable moments, memorable men, and some of the memorable stars we lost in 2023. (HERE: & HERE:)
2023 was a year of transition for me, both a physical move, selling my home, and a job change. I did not leave my employer, but took on a different role within the organization. I also had several personal issues that required my attention. I came into 2023 thinking that with all of the changes, I wouldn't have as much time to work on FH. I was right. I also learned however, that I tend to post more when I'm busy, and even more when I'm stressed.
FH is my creative outlet, and like most people, I cling to creative passions when life gets out of control. When I have time off, I find it difficult to stay in and focus on the site. I tend to post less when I'm on a day off or on vacation, than I do when I'm busy. On busy, long stressful workdays, I love diving into FH at the end of the day and searching for beauty as opposed to dealing with the reality and stress of my day job.
All of the images you see in this post are models and images featured as Pic of the Day over the past 12 months. I couldn't fit in every pic of the day, but the images here bring together close to 70 male models who made their FH debut in 2023. The images were taken by many of my favorite photographers. It's amazing to me, given how long FH has been going, that of the 100's of beautiful and talented men that were featured this year, so many were featured for the very first time.
Year In Review:
'I know boys like you..'
Every December or January I take a look at the past year in Cinema. The focus of course, is films and scenes featuring moments of male nudity and sex. One of the most talked about films of the last year when it came to male nudity was Lonesome.
Written and directed by Craig Boreham Lonesome follows Casey, (Josh Lavery) as he travels from his small home town to Sidney to see the ocean for the first time. We quickly find out that Casey's journey is motivated by trauma and his plans to see the ocean are both a beginning, and an end. Fortunately, he quickly meets and befriends Tib, (Zarif, credited as Daniel Gabriel) and the trajectory of Casey's plan gets changed.
I really loved Lonesome, especially how authentically the lead characters are written. The realness can make certain scenes difficult to watch, but from the opening scenes, you're invested in Casey's life and journey. Lavery is skillfully subtle in his portrayal of Casey, causing the viewer, at least this viewer, to feel more deeply the events of his past, and the experiences in his present.
Although all nudity in film is to a degree gratuitous, Boreham balances it beautifully. Yes, we see all of the main characters fully nude, but given the story, and the plot, it's feels so natural and exactly how it should be. Check out more highlights from 2023 in my SEX IN CINEMA post on the NEXT PAGE HERE:
Tantalizing Television: Patterns
'There's something for everyone in Patterns.'
I started a list of memorable moments of nudity on television this year, but pickings were slim. There were some of course, but with the writer and actors strike, there weren't many new seasons of shows on cable. HBO is always slow with releasing seasons, but this year, there was hardly anything new to watch on Sunday Night.
Tayler Marshall
I decided instead to focus on Patterns, a British anthology season that just finished it's first season. Each episode tells a self-contained story, but they all take place in the same universe. A minor character in one story may reappear as lead in another and vice-versa.
Rufus Shaljean
You have to love a TV show where a few minutes into the opening episode, almost the entire male cast is shown fully naked in a shower scene. Not all of the episodes have nudity, but they all have something special. They are all like short films, and I wanted to see much more of most of them.
Jake Watkins, Shaljean and Marshall
In episode one, Reverse Catfish, we're introduced to a Rugby team whose players have complicated relationships. We're introduced to a trio of characters featuring Tayler Marshall as Christopher, Rufus Shaljean as Foster and Jake Watkins as Kevin. All three are really hot, but it was Marshall who I was drawn to. I loved his character, and I love his incredible butt. I'm guessing so did the director as we were treated to several scenes with his hot round rump.
All the caps in this post are from Episode One. Episode two goes in a totally different direction, no nudity, but was equally satisfying. We do get lost of shirtless rugby player Ben Cohen. Cohen plays up his status as a gay icon in a sweet story that was very well acted and told.
Continuing to Create: Hal by Chris Teel
'Chris not only knows his stuff behind the lens, but he is also very easy going while also direct and energetic. He always brings out the bests side of me, and pushes me to do better.'
Although my site has the work 'favorite' in the title, it's always hard to choose any one above of the other. I don't spotlight work that I don't love, and I attempt to have every artist, every model, and every shoot that feature, shine and stand-out. That being said, if were to make a list of my favorites from the past year, photographer Chris Teel, and his work with model Hal Kourtney would near the top.
It certainly didn't take any work on my part to have Chris' shots of Hal stand out and shine. Sure, I through Hal the FH Questionnaire, my version of the Proust Questionnaire that appears on the last page of Vanity Fair. My version is less about life and death, and more about what it's like to strip out of your clothes to pose front of the camera.
Hal certainly sent back some wonderful, and entertaining answers, but they only confirmed what I'd already seen and felt from the images Chris had sent on. Hal was unique and special. Not only does he have a body that Greek Gods would give up their mythic powers for, Hal has a personality and sense of humor that are equally as sexy and compelling.
This isn't always the case, believe me, I've interviewed hundreds of models and photographers over the years, and it's really not that common that the energy and personality seen in the photos, is matched in their answers. Some models light up in front of the camera, but I suspect Hal's energy is pretty consistent regardless of the place or situation that's he is in.
You can see it in some of the images, and the faces he makes, and you can feel it when reading some of Hal's comments about his work. He's passionate about fitness for sure, but doesn't take his modeling work overly serious, or let the positive feedback to his images go to his head.
When I was putting together this piece for example, I was struggling with what images to choose. Hal decided to help out by putting together a video and sending it to Chris to help clear up for me exactly how much peen he was cool with. I of course had to push those boundaries just a little, and almost all of my choices, made the cut.
When I first featured Chris' work with Hal earlier this, narrowing down my favorite images was next to impossible. Although I had to cut out hundreds of shots, I still ended up doing three parts. (Make 'Em Smile / No Whittle Room / Prom King) For the latest set that Chris sent on, from one of their latest shoots together, one of my New Year's resolutions kicked in and I used a wee bit more self-control and stuck to just two parts.
Given how long I've been working on FH, and how many shoots I've featured, it can take a bit more than just a great looking model to grab, and hold my attention. Chris' work with Hal certainly did both. Given how long Chris has been shooting, it's also important that he find new and talented models that keep him energized and excited to shoot. Hal certainly filled the bill for Chris as well.
'Every once in a while I get the opportunity to collaborate with a model who becomes a muse for me, someone whose passion for what he does inspires me to create differently. Hal is that model for me.'
'He's a beautiful person inside and out and brings a level of creativity, a willingness to challenge himself and draws upon his life experiences to create the look we're going for. I'm looking forward to continuing to create with Hal as long as we're both able :) More to come in 2024! '
Check out more of Chris' work with Hal, and read Hal's favorite moments from 2023, and what he's most looking forward to in 2024, on the NEXT PAGE HERE:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)