Above:
Victor Alexander by Bob Burkhardt
-See More Below-
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
12 Days: Niall Matter in Snowcapped Christmas
An injured figure skater is sent to the mountains to recover from an injury. Once there, she meets an ex-hockey player and his young daughter and begins to realize that something is missing from her life.
I'm not sure why I've slept on actor Niall Matter until now. He's been in plenty of Hallmark, and Hallmark adjacent movies, some of which I know I've seen. Snowcapped Christmas, aka Falling For Christmas, isn't actually a Hallmark movie, it was produced by the Up Network. Maybe I missed some of Niall's roles because until seeing this movie on a local channel, I'd never seen, or even heard of the network before.
Maybe the reason I overlooked him is because he often co-stars alongside the Christian condescending Candace Cameron Bure. Not all Christians are condescending of course, but given she reportedly left Hallmark due to their focus on inclusion, while at the same time, making millions off of movies about murder.... Homosexuality was never once referenced directly by Jesus, but... he had plenty to say about killing and murder. Just sayin Candy...
But, back to Niall, he was so sexy in this movie. I'd never seen him with such really short hair, and it really works for him. As the single hockey dad he had me wanting to leave the city and move to whatever quaint holiday Christmas town he was living and working in. The 'sort of' Canadian 'Cutting Edge' was filmed in the beautiful Okanagan wilderness at Manning Park and Maple Ridge in British Columbia, Canada. Even that area sounds delicious.
The film is from 2016, but I only saw it last week. At first I was going to skip it, but early in the film, Niall's character Luke pulls up on his snowmobile, and I decided to take a ride with him. Sadly for us, Niall has never done a nude scene, but the Canadian hottie displayed plenty of muscled and shirtless hotness during his time on the series Eureka. (below)
Eureka
Industrious Design: Victor Alexander by Bob Burkhardt
'Victor is not content with conventional poses and always strives to do more.'
When I asked photographer Bob Burkhard to describe model Victor Alexander, and their work together, Bob's comments had me thinking. I so often talk about 'creative collaborations', but not all collaborations are equal. We've all had a partner, in school, at work or in life, whose energy and commitment doesn't match our own. Usually, they relationships end up ebbing and ending.
I've often featured shoots, where it's clear that one of the participants, was giving much more than the other. Sometimes it's a photographer trying their best to get some great shots from a unmotivated models. Sometimes it's model, giving their all, to a camera and an artist not able to capture their magic. With Bob Burkhardt's work, you can always see and feel that Bob chooses to work with models who push the boundaries, and match his creative energy and passion.
I've worked with Victor two times before this shoot. He is always prepared and gives his all in a shoot. Victor is not content with conventional poses and always strives to do more. He is industrious, always busy with many aspects of his career. Always great to work with as he has an excellent attitude. I look forward to more shoots with him.
I've been featuring Bob's work for over 12 years now, and just like his description of Victor, Bob always goes above and beyond to create dynamic visuals. I'm always amazed the images Bob captures, blending each model's unique masculine energy, along with an elegance and beauty. Many of the men Bob shoots are fitness models or porn stars, yet he never 'shoots to type'. Bob manages to always capture another side to the men he works with, in great part, because of how Bob approaches his work.
Whenever I ask Bob about his work, he always speaks so respectfully about them models he works with. There are more than a few photographers that I've featured, who don't express a great deal of respect models. Bob takes the time to get to know the men he works with, sometimes as friends, but always as the unique individual that they are. That knowledge and respect plays a role in the working relationship and comes through in every shoot and image.
I've featured Bob's work over fifty times the last decade or so, and thought it was time for the FH version of Vanity Fair's Proust Questionnaire. It's not meant to be taken too seriously, just a fun, short, snap quiz. I always enjoy reading the answers, especially from photographers whose work I've had the pleasure to feature over a long period of time.
When you were younger, was there any person that helped form your passion for the male form?
Joe Dallesandro
When you first starting shooting, what other artists were your inspirations?
Trevor Green. We later became good friends
Were you nervous before and during your first nude shoot?
Not during my first nude shoot, but definitely the first time I worked with adult film actors. They had just flown in from NYC and were dropped off at my studio. I had them for two hours. It was intimidating but they were professionals and gave me good images.
Who was the model and how did the shoot come about?
Big Redd and Angel
How long into shooting the male form did you feel you were in your groove?
About the first year, especially when I got out of the studio and shot in natural light.
Where or how did you first start connecting with models?
I started working with friends first. Often they had no idea how attractive they were. It was like giving them a gift to be able to show them what I saw.
Have you ever asked a total stranger that you've seen to model?
I've asked many strangers but had no success... especially waiters
Do you have a favorite moment from shooting that stands out?
I loved my first shoot with XL. We bonded almost immediately and we went on to have many great sessions together. I also loved working with Brandon Akins, he was very generous. I also loved working with DeepDicc.
Do you have a least favorite?
Many. I shot an older gentleman once who accused my camera of having the ability to create scars on him.
Have you ever cut a shoot short in the middle because it wasn't going well?
Yes, the model just mentioned.
If you could shoot a famous actor nude who would it be?
Coleman Domingo
If you could shoot a famous singer nude, who would it be?
Lenny Kravitz
If you could shoot a famous athlete nude, who would it be?
Noah Lyles
If you could shoot a famous politician nude, who would it be?
Adam Kinzinger
Do you have any embarrassing stories from any of your shoots?
Once a model, who was exhausted from traveling, had several drinks. He passed out in my bathroom with nothing on but a pair of tights around his ankles.
Has a model ever asked you to use your 'editing' skills to enlarge their penis?
Yes. Everyone wants to look their best.
What current models are on your 'wish' list to shoot?
I'd like to work with some of my older regulars, XL, Denerick Lindsay, Ak Brown, Mustafa Ahmad
Now that you've been shooting for awhile, are there artists, other than those already mentioned, whose work do you follow?
Scott Bratek is a brilliant artist
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