'I did ask Rahas what he did for a living. He smiled and said that he could tell me, but that he'd have to eliminate me'.😛
Over the years of working on the site, I've had several models who've asked that their face be obscured. On the surface, there's something a little ironic to me about a concealed reveal. Openly, and enthusiastically, sharing parts of your body usually covered, while hiding another part, that's usually visible. If you dig a little deeper though, there's something about the 'Look at me, don't look at me' sentiment we all can related.
Usually, when I'm sent a set of images where the model's face is hidden, I don't use them. For me, part of the goal of the blog is to spotlight the man, and not just their body. Although the focus of FH is the male form, I also think it important viewers are continually reminded they're looking at a human, and not just a beautifully assembled group of body parts. I know for some, it's all about the penis, but for me, a penis on it's own holds little value without the rest of the body, especially the face and eyes.
I do make exceptions to this rule however, usually when, there's a great story attached. I'm always interested in the reason behind deciding to pose fully naked, yet remain incognito, For many, it's really not about exposing themselves to viewers of their images, but focused on the process of posing nude. Rahas didn't initially really want others to see his images. He didn't care about people seeing his naked body, his motivation for posing was more personal.
For Rahas, it was about the thrill of stripping down, and the power in erotically emoting in front of a stranger. The resulting images, were almost unimportant. Like snapshots after a vacation, the photos are just visual memories, not the actual momentous experience itself. These images come from Rahas second shoot with Ian from macpics. Rahas had shared with Ian a long held curiosity about what posing nude would be like. The first shoot was rather tame, but this time, Rahas really wanted to push is sensual boundaries.
Rahas just took it a bit further the second time, I didn't have to say anything, I just clicked the camera. It really wasn't until we were finished I noticed that he was erect in many of the shots. Rahas was pretty much at ease, but at the same time, just a little apprehensive. His apprehension wasn't really about the shoot, or his obvious arousal and plateau, but if he'd not just be looked at, but actually seen.
Rahas' apprehension was more understandable when Ian shared the little he knew about Rahas life. Many models want their faces hidden due to their family or jobs, I've had more than a few models go on to become teachers, who then want their images obscured or removed. With more and more people taking nude or sexy selfies, this seems less of concern, but it was work, family or friends that Rahas was worried about.
When he's not at work, Rahas spends his free time pursuing what he describes as more of an obsession than a passion, and that's his compulsion for political activism. Rahas spends countless hours every week fighting, organizing and protesting for social justice. He doesn't just do this in his home location, but has traveled to Europe and as far as the States as part of the resistance to far-right extreme policies and politicians. Because of this, he often has to take risks, and although exposing his naked body isn't necessarily risky, exposing his identify however, very well could be.
After hearing Rahas' story, it was an easy decision to share his work with Ian. I also like that although Rahas is hiding behind the red curtain, he's posing in front in front of it. If you've checked out any of my previous posts featuring Ian's work, (HERE:) you know the red drape and background has been a part of many of his shoots, and a part of many of favorite images from Ian.
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