'I wanted to convey the narcissistic obsession of the Oscar Wilde story.'
I'm guessing longtime FH readers recognize the work, and the singular stile of photographer Jon from JBDI Photography. I've featured Jon's work several times in the past and each series and shoot reflects the dramatic, and often Gothic influences in his work. Jon's images are vividly colorful and visually striking. Whether it be Beau posing under the Ouse Valley Viaduct, (HERE:) or Jack in an old abandoned mill, (HERE:) or studio shoots with Elvis, (HERE:) and Marc. (HERE:)
Jon's visuals always tell compelling stories, for me, evoking so many historical period dramas embedded in my mind. Jon does this through pose, through lighting, props and architecture. He also sometimes encourages his models to inhabit the space, taking on the character, and the characteristics of their surrounds. I originally contacted Jon as I thought he might have a shoot that fit one of the themes I'd chosen for Halloween. Turns out he had, but with a story and theme that for some, is far more frightening than any horror flick.
It began with a planned shoot with Will Twink. Will and his partner were traveling back from a wedding in Edinburg, and planned a stop off to shoot with Jon on his way home to London. The theme, Wilde's 'A Picture of Dorian Gray' was suggested by Will as a way of making use of the many weird and unique props Jon had collected within his studio space. The only prop Jon acquired specifically for the shoot was the mirrored tray he found at a local thrift shop. The only thing Jon added to the tray were the gold leaves he added as a wreath like frame.
'I wanted to convey the narcissistic obsession of the Oscar Wilde story. I was also very interested in the contrast between the view of the model's face compared to the view that looks at us from the mirror. Will perfectly portrayed the decadent English young man and was uninhibited in his poses.'
Given the theme, Jon had the perfect creative collaborator to bring Dorian to life. Will has always been into art and photography, having studied art in college. As for modeling, that to began in school, with friends asking their hot friend to pose for shots for their coursework. Will actually began to build up a following on-line by inhabiting another character from fiction, and one with roots in gothic elements as well. Will's Instagram account really began to build with his Harry Potter content. He's moved beyond Harry however, still loving the character, but not the harmful comments and ignorance from the author.
It was channeling the character however, that initially led to a photographer contacting him about shooting. This lead to things snowballing and Will's modeling to really take off. As for posing nude, Will shares that although always curious, he was always really too nervous and hesitant to do. When Will saw his images, or looked into a mirror, he was always a bit self-conscious about the way his body looked, and saw himself as too scrawny to be in front of the lens. In the end, Will decided to take the risk, and was amazed at well the photographer made him look..
Will first noticed Jon's work on Instagram, and reached out after being drawn to the colour and vibrancy in his visuals. Will shared with Jon that he really wanted to lean into the photographer's style, and the story of Dorian Gray came up during one of the many conversations they had before the shoot. Will had always been interested in the Dorian's story, and knew Jon was the right photographer to help translate and tell the story.
For Will, Jon was the ideal person to work with given the story and themes explored. Will much prefers shoots that have a degree of storytelling through the imagery. Inhabiting a character, comes more naturally that just standing and posing, Will enjoys channeling a characters emotions, leaving the viewers to have their own feelings, and to make their own interpretations of what’s happening.
'There were so many favorite moments, starting with the most adrenaline rushing part, which was the candles. These were really alight and the stand was extremely wobbly I felt they would fall at any moment and we’d go up in a pile of smoke at any moment haha.
My favourite bit of any shoot, and especially with this one, is getting to experiment with something new. I seldom repeat themes, this means each shoot always feels unique in its own way. Jon was extremely welcoming to the ideas and we got on so easily together which always makes for an enjoyable shoot. '
Will too has an OnlyFans, which he saves for his more explicit content. He posts several times a week, as well as creates more personalized content at viewers requests. Will strives to cultivate a community space with interactive chats, polls and live streams. Check it out HERE:
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