Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Favorite Pic of the Day for May 14th

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~Check out today's BIRTHDAYS HERE:~

AmAssed


Some you may recognize the hot Bi-spectacle bottom in the image above.  If you do, and especially if you don't, check out my FaVorites feature on the NEXT PAGE HERE:

Caught In The Web 🕷️


Sooner or later 
You're certain to meet 
In the bedroom, the parlor or even the street


One of my favorite musical soundtracks growing up was Kiss of the Spider Woman. I was introduced to the show via the soundtrack featuring Vanessa Williams, but later also grew to love the original Broadway cast release with Chita Rivera.   As many of you know, a film version of the musical is due to released this fall starring Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna and Tonatiuh.


Given the recent release of promotional images from the film, I thought it was time to take a look at the show, and some of the actors who've inhabited the roles of Valentin and Molina.  Check out my spotlight on previous shows including a rare nude scene from the original Molina, the hotties from the Australian production, and a recent adaptation featuring a nude Valentin on stage.  Check them all out on FH HERE:

Tonatiuh

Tonatiuh on Instagram


Diego Luna

12 Days: Olivier Renaud in Romance With A Twist


'Ex-dancer Luna pairs up with professional aerialist Bennet when he finds himself without a partner for his upcoming silks performance for the local arts festival. Soon she faces the challenge of a lifetime as they rehearse for the show.'


I haven't watched a Hallmark movie in awhile.  I watched some over Christmas, and into the New Year, but got sort of Hallmarked out by March.  Those feel good movies are nice in moderation, but sometimes you need a sugar break.  I did have one still on my PVR however, one I was going to delete unwatched.  It was titled Romance With A Twist, and I wasn't expecting much from a romance story with a dash of areal silks.


I decided to Google the male lead before deleting, and am glad I did.  The silk areal artist in the flick was played by actor Olivier Renaud.  When I began seeing images of Renaud, he looked different from many of the other Hallmark hunks.  Maybe a wee bit shorter, (Renaud's 5'11') a little stockier and more athletic than most of the widowers and Princes we see in Hallmark films.


Turns out that athletic look comes from Renaud spending quite a bit of time twirling around in the air.  The Montreal born actor, literally left HEC Business school in Montreal to run away and join the circus.  Renaud joined Cirque du Solei touring the US, Scandinavia, Western and Eastern Europe with the show.  After seeing that the areal romance included an authentic areal artist, I decided to watch.  Not a really unique script, and not really that many scenes with the silks, but still worth the watch for the introduction to the hot French areal artist and actor.

Olivier Renaud on Instagram

Olivier by McKenzie James

Love these shots of Olivier by one of my favorite Canadian artists, McKenzie James.  I had the pleasure many years ago of interviewing McKenzie for tMf Magazine

McKenzie James on Instagram

Dream Job: Kazuyo by Shax Carter


'Although I was nervous as I'd never done anything like this, rather than being averted by the nudity,  I instead embraced it.'


Whenever I feature the work of photographer Shax Carter, I consistently use the phrase 'intimate portrait.  I do this, because Shax doesn't do photo shoots as much he does photo essay's.  Shax likes to focus on one subject, one model over an extended period of time, capturing and unveiling the layers of his subject which each shoot, each location and each theme.

At the onset, I assumed this process might be daunting to models, especially models new to modeling nude.  It can be intimidating enough posing nude, without the systematic and extensive lens that Shax shines upon his subjects.   What I didn't take in account however, the degree to which relationship, and of subsequently trust and comfort, play a role in a model's experience with the shooting experience.


Whenever I ask a model to share their thoughts on a shoot, many mention their satisfaction with the final images.  More however, point to their comfort level with the artist behind the lens.  The creative collaboration only works for both, when trust has been obtained.  It's the reason most of us choose to go to the same doctor, the same mechanic, or even the same grocery story.  We feel most at ease in places, and with people, whose expectations we know and trust. 


This is difficult to obtain in one-off photo shoot.  It's one of the reasons so many photographers, and so many models, work multiple times with each other.  Given that Shax likes to work with one model over a period of time, their are more natural opportunities to build  relationship and trust, more than if they just worked on just one day for a couple of hours.


Nude photography wasn't exactly going to bel the twenty year-old Kazuyo's go to.  When the opportunity was presented, he wasn't opposed to it, but it also wasn't something he was necessarily pursuing.   He had some history with art, and was familiar and knowledgeable with the nude form in art, and always saw it as something artistic and creative.


'It was intimidating at first, but I was lucky enough to work with a photographer who made the process comfortable and professional.  I believe I got really lucky to work with Shax. Because of him, I'm now wanting to pursue modeling as a passion and a dream job.'


Although Kazuyo had other opportunities, including offers from the adult film industry, he found that super intimidating, and wasn't initially sure where to start.  He felt really overwhelmed with what direction to take, that was until, Shax reached out. Kazuyo shares that Shax was not only professional, but also casual and relaxed, something that led Kazuyo to feel the same.  Shax answered all his questions calmly, and after their discussion, Kazuyo was feeling comfortable enough to schedule their first shoot.


There were other opportunities I had where I could have worked in the adult film industry but that was super intimidating as I didn’t know where to start, how exactly difficult it would be, or even if i was ready to do something like that. When Shax reached out he was very casual, professional, and relaxed, he showed me his work and answered my questions calmly and it didn’t feel overwhelming which ultimately led me to feel comfortable to do that first shoot with him.


'Looking back at it now I’m wo glad to have worked with Shax, rather than anyone else. He has become not only a great co-worker, but a good friend.'


'Kazuyo is a natural in front of the camera. Although this was his first photo shoot, one wouldn't believe it looking at his work.  By the time the first shoot was complete, I knew we needed to expand our vision,'


That first shoot, and the relationship that followed, help paved the way for Shax's first photo-book spotlighting his work with Kazuyo.  Their first book, which Shax describes as an photographic introduction to Kazuyo, is a 138 page visual collection of their first shoot together..  Although a second, more extensive book will follow, with Kazuyo sharing more with an interview, for this first edition, Shax wanted to the images to tell the story.  You can order, or preview more of Shax's work with Kazuyo on Blurb HERE: