I stated in an earlier post that I enjoy photographing naked men. I know, call me crazy... I suppose this is rooted in the fact that I am a big-time voyeur. I have a degree in television production, but all of my technical knowledge of photography came from the most unlikely of places. I was a lowly production assistant for Walt Disney Feature Animation for six years. The entire time I was making copies, taking notes in meetings and otherwise facilitating the approval process of artwork, I was learning about layout, composition, lighting and mood. I'm sure that all of the people I worked for would be dismayed to see what I have done with that knowledge!
But those are just the mechanics. What I really enjoy about the process is working with the models, most particularly ones who have never posed before. Finding the right angle, the right positioning for each body type, arranging the lighting and shadows to show off what looks good, hide what doesn't...it is both creative and erotic.
Setting the mood is crucial. Putting the model at ease is paramount for producing good photographs. An uncomfortable model telegraphs his feelings to the camera. For that reason, I always start slow, give lots of positive feedback, stroke the ego and show the model how good he looks on camera. The best compliment I can get is when a model looks at a picture and says, "Wow, is that me?"
Another aspect of the shoots that I enjoy is the suspense of not knowing how far a model is willing to go. I can almost always get them naked, but getting them excited is the real challenge. It's a fine line of making them comfortable but also promoting an erotic atmosphere at the same time. It is always a thrill when I see someone give in to the eroticism of the situation and share themselves totally for my camera.
Unfortunately, very few of the guys I have shot have given me permission to use their pictures. Of the ones that have, I have posted a few on here. I hope you all enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them!
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