MasculineCurves

Finally Morion!

 

Way back in April, shortly after I shot Morion, I promised to post his session to the member’s only section of this website. So for all of you who have been waiting to see more of him I appreciate your patience and your thoughtful nudges. It took me a while to get these posted because we shot over 600 frames that day, which means a lot of frames for the creative process to digest. Also, his shoot was somewhat experimental as I was attempting to try out some alternative lighting and backdrop techniques in the studio. These shots  accounted for about 400 frames and looking back, I realized I wasn’t necessarily happy with how my experiment turned out (to no fault of Morion’s). Hey, you never know unless you try, right?

Fortunately, just as we were wrapping our studio session, I noticed a flow of beautiful mid-afternoon sunlight peering through my living room windows. Timing is everything, and not wanting to waste the opportunity of having an abundance of natural light and an excellent model at the same time and place, I asked Morion if he could stick around a while longer. We hurriedly moved the furniture out of the living room and this was our make-shift studio the rest of the afternoon. These were the shots I found most compelling from this session and ended up using for Morion’s gallery. As you can see I kept post-production to a minimum as to not distract from the natural ambience of the light, and I felt black & white was the way to go in featuring Morion’s svelte physique.

 

As a side note, you might be interested to know that in light of the current state of the economy I've lowered the price of MasculineCurves Lifetime Memberships to a one time fee of just $10. That's right, for just $10 you'll receive access to the member's only portion of this website and your support will go a long way in keeping this blog up and running. For more information click here.

Terence

Introducing Howard

I'd like to introduce you all to Howard, a new model whose photo session has just been added to the "Members' Only"section of this website. I actually shot Howard in September of last year, but we lost contact for a short time and I was hesitant to post his pics until he had an opportunity to review them. We recently re-connected and fortunately he approves of the shoot!

One day, last fall, I was waiting on the train at the West 65th Street station when this brown-skinned 23-year old stud walked up to me and began asking questions about my camera. I could tell he was somewhat curious about the art of photography. And I was a bit surprised when he boldly pulled out his cell phone and showed off some of shirtless self-pics. I could see he was somewhat of an exhibitionist so I handed him my card and told him to give me a call if he was interested in shooting with me. A few weeks later he called and what you see here are the results of my time spent with him on a Saturday afternoon last September.

Thoughts of ... ?

 

show and tell...

The christening...

Since the movers don't come until Tuesday I wanted to make good use of having access to an empty, pristine space in which to shoot. So I invited my friend Stephen over to be the first model shot in the new apartment. I hadn't photographed Stephen in a couple years so it was nice to have him in front of the camera again. And, of course, he never disappoints the lens.

I'm hoping this new space will inspire me to take my photography in a more environmental direction playing off the textures of the apartment's architectural elements. I guess my ultimate goal is to get better at using my environment to create mood and tone in my work.

 

 

 

Private Parts

Ink

Jason

Blac'd Out

 

He had told me that he got this tattoo to cover up a gang symbol.

Bound

Ink

The bed...

Lighting Technique

Why there are no full frontal images on this blog.

As you all know, I enjoy receiving your emails and comments here on the blog. If you ever have a suggestion on something you'd like to see, or even a constructive critique on my work, I'm always open to hearing your thoughts on how to improve the site. That said, an enthusiastic reader recently submitted a comment on my shoot with Theodore (you can read the comment here). Essentially, this reader suggested that I make an exception and post a few full-frontal shots of my models here on the blog.

Obviously I'm not a prude, and I'm all about free speech and artistic expression. However, there is a very good reason why full-frontal shots are only available in the "members only" section. And that's simply because the members only feature was created to help offset the high cost of producing this work. I don't typically like to disclose personal financial information on the operation of this blog, but I think this reader has asked a fair question and I will address it here.

For the month of April the cost of operating the MasculineCurves blog and website was $647. Yep, that's a lot of dough for a desperate artist. While this included hosting fees the biggest expense is, of course, compensating the men who are so kind to pose for my camera. Now, I have to be honest, April was a bit of an extreme because I received a bit of an unexpected cash winfall last month. So instead of running out and buying a new iPod I chose to spend it on my passion for photographing the male form. Typically the expense of maintaining this website runs in the $200 to $400 range.

To be completely honest, I make a pretty decent living in my day job. Nothing outrageous, but I don't complain because I've made it to a point in my life where I'm no longer living pay check to pay check (and let me tell you I spent plenty of years living on ramen noodles and dodging collection agencies). That said, the artist in me has led me down a path of making certain sacrifices in order to pursue my photography. You might be surprised to know that I don't own a car. A few years ago I decided to get rid of my car and put the money towards the purchase of a high-end digital camera and lighting equipment. So I take the bus. It's no big deal, I'm not the type of guy who defines himself by the car he drives, but what I do know is that my photography defines me. Another minor sacrifice I've made is cable TV. Fortunately basic cable is included in my rent, but I have no fancy channels (not even Logo), and no DVR. But again, I'd rather put that extra $50 or $60 per month towards keeping this website online. I guess anyone out there who pursues a passion understands how easy it is to make these types of sacrifices. I don't complain because getting the opportunity to use my lens as a means to tell the stories of men of color provides me with so much more fulfillment than cable tv or a luxury sedan ever could.

So, if you're wondering why I reserve full-frontal shots for the "members only" section. Well, that's because every little bit helps, and I'd eventually like to get this site to point where it can sustain itself financially. If you enjoy my work please consider supporting it by becoming a member (subscriptions start as low as $10 per year), or by making a donation (see the PayPal donation button in the upper left corner of the page). Obviously your contributions aren't tax deductible since I'm not a charity. But I'll do my best to produce LGBT art that hopefully you can be proud of supporting.  And if you're not in a position to help, that's okay. Please continue to stop by the blog often for free (non-frontal) imagery.

Something Beautiful

Ink

Theodore Uncensored

 

Even though I just shot him a mere week ago, many of you have sent messages urging me to get Theodore's gallery posted. Well, I'm please to announce his uncensored gallery is now available in the members only section of this site.

Given the impromptu nature of this shoot (read here), I thought it appropriate to keep things pretty simple in the editing process. No ethereal PhotoShopping, no artsy sepia tones, no over-the-top lighting effects. Just a straight forward depiction of my 90-some minutes spent with a hot, muscular mature man in front of the camera. In fact, this shoot was so in-the-moment that I didn't even have a chance to set up the studio (as evidenced by the miscellaneous lighting equipment strewn in the background).

To become a MasculineCurves.com member and enjoy access to the members only galleries click here. Memberships start as low as just $10 per year! (Funds raised through membership sales and donations go a long way in keeping this blog online).

Solace undercover...

Theodore on the #22

As I’ve mentioned many times on this blog, my inspiration for choosing the men who pose for me is the guys I encounter in my day-to-day life. And when I say I pick them fresh off the streets, I often mean it literally. Meet Theodore.

Last Saturday I was out on the West side doing my street photography thing, when I decided to hop on the #22 bus headed downtown. And right there in an aisle seat was where I found Theodore. Of course the way his wife beater clung to his massive chest and showcased those huge guns he was hard to ignore. My first thought was “man, I’d love to see that in front of my camera.” But the bus was crowded and this was no place to give my “I’m a photographer” line to a guy who looked as though he could beat me to a pulp.

So after several blocks I noticed his muscular arm reach up and pull cord for the West 30th street stop. While this stop was not my destination, a rush of adrenalin took over my body and I shot out of my seat and jumped off the bus to chase him down. A few moments later we were having the “I’m a photographer” conversation in the middle of Lorain Avenue. Much to my surprise Theodore was eager to do some physique posing and suggested he was available right then and there. He told me I caught him as he was headed to the gym and since he’d always been curious about doing this sort of thing he wouldn’t mind skipping a workout as to not pass up this opportunity. How’s that for impulsive? So we waited a few moments for the next bus to come along, and in no time we were in my studio for an impromptu shoot.

I have to say, my experience with Theodore is the type of shoot I live for. Impulsive, exhilarating, and in many ways, very intimate.  In just 90 minutes I learned a lot about him and what he’s experienced in his 46 years of life.  It was the type of shoot that is indicative of the theme of my purpose behind the camera, and that is to make a connection with men from all walks of life (I’m sure this has something to do with childhood abandonment issues, but that’s a blog for another day). I don’t feel comfortable disclosing all the intimate details Theodore shared with me about his life in a blog post. But I will say don’t let the rehearsed Adonis-like poses of this former competitive bodybuilder fool you.

Note: uncencored versions of this shoot will soon be available on the Members Only section of this website.