Introducing the Male Figurative Photography of Studio 4496

About the Artist -- Michael Kilgore

When I was five years old my parents took the family on a vacation to Daytona Beach. Playing in the sand near the Boardwalk was boring for a little comic book-aholic and I’d spotted a stand nearby. It was safe back in those days to let your kid out of sight so Mom gave me a few quarters and sent me on the way. While looking through the standard kid comics I couldn’t help but notice a drawn white curtain and decided to explore.
The shelves behind this veil were packed with the beefcake books of that day such as Physique Pictorial and Physical Culture. I was immediately transported to my personal little heaven. No more Batman for me! I made a selection and marched proudly to the counter. The sales clerk took one look at me – then the books – and I found myself outside in the sand with a “Don’t come back!” thrown in for good measure. I was a little shaken up (it’s easy to pick up a five-year old) but dusted off the sand. And knew at that moment I’d found my calling!

Fast forward thirty-seven years to 1992. At that time I decided to get serious about photographing men and began working under the name of Studio 4496. I have since developed a small, but ever growing portfolio, of approximately 70,000 images with a primary focus on male figurative and art nudes.

After years of practicing my craft, I've arrived at a style which is distinctively my own; though, no doubt, it will continue to evolve and, hopefully, improve. My goal through this blog is to broaden the audience for the images as well as market my soon-to-be revamped Web site http://www.studio4496.com/. Right now the archival site that's looking pretty outdated is still running but it should give you at least some idea of the path that led to this point. More current images may be viewed on two other sites http://www.studio4496.deviantart.com/ as well as http://www.modelmayhem.com/ where you'll need to search for member #12269.

Oh, by the way, the models and I are having a blast and I don’t worry about getting sand kicked in my face anymore. I'll be shooting a lot during the coming months and will be sure to keep you updated regarding the shoots, the models as well as Web site developments.