The Train is Out of the Station

I achieved my goal of finishing my first-ever submission for publication one day early. Now comes the months of waiting with no feedback.

The process of going through so many images was humbling. There's so much work involved. Many (in my estimation) were worthy photos; but humbling in the sense that, as I revisited all this work, only a few began to "pop" as memorable.

There were six submissions: five calendar style submissions in horizontal formats and one "other" submission of favorite verticals. The 40,000 plus images shot over the past four years have been boiled down to 258 images. I suspect the art director on the receiving end is wishing I was a better editor. But you have to start somewhere.

I have to be on the road in about six hours to start all over again.

I'm picking up Nathan Lewis from the UK tomorrow at the Miami airport. It's a four hour drive up and four hours back to Key West. So no shooting tomorrow; but then we embark upon a three-day marathon. Should be great fun.

Time to get to bed.

Three down, three to go...

With the July 31st deadline rapidly approaching for my submission to Lighthouse publications, I've now completed 80% of the selection and editing process. Over the course of the past two weeks I've reviewed close to 50,000 photos done over the past four years to winnow it down to the few that I think may have a chance in the world of commercial male figurative photography.


Interestingly, one quick "no" for the calendar submissions was any photograph shot in a vertical format. That immediately eliminated about 90% of my work. A lot of my portrait work I shoot as horizontals; but not that many nudes unless there's something about the setting that demands it. So just by knowing that one requirement, I've now learned I'm going to have to start thinking differently in the future and look for both horizontal and vertical possibilities in every setting. That should push a few creative buttons down the road.


I'm putting together six different submissions: two calendar submissions are of individual models -- Chad & Oocelot -- simply because both are amazing models, neither has been overexposed (so to speak) in the market, the work is recent, and -- in some ways represents some of my best work. There are three other calendar submissions of different models I've worked with over the past four years: beefcake (non-nude twenty-something boys next door); art nudes and erotic nudes, mostly of more mature men. And, finally, there were too many good vertical shots not to send a few. So I put together a compilation of about 80 "best" photos (this time mostly vertical) that really don't fit any of the publisher's categories. But each tells its own story. Hopefully, a few may find a home as a greeting card or on the page of one of their publications.


I still have a few days work to go; but know I'll make the deadline -- just in time to start all over again with a shoot I've been planning for months with the amazing Nathan Lewis from the UK, who's on a shooting work/vacation tour of the US during July & August. (BTW Nathan was one of the three finalists to become the "face" of MenAtPlay. You can see his audition photos and video at http://www.menatplay.com/ )


So, after reviewing about 50,000 photos I've learned a lot about my work and know it's going to force me to rethink a number of things. There are stylistic and content issues I know I'm going to have to start working on, which I'll discuss in future posts. But especially I'm going to need to rethink the whole concept of themes. As I look through the work of other successful photographers, not only do they have a certain unique look, but also they tend to shoot consistently for a period of time around a specific idea, e.g. Dylan Rosser's "red" theme or Mark Henderson's "household" theme. I guess it's the male photography equivalent of having a "hook" or in marketing jargon, unique selling point.


Also upon review I've learned both the good news; and the bad news about my work.


The good news is that my images don't look like anything you see in the men's magazines, i.e. there's some originality and creativity there.


The bad news is that my images don't look like anything you see in the men's magazines, i.e. I'm fighting an uphill battle for what's considered commercially viable in this market.


It'll be most interesting to see which, if any, of the six submissions are chosen. Is it original enough to intrigue an art director's imagination; yet safe enough to make the financial gamble?

In for a penny, in for a pound?

The past weekend's shoot with Oocelot was--as expected--remarkable. We did eleven sets in about 8-9 hours of shooting over a day and a half. Each is very different in character and look. Once again, as with Chad Glenn on July 4th, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with both the quality and quantity of what I need to edit. I now have literally thousands of images of the two of them to review with the goal of finding the best to edit and try to place either in the art and/or commercial market.

While Oocelot is relatively new to being in front of a camera, he's a graphic artist with an extraordinary eye. So he's quickly learning to see in his mind's eye what the camera sees and moves to poses which further flatter his already amazing physique. With each session we both learn something new about our mutual crafts and how they contribute to a successful image -- or not, as is sometimes the case. Almost always when looking at the outtakes from each set we agreed on which images were the strongest. I can hardly wait to work with him again -- already planned for one of the last two weekends in September, hopefully, with Chad doing some co-modeling.

Unlike a number of photographers who, when they "discover" someone, try to keep him under wraps, I'm encouraging Oocelot to shoot with as many photographers as he can. He'll only get better having multiple experiences with different photographers' styles and methods.

(Just a quick side note here -- from a purely selfish / commercial standpoint I understand why photographers keep a lid on their finds -- the images are more likely to sell. Collectors & art directors become addicted to particular models more so than the work of a particular photographer / artist. So if you can control the source, you are more likely to give yourself a better chance at an income stream from the exclusive images. On the other hand, it always struck me as totally unfair to the model, both financially and professionally.

However, I remember a few years ago sending photos of my "find" Peter Stevens to an agent. Next thing I knew he was a two-time centerfold in Playgirl as well as featured in several exercise magazines. I never even got a "thank you" from the agent much less an offer to do any of those shoots. Nonetheless, I was happy for Peter -- it set him off on a very successful career. And, I probably still need to learn that lesson since I continue to feel the pinch of hundreds of hours of work with him and no reward.)

But back to Oocelot. There's no way I would consider holding him back even if I could. It's no surprise his images are already getting noticed. And, consequently, offers of all sorts are coming his way. Everything from guys with cameras to successful commercial photographers to porn producers. And his interest is piqued -- especially with the offers from the porn companies. Both the money and the fantasy intrigue him. I suspect by the time we do our September shoot, he'll no longer be using the moniker Oocelot, but will be sporting some provocative alias.

While I can't speak for him and don't know what his ultimate decision will be, I know it's both difficult and is very tempting at the same time. As long as you're working for a reputable production company whose practices are ethical, who wouldn't enjoy getting paid for doing something you enjoy anyway? In the context of a porn production company, it's possible to play out (hopefully safely) some of those fantasies many dream about, but few ever experience. And with Oocelot's look and body, I suspect if he enjoys the shoots, he's someone whose career wouldn't end with just a video or two, but could grow into something substantial as long as he wants it.

We talked about it a lot over the weekend. And I have to admit that I have some conflicted feelings. If I were his age, had his looks and charisma, I'd probably take the offers -- if for no other reason than to do some personal exploration (and also for the money and fantasy). But in our conversations, Oocelot said something that struck me as profound, which I'd never thought about quite in the same vein. And it left a bit of a knot in my stomach. (My stuff, not his.)

A close paraphrase goes something like this. "When you're modeling you're using your body to sell something -- a product, a fantasy, a sensation. But when, you're doing porn your body becomes the product."

In other words, you have to find a place in your own mind to objectify yourself and be okay with that. You're no longer "you" but -- in the crassest term -- a piece of meat to be fucked or to fuck. That's both exhilirating and frightening. Exhilirating, in the sense that it allows you to be something other than "you" as you've come to know yourself. Frightening, in the sense that you don't know where it can lead. And, of course, once the video is out there, it's something you can't take back. It becomes not only a part of how others view you when you're walking through the supermarket aisle, but it begins defining a different you.

So here I've been doing my "nekkid guy" photography for years. Many of the images are erotic; so are -- in the eyes of some folks -- pornographic. (That's a whole other blog topic --- is it art or is it tart?) But I've never put a model in the position of needing to objectify himself. The images I've done tend to peer into the "who" of the person I'm working with rather than the "what". On the one hand, I'm kinda proud of that. I'm always respectful and take the approach that a shoot is a mutual adventure, a discovery, if you will. On the other, maybe that's the edge that's missing in my work -- a fear of diving into the rabbit hole to see what really lies beneath the surface. Am I simply doing the modern-day male equivalent of early Playboy pastiche? Pretty, but passe'?

Regardless of his decision, I know Oocelot's will be the right one for himself because he already understands that he'll be diving down the rabbit hole and knows the consequences should he enter.

As for me, I know I'm in a bit of quandary right now. I'm doing some of the best work I've ever done; yet Oocelot's conversation with me about porn has got me to thinking I may have been working tangentially. More thinking to be done here. As they say, TBD.

I've been in for the penny for quite a while. Maybe it's time to go for the pound?

Off to a shoot...

Oocelot drove down to Key West to do a second shoot this weekend. We're starting late because we talked into the early morning hours like long-lost sisters. I guess one problem I have with being a would-be commercial (get 'em in, get 'em out) photographer is I really just like getting to know the people I work with as much as I enjoy shooting them. And, for the most part, I seem to attract people who are compelling in ways other than just their amazing bodies.

We came up with some interesting ideas. The car is packed, we've had some breakfast and coffee and he's in the shower doing what models do best -- making sure he looks good. While waiting I'm writing this two paragraph post. We're both charged up for the day's adventure with each other. The energy is already "on" for both of us. Stay tuned for some great outtakes here, on ModelMayhem and deviantArt over the next few days. Oh, by the way, that's Oocelot in the picture above. Enjoy.

To choose or not...

Every evening after I come home from my day job, I dig into either planning the next shoot, editing the previous, calling, texting, e-mailing and/or otherwise getting in touch with folks.

At the moment I'm feverishly working to select and edit the images for my first formal submission for a possible 2011 calendar contract. I've decided I'm going to attempt three separate calendar submissions before the end of the month in addition to providing some other images I simply like in hopes they may become greeting cards or a page or two in one of this publisher's various magazines or books. One will be a series of the same model shot in different locations with a more erotic edge. Another will be selections from my many art nudes featuring different men. And the third will be -- as it's called in the industry -- "beefcake" selections, non nudes of just handsome guys showing off their physiques (not my strongest work as I tend to prefer photographing more mature guys whose images tell something about who they are -- edgier work.) But I'm told the market for guys over 40 is pretty limited though for the life of me I don't understand why since many of the best people I've ever worked with are in their 40s and, occasionally, beyond.

My dilemma is I've never shot any of my work with a thought of having it published. Usually I'm just shooting to build my portfolio and (in many cases) to help the model also build his portfolio and/or fulfill a particular fantasy. As a consequence I haven't the foggiest idea which images have commercial value. So I'm having to look through all this work with a different set of eyes.

One thing that helps a bit is tracking the comments and views on the three public sites where I post a number of images. The largest selection is at http://www.studio4496.deviantart.com/ where I've posted about 600 recent images over the past year. I joined the site in April 2008 and have generated an almost unprecedented 100,000 + page views in just over a year and literally thousands of comments. While I can't post anything erotic there, there are definitely images which are "faved" more often than not.

The site http://www.modelmayhem.com/ where I'm member 12269 provides a similar litmus test, this time among a more select audience of fellow photographers and models. One can "get away" with a little more (not much) vis a vis the erotic on MM and, not surprisingly, given the choice of two really good images, one with a full frontal and one without, the full frontal always wins hands down even if the other image is a stronger image. Now don't get me wrong, the dick shot needs to be well crafted; but -- at least at this point in the evolution of the human species -- we still seem to be obsessed by penis, willy, wanker, dick, schlong, pecker, etc. etc. And finally on http://www.modelcoast.com/ where I'm member 15859 and it is okay to show an erect penis, there's little doubt that tumescence is the crowd pleaser.

But is it art?

I think it can be. Though most folks automatically rule out frontal images (and definitely images with erections) as such. Tart, maybe, but not art. But then the interest if my mini on-line polls are an indication, and hence the money seems to be in the erotic. So the challenge at this point as I attempt to do more commercially successful work is to still create well crafted work that honors each model. AND to find a balance between the erotic and the artful. Cause, ultimately, it has to find a market.

It will be telling to me to see which, if any, of my submissions at the end of the month wind up gracing someone's closet door in 2011.

Sometimes the best ideas...

I've mentioned this before. For me, the best shoots come about when the person who's modeling becomes a collaborator and co-creator.

Over the July 4th holiday weekend I had the privilege of working with Chad Glenn. Not only is he easy on the eyes, but he's a compelling person as well -- intelligent and creative in every respect.

I had an extensive list of possible shoots, props and locations all lined up. The weekend's agenda was crowded to say the least. And the fact that Chad's boss had unexpectedly called him in to work Sunday evening only made it tighter. He had to leave a half day early in order to drive a hundred fifty miles to be there on time. He's a better person than I am. Even with just a day and half of shooting, moments after he left Sunday afternoon I collapsed in a heap from the effort we'd put in.

Now one thing that was not on the list was a cowboy shoot. But Chad had come equipped with boots, de rigeur torn jeans (though I wonder if cowboys really wear Dolce & Gabanna), cowboy hat and a scruffy beard. He said he'd always wanted to add a cowboy look to his portfolio. How could I say no?

Now trust me when I say there is absolutely nothing western looking about Key West. So early Saturday morning I was scratching my head wondering how the heck I was going to give him the look he wanted. Since we wanted an unshaven "out on the range" look, it was the first thing we did Saturday morning. I found a stucco corner of the house that looked like it could plausibly be somewhere out West -- though the palm trees reflected in the windows require a certain suspension of belief. Threw in a shovel, broom and leaves on the deck and figured it'd be a throwaway.

When we looked at the outtakes Saturday evening predictably we were both disappointed. Chad looked great but the setting just didn't make the grade. I was pretty sure I'd wind up tossing the whole set on the cutting room floor. Then he said something "what if you make them look aged?"

Brilliant. Of course, do a modern day take off on a daguerreotype.

To create the "look" each photo took me between 30 and 45 minutes to edit so my selection process was even more cutthroat that usual. But as far as I'm concerned Chad came up with the perfect solution.

More than just a handsome face...

Some years ago I was traveling in Guatemala to experience the great Mayan ruins of Tikal. Just past the border crossing the road from Belize City into the jungle degraded into something best described as a quasi-graded rut. Needless to say, the all terrain vehicle I was in moved very slowly. All along the torturous route there were women and children selling gigantic cashews, extraordinary hand dyed textiles and other goods designed to lure each tourist's hand to his wallet. Naturally, I didn't think anything of taking photos along the way; but -- while snapping one woman -- she held up her hand and said "No, you are taking my soul." I respectfully turned away; but her words have stayed with me for years.

Since then I've taken tens of thousands of photographs -- many for the community newspaper I edited and many more of what I refer to as my "nekkid men". With the paper I did my best to avoid the standard "grip and grin" images gracing the pages of every small town periodical published. I'd wade my way into a crowded event and look for the intense conversation or the person out of place. I'd work to find a moment of interaction which defined the event. Those were the photos that got published. Similarly, when I work with a model it isn't just about his handsome face or toned body or even his hard dick -- though, honestly I'm always happy to have some or all of those combinations at work -- but, just as importantly, in the words of the Guatemalan woman it's about capturing part of his soul.

I don't do a lot of photoshoots primarily because I make an effort to get to know someone by phone and/or e-mail or otherwise before I shoot them. There's just as much effort that goes into the creation of a shoot as there is in the actual shoot and the hours of editing afterwards. Part of what I'm doing when I'm planning with someone is finding what sets him apart. In some cases it's a vulnerability. In others it's unparalled athletic exuberance. Others just enjoy the discovery -- finding perhaps that naughty boy inside beat down by the nuns. And one could go on down the list. For each person I choose to work with has something that truly is unique.

One of the reasons my work isn't as stylistically predictable as other photographers is that I find the best shoots happen when the person who's modeling is actively engaged in the process -- the shoot scenario is his idea, the location is his find. I'll plan for weeks to set up a location and wardrobe with props...then we just see something and know that's the moment we both want to capture. To hell with the plan! On the other hand, we couldn't throw away the plan or have found that moment if we hadn't taken the time to get to know each other first. As a consequence, many of the men I work with become long-term friends. And, even when they don't, many leave feeling that the shoot stood apart from others they'd participated in.

That isn't to say my approach always works. Two years ago an amazing bodybuilder from Los Angeles called me up. He knew I had provided Zeb Atlas with some images for his Web page, liked them and wanted to shoot with me. My ego puffed and I agreed to work with him without the usual "getting to know you" process. My gosh, he was handsome, built like a brick shithouse and had the dick of death -- how could I go wrong with this guy?

So a few months passed after the initial e-mail request and my "yes" when I got a call saying he was going to be in Miami the next week and would I still be interested in driving up. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. So I drove up with my studio lights in tow and met him at his fancy $400 a night South Beach hotel. Asking what the occasion for the trip to South Florida was, his answer was "Only to shoot with you." He then started to berate Mark Jenkins, one of the most talented people in the world of male photography, saying his work was amateur and that the shoot he'd done with Mark the week before was a total failure, i.e. he just didn't know how to shoot bodybuilders.

Sweat beads started to form. And if I'd listened to my inner angel at that point I would have packed up and made the long drive back to Key West without a single frame snapped. Instead my ego took over and I thought to myself "I'm good. I can do this."

Fast forward three days and a very long quiet drive with the model in my car back to Miami from Key West. Yes -- I was actually crazy enough to think that, given the right context, I could make it work. The problem was, the more I got to know him, the more I realized that the only unique thing about him was his anger -- at himself, at gay men (his clients) in particular and pretty much anything else in the world. As a result despite several thousand images that long weekend I couldn't take a single good photograph of him despite his physical perfection. I may have captured his soul but it was one that was tortured and it showed through almost every image I took.

It shook me up -- a lot. As a consequence, I didn't do any of my "nekkid men" photography for almost a year and a half afterwards.

It was just this past April with Alan Valdez (featured in the photo above) that I finally got back on the horse to see if I could still ride.

The late Bob Stickel of Ten Casting Management (my experiences with Bob over the years will no doubt be the subject of other future blogs) contacted me about Alan. Bob has worked with hundreds of young men over the years, helping them find their way in world of male modeling, TV, fitness magazines, commercials, soft-core porn and for a few who must remain unamed for fear of lawsuits -- major motion picture careers. He told me he felt Alan was his next truly great find -- that he had the potential of one of his previous proteges Tony Ward (Madonna's ex). And that (here comes the ego part) Alan needed my special eye plus water images (lots of that in Key West) for his portfolio.

I took the bait and decided to come out of my hibernation. Alan and I didn't have a lot of contact before the shoot; but we hit it off immediately and I realized that I needed not only to get back on the horse; but start riding again. Since then I've worked with two extraordinary new models Oocelot and Chad Glen. I've been contacted by a major publication house to do a submission for one of their calendar series for 2011 (no guarantees, of course) and I'm having a ball planning my next three shoots. "Yippee ki yay. Ride 'em cowboy!"

But this time I'm taking the time to do it the right way -- really get to know the person modeling in advance. Cause ultimately it isn't just about another handsome face. On the one hand, male physique images are all about the surface -- the package, if you will -- but the ones that endure for whatever reason -- capture something inside that can't be denied.

Daunting ... but in a good way

Two weekends ago I shot with an amazing new model Oocelot. Over the July 4th holiday weekend I shot with Chad Glenn, who -- though he's only been in the physique modeling world for just a year -- has already been featured in the March 2009 Playgirl online as well as having shot with great photographers such as Dylan Rosser, Mark Jenkins, David Vance and Mark Henderson. I am now privileged to have been added to that esteemed group.

Working with Chad is incredibly productive. Even though I'm a slow shooter (too many years with expensive film -- I still frame and set almost every pose), we managed to create together over 1400 images in just a day and a half of working together. Additionally, we created twelve totally different looks and scenarios together. Of the 1400 images, I probably messed up 150 and Chad was even better. He hit the mark perfectly on all but 30 shots. Usually, in this business you're lucky if you get one or two good shots in a hundred.

That's the daunting part -- what do I throw onto the cutting room floor when so many are so good?

The differences between a "wow" shot that absolutely pops and a very good shot are subtle. It may be as slight as a hand placement or the twist in the torso. It's nearly impossible to predict or manage in the shoot process -- too many moving parts in the mix. Yet you know it when you see it.

Both Chad and Oocelot have notable design backgrounds, one in interior design, the other in graphic design. So they both have incredible eyes for detail, composition, color as well as overall impact.

One of the things I like to do with each model is to review the photos while they are still fresh. It allows us both to learn what works, what doesn't and to give feedback to each other. It's something that relatively few photographers do; but -- for me -- it's a critical element of my personal creative process -- giving and receiving feedback. Interestingly, in a very different way, it's my turn to get naked for the model. Whenever I'm looking at raw images prior to the edits I feel vulnerable. And to do it with people such as Oocelot and Chad who have such incredible eyes is, well, to use the word again -- daunting.

So it was with some sense of relief in the review process that I would hear the word "wow" in my ear just I said it myself. Ahh, sweet validation.

Now over the next few weeks comes two more daunting tasks: first, to select and edit only the best of the best; and second, to find more ways to market the images...ultimately, they need to pay for themselves.

One more shoot with Oocelot is planned for mid-July. Then in early August I'll be working with the incredible Nathan Lewis from the UK for three days. In the meantime, I'll keep you updated with some posts as I begin the editing process.

Began the edits of my most recent shoot this evening

It was a long day at work; but I really wanted to begin the editing process for my latest shoot with Oocelot, an amazing new model currently living in North Miami Beach.

Selecting which photos are worth keeping is always the most difficult part of the editing process for me. They're like children -- each has its potential and its flaws -- and I'm reluctant to discard anything for fear that I may be missing something that others would enjoy. Yet, when you're looking at 400-500 images from an afternoon, you know that only a few are going to pop in the way that really grabs other folks' attention. So my mood shifts between ruthlessness and remorse in the selection process.

After that selection process is complete, the process of editing for me is pure joy. I think of photoshop as my darkroom. Once I have a concept for the image or a series, I start playing with different tools until I create something that is characteristic of "my look" while staying true to the intent of the shoot. I really dislike images that are photoshopped so much that they are parodies of themselves. There has to be integrity in the approach as well.

After I figure out the approach and the appropriate tools to achieve the look I'm going for, the rest is just about staying in the zone. I liken it to a Zen moment...totally immersed and totally present at the same time. And I usually stay with it until I physically drop -- which is what I'm about to do right now.

I spent so much time selecting just the first few score of images that I was only able to edit five from the hundreds that Oocelet and I did out at Boca Chica. But it's a good beginning I think.

More edits to come next week as I have a whole other shoot planned for the July 4th weekend with Chad Glenn. Some thoughts about planning and conducting a shoot in the next few posts. But for now I'm including one of the images that I believe I can safely publish here on the blog. Hope you enjoy.