D.A.
Hey guys! I can't believe that 2015 came to an end! And, of course, I'm still posting galleries and blog entries on photo shoots that occurred in 2013. I'm seriously starting to wonder if I'll ever catch up and be current! Nonetheless, I definitely want to thank you guys for sticking with me and continuing to look at my images through the galleries as well as reading the blog entries about my thoughts on the photo shoots themselves. It definitely means a lot to me, especially when I get emails from you guys about wanting to work with me because of the images posted or just shooting me short emails about how you like my work. It really does mean a lot to me!
In looking back on 2015, it definitely proved to be an interesting year. While I didn't get to photograph a lot of male models this year (I found myself focusing more on architecture photography), I did surprise myself with the work that I went into updating the website and clearing a backlog of images. Sure, there were a couple of months that went by without an update, but overall I'm glad that I was able to start posting images on a somewhat irregular basis. Overall, I'm happy with the way that 2015 turned out in regards to my photography.
However, I'm also looking to make 2016 a better year. At the moment, I'm still trying to plan out what I want to do, but I'm starting to firm up some of those ideas and starting to make them a reality! I'm definitely looking forward to working with a some old friends as well as working with some new guys on some photo shoots next year. Hopefully, I'll be able to share them with you guys a little more quickly as well. So yeah, here's looking to a great 2016!
But for now, let's take a look back on my December 2013 photo shoot with D.A..
D.A.
I worked with D.A. directly after the photo shoot with Romance. During that month, I was trying to get as many photo shoots completed after feeling uncreative due to a long semester of grad school. Of course, it definitely lead to the backlog of images that I'm still trying to work through. Nonetheless, I definitely enjoyed working with D.A. on the photo shoot, even though we didn't finish the photo shoot until close to 2:00 am.
D.A. was definitely an interesting guy to work with throughout the shoot. He didn't really make a lot of small talk with me, but that might have been due to the late hour of the photo shoot. However, I knew that we were going to creating some interesting images due to his overall look, his professionalism, and his entirely calm nature throughout the photo shoot. Plus, I knew that I would be able to get some awesome black and white images with him. I'm glad that I wasn't disappointed.
The image below is definitely one of my favorite images from the beginning of the shoot. As you guys know, I do like to start the shoot by taking photos of the model wearing the clothes that they wore before moving on. While the image below was a quick capture as he was pulling off his jeans in order to pose in his boxers, I knew that I wanted to capture the instance of him pulling off his jeans. I ended up liking the image because it feels like it was a moment captured instead of being a posed image. Of course, I like that the image was captured right when D.A. had looked up and made eye contact with the camera and the viewer. Like I said, I like the image because it feels like a moment captured in time.
Of course, I am definitely happy with how well the image looks in black and white. I love the gradation of the tones as the light sweeps across his body to create the various highlights and shadows. I particularly like how the light is playing across his face, specifically on the right side of his face. Plus, the rich tones of his skin definitely translated well in the black and white image. Like I said, it's definitely one of my favorite images from the photo shoot.
Portraits
One of the things that I loved about D.A. was his facial structure. I definitely knew that I wanted to create several portraits of D.A. as we worked throughout the photo shoot. And I definitely knew that I wanted to attempt to get a profile image of him given his facial structure. As such, I am happy with the way the image below turned out.
As I mentioned, I really like D.A.'s profile from the slope of his forehead down over his nose and back down over his lips and chin. To me, it's visually appealing and looks nice set against the backdrop. Additionally, I love how the light highlighted his cheekbone, jawline, and his ear. For some weird reason, I really like how the light and shadows are playing within the structure of his ear. It's interesting to see how the the different areas are defined in highlights and shadows.
Finally, I love how the light is creating interesting shadows and highlights across his face and neck and down his back. As I mentioned before, D.A. had a rich skin tone that looked great when done in black and white. Those skin tones are helped by the light creating an interesting light pattern highlighting the muscles across his back. Like I said, I really love how the light turned out in the image below.
In addition to the portrait above, I also ended up loving the image below. I love the image below for similar reasons as the one above. However, I think the top reason why I love the image below is the pose. I love how he's looking away from the camera towards the light. As I said above, I really do like D.A.'s facial structure. In addition to the tilt and direction of his head, I also love the placement of the hands over the back of the chair. To me, it creates an relaxed feeling while still having elegance due to his the serious facial expression and position of his head. It's definitely one of my favorite portraits within my catalog.
Underwear
As usual, after photographing D.A. in the clothes that he wore to the shoot and then in just his boxers, I moved on to photograph him in a variety of underwear. After photographing him in his Hanes boxers, I had D.A. model a pair of light pink Go Softwear briefs. I thought that they would contrast nicely against his skin tones while fitting him nicely. I'm definitely happy with the way he filled out the briefs and how the image turned out overall.
Additionally, I love the pose in the image. I knew that I wanted to get a profile shot given how D.A. filled out the briefs, but I also knew that I wanted to add some dimension as well. As such, I had him turn his shoulders a little to create some additional visual depth. In addition to the slight turn of his shoulders, I also like how his arm looked draped across his chest. It helps to add some weight to the image in terms of how the shadows deepened as less light reached his elbow.
And, of course, I love the tilt and slight turn of his head in the image. Throughout the shoot, D.A. had a serious expression on his face most of the time. I definitely loved that about him, since it conveyed a sense of professionalism but also suited his demeanor. However, I love the facial expression in the image. There's a small hint of amusement and coyness, but it could be that I'm reading too much into the image. Still, the facial expression definitely adds to the overall reason why I love and chose to highlight the image.
In addition to the Go Softwear, I also knew that I wanted to photograph D.A. modeling a pair of dark pink N2N briefs. After seeing how D.A. filled out the Go Softwear briefs, I knew that I wanted to get him to try on the N2N briefs. I'm definitely happy with how he looked in the briefs. Like the previous ones, I love how the color contrasted against his body, especially when I converted the image into black and white. The lighter tones definitely contrasts nicely against the dark tones of his lower stomach as well as his thighs.
In addition to how well D.A. looks in the briefs, I also like the pose in the image. D.A. was definitely on the lean side, but I loved how the image shows off his abs and the definition in his chest. It's definitely helped along through the highlights, midtones, and shadows created by the light as it caressed his body. Moving beyond the muscle definition in his chest and abs, I love the placement of his hands at his hips with his thumbs hidden behind his waist. With the shadows created at his hands, it contrasts nicely against the lighter tones at his hips and waist. Overall, I love the pose and how the light traveled across his body to create the interesting highlights, midtones, and shadows.
Nudes
And, of course, I did photograph D.A. in the nude. The image below is my favorite nude from D.A. photo shoot. As I've been saying through the blog entry, D.A. has these rich skin tones that look exquisite when the image was converted to black and white. In addition to his skin tones, I love the muscle definition through his lean body. Both of those characteristics are definitely present in the image below. I definitely love how the light accentuates the muscles in his shoulders and back as well as the dimples that appear at his lower back.
Additional, I love the pose. Within the gallery, there are some frontal nude shots of D.A., but I definitely thought this image and pose were more interesting and deserving to be highlighted in the blog post. The pose definitely shows off his physique well. I love how the lines taper down from his wide shoulders to his narrow waist before falling off as they descend down his thighs. I also love the placement of the hand and how it's cast in shadow. It creates some additional visual weight on the left side of the image to help balance out the image. Of course, I am in love with the lighting and how it proceeds to place the left side of his body in shadow. The image is definitely one of my favorite images from my entire catalog.
Favorite Image From The Photo Shoot
Sometimes I find it difficult to choose a favorite image from a photo shoot. However, I knew instantly which image was my favorite as I was working through the editing process. When I saw the image below, even in its RAW form, I already envisioned what it would look like in black and white and knew that it would be one of my favorite images overall. So yeah, it was definitely easy to select the image below as my favorite image from the photo shoot.
As you guys know, I am a fan of split lighting since it creates some awesome highlights and shadows. As you can see in the image, the back side of his body is shrouded in shadows with a tiny edge of light gracing his lower back and the curve of his cheek. In addition, I absolutely love the gradation of the tones as the midtones transition into the shadows at his side. And, of course, I love how the shadowed areas of his body contrasts and stands out against the lighter gray tones of the chair in the background. Yeah, I am definitely a fan of black and white images with dramatic lighting.
In addition to the lighting used in the image, I also love the pose. Granted, it definitely focuses on a certain aspect of D.A.'s anatomy, I do love how the lines flow from his lower back into the curve of the cheek and down into his thigh. It's also, to a certain degree, mimicked in the line descending from his stomach and down into the front of his thigh. In addition to that, I love how the line of his forearm is mimicking the outer line of the chair. It's definitely an interesting pose that I have used in the past and will continue to use in the future, but it definitely takes on another dimension in the image below. Well, it definitely adds to the visual interest and helps to create the overall image that is my favorite from the photo shoot.
Closing
Overall, I loved working with D.A. throughout the photo shoot. Even though the photo shoot took place late at night, he brought his "A Game" and was a professional throughout it. As you guys can see, he definitely has an amazing physique and rich skin tones that helped to create some gorgeous black and white images, at least to me. I would definitely recommend D.A. as a model to work with and I hope to work with him in future projects in 2016 and beyond.
For additional images from the photo shoot, please visit: http://www.reyjphotography.com/da.
If you are interested in setting up a photo shoot, please feel free to contact me at: [email protected].