Winter Storm
Meet Storm, the cover boy for the November issue of Boys-R-Us.
Even tho it’s not officially Winter yet (tho we did already have our first snow of the season last month) I’ve dubbed him “Winter Storm.” That’s because when I first look at him I get a shiver in my spine and then after a few more pics I get totally blown away.
I pretty much all the time enjoy looking at my artwork (hey, somebody has to do it), but I rarely get as captivated by a model I’ve done as I am by Storm. That’s the main reason this set is just standing poses – every time I put him in a new stance I loved it.
Also, this set is sort of an experiment. One of the hardest things for me in putting my pics together is the lighting. I can fuss for hours with moving lights around and changing intensities trying to get the look I want. Recently, I was reading some lighting tips and the author suggested a learning exercise of trying to light a scene with just one light. Radical. But I decided to give it a try – and the result is Winter Storm.
Hope you like him as much as I do.
Music: REO Speedwagon – Ridin’ the Storm Out (Wouldn’t you like to be riding this storm?)
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The Model – Part 2
Here is the second set of pics from Liam’s modeling session. I think he’s having a good time.
Ely on the Rocks
Ely,the cover boy for the June, 2011 issue of Boys-R-Us, likes to whip up some fun and then serve it to us on the rocks. Observe:
Part 2 of his show will appear soon
Street Kids – The Chase
This summer I’ve been seeing lots more street kids in my hometown than I remember there being in other years. When I say “street kids,” I guess I’m referring mostly to boys in their early teens who look like they’re homeless. They look way too young to be living out on their own. But they are – scrounging food and spare change during the day and sleeping under bridges or in abandoned buildings.
A few times I’ve stopped to talk with a group of the kids in one or another of their hang-out spots I pass on my way to and from work – school – home. I’ve gotten to know a few of them well enough to invite them over to our place for a meal or to get a hot shower. I’ve been surprised that most of them, rather than feeling sad and hopeless about how they’re living, seem to see themselves as being on a sort of heroic adventure.
They’ve broken free from being controlled, and often abused, by their families or other adults. They live in packs where they provide each other with companionship and support. They’re not hung-up about having to own the newest whatever, or about what they wear, or about sex. Most of them don’t seem ashamed or uptight about getting the money they need by trading sex for it. And they try to always work in pairs, which seems to keep them pretty safe from harm.
I feel lucky that I’ve gotten to see the beauty behind the usually rough exteriors of these boys. So I’ve done a few series of pics to try and portray some of that beauty. Even though I’ve given the boys in my pics names, none of the pics are of actual, live boys – they’re just representations, usually over idealized, of the nature of some of the street kids I’ve been fortunate to meet.
The star of the first series is “Chase,” or as he likes to call himself, “The Chase.” While he’s sort of scruffy and unwashed, he’s also usually irrepressibly happy and is a joy to be around.
Sweet, isn’t he? To see more of Chase, go HERE
Just a Boy
Every boy hurts, sometimes:
Listen to “Everybody Hurts” by R.E.M.
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