Physiography

Chair Men

2012-01-28T11:54:00.000-08:00

I'll admit to repeating myself. This image of Alex Westphalen is from one of a series of shoots featuring models writhing on this chair. Of course some models writhe better than others...

Rodin

2012-01-26T18:43:00.000-08:00

This pose, which I have used with a number of models as a starting point for other, similar positions, is based on a statue by Rodin.

Torso Study

2012-01-26T06:05:00.001-08:00

Gunslinger Attitude

2012-01-24T22:44:00.000-08:00

Sometimes a physique pose comes from a suggestion like a director might give an actor. This one came from a suggestion that Yvan pretend that he was holding a pair of pistols.

Yvan

2012-01-24T07:14:00.000-08:00

This is from my first shoot with Yvan several years ago.

Yvan

2012-01-23T07:35:00.001-08:00

Hand Shadows

2012-01-22T12:04:00.001-08:00

Art of Chadwick - Close Up

2012-01-21T09:41:00.001-08:00

Air Space

2012-01-20T07:20:00.000-08:00

Artful

2012-01-19T06:52:00.000-08:00

Chadwick's Back

2012-01-17T06:59:00.001-08:00

The Art of Chadwick

2012-01-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

Few models I have worked with were so artistic in their poses as Chadwick Johnson.

Sturdy - Color

2012-01-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

This is the original color version of the image I posted several days ago of model Craig Davidson.

The OTHER Andrei the Giant

2012-01-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

Andrei Mifsud was, maybe still is, a competitive bodybuilder from Malta who I photographed several years ago.

Refreshed

2012-01-13T08:04:00.001-08:00

Chest and Arms

2012-01-11T07:50:00.001-08:00

Profile

2012-01-10T07:53:00.001-08:00

Sly One

2012-01-09T08:02:00.000-08:00

I am so happy with this rediscovered image of Damon, from a previous shoot, that I have posted it on my Fine Art America page for sale.

Sturdy

2012-01-08T17:43:00.001-08:00

This gem from my long ago shoot with Craig was rediscovered today and finished in Photoshop.

The Coolness of Sunglasses

2012-01-08T12:11:00.000-08:00

Tarzan - Revisited

2012-01-07T16:54:00.000-08:00

Chris, photographed in a grove of trees at the same shoot location, same day as the previously posted image.

In the Window

2012-01-02T12:17:00.001-08:00

Reach

2012-01-01T10:25:00.000-08:00

Reclining Dude

2011-12-31T16:30:00.000-08:00

This is a companion piece to yesterday's image. It's from the same shoot.

Rediscovered Treasure

2011-12-30T15:04:00.001-08:00

This image from several years ago was recently rediscovered in my files and converted to black and white.

Rocky Perch

2011-12-29T10:17:00.001-08:00

Torso - Rico

2011-12-28T18:50:00.000-08:00

Reach

2011-12-27T10:09:00.000-08:00

Modesty

2011-12-26T08:56:00.000-08:00

This is another of the recovered, under-exposed images of Ronan.

Shady Character

2011-12-25T10:56:00.000-08:00

From the same shoot as the earlier images of Derek Russo under the fountain, this image of Chris in the nearby hot tub is one of my favorites from the days work.

Quadruplets

2011-12-24T11:50:00.000-08:00

Many have a fetish about twins, and it's a difficult fetish to entertain. How much more difficult is it to have a fetish about quadruplets?

Reclining Nude

2011-12-23T13:23:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, when you review the images from a great shoot long ago, you're surprised to find a gem you overlooked the first time. Add this image to that category.

Points to viewers who recognize the model in this shot. I have posted his images in this blog frequently.

Ronan - Studio

2011-12-23T13:10:00.000-08:00

Years ago, when I did this shoot with Ronan, the material from the studio part of this shoot was mostly lost due to a problem with the exposure settings on my camera. The entire roll of images was severely under exposed. And with film this was something you did not discover until days later when you got the negatives back from the processor and the model was long gone.

Ronan was such a great model in such good shape that this technical failure was a big disappointment to me.

However in the last few weeks I have been able to recover some of the images by scanning the negatives and manipulating them in Photoshop. It's not an easy process and even then many are just too under exposed to be used. This one was one of the ones I was able to salvage.

Rock Star II

2011-12-22T17:15:00.000-08:00

This image of Lance is from the same shoot as the previous one. Just as the last image illustrates the wonders of indirect light, this image illustrates the dangers of direct sun light. Lance's face is almost completely in shadow, although in this case I like the effect.

Rock Star

2011-12-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

Several years ago I shot a series of models at spot near the Angeles mountains called Devil's Punchbowl. It's a ravine formed by giant sandstone rocks sloping into a mostly dry creek bed. This image of Lance is one of the first shoots in that location. This was an early lesson in the wonders of indirect outdoor lighting. Lance is entirely in the shade here. Indirect lighting created the soft even tones with just enough shadows to accentuate his muscularity.

Chance of Showers

2011-12-17T10:15:00.000-08:00

Dale

2011-12-17T10:13:00.001-08:00

Under the Fountain

2011-12-14T19:01:00.000-08:00

This image of fan favorite Derek Russo was taken at a friend's home in the Hollywood Hills.

Dining Room Chair

2011-12-14T18:56:00.000-08:00

A black and white study of Dave Clark's superb physique.

Medium Format

2011-11-27T10:05:00.001-08:00

About a decade ago, after a few years of more serious work behind a camera, I was smitten by medium format cameras.

If you aren't a serious photographer, "medium format camera" probably means nothing to you, but basically a medium format camera is a camera that takes pictures on larger rolls of film. Larger rolls of film create bigger negatives; bigger negatives create sharper images that can be printed in larger sizes or sharper images in small sizes. Medium format cameras shoot on film roughly the same size as was used in those old Kodak brownie cameras and create negatives that are at least 150% larger than 35mm negatives.

Of course the word "medium" implies there is something larger, and there is. Large format cameras shoot on single sheet film that is either 4x6 inches or 8x10 inches. Large format film captures even more detail than medium format.

On the weekend that I shot this image of Dave Clark, as well as the earlier image posted this week, I had rented a Mamiya 645AF. I shot black and white negative, color negative and color positive film.

This image was shot on color positive film, which kind of like a large version of film slides, only there isn't a card board case around the film and projectors are not widely available for this size. Color positive film was most commonly used for magazine work.

This film positive was scanned and finished in Photoshop.

Comfy Couch

2011-11-25T17:54:00.001-08:00

Dave's pleasant proportions, extreme definition and handsome face is the subject of today's post.

Strong

2011-11-24T14:44:00.001-08:00

A Thanksgiving post today of a favorite model.

Pool God

2011-11-19T10:34:00.000-08:00

This picture of Ronan is from the same shoot as last week's image.

Ronan

2011-11-12T10:18:00.001-08:00

This photograph from the vaults is from a shoot several years ago with model Ronan Dougherty.

Back Scape

2011-11-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

Come with me

2011-10-29T10:23:00.000-07:00

This welcoming vision is Dwain. The image is from my series of models in the open french doors.

Enchanted Mermen

2011-10-22T08:26:00.000-07:00

Dwain in the Doorway

2011-10-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

Regular readers will recognize both Dwain and the French Door location. This was photographed several years ago and recently reprocessed.

Mermen Bicolor

2011-10-02T13:17:00.001-07:00

Dwain in the Doorway

2011-10-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

Dwain is one of the best models I have ever worked with. Killer face and physique and a creative mind. Over the last few years I've done a series of photos of models in the open doorway of this bedroom. This week's image is Dwain's contribution to that series.

Mermen Revisited

2011-09-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

This week we return to underwater images, but with different models, and in color. This is from a couples shoot earlier this month. The image has been processed in PhotoShop to create a cross process effect. For those of you who are not photographers, cross processing is a film based technique that involves shooting on film for prints but processing the image in chemicals intended for slide film or vice versa. Using the "wrong" chemicals creates interesting effects with colors and usually increases contrast. Although I usually stay within the black and white color palate, some of the underwater images from this shoot grabbed me by the collar and insisted they be rendered in color.

Should I venture more often into color images? I would love to hear from you.

Self Possessed

2011-09-18T08:25:00.001-07:00

Day Dream

2011-09-11T09:58:00.000-07:00

Hercules

2011-09-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

Another forgotten gem from the same shoot with Dwain.

Rapture #7

2011-09-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

This image features the angelic form of Dwain, easily one of the most beautiful and talented models I have worked with. Not only was his physical condition impeccable, not only is his face gorgeous, he is is also extremely intelligent and creative. It's a killer combination that shows in all his work.

End of Summer Doldrums

2011-09-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

August is gone. Time to shake away the summer doldrums and return to regular posting.

This is a rediscovered image from a shoot with Alex William several years ago.

Rico Relaxed

2011-08-10T06:39:00.000-07:00

Diagonal

2011-07-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

I have been scanning negatives from older shoots over the last few weeks because I've noticed that high quality negative scanners seem to be disappearing from the market and the one I use is over ten years old. After it's dead, my negatives may be trapped in an obsolete format.

This image is from a shoot with Alex William. Besides the fact that it showcases his incredible physique, I like it for the unusual composition.

Step Ladder

2011-07-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

During the shoot with Rico Cherry, Rico suggested using the step ladder in the studio for some of the images. It turned out the ladder wasn't nearly as photogenic as Rico, so not many of the pictures were usable, but this one, which obscures the ladder with Rico's body, is rather nice.

Impressive Back

2011-07-16T11:30:00.000-07:00

Later this month I have a shoot scheduled and expect to share early images on this blog as usual. In the meantime, I present the amazing back of Rico Cherry from a shoot several years ago. What an amazing tie-in from his lower back to his glutes!

Mona Lisa Smile

2011-07-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

Model Alex William's sly, reserved smile reminds me of the Mona Lisa.

Tarzan

2011-07-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

This image is another from a shoot years ago with model Rico Cherry.

Unintended Color

2011-07-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

Film scanners are strange beasts. This image, taken at a time when I was still using a mix of film and digital in every shoot, was scanned from the negative this weekend. The film strip before this one was a color negative and I forgot to change the scanner setting to monochrome before I scanned it. Oddly the scanner found color where none was, creating this odd, shimmering red, orange, yellow effect. I thought it was interesting enough to preserve and share.

I suspect it results from the film scanner expecting the familiar orange base on a strip of color negative. When it finds the negative to be clear, it reads clear as red/orange/yellow.

Languid

2011-06-26T13:35:00.000-07:00

This image is from one of my early photo shoots. Micheal contacted me not long after I had established a presence on the web and we worked together on a trade/test basis.

Mine

2011-06-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

Your Arm's Too Short to Box with God

2011-06-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

Hold Back the Night

2011-06-11T08:05:00.000-07:00

More work with Dale from last week.

Divine

2011-06-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

Another image from last weekend's shoot.

Dancer

2011-06-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

This image of the wonderfully talented model, Dale, is one of the best from a shoot this morning.

Rico Cherry

2011-05-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

This is another favorite destined for the Best Of gallery on my website.

The model is Rico Cherry. Rico discovered me from the web and scheduled a shoot with me as he traveled through LA a few years ago.

Rico was an amazing model with an innate sense of posing beauty and balance.

Back Catalog Favorite

2011-05-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

I am working on a "Best Of" gallery for my website that will be filled with favorite images from all of my shoots over the last ten years. This image is one of the pics that will undoubtedly make the cut.

It was taken very early in my career on a trade/test shoot with a model who contacted me out of the blue after seeing my website.

Joel Torso II

2011-05-28T17:33:00.000-07:00

More work from the shoot with Joel.

Site Update

2011-05-22T15:43:00.000-07:00

For those of you who visit my website as well as my blog, I have just completed a long awaited update to my photography website. Two galleries were replaced with images from the shoot with Joel and the Mermen series.

Follow the link at the lower right called "Physiography - my web site".

Sepia Kiss

2011-05-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

This post is a departure for postings to this blog, because I do not often post romantic or erotic images. This image is from my recent couples shoot. Credit for the soft focus sepia effect goes to the suggestion by one of the models that I shoot through a sepia colored scrim.

Side Ways

2011-05-21T12:01:00.001-07:00

Another favorite from the shoot with Joel.

Wider View

2011-05-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

This is a longer, wider view of an earlier post.

Tumbling

2011-05-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the best shots are the most unusual angles and poses. This one is a case in point.

Straps

2011-05-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

More work with Joel.

Light and Shadow

2011-04-30T14:22:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the light, the subject and the skin texture all come together perfectly. This is one of those times.

Second Pass

2011-04-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

Today I have been editing more raw images from the shoot with Joel a few weeks ago. This image is a new discovery.

Romance Novel Cover

2011-04-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

This is from a second couple's shoot - this time in the studio.

Dark Thoughts

2011-04-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

Continuing the series of images from the shoot with Joel.

More Mermen

2011-04-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

Black Jock Strap

2011-04-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

Another favorite image from last month's shoot with Joel.

TandD

2011-04-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

A favorite from last weekend's couple shoot.

2011-04-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

A sepia toned image from the shoot with Joel.

Mer-Men

2011-04-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

A mid week image from a couples photo shoot this weekend. We shot a number of images under water.

2011-04-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

This week's photo is another shot from the work with Joel. Hope to have some couples postings next week from a shoot yesterday.

I'm Back

2011-03-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

This beautiful image of Joel's back is a fitting visual metaphor for my return to regular postings. For the next several weeks I will be posting work in progress from the shoot with Joel.

And there are other shoots scheduled in the coming weeks, so check back regularly.

Joel Torso I

2011-03-19T18:37:00.001-07:00

This image of Joel is from a shoot last weekend - the first shoot after a very, very long hiatus from my physique work. Fortunately both models and my muse have returned to me and I hope to have more to share and more regularly.

Joel is a sweet, patient and gentle man - a delight to work with.

Other images from this same shoot are available for sale at very reasonable prices on my Fine Art America page. Just follow the link on this page.

Sppoky

2010-05-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

Dwain

2010-05-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

2010-04-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

This image is from one of my all time favorite photo shoots. The model is Alan. The pose came towards the end of the shoot when I asked him to move through some dance movements. One never knows what one will get when one asks a model to dance, because there are so many different types of dance and there is no guarantee that the model will be a good dancer. As often as not when I have asked a model to dance, the result has been less than stellar, but this time I came away with about 60 interesting shots of this spectacular physique.

Back to the Chair

2010-04-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

Satin Surfer

2010-04-05T07:50:00.000-07:00

In the Mirror

2010-03-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

Silverlight

2010-03-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

On the Other Hand

2010-03-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

When I Think About You

2010-03-07T07:15:00.000-08:00

Twist

2010-02-27T11:47:00.000-08:00