Not A Shy Bone In His Body : Ray Luis by Carl Proctor

One of my favorite features that I worked to put together this year was my profile of photographer Carl Proctor's work with model and actor Keith Griffin. (re-posted below) There was an energy to the shots which were creative, sexy and playful. The energy also came from Carl's love of his work and support of those he works closely with. One of the marks of a great shoot is when the viewer wants to see more of both the model and the work of the photographer. Carl's work with Keith left me wanting to see more!


Above: My favorite shot, so beautiful, so hot!

The Situations Abs, Fawcett's mane, Jolie's lips, Tim McGraw's tight jeans and Lopez & Kardashians boo-tay...

When working with a subject who is 'known' for something a photographers job has to be to both showcase it, as well as ensuring you don't simply rely on it. I mean you could just simply focus your lens and shoot it but then there would really be nothing creative, nothing different and especially nothing new about doing that.



I think in the case of 33 year old Ray Luis the task is easy. He certainly has it, but he also has so much more. There is reason Luis has been so busy, so popular, and has been working so many talented and respected photographers. Ray has been literally jumping on and off planes shooting much of the last several months. If all he had was it I am sure the continued job offers would have shriveled up long ago.



Ray describes himself as cool, calm and collected and very easy to work with. These adjectives along with his professionalism provide even more reasons photographers are eager to work with him and why they are singing his praises. Carl Proctor describes working with Ray as a real pleasure.

'You never know when you have the opportunity to work with a hot Internet model what the experience will be like. The minute you meet Ray, all concerns are put to rest. He is just as he describes himself: laid back, fun loving, and very serious about his modeling work. He doesn't have a shy bone in his body and he's very confident with his appearance. He brings so much to a shoot you can't help but get successful results.'
CP




'The first shoot we had was supposed to start with me picking him up at the airport at 9am on a Sunday morning from a flight originating in Chicago. However, due to weather issues, overbooking practices, and flight delays he wasn't able to arrive in Atlanta until after 4pm. I was worried that he would be tired and would not deliver his best. My worries were totally unfounded. He put 150% into a shoot that went well into the night with no complaining or grumbling. He's a real pro all the way.'
CP




Ray Luis has a truly amazing body, head to hmmmmm, toe. Beautiful face, sultry eyes, lips an amazing torso and muscled arms and legs which make every beautiful inch of him meant to be captured. Equally impressive though is his work ethic. Ray has a plan and his current crazy schedule and all the hard work is an important part of it. Besides this hard work, Ray has studied fitness and nutrition. Ray continues to study but his eye is on the prize. For Ray that prize is an acting career and he is currently studying acting at the Barbizon professional acting school in Detroit.

Check out more of Ray at ModelMayhem HERE:
As always check out more of Carl's work at his official site HERE:

Rewind: Visual Stimulation: Keith Griffin by Carl Proctor

'I've always been fascinated by visual stimulation and photography of all kinds.'
Carl Proctor



I don't think there is much we do as adults that cannot somehow be connected to the first decade or so of our lives. For some it is a great thing, pulling childhood dreams and goals into adulthood. For others it can be a painful process trying to get as much distance from those years as possible.

I feel lucky that although not perfect, my first 10 years were full of fantasies and dreams of the future. I am going out on a limb here but I am sure I am not the only person who answered pretend questions from famous interviewers while sitting on a lawn chair in the backyard. I of course was being asked about my latest movie and how I prepared for the role. Perfecting my autographed required countless hours of practice.



There was nothing better as a kid to dive into a great book and be taken on a wild and exciting adventure. For Carl Proctor his interest was in far away places and says he would spend hours at the local library looking at photos in travel magazines. As an adult Carl has spent 35 years in the travel industry living out his childhood travel fantasies.



Eventually Carl moved from experiencing to capturing his fantasies something he says was helped by moving to digital photography which allowed him to do his own online editing to get the results he desired. Although Carl's portfolio is diverse and he loves shooting all types of subjects he says, 'I am most interested in capturing people either by surprise or by design.' I love this line as I am sure like many, if it was not for the fear of getting the crap beaten out of me, I would love to go around photographing people as they go about their day.



When I read Carl's about me section on his web page the words Visual Stimulation were a perfect description of what I felt viewing his work. Colorful, creative, erotic and alive are all words I would to describe Carl's work. What most stood out to me though was how specific and detailed Carl's images are. I have often assumed editing is generally about covering, hiding something you don't want the viewer to focus on or see. Carl however also uses his editing skills to highlight something, sometimes the smallest of detail, which enhances the viewing experience.



When it came to choosing a model to showcase Carl's work the choice was easy. Carl's work with 21 year old Keith Griffin embodies each of the adjectives I used above. Keith's energy shines through every shot. Something I rarely comment on but that stood with Keith is how exceptional and skilled he is with posing. Keith hits just the right physical and emotional mark. This may be connected to Keith's extensive acting experience. Keith, primarily a stage actor and has been in many local theatre productions. He believes that being able to perform on stage night after night and consistently be good is the mark of a true actor.



Keith also has visions of his future. Keith says he wants to always stay positive and confident in the pursuit of his dreams. Unlike many actors who dream of stardom Keith's goals are quite specific. Besides the cover of Men's Health Magazine Keith hopes one day to win an academy award for best supporting actor. I love that Keith says supporting. Firstly, I think it says a lot about who he is as a person. Secondly, the supporting category is still seen as somehow secondary even though it has been won some of the best actors on the planet. One of my favorite performances ever was Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People. His portrayal of Conrad led to Hutton's only Oscar thus far in the best supporting category.



'Working with Carl has been one of the best experiences of my career so far. Some of the best images in my portfolio were taken by him. Not only has he taught me so much about the art of creating a unique and brilliant photograph, but he has also helped me grow so much as a model. Working with Carl is so much fun and his shoots are always relaxing and stress free. He is always professional and respectful and he always notices the little things that really make his work standout. I can't wait to work with Carl Proctor again in the future.'
Keith Griffin



'I have had the pleasure of working with and getting to know Keith in three amazing photo shoots over the past couple years. During that time I've also been enthralled watching him lose himself in a couple highly entertaining stage productions. As I would watch Keith on stage I would often think, "If the people in this theatre only knew how good Keith REALLY looks!". He would give me as much while modeling as he did to the audiences he performed for. In his theatre playbill bio, when asked what his hobbies were, he said "Working out. Acting. Working out. Acting. And working out." It shows! He has become leaner and more defined with each shoot. He comes to each photo shoot excited and fully energized and willing to push the envelope in any direction. Watching someone like Keith mature and continually improve is very gratifying. After nearly ten years of working with hundreds of models, it is no stretch to say that Keith has become one of my proudest portfolio stars.'
Carl Proctor

Thanks to Carl and Keith for sharing their work together with FH!

Check out much more Carl's work on Model Mayhem HERE: & at his official site HERE:

No Beginning And No End: Philip by Jon Seneca

'Beauty is a form of genius -- is higher, indeed, than genius, as it needs no explanation. It is of the great facts in the world like sunlight, or springtime, or the reflection in dark water of that silver shell we call the moon.'
Oscar Wilde



I am not sure if I search for great artistry or whether it finds me. Regardless, when I see work I love, I get excited to see more, to learn more and to explore more out about the artist who created it. This is exactly what happened when I came upon the work of Jon Seneca from JSGPhotography. A couple of weeks ago I was searching for shots for a possible future feature on model Benjamin Godfre. A couple of clicks later I landed on Jon's ModelMayhem page and fell instantly in love with his work.




Often it is light that is talked about in connection to photography. Lately I find myself instead being interested in the dark. Jon's use of dark creates beautiful, erotic and emotional images with the light focused exactly where it should be, on the body, the subjec. Although Jon shoots in a variety of styles, there was something that stood out in the way in which he presented the 'dark' images on his page. I guess I identify more with adjectives which are usually associated with dark; night, secrecy, concealed, obscure and mysterious are far more interesting to me than bright and sunny. Mysterious is also how photographer Jon Seneca describes Philip, the model featured in here. 'He is an amazingly beautiful model.'.




'I shoot because its what I love to do. Some people don't get my approach, thats fine I'm not seeking approval. My success in making amazing shots is pretty much dependent on working with beautiful and interesting models.'

Jon says he is inspired by the work of photographers Hedi Slimane, Paul Reitz, Kris Kelly and Richard Avedon to name a few. Like Jon's work each of these photographers has the ability to simply and beautifully focus so directly on their subjects.

'I feel the need to document something beautiful in every subject I shoot, whether it be the amazing eyes of a 40 year old cracked out street walker to the perfectly sculpted abs of a 20 year old body builder. It's compulsory'



The quote that I began with by Oscar Wilde is one of Jon's favorites and permeates his work. Jon's website is entitled The Jon Seneca project and Jon says the project is one that has no beginning and has no end. 'I am constantly evolving as an artist. I use photography to document beauty in such a way as to offer insight.'

Jon Seneca on Twitter
Also check out more of Jon's work on his website HERE: & on Model Mayhem.

Dylan Rosser's tMf: Less Fashion-More Skin

'Male nude photographers seems to do their own thing, quietly trying to make some money by selling prints and books. I’m more than happy to bring attention to these guys and hopefully promote their work.'
Dylan Rosser from his recent interview with my friend Brenton Parry from Aussielicious

Over the past several years Dylan Rosser has become one of the most successful photographers of the male form. Dylan's online presence is impressive and his site THE MALE FORM is one of the most popular destinations of fans of beautiful men beautifully photographed. I long ago stopped being surprised when researching a model for a profile that shots from Dylan would be apart of their portfolio.


Above:Bassili Hendy

Amazingly hot shots are not the sole reason for Dylan's popularity. Dylan has wisely and carefully forged a community of support by reaching out to not only models, but fellow photographers and maybe most importantly lovers of the male form.

Dylan was one of the first photographers to contact FH when the blog began. Dylan's first contact with me was not about being on my site but a request about an image he wanted off. Dylan then went on to work with me to provide what I needed for my post that was in keeping with the direction he was so carefully following. Since then, Dylan not only maintains regular communication with myself (and a host of other blog/site owners) with updates and news he is also quick to respond anytime I have a question, request or assistance with a profile. Last year Dylan began bringing on guest photographers on THE MALE FORM again enlarging his community and offering his stage and vast audience for fellow photographers to share in the spotlight. Most interesting, but not surprising has been how this community rallies to support the artist when needed. Dylan used some of this support this past year by pulling and using quotes from those who support his site making them a small part of it.

Dylan brings some of the best of this community together for his new project tMf, a new online magazine which provides talented artists and models another platform to show their work. The launch issue includes a hot cover shoot with model Matt, plus interviews and portfolios with among others model Max Rhyser and top photographers like Rick Day, Walter Kurtz, Mark Henderson, Kurt R. Brown, and many others.

Be sure to check out tMf which launched this week. If the issue is a success Dylan promises we will see more!

Below:
Matt


Given tMf is all about community I decided to talk to a few of those Dylan features in the first issue. Cover boy Matt is new to the business but is serious about his work and his career. Matt loves the simplicity in Dylan's work. Matt says it was natural, without complications. Matt says working with Dylan was a pleasure and what he liked best was knowing the results were going to be quality.

'My favorite shot is when I'm looking out the window and I'm naked. I just love the outline of my body and the lighting was perfect.'
Matt

Below: Max Rhyser


Actor and model Max Rhyser shares with tMf his experiences as a model, actor and spiritual healer.

'Dylan is very calm and quiet, somewhat graceful as is his work. He's a great guy, centered which makes him really easy to work with. Our shoots have always felt very casual and relaxed.'

Max says that what he loves about Dylan's work is that it is'clean, tight, simple, elegant... simply beautiful'. Max admits that that he did not do his homework when he first worked with Dylan and says the visibility he obtained came as a great surprise. Dylan is the only photographer Max has posed naked for and was thrilled with the results. Max and Dylan also shot an extensive underwear series that have become Max's favorites. You can see all of Dylan's work with Max (including the shot below) on THE MALE FORM.



Below: Poolside with Mark Henderson


I have enjoyed the work of photographer Mark Henderson for many years. Mark is a color and lighting master and his work, both exterior and in studio, always have me feeling tropical and most certainly hot. Mark discusses his new book Poolside with Dylan and shares some of his wettest shots! I asked Mark about the connection between water and the sensuality within his work.

'To be honest, images shot by the pool are a relatively recent addition to my repertoire and represent a fairly small (but growing) part of my work, most of which is shot indoors. But photographing models by my pool and in my back garden has allowed me to further explore and experiment with lush, saturated color, which has always been an important element in my images. The way the pool water reflects numerous shades of greens, blues, and yellows, depending upon the weather and the time of day, adds an expressive quality to the images that I wouldn't be able to recreate indoors.'

Mark says that he greatly admires the fact Dylan brings an editorial-style sophistication and polish to the appearance of his images.

'This sophistication, combined with a forthright, honest depiction of the fully nude and eroticized male figure.It's a tough balancing act that few photographers attempt and even fewer do well.'

Be sure to obtain your own copy of Poolside HERE:



Below: The work of Walter Kurtz


Walter Kurtz and his work have always been exciting and fascinating to follow. It is filled with artistry, intense sexuality and has a layer not many artists are able to tap into. The dichotomy of mixing both pleasure and pain, joy and sadness, fantasy and dark reality. Walter's work blends these complexities better than any. In tMf, Walter discusses his struggles with motivation over the past couple of years (a place of frustration and immobility) and his return and need to do something different.

He also has a hilariously dark and witty sense of humor that brings me many regular laughs. His responses to my questions (which I would not even consider editing) give you a bit of a taste.

What is it about Dylan's work that speaks to you?

Ugh, please don't make me talk about another artist's work! I hate doing that. No matter what you say, it always comes off trite and contrived. Let me talk about Dylan "THE MAN". He's a true gentleman and, other than myself (of course), possibly the nicest photographer working today.

Your new work has a focus on black and white and 'arsty fartsy' (Walter's words) as you call it. Tell me about the change and tell me your signature black and orange theme is not gone for good!

It's not black and ORANGE! You need to get your monitor calibrated!! LOL

It's actually golden. I HATE looking at my work on other people's computers because it's VERY color specific and if the monitors haven't been calibrated the pics look awful. The best thing is to see my prints in person. I can't tell you how many people have said to me "Oh, NOW I get it!" after seeing the prints.

If you read the interview Dylan's going to include it explains all of that. But the highly condensed version is that I burned out and wanted to do something new. I still shoot in my signature but very rarely. Right now black and white film is my focus.

Whether black, golden (orange!) or black and white it is great to see new work coming from Walter Kurtz!



Check out more from each of these talented artists as well as many others on tMf

Favorites: Aaron Lee Smith

I have this little rule I try to follow that when I profile a model, a photographer an artist, I try to limit the shots I use to about 10 or 12. Often I will push it to 15 but it is rare I go much beyond that. I do this as I try to make FH more than just a 'picture posting' blog so try to ensure I maintain somewhat of a balance between photos and text. When putting together my profile today of model Aaron Lee Smith that was pretty much impossible. My 34 initial shots became 30, then 25 then I thought screw it. I figured since Aaron was nice enough to take my favorites questionnaire I could simply cheat and separate the post into two parts. The shots in this first section are my favorites of Aaron by Chris Gosses from Gosses Photography.




Favorites:
Aaron Lee Smith:

Nickname: Big A
Pet as a kid: German shepherd named Poochie
TV Show: I don't watch television
Favorite movie: 9 to 5
Favorite Actress: Reese Witherspoon
Cartoon character: Tom & Jerry
Halloween Costume:Punk rocker
Singer: Madonna
Food: Pizza!
Restaurant: Little mom & pop place called, Lola's Pizza in Charleston, WV
Drink: I love beer but also a weakness for dirty martini's
Subject in school: show choir under the direction of David Legg
Celebrity twin: That guy from the biggest loser, the trainer, so I am told.
Celebrity crush: Linda Carter
Moment in High School: When I realized that not being popular really wasn't so bad...

The Shirt Off His Back..... Aaron Lee Smith

Besides incredible mountains (it is the Mountain State), the coal industry and white water rafting, West Virginia has a rich political history. On June 20th, 1863 Abraham Lincoln declared the northwestern portion of Virginia to be returned to the Union, and West Virginia became the 35th state. I think at some point in the future West Virginia might also be known as the home of Aaron Lee Smith.



On the surface 34 year old Aaron Lee Smith fits the country boy stereotype to a T. This first series of shots (from Hunter Shelton) showcases more than just Aaron's amazing chest. Fields, hay, ripped jeans, t-shirt, no shirt at all, in this series of shots, Hunter captures the 'country boy' look to perfection. But like with most stereotypes, there is much more to Aaron Lee Smith.



Aaron keeps in shape by lifting weights and usually keeps working out until they kick him out of the gym. Aaron always tries his best and says he would give almost anybody in need the shirt off his back. Although he loves his home State, Aaron is looking to view new horizons beyond those West Virginia mountains, This creative soul says a future move might be coming down the road.

'I love music, writing and learning something new. I practice positive affirmations and maintain an open mind and keep an open heart.'
Aaron Lee Smith



Aaron is a person who believes that anything is possible. This positive attitude has served Aaron well. While some modelling agencies seem for some reason to have an affinity for 16 year olds with mannequin type bodies, Aaron, at 33 recently signed his first 2 year contract with a Modeling Agency. (Directions USA). I am not sure what took so long as Aaron's great face, amazing body and attitude certainly command attention. I respect Aaron sticking with it and am sure positive things will follow with the right exposure.

'This experience came to fruition through the power of positive thinking and the separation from a negative past. If you believe in yourself....so will everyone else.'

You can check out more of Aaron's work on ModelMayhem HERE:




Each of the incredible shots above by Hunter Shelton

Below: Aaron by C.S King.



Below: Aaron by Julian Vankim
Check out my profile last month on FH of Julian's work HERE:



Remaining images from Robert Mercer of Fashion Enterprises 3
-Aaron was a part of Robert's Ripped Genes calendar which you can find more about at the link above.