Beautiful

Troy

WHEN TROY WAS LEAVING SCHOOL HE REALIZED THAT REALISTICALLY PERFORMING AND MODELLING ARE BOTH EXTREMELY CUT-THROAT INDUSTRY TO ATTEMPT TO CRACK INTO. AND SO HE DECIDED TO PLACE HIS ARTIST ENDEAVOURS ON HOLD UNTIL HE WAS CONFORTABLE WITHIN A CAREER AND HAD THE EMOTIONAL MATURITY TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE HARSH REALITIES IT CAN ENTAIL.

Troy has always been an athlete, starting in gymnastics which made a transition to performing acrobatics and circus arts seem like a great idea. Aerial hoop, pole and floor acrobatics have become a passion of him and the rush of performing is incomparable for Troy. He dabbled in modelling on and off through university but it was not until recently that he felt as though he had the maturity and confidence to pursue it more seriously. Troy likes the idea of working with artists to create interesting and original pieces.

Troy feels that the ability to combine his acrobatic background with modelling can allow for some really amazing images. In future projects he would love to continue this theme of work; although the work is limited compared to commercial modelling he would much rather keep it as a passion rather than turn his ‘hobby’ into a second job. A second job indeed because Troy has some other responsibilities asides from modelling. Troy's "regular" job is as a Paramedic with Ambulance Victoria. He has been doing that for 3 years now and he really loves it: "At times it can be overwhelming and emotionally draining but equally rewarding," Troy says. "My job is to respond to what ever emergencies the community may require assistance for; I believe my secret to managing the stress and my emotional well being is my external hobbies."

When it comes to performing Troy has so far not has any large gigs or stage shows. Most of his engagements have been in smaller and more intimate venues. Crowd feedback and interaction is important for him. A highlight so far was performing a hoop strip tease for the Melbourne 2014 Fetish Expo at the historic Fitzroy Town Hall: "The venue was amazing and the crowd really appreciated my unique style. I have also had a semi-regular spot perform at Sircuit; one of the oldest gay venues in Melbourne along side some very talented Drag performers and friends of mine." Of course Troy would love it to one day be able to perform an model full time. But until then he feels lucky to have such a rewarding and fulfilling job to fall back on.

Today's series featuring Troy comes from the talented Ross Spirou. Ross has been photographing for some years now and looking back he feels blessed that it has been such an incredible journey and grateful for the people who so graciously give him their time. About Troy, Ross comments: "Working with beautiful people, both inside and outside is every photographer's dream and working with Troy was a real pleasure and not just for his good looks but for the fact that he is such a grounded and easy to get along person." –BM-

TROY | BEAUTIFULMAG
ROSS SPIROU | BEAUTIFULMAG

21st Century Gladiator

LOCATED ON THE WESTERN SHORES OF THE BLACK SEA, THE SOUTH EAST EUROPEAN COUNTRY OF ROMANIA GREW OUT OF THE PROVINCES OF THE EARLY ROMAN EMPIRE. IT HAS A RICH CULTURAL HISTORY DRAWN FROM THE MEDIEVAL GREEKS, THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE AND A LONG DOMINATION BY THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE ALL OF WHICH SHOW IN THE DARK AND BROODING FACES AND SCULPTURED PHYSIQUES OF MODERN DAY ROMANIANS.

Roma Tacia, also known as Tacia Traiana, used to be a province of the Roman Empire. At that time it consisted of eastern and south-eastern Transylvania, the Banet and Oltena, regions of modern Romania. Since then the territory now known as Romania has been under occupations of several alien powers, such as the Ottoman Empire, the Byzantine Empire and the Greek. The different cultures left their individual marks, creating a country that we know as Romania since 1866 that has a culture of its own, rooted in those old civilizations. The Romans left many marks all throughout Europe. Even today we can find many remnants of ancient Roman arena's in countries far away from the old heart of the empire. The Romanian capital has one as well, though unfortunately it isn't as olf and authentic as the original Roman architecture. Nevertheless, it reminds us of the Roman occupation of the territory and the favourite pastime of Roman citizens: watching strong muscled men perform and entertain.

Marco Sessions was born and grew up in Romania, or more exactly Transylvania, home of the Dracula legends. As a loud and confident teenager he was popular at school and was always out partying and making sure his friends had the best time. In his early 20s he moved to London and naturally gravitated to it’s vibrant nightlife where he became a gogo dancer and performer. His infectious confidence was soon spotted and he started appearing in porn movies for all the major studios where his wild sexual appetite has made him one of the most popular actors working today.
In 2014 he suffered a back injury that meant some time off work but he is now back in the gym learning to be a personal trainer and, as these photos show, has clearly honed his own physique back to peak perfection.

Marco Sessions is not only know for his outstanding performances on stage and video, both in the areas of sex and dancing. Marco is also praised for his excellent physical state. He has a body that resembles the perfection of the old Greek statues and could easily be a reminder of those days long gone by, in which muscular masculine men fought animals or each other in the Roman arena's. A modern day gladiator, Marco has found his own ways of entertaining, and the attention he has been getting from his audience isn't anything less than the adoration the Roman citizens once had for their own local heroes.

Freelance photographer Chris Jepson is also based in London and is a successful and widely published portrait, event and music photographer. As a former graphic designer he is attracted to symmetry and chiselled physiques and is happiest in his studio experimenting with new models, lights and shadow. Chris met Marco not long after he arrived in the UK and they have done many shoots together, both for personal and commercial projects. Of Marco, Chris says, “Marco is a good friend and great to work with. I really enjoy our shoots together, he knows exactly how to stand and twist to make everything ‘pop’ and look its best, and there are always moments of hilarity and laughter as he spots props around my studio and insists on being photographed in the style of Kim Kardiashian or Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blond. He loves a selfie and it’s not uncommon for him to call me at 4pm in the afternoon and invite me to breakfast!” –BM-

CHRIS JEPSON | BEAUTIFULMAG
MARCO SESSIONS | BEAUTIFULMAG

BeautifulMag #183 Week 05-06 | Baby you can drive my car... Or can you?

EDITOR'S LETTER

Yes I know. I have written about Russia many times and maybe I should just let them be. But I can't because what's happening there, well it would be laughable if it weren't so serious. And seriously stupid. Indeed we are talking about that new law that forbids certain people from our society to drive. Were the rumours first that the law was – again – directed against the homosexual community, it now appears to be a bit more specific. The law is mostly for those who suffer a "sexual disorder. " In other words, those of us who are transgender or transsexual.

The Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has long been troubled by the Russian's roads. If you have ever been to Russia you might have experienced the wild driving behaviour that seems to be normal there. Until recently there have been very few laws that regulate traffic, resulting in devastating car accident numbers, and a shocking amount of fatal accidents. With his love for his people Medvedey now seemingly has found the solution to bring order in the chaos. It's not an overnight decision. It's been well-taught through and a solution for a problem that the Prime Minister already gave sleepless nights some 6 years ago: “We need to get our roads into better shape,” Medvedev said in 2009. They “are a consequence of how we monitor our roads, a consequence of the undisciplined, criminally careless behavior of our drivers. Often, these are not mishaps, but blatant acts of crime.” The solution however was so simple, so obvious, we really don't know why it took the Russians so long to apply it: Ban transsexuals and transgender people from driving. He recently signed an order saying that people could be stricken from getting a license based exclusively on their sexual orientation – which is listed as a “mental disorder.”

Should we be surprised with this law? Not really. Around the world transgender and transsexual people, or in different wording people who do not identify with the sex they are born into, are subject to a litany of injustices from birth to death, ranging from unforgivable tedious such as not being granted access to appropriate changing rooms or public toilets to downright soul destroying acts like not even being able to walk down the street without the realistic fear of being attacked. Personally I have great respect and admiration for transgender and transsexuals who, apparently very much aware of the fact we really only do live once, you better make the best of it and if that means a change of identity or even sexe, than so be it. I admire those who are brave enough to live their lives the way they want it, even if the choice for many is simply a matter of being who they are. No matter how hard it is, it is still better than, as it is the case in today's Russia, having to visit underground labyrinths where it is so dark that the "straight" men visiting  can only find each other by touch rather than even the most obscure visual out of fear of being recognized. It must be incredibly difficult to not being able to identify with your own sexuality. It must be even more hard to not being able to identify with your nationality, which now for many homosexuals, transgender and transsexuals in Russia is the case.

Anyway, the deed is done and I'm sure Medvedey can, for the first time since he became aware of the traffic problem in 2009, have a peaceful sleep at night. His Russians are a lot safer with those mental disorderlies, which by the way also  seems to include fetishists, exhibitionists and voyeurs (how can that information possibly be included on your driving license) off the roads. We won't start counting the increase of personal attacks on the streets when we take the cars away of transgender people, but that's OK. I'm sure in about 6 years the Russian government will have another brilliant solution for that. My I suggest to just lock them all in a room to never ever come out again? –BM-

Cover photography by Seth London.

BEAUTIFULMAG | Everything is beautiful

Into the Woods

HE IS BAR-HOPPING, BUT HE LOOKS LIKE HE COULD FELL A NORWAY PINE. HE LOOKS LIKE A MAN OF THE WOODS, BUT WORKS AT THE NERDERY, PROGRAMMING FOR A HEALTHY SALARY AND BENEFITS. HIS BACKPACK CARRIES A MACBOOK AIR, BUT LOOKS LIKE IT SHOULD CARRY A LUMBERJACK’S AXE. HE SIPS CRAFT BEER AT AN UNDERGROUND BAR WHILE HIS MIND WANDERS TO HIS PERMANENTLY UNREALISED DREAM OF LIVING IN AN ISOLATED WOODLAND SHACK AND HE LOOKS LIKE AN EXTRA WHO WANDERED OUT OF THE FOREST IN GAME OF THRONES.

A few years ago we were (re)introduced to slim-cut pant, button-down shirts and narrow ties, clean shaved faces and a generally tidy look. Indeed, the "generation" that was lead by David Beckham. In other words, the Metrosexual. But trends come and go as fast as you can describe them. And so yesterday's Metrosexual has already been replaced by today's Lumbersexual. Who is, as it usually is the case with fast following trends, the complete opposite of the smoothlooking male and apparently the new benchmark for uber masculinity.

The Lumbersexual is a more or less logic result of the hipster wave. Let's face it, it was fun for as long as it lasted, the revamp of 50's styled clothes and accessories, combined with early last century graphic styles and the come back of beards, but maybe it was indeed time to move on and get to a more real look. Lumbersexual has it all – loose lumberjack shirts, comfortable pants, Timberland inspired high shoes and – yes gentlemen – that carefully cultivated beard does fit the picture still. But what if beard grow isn't for you? Can you still follow today's trend? Yes, you can. There is nothing to worry about because for those with less facial hair or who simply not ready to fully embrace the full lumber inside you there is Metrojack.

As Metrojack you can wear mountaineer inspired pieces but you don't have to go completely overboard. Let your hair grow a little, give it a more spontaneous styling, but you can still appear clean shaved. The team of Flash Avenue Studio gives you a little taste, in a fashion/underwear shoot featuring Andrew Morrill and Dirt Squirrel underwear. Dirt Squirrel is both sexy and masculine and has the perfect name to position yourself as a Metrojack, conveniently printed in big lumber style inspired type on the waste band, so you can casually show your environment how well you embrace your inside lumberjack. Andrew Morrill is both sexy and masculine as well and, with his Texan background, a perfect example that you don't have to be born and raised in the forests of Scandinavia or Canadian to have that uber sexy image. Oh by the way, Dirt Squirrel is most certainly Canadian, so that will definitely add to the authenticity. So go ahead, dig deep inside of you and grasp that new rugged man that has been hiding in the shadows of your metro personality. –BM-

FLASH AVENUE STUDIO | BEAUTIFULMAG
ANDREW MORRIL | BEAUTIFULMAG

Real Men and Politics

POLITICS. OFFICIALLY DEFINED TO BE THE PRACTICE AND THEORY OF INFLUENCING OTHER PEOPLE ON A GLOBAL, CIVIL OR INDIVIDUAL LEVEL. POLITICS IS PRACTISED ON MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS AND USED FOR BOTH SOCIAL CHANGE AND INDIVIDUAL ADVANTAGE. WE ARE LEAD BY POLITICS, NO MATTER WHAT THE INITIATIVE OR OUTCOME. OFTEN IT IS FROWNED UPON AS BEING MANIPULATIVE OR DISHONEST BUT, WHEN PRACTISED IN A GOOD WAY, POLITICS CAN REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE. POLITICS, THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE.

During past months Michael Craft noticed more and more photographers used Instagram to scout for models. Though not quite sure how to do this without giving the impression he was anything but legit, Michael eventually did give it a try himself and met Stephen Land. Stephen was one of the first guys he spotted on Instagram and he was receptive when asked. The two decided to meet for a first shoot, which Michael planned at his own home. Not only to create an atmosphere of trust and comfort, but also because he wanted to shoot in the shower and bathtub. Needless to say, the shoot was quite productive.

Stephen Land is 25 years old and born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. Second in his family to graduate high school and first to go to college, Stephen knows as no other the importance of education and how knowledge can change lives. Which is why he chose to study Political Science and International Relations. Because he knows that good politics can make a real difference. Stephen is an activist and advocates working to better the world in as many ways as he can. For Stephen politics doesn't necessary means making laws and rules. "For me politics isn’t making laws and rules," Stephen explains. "It is about making a difference in the lives of others. That is why I Model, it is why I Dance, Sing, Run, it is simply why I live. I like to tell stories with my work, I like to make a difference in peoples lives."

Since that first successful collaboration with Stephen Land, Michael Craft had been waiting for another opportunity to work with the handsome young model. When Stephen's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, he came up with the idea of creating a calendar that could help raising money for those who cannot afford breast cancer treatment. Stephen conceptualized the Real Men Wear Pink Calendar 2015, an idea Michael Craft immediately got inspired by. "I’m amazed and inspired by Stephen’s energy level and making his dreams realty," Michael says. "He’s definitely one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met and I know this will definitely all pay off for him in the future. He should be held up as a role model for people his age."

Together with Michael Craft, Stephen Land created his Real Men Wear Pink calendar 2015. Starring himself as a naughty Easter bunny for the month April, Stephen also recruited other models that have happily participated and have given live to this admirable project. The Real Men Wear Pink calendar 2015 has already sold 500 copies and is still going strong. About his cooperation with Michael Craft Stephen is nothing but positive: "Michael and I, in my opinion are a power team, we work well together and have amazing outcome with our work. I can not wait to see what we do together in 2015 I know we have so much more in store for both our fans, stories to tell, differences to make, and lives to change. We make art so that we all can be better." Stephen is a politician who speaks in art. –BM-

The color pink is commonly associated with charm, politeness, sensitivity, tenderness, sweetness, childhood, the feminine, and romance. The nature of the Real Men Wear Pink Calendar is to showcase these qualities while giving them a twist of sexiness. It showcases each model in common themes while enhancing the fantasy. The Real Men Wear Pink calendar 2015 can still be purchased on RealMenWearPink.com.

MICHAEL CRAFT | BEAUTIFULMAG
STEPHEN LAND | BEAUTIFULMAG