Beautiful

Getting wet

THERE IS A BAR HERE IN MY NEIGHBOURHOOD THAT IS FAMOUS FOR ITS SHOWER SHOWS. IT’S BEEN THERE SINCE AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, DOING ITS SHOWS FOR A S LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER. I HAVE OFTEN ASKED MYSELF, IF IT DOESN’T GET OLD, BUT APPARENTLY, IT’S GOLDEN. THE CONCEPT THAT IS, NOT THE SHOWER. EVERY NIGHT ITS PACKED WITH PEOPLE, ENJOYING THEMSELVES WATCHING HANDSOME MEN TAKING A SHOWER.

Let’s face it, the shower concept never gets old. We all have a voyeur part in our character that loves nothing more than watching a hot guy soaping up and dressing down. It gives you that feeling of privately taking a sneak peek in his most intimate world, no matter whether you’re in a bar with hundreds of others around you, or on the Internet looking at yet another wet set from Dutch photographer Gert Kist.

Over the years Gert has brought us many models, both Dutch and international in various stages of undress and just as many poses and locations. But if there is one thing we can always count on with Gert it is his uncanny ability to shoot his men in the shower. And no matter how many he sends us, we never get tired of it.

Gert Kist’s latest addition to his malemodel website is named Eric. Eric comes from Madrid where he works as model and fitness instructor but can often be found in Ibiza and the United States where he also works as stripper. Only 25 years old, Eric is a big boy. In every sense of the word. And that alone was for Gert reason enough to envision him in his shower. And so, when Eric was visiting the Netherlands last summer Gert took his change. And rightfully so, because Eric has all it need to be a hot shower and underwear model. And after all, it was a very hot summer this year, wasn’t it. –BM-

GERT KIST | BEAUTIFULMAG

Back to school

THE SUMMER IS SLOWLY COMING TO AN END AND MOST OF US ARE PREPARING TO GO BACK TO WORK OR BACK TO SCHOOL. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER YEAR OF BEING LOCKED AWAY IN OFFICES, UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGE LIBRARIES. BUT THE QUESTION IS, AFTER HAVING SPENT HOT SUNNY WEEKS WEARING NEXT TO NOTHING, HOW TO DRESS FOR ANOTHER YEAR OF WORK.

Matthew Mitchell is a Los Angeles based photographer/director. His work is stylish, yet effortless. His photographs of beauties such as Eva Longoria, Leighton Meister and Anna Lynne McCord have graced the covers and pages of magazines internationally. Matthew has a background as a former dancer and make-up artist which serves him well when capturing more than the exterior of his subjects. Asking what his shoots are about, Matthew describes it with only one word: fun. It’s this kind of light-heartedness that lands him in front of the lens as an on-camera photographer for TV shows like Oprah, The Bachelor and How To Look Good Naked. And how to look good naked is something Matthew apparently knows very well. And so does model Kevin Triguero.

As mentioned before Matthew Mitchell started as a makeup artist back in the early 90’s working for big photographers and publications like WOMAN (Spain), Italian Vogue, and People, to name a few. In 1996 he moved to LA to start his next career as a photographer. It took a couple of years but by 2001, his career was in full swing with clients like TV Guide, Mervyn’s of California, Wella Hair-Care, and Sony Pictures. The road has been smooth for Matthew, mainly because he is the kind of guy who likes to look ahead and beyond any possible obstacles. That way nothing seems like a struggle. The other thing that keeps him going is taking regular breaks. Doing that allows him to travel, meet people and find inspiration.

For his shoot with Kevin Matthew choose a beautiful rich library as setting. Who ever said books are boring, huh? It sets the perfect tone for an end of the summer editorial. A sexy model with well-trained body, tanned skin and obviously still in summer mood while trying to find his way back into the more serious surrounding of work or study. Don’t tale this too serious as inspiration though. I’m not sure if the clothing style of Kevin would go well on your first days back at school or work. –BM-

MATTHEW MITCHELL | BEAUTIFULMAG

Dream Scapes

JUSTIN MONROE HAS BEEN PHOTOGRAPHING BEAUTIFUL MEN FOR OVER TWO DECADES. HIS AESTHETIC IS ALLURING, DARK, SEXY, AND SOMETIMES DISTURBING. WITH A STYLE, CONCEPTUAL AND CHOREOGRAPHED AND DISTINCT TO HIM. EXOTIC NIGHT VISIONS OF A WORLD WE WOULD ALL LIKE TO VISIT IN OUR DREAMS. IS WHERE HE LIKES TO TAKE THE VIEWER. HE LIKES TO MANIPULATE OUR THOUGHTS WITH HIS IMAGES. WITH HIS DREAM SCAPES.

Justin Monroe has been a friend of BeautifulMag for many years and we are very excited to find out what he’s been up to. So, buckle up and here we go!

BM: Justin, let’s talk. Your models are always very sexy. How do you choose the right guy for the photo or do you choose the right photo for the guy?
JM: I have a very vivid imagination and I have many stories living in my head. So usually the concept comes before the model selection and then when I see the model, I know whether he or she is perfect for my concept. I usually sift through many before I make a final decision. I like a model with some bite, attitude and swag!!! They got to have something to bring to the table. Not just stand there and look pretty. That bores the fuck out of me.

BM: What is it like being on a Justin Monroe video or photo set?
JM: Lots of SEX, COCAINE, and ELECTRONIC MUSIC!!!! No just joking its creative and calm. I have an amazing team I call my Bomb Squad that consists or very talented makeup artists, wardrobe stylists, set designers, and body painters. I am a control freak so we go into the shoot knowing exactly what we want. That way the models can just focus on their part because our team is working on the visual side of things. I want my subjects to feel free to play and let their guard down.

BM: Can you tell us a bit about your Dream Scape images. Is there a story behind it?
JM: There is always a story behind it. You see as I get older I have come to the realization that I always end up doing exactly what I said I’ll never do – lol. I said I would not get a tattoo on my ass but guess what? Yup I did. I also said I would not shoot gay guys with angle wings because I thought it was cliché, but here you have it! I have always thought the rainbow was such a wimpy symbol for the gay community. Whose idea was that anyway? So, you might see down the road a Unicorn with a rainbow shooting out of his ass. Who knows?



BM: Speaking of down the road, what lies on the horizon for you? What can we look forward to seeing from you in the near future?
JM: Well after Bruno Gmunder filed bankruptcy I was a bit turned off to the whole notion of creating anymore Art Books. But now that the ice has thawed I am gearing up to begin working on my third and probably final book. It will be high style filled with men, women, and drag. A whole melting pot of excitement! My working title is… Redemption. A bit ironic wouldn’t you say? (Justin chuckles). As of late, I am also very much into GIF’s, cinema graph’s, and videos. Images that move are the way of the future. As a society, we have very short attention spans and moving image seem to tap into our fast-moving brain. So, you will be seeing more of this from me.

BM: What advice would you give to an aspiring photographer in this new digital world?
JM: Mostly Have Fun! Be creative and don’t take it too seriously. Find your voice and shoot what you love. Stay up on your social media and post your journey. Know who your audience is and show them your journey. People love to see your work but they also like to see you’re behind the scenes. Take big risks. You have nothing to lose. One of my mentors once told me, “Nothing great ever came from playing it safe” So get out of your comfort zone and push ahead! -BM-

Models: Nickoles Alexander | Cory Lee | Montana Volby.
Makeup/body paint: Diana McCallister Arias | Jarett Fajardo.
Wardrobe design: Donato Crowley | Steven Brady.

JUSTIN MONROE | BEAUTIFULMAG

Flower illusions

NO BIRTHDAY GOES BY UNNOTICED OR UNCELEBRATED. EACH YEAR WE GET A GIFT OF AN EXTRA YEAR OF LIFE AND FLOWERS CAN BRIGHTEN THESE CELEBRATIONS. WE CAME INTO THIS WORLD NAKED IN OUR MOST PURE AND NATURAL FORM. THIS PURITY CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN FLOWERS: AS FRAGILE AND BRITTLE AS THEY ARE POWERFUL AND PASSIONATE. JOHAN VOS AND STEFAN VAN BERLO COMBINED THESE TWO WONDERS OF NATURE IN ONE STUNNING PROJECT. THE PURITY AND STRENGTH OF THE MALE BODY. THE RICHNESS AND DELICACY OF BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS.

What once started out as a hobby rapidly grew into a fulltime occupation next to his job as engineer. Johan Vos is a man with a passion for photography. Especially the photography of male models. Photographing the male body, both nude and in fashion, is one of his specialities. It’s one of the reasons why a lot of starting male models love to be in front of his camera. As a photographer, he also regularly gets invited to Fashion Weeks and international modelling contests that have brought him all over Europe, the Caribbean, India and other exotic places in the world.

Throughout the years Johan Voss also discovered with the world of floral arrangements. Not so much to make them but to photograph them. Which is a whole different discipline by itself. Creating that perfect picture of a floral arrangement is not simple task, but also this challenge was accepted with the same passion Johan already showed for the male physique.

Stefan van Berlo is a young, ambitious and much awarded floral artist. Like Johan Vos, he doesn’t shy away from a challenge and so he decided that this year, the year that mark his 35th birthday anniversary, he wanted to create something that honours his own achievements. He went looking for a project that fits his personality and would let him show his love for floral art. He found it with Johan Vos.

Two driven professionals came together to find a challenge in combining both of their passions: floral creations and the male body. For a project as such, trust is a very important part. And so is a good connection between the artists. Years of collaborations ensured this connection and trust and resulted in a stunning series of portraits, now available as birthday calendar. The floral arrangements were all created by Stefan Van Berlo who was given total freedom in his creations. For the shoots Johan and Stefan selected models that shared their passion to produce artistic pictures. They would like to thank the models for their cooperation in this project: Lars Van Regenmortel, Andy Kiangebeni, Nicolas van den Berghe, Thibaut Claeys, Tiemen Bormans en Ilias Janssens. For their guts, strength and frailty, but also for their passion and showing their most fragile, pure side. Like the purest and strongest flower. –BM-

The Flower Illusion birthday calendar is available for purchase on bloem-illusie.be.

JOHAN VOS | BEAUTIFULMAG
STEFAN VAN BERLO | BEAUTIFULMAG

BeautifulMag #242 September 2018 | Goodbye

No one comes to life innocent. Think about it. Already being expelled from the womb is a traumatic experience and marks us for the rest of our lives. The abrupt severance from someone who held you inside her results in a lifelong craving for connection. To be with someone. To love someone. The moment we enter this world, so much bigger, colder and scarier than that confined space where we spent the first nine months of our existence, the struggle to remain begins. From that moment on we are being exposed to millions of influences that shape us. That make us. The way our parents love us. The way our first childhood friends treat us. Growing up with brothers and sisters or alone, being the oldest or the youngest, having a pet or not, living in the city or countryside… There are literally uncountable variables that influence our personality. Our character. Our being.

We start making decisions from the moment our conscious is awoken. Instinctively at first, rational later on. And where it is the influences that shape us, it is the decisions that define us. I believe there are no wrong or right decisions, except for in the eye of the observer. The decisions we make are the ones we believe to be the right ones at that moment in our life, no matter what. They can be small and they can be big. Whatever they are they are ours and should be respected as such. But that doesn’t make it any easier when the person you found that special connection with makes a decision that affects you deeply. The one that is irreversible.

How do you say goodbye to someone who is a part of you has decided to cut the cord? Someone you love and loves you. As a partner or a friend or family. Someone who for some reason that you might know but not necessarily understand has given up. I’m not a religious person. I don’t believe in an afterlife. But sometimes I wish I could. Maybe that would make things easier. Knowing that no parting is definitive. No decision is final. If I could, then maybe it would be easier to understand. To accept. Maybe then, saying goodbye would not be that hard. –BM-

Cover photography by Justin Monroe.

BEAUTIFULMAG