Beautiful

Statuesque and Lyrical

IN THE OLD TIMES, WHEN A KING WAS LOOKING TO MARRY HIS FUTURE QUEEN, AND DIDN’T HAVE TIME TO GO OUT AND MEET HER, THERE WAS ONLY ONE WAY TO CHECK WHETHER SHE WAS SUITABLE OR NOT. HE WAS SHOWN A PICTURE. OBVIOUSLY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A TIME WHEN PHOTOGRAPHY WAS NEVER HEARD OF. AND SO THIS PICTURE HAD TO BE PAINTED. A TIME CONSUMING BUSINESS, BUT THAT WAS HOW IT WAS.

In the old times the means to immortalize people were limited to only a few techniques. You could paint or draw a portrait of someone, or sculpt a statue. Two skills that took an enormous amount of time and sometimes the result didn’t even reflect the reality. Photography, and especially digital, has made all that a lot easier. Now you can just pick up a camera and start making photos. And if they aren’t good enough, you just erase them and start again. It really doesn’t have to take too much time either.

But some people like to approach things a little differently. Some still like to conceptualize and visualize an image that is born in their creative mind. Some like to play with elements and create a composition. Much like sculptures liked to play with a block of marble or a piece of clay, and painters with a blank canvas and a spectrum of colors. David Wagner is such a person. David lives and works in Los Angeles and in this city of angels he has access to some of the most beautiful models in the country. Which should make his work a lot easier. But David is not the kind of guy to for for easy. David is a visionary, who likes to imagine first what he wants to create before looking for the right ingredients.

“What I was trying to do with these images was to create a set that was very simple and emphasized the lines of the body (thus the plain white background contrasting with the models darker skin tones). I wanted to create images that were statuesque yet fluid and lyrical. Those are somewhat opposing themes: statuesque and lyrical. But in my mind I saw this body that could create the wonderfully fluid lines that could evoke movement in static poses. So I did a casting for a model/choreographer.” Obviously David Wagner wanted a lot more than just shooting a model in a studio. David had an image is his head for which he planned to use his camera as a chisel. All he needed to do was to find the right person who could function as his block of marble.

Brandon Anthony, hails from Indiana and holds a BFA in Theatre, Music, and Dance from The Theatre School Conservatory of DePaul University in Chicago as well as certifications from ACE and Schwinn. He is the master trainer for the YogaWorks DanceWorks program, leading trainings nationwide, and has been featured in SELF Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, and on E! Entertainment as a dance and fitness instructor. Brandon is also an accomplished musician, choreographer, and dancer and that fire and love of music drives every one of his incredibly Fun and Epic classes. Brandon basically grew up on stage, has been dancing his entire life and created choreographies ever since he was 10 years old, influenced and inspired by Bob Fosse and Michael Jackson. Brandon Anthony was exactly what David Wagner was looking for.

“Brandon submitted his photos and resume to the casting call. We met, discussed the concept and I did a couple of test images. From just the three test images that I took, I could tell immediately that Brandon was the perfect choice.” From the moment David Wagner and Brandon Anthony started the shoot, magic happens. From the very first click of the shutter, Brandon’s posing and movements were bringing David’s thoughts to life. Every movement that Brandon made felt like a beautiful composition. The experience was one of art and expression and at the end Brandon brought David’s concept to life, under the skilful eye of the photographer himself. -BM-

DAVID WAGNER | BEAUTIFULMAG
BRANDON ANTHONY | BEAUTIFULMAG

Star Maker

THERE ARE MANY, MANY PHOTOGRAPHERS AND A GOOD DEAL OF THEM ARE FOCUSING ON MALE MODEL PHOTOGRAPHY. BUT NO MATTER HOW MANY THERE ARE, THERE ARE ALWAYS MORE MODELS. FOR SOME THAT IS PERFECT. THEY LIKE TO FISH IN THE EXISTING POND. OTHERS HOWEVER LIKE TO WORK WITH NEW FACES. AND THAT SOMETIMES REQUIRES SOME COACHING. AND RISK TAKING.

Calvin Brockington has quite some years of in the modeling and photography industry under the belt and we can safely say that he knows what he wants. Recently he partnered up with a good friend of his in order to search and launch new talent. Calvin’s friend is an experienced, well-known stylist and model coach and that combined with Calvin’s skills in photography made the perfect scouting match. And so they set off to find the new male model.

It was in the first week of their endeavor that Calvin Brockington stumbled upon Lenn Johnson. Though they only met online, Calvin was super excited to find this fresh, new face, and well, the body. After only one week, Calvin thought himself to be in heaven. However, he soon learned that it wasn’t at all that simple. Calvin soon experienced that when you approach a guy with the question if he is interested in being developed, you get resistance. A lot of resistance. Calvin realized that today’s world is a sceptic one and people find it hard to believe that others can see potential in them. But after a bit of convincing that he was the real thing and not after his money or some scandalous proposition, Lenn agreed to except Calvin’s help.

Calvin Brockington and his business partner really wanted to do this in a very serious way. They made a list of items that each model had to agree with. Knowing from experience what it takes to groom a model, they had to be in agreement otherwise they wouldn’t take them on. So Calvin was in heaven after he came to agreement with Lenn. But when he proposed him to his partner, his excitement got squashed pretty fast. Apparently Calvin’s partner had already worked with Lenn once and the experience was far from satisfying. Lenn came with several issues. Attitude and bad skin. No model personality and expression. And he was lazy. In fact there was a long list why Lenn wasn’t the perfect model, but for Calvin that really wasn’t a problem. Because wasn’t that what they had set out to do? Make a model?

Calvin decided to give in to his partner and promised to scout a few more faces. But he couldn’t get Lenn out of his mind and eventually came to the conclusion, Lenn was his boy. And so they met in person. The first thing Calvin noticed that his partner had spoken the truth. Lenn’s skin was not in model condition. Doubtful at first, the two star makers then set out to develop Lenn. They got him a skin care routine and started with physical coaching. They taught him how to walk, how to move, how to pose. It soon became obvious Lenn Johnson did not at all have a bad attitude. He was simply a shy guy. He was also calm, sweet and smart, which showed in the fast progress he made every week of the training. Lenn wasn’t the only talent Calvin and his partner had taken on, but he soon became their star student. In no time he started to carry himself different. Better. He rapidly learned how to move and pose. His runway training got him in one of Dallas’ largest shows. Lenn Johnson discovered his sexy character and he liked it.

Calvin Brockington and his business partner invested time and energy in their muse, and it truly paid off. Though there is still work to be done, and Lenn is not signed yet, they are proud of their 23 year old protégé. Lenn is clever and sexy. He really found his niche and is passionate about it. For Calvin this couldn’t have ended better. To know where they started and to see how well it is going to end, that is what developing a person is all about. –BM-

CALVIN BROCKINGTON | BEAUTIFULMAG

Thomas Bourry New Perspectives, Vol. 2 | Between Love and Victory

THERE ARE MANY WORDS IN EVERY LANGUAGE THAT PROVOKE CERTAIN SPECIFIC EMOTIONS AND SENSATIONS. IT GETS INTERESTING WHEN THOSE WORDS HAVE A SIMILAR MEANING BUT ARE JUST A BIT DIFFERENT. IT GETS EVEN MORE INTERESTING WHEN YOU MATCH THOSE WORDS WITH VISUALS. AND IT GETS EVEN MORE INTERESTING IF THESE IMAGES ARE PORTRAITS OF SEXY MEN.

Some photographers prefer the observer to approach their visuals with a complete open mind, unprovoked and not influenced. Thomas Bourry is not one of them. Or is he? Each time Thomas starts a new project, he ends up having series that can go up to hundred or more photos. And not without reason because the camera is very much Thomas third eye. An eye that looks into a different reality than our regular world. An eye that sees things and helps us to see things in a clear and honest way. But instead of leaving the unwritten story of the scenes up to our imagination, Thomas likes to give a certain direction to our train of thought by naming his work.

It doesn’t matter whether it is an individual shot or a set of multiple images, when Thomas Bourry shoots his subjects, he does it with a defined idea in his mind. Of course it is always possible that the result is not exactly what he intended it to be, but the main concept is always there. And that makes his images not just photos but photographic tales. Windows into a visual poem about passion and broken hearts. And surprisingly so, by naming his work, Thomas does not limit our imagination. On the contrary. The mostly short, one word names of his collections direct us to an visionary area and allows us to connect with his portraits in a dreamlike, most fantasy-like way.

Thomas Bourry has the rare talent to weave words with images. Where others strive for a staged perfection of casualness Thomas has accepted the fact his images are constructions of visions, building an imaginary world that is so close to reality that all his work looks like snapshots. That is what makes his work so strong in story telling and that is what makes his photos so raw in emotions. –BM-

THOMAS BOURRY | BEAUTIFULMAG

Trophy

EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON WHAT IS SEXY OR NOT. WHICH IS A GOOD THING BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE WOULD ALL BE ATTRACTED TO THE SAME PERSON, WHICH OBVIOUSLY WOULD BE DISASTROUS. BUT EVEN THOUGH WE ALL HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT MAKES US TICK, SOME PEOPLE ARE JUST THE EMBODIMENT OF SEXY FOR EVERYONE. THEY MAKE PEOPLES HEAD TURN OR STOP IN THEIR TRACKS.

Glenn Miller was introduced to Eric Ganison by a friend who owns a magazine in Eric’s hometown Dallas. That introduction was enough for Eric to decide he wanted Glenn in front of his camera. And so, after reaching out, it came to happen. Glenn actually loves Eric’s work and was happy to collaborate.

Now Eric Garison has worked with many handsome and attractive men but, according the photographer, this kat really took the cake. Eric explains: “Glen is not only super sexy but this guy has the brains to go with it. Which in my book makes him even sexier.” Glen Miller is that kind of guy that makes peoples heads turn wherever he goes. Both men and women stop in their tracks when they see him. Eric just knew he had to shoot him so that was his objective. But when the day came, he realized he didn’t really give it any thought and had no real concept in mind yet. He did not have to worry though. The moment Glen stepped through the door of his studio, Eric knew what he had to do. “Glen is beautiful, sexy and intelligent. To me he seems like the kind of person that someone just wants to show off. A hot trophy piece that has all the right elements. Beauty, brains and intelligence. What more could one ask for.”

Glen Miller gave Eric Ganison the answer for his shoot. For a minute Eric put himself in the shoes of someone else, observing Glen as a total stranger. At that time he knew he won the jackpot. He just landed himself 3 hours of work with one of the hottest models. It was all he could do from keeping himself from putting Glen in a trophy case. –BM-

ERIC GANISON | BEAUTIFULMAG

Gang Bang

ALTHOUGH NEVER RELEASED AS A SINGLE, HARDCORE MADONNA FANS IMMEDIATELY KNOW WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IF WE SAY GANG BANG IS ONE OF THE BEST SONGS OF HER LATEST MDNA ALBUM, AND BELONGS DEFINITELY IN THE TOP 10 OF HER CAREER. DARK, CLUBBING, DRIVING. AN ABSURD COLLECTION OF SOUNDS AND EFFECT SITTING ON A HARD AND EDGY BEAT THAT FORMS THE BASE FOR SOME VERY ANGRY WORDS. IT’S MADONNA TO THE CORE. NO WONDER IT IS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR OTHERS.

Written and produced by Madonna, William Orbit, Priscilla Hamilton, Mika, Don Juan "Demo" Casanova, Keith Harris and the Demolition Crew and inspired by Quentin Tarantino movies. It seems that Gang Bang spiritual parents is as eclectic a group as the song sounds. The song is dark and harsh. The beats have a suspense-like character and the lyric tell the story of a woman seeking revenge on her lover in unmistakable words and sounds. It’s Madonna at her best in her unequaled opinionated style, throwing us way back to Thief of Hearts. A song that appeared on the 1992 Erotica album and is said to be written with actress Robin Wright in mind, who at that time was married to Madonna’s ex-husband Sean Penn.

Born and raised in Mexico, César Ochoa has since long exchanged his mother country for a more northern place to live and currently resides in Montreal, Canada. He started his career as a graphic designer, and came first in contact with male photography while working of r a local gay magazine. Interested by the medium, César picked it up and thought himself the ins and outs of the art. Now, several years later, César Ochoa is a well known photographer of not only the male form, but also female, product, celebrities and editorial work. Currently his work can be seen in the exposition Artsida 2013 at the Galerie Dentaire in Montreal. Or, if you are not living in that area, on his impressive website.

César Ochoa not seldom finds inspiration in other art expression. Songs from well-known artists are a great source for him. Already we could enjoy his interpretation of Madonna/Björk’s Bedtime Stories, and today he presents us a contemporary editorial vision of Madonna’s Gang Bang. “I met Louis Ruel, a blond guy from Montreal, and found he really has potential as a model, “ César says. “Visiting him at home in order to select an outfit for a shoot I learned he is a photographer as well and as big a fan of Madonna as I am. We had a great time talking about both passions and came up with the idea for this shoot together.”

It was Louis Ruel who did the final retouch of the portraits shot by César Ochoa, and it was César who turned them to black and white and created the editorial layout, giving the whole project a graphic look that matches the songs strong beat. A fun fact about the shoot is that, while working in César’s studio, the owner of the building showed up and was really upset to see a guy in his underwear smoking on his property. The discussion between the three heated up so much that even the police had to come to cool things down. Which probably made the anger element in César Ochoa’s Gang Bang even more real. –BM-

BeautifulMag archive for César Ochoa: Introducir, César Ochoa | Flying High | Meeting Simon Lemire | Bedtime Stories, or The Collaboration of 2 Titans.

CÉSAR OCHOA | BEAUTIFULMAG

Transformations

IF YOU ASK PEOPLE ABOUT THE DEFINITION OF A COMBAT VETERAN, YOU PROBABLY GET DIFFERENT OPINIONS. SOME MIGHT SAY HE OR SHE HAS BEEN IN ACTIVE DUTY AND IN SITUATION OF PHYSICAL COMBAT. OTHERS CLAIM THAT A COMBAT VET IS SOMEONE WHO SERVED IN A COMBAT ZONE REGARDLESS IF THEY EVER FIRED ANYTHING. WE BELIEVE THAT WHATEVER THE DEFINITION SAYS, SOMEONE WHO SERVED HIS OR HERS COUNTRY IN A WARZONE IS A HERO ANYWAY. NO MATTER IF THERE WAS ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT OR NOT.

There is another think about veterans, whether combat or not. And that is that many believe that veterans are by definition old army, marine or air force men or women. This as well is of course very wrong. I think we can suffice by saying that a veteran is someone who served his or hers country in a place of battle and war. Someone who gave a lot of himself for our safety and security. And age is not related to that.

Giovanni Christo is a combat veteran. We don’t know where he went and what he did, but if he is entitled to be a combat vet, it is enough for us. Giovanni is one of those many young men and women who risked their lives for us and that makes him a hero. And yes, you read it well. We said young, almost in the same sentence as veteran. Because Giovanni served his time and is only 26 years old now, ready to start a whole new life. Modeling is obviously part of that initiative, and we think that is another thing we should be thankful for.

Like I said, we don’t know where Giovanni Christo served and what he did. But we do know he is a fighter. Just looking at him should make it clear those curves and hard muscles are not the kind of thing you just wake up with on the first day of your adolescence. Giovanni is a passionate MMA fighter, which stands for mixed martial arts. There is only two more things we can tell you about Giovanni. One is that he currently is a student. The other that he is incredibly handsome and sexy. Which brings us to JR Williams.

Originally from the Chicago area, JR Williams now calls Honolulu as his permanent home. JR has his BA in Professional Photography from the Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, where he majored in both still photography and motion picture. Over the past 15 years he specialized himself in both film and TV production, as well as actor and model photography. Much of what he does, he does in an editorial style that allows him to show the generational shift in male photography. JR comments: “It is clear that there are many more male models now who want to be photographed in ways that are just as honest, intimate, bold, sexy and glamorous as the way female models have historically been shot. They each still retain their own unique and masculine identity even more effectively in this modern context that is reflective of who they are as individuals.”

The photo’s JR Williams took from Giovanni Christo, where shot over the period of a few months. According to JR it shows the shift in Giovanni’s attitude and looks. Recently Giovanni had to cut his long hair for a job prospect, which increases the difference in looks visible in these portraits. Giovanni shows himself in all his characteristics and a rich variety of transformations. Sometimes he looks sexy and seductive, other times shy and introvert. But no matter when the photo’s were shot, and no matter how long his hair, Giovanni always shares an unbelievable masculine sensuality and he does it with a deep look in his eyes that shows that this is a man, no matter how young, who has seen things in life. A man you can trust and a man who protects. –BM-

With special thanks to N2N Bodywear.

JR WILLIAMS | BEAUTIFULMAG

I want your... Sex

This summer BeautifulMag will present the 6th volume of the annual sex edition. Once again we invite our readers on a journey of exciting editorials that leave very little to the imagination. But we can’t do this all by ourselves. We need you, talented photographers, to make this happen.

BeautifulMag’s Sex Edition is one of the, if not the, most popular editions we prepare per year. It is they edition that makes our numbers peak and drives traffic to your professional website as never before. If you are interested in participating to BeautifulMag’s Sex Edition and are willing to submit, please contact us at info@beautifulmag.com We are counting on you. –BM-

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