tiggymalvern (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
tiggymalvern) wrote2007-10-07 05:07 pm
tiggymalvern) wrote2007-10-07 05:07 pm
Studies in Men
It strikes me that this journal has been far too lacking in hot guys for far too long, bringing disrepute upon its title. So, I plan to remedy this with a personal review of Bondi Urban, a book of the work of the Australian photographer Paul Freeman. With appropriate example illustrations, of course.
I'm going to start by apologising on the best possible grounds - the book is considerably bigger than A4 in size, which means some of these images have been cropped in ways that would probably give the photographer hives, since the pictures exceed my scanner bed. It also means some of my absolute favourites aren't here at all, because what makes them wonderful extends to every margin, and losing an inch all round would be art murder.
Not all of the photographs involve nudity, though most do - the book covers the range from facial shots through 'tastefully posed' non-revealing nudity to full-on unashamed porn. Inevitably, the book focuses on nicely-muscled models, but this photographer isn't afraid of scars, freckles or other 'blemishes', and he covers a range of body-types from bigger with more body hair and shots of older men to bare blond-haired cherubs who look about eighteen. Inevitably, not all of the subjects are to my taste - a few are too thin for my preferences, or just not my 'look', but that means there'll be something in there for everybody.
What I really love about Paul Freeman's work is the way he uses light - this is probably one of my favourite images in the book, with the shadows from the vegetation on the man's skin echoing the tattoo at his navel. Clearly a photographer who gave a lot of thought to his model, instead of just dumping him in a prearranged setting and pose.
I love this, not just for the statue-like pose above the fireplace, but for the dramatic shadows thrown across the room.
Apologies for the quality of the scanning on this one - sometimes my scanner really objects to monochrome on glossy paper. It looks beautiful in the book.
About half the photographs in the book are black and white, and half colour. Generally I tend to prefer the black and whites, just a personal liking of mine, but the photographer also does great work with light in colour. The glow on the waves and the wet skin....
An example of one of the more 'standard' art porn shots. Scanning artefacts once again not the fault of the photographer or the book.
I think I must have a thing about hats and baths, because this kind of pose also grabbed me in Michael Breyette's artbook!
And now I'll shut up and leave you with the rest of the photos.
There are over 220 pages in this book, and only the first and last have text on - the rest are left to the images to speak for themselves. Why are you still here?
Hey, why am I still here? This photographer has two more books of his work out too....
On an unrelated note, I've only received a comment notification for one of the replies made to my post from this morning. I'm assuming I'm missing other notifications too, so if I don't reply to a comment or query on a post in somebody else's journal, it isn't personal. Probably.
I'm going to start by apologising on the best possible grounds - the book is considerably bigger than A4 in size, which means some of these images have been cropped in ways that would probably give the photographer hives, since the pictures exceed my scanner bed. It also means some of my absolute favourites aren't here at all, because what makes them wonderful extends to every margin, and losing an inch all round would be art murder.
Not all of the photographs involve nudity, though most do - the book covers the range from facial shots through 'tastefully posed' non-revealing nudity to full-on unashamed porn. Inevitably, the book focuses on nicely-muscled models, but this photographer isn't afraid of scars, freckles or other 'blemishes', and he covers a range of body-types from bigger with more body hair and shots of older men to bare blond-haired cherubs who look about eighteen. Inevitably, not all of the subjects are to my taste - a few are too thin for my preferences, or just not my 'look', but that means there'll be something in there for everybody.
What I really love about Paul Freeman's work is the way he uses light - this is probably one of my favourite images in the book, with the shadows from the vegetation on the man's skin echoing the tattoo at his navel. Clearly a photographer who gave a lot of thought to his model, instead of just dumping him in a prearranged setting and pose.
I love this, not just for the statue-like pose above the fireplace, but for the dramatic shadows thrown across the room.
Apologies for the quality of the scanning on this one - sometimes my scanner really objects to monochrome on glossy paper. It looks beautiful in the book.
About half the photographs in the book are black and white, and half colour. Generally I tend to prefer the black and whites, just a personal liking of mine, but the photographer also does great work with light in colour. The glow on the waves and the wet skin....
An example of one of the more 'standard' art porn shots. Scanning artefacts once again not the fault of the photographer or the book.
I think I must have a thing about hats and baths, because this kind of pose also grabbed me in Michael Breyette's artbook!
And now I'll shut up and leave you with the rest of the photos.
There are over 220 pages in this book, and only the first and last have text on - the rest are left to the images to speak for themselves. Why are you still here?
Hey, why am I still here? This photographer has two more books of his work out too....
On an unrelated note, I've only received a comment notification for one of the replies made to my post from this morning. I'm assuming I'm missing other notifications too, so if I don't reply to a comment or query on a post in somebody else's journal, it isn't personal. Probably.
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Beautiful pictures. I like his use of light with the poses. The men ain't bad either. XD
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Hey, when you're perusing through artbooks, if you ever run across the one in my icon, would you please let me know? I've been searching forever to find out who did this, I think it's from an artbook but can't say for sure.
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I'm unlikely to make a habit of buying expensive photography books with crossed fingers, but I'll try and remember the image in case I ever come across it. It's certainly striking enough to be memorable :-)
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That picture in my icon is so sensual (to me), that I really want to see more from whoever did the photograph.
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One thing I can definitely you, he's more of a brunette man than a blond man, and that's just fine by me!
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I'll add that book to my "must one day have" list. thank you for the post! mmmmmm.
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Oh, yes. It would have been perfectly possible to shoot these same men in ways that were conventional and uninspired, and they still wouldn't have looked bad exactly, but it wouldn't have been the same book at all.