Black and White

Black and white photographs are very much in vogue at the moment.  

The medium emphasizes the beauty, subtlety and masculinity of the male nude.  The lack of definable colour seduces the viewer into an appreciation of the texture of skin, the sensuality of body hair and the interesting modeling of muscle and sinew brought out by the richness of shadow and contrast.

Deep shadow adds an air of mystery, stimulating a desire to probe the depths and awakening the need to touch and stroke in order to feel as well as see what remains veiled or vaguely suggested. The highlighted areas are rich in that they reveal delicate, silky smoothness  of soft skin and contrastingly robust roughness evoked by hair.  These contrasts are what make black and white nudes so satisfying.

Models Needed

I am constantly looking for in-shape men of any age who are willing to pose for me.  I use these photos as the bases from which to create watercolour paintings similar to those seen earlier on in my blog.

I share a studio in the Distillery District with my photographer/partner who may also help

with the photography. We guarantee privacy and discretion for whomever wishes to participate.

We request that the models sign releases which spell out exactly what we can and cannot do with these images. (Nothing goes to the net without express permission!)

Each shoot lasts a couple of hours.  I fully expect the model to bring and change into whatever clothing he thinks appropriate, even if that is nothing.  We work out poses that suit your needs as well as mine. If you would prefer not to show your face or your genitals, so be it. Should you wish to have poses shot with a significant other, that can be  easily accommodated.

In rare circumstances we might consider shooting in another location, even out of doors.

What does the model get from this?  We put the best shots on DVD as a reward for time and effort expended.  It might contain as many as thirty images.

 No money changes hands and there is no suggestion of sex being involved. 

If you would be interested in a photo session, I can be reached at tomlei15@hotmail.com

Rendering the Figure

A prominent Toronto illustrator and painter once remarked to me that one was not a real artist until he or she had mastered the complex job of rendering the human figure.  Part of the difficulty in performing this feat lies in the fact that, because of constant exposure to and interest in this subject, we are adept at spotting the imperfections  in any representation.  

At present I am working in watercolour to experiment with the human form, trying to attain some degree of accuracy while maintaining a looser style that I hope will be expressive of whatever emotions I am portraying.

A major problem lies in finding appropriate models on whom to work.  I would like to photograph more varied subjects than those available through art classes and so have been seeking victims through male websites- most people whom I contact are reluctant to pose for any number of reasons but those few who have volunteered have proven to be excellent subjects (though I would guess that they would have difficulty seeing themselves in the finished paintings).

Photographs do not necessarily involve total nudity.  One question often arises: what do I charge?  The answer is nothing. I have a studio in the Distillery that I share with a fellow photographer.  We sometimes collaborate with a willing model.  Nothing is used on the internet without the model's written consent.  I prefer to do the shooting there.   I often am able to provide a DVD  of the best photos as a thank-you.  

Experimentation

The joy of digital photography comes partially from the endless diversity one can create with the various software editing systems now available.  Check these out.

Fetish Fair

Toronto the Good.  Well now! Who would have predicted ten years ago that one would be able to buy beer and drink it on the street?  Then wander  with a camera along Church Street on a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon and watch men being flogged on the bare buttocks? And what about those guys in all that leather flaunting their posteriors to the hoots and laughter of the assembled multitudes?  Boys wrestling in their skivvies?  Men in jock straps and little else? Bondage gear for sale out in the open?  The police  with smiling faces watching the crowds saunter by?

Toronto the Good?  Heavens no!  Toronto the fantastic.

Sexy

What does it for you: the glorious smile? the intense eyes? the curve of the hips? an impressive bulge? biceps? chest? thighs?

For me it's a combination deal and the greatest turn-on is the accidental sighting of something naughty: something I'm not supposed to see! Full frontal nudity  viewed in the showers or steam room is definitely enticing but  buttocks glimpsed as a guy tugs up his jockeys is the real turn-on.

Semi nude is much more sexy than blatant nakedness in my book.

Appearances

We each have faces we expose to the world and others that we prefer  to retain for few to see.  

The contradiction makes the work of the photographer much more interesting.  Which is the mask and which the face revealed when the mask slips?

Aspirations

Beauty is supposedly skin deep, physical perfection, however defined, a rarity controlled

by a combination of good luck and genetics.

The perfect face, the arresting body, the ability to move with grace. Few of us are granted all three.  But we have a fourth attribute which more than compensates for any  perceived shortfalls. We are blessed with personalities and those wonderful sparks we strike with our eyes and our expressions.

My primary aim is to capture something of what enlivens us for others.

I want to create spicy, saucy, contemporary shots that both the subject and the artist agree

shows some aspect of the model's character.