Fifteen Minutes of Fame

It seems like every model produces a truly memorable picture at some point. An image that will be around for rather more than fifeen minutes. Everybody remembers the picture but the name of the model is soon forgotten - and as for the photographer, the true creator, well....

This is Joseph Odorisio, a man of striking appearance but my, what a difference that red vest makes! Wet, clinging and with an amazing texture. You hardly notice the racy trunks.

Sorry, don't know the photographer.

The Boy Within

Andre Coelho 

This moment of playful introspection is beautifully captured. It's like a memory of innocent boyhood exploration when the world was full of new wonders. The black and white toning amplifies this retrospective feel. It also helps to delineate beautifully the droplets of water cascading from the model's hands. They almost look like precious jewels scooped from a newly-opened pirate's treasure chest, boyish fantasies......

.....and yet the model with his muscular arms, artfully trimmed facial hair and partly unzipped jeans is very grown up indeed. You can almost see his dismay as the elusive treasures of youth slip though his fingers once again.

The image is beautifully constructed too. The broken streams of water open out in a pyramid shape as they fall, echoing the outer curves of the model's legs and his forearms. These curves lead the eye up towards the cupped hands like the shapely stem of a modernistic goblet, capturing the upwards scooping motion. Above the hands there's another family of curves, this time cup-like and including the models hairline, his chin, outer pecs and the hands themselves, all fitting inside each other like Russian dolls and conveying his intense focus on the contents of his scooping hands.

Accident, design or instinct?  Hay Torres is the photographer and deserves credit for a fascinating image.

See more here

Voluptuous

At one time ladies with fleshy figures were described as voluptuous. 

This is the male equivalent. 

Generously proportioned, softly rounded muscle tone. 

Delicious.

Pictures for The Navy Diver, Commando Collection (I'll say!)

 I haven't identified the model or photographer yet

White Shorts

White shorts in their many forms are a Mitchell favourite at mitchmen. 

Add a stripe down the side and  the effect is even better, I don't know why! It just is.
This muscular model, appears to be trapped in a wooden structure of some sort, perhaps he's searching for the hidden door. Just like an old time action hero but more suitably dressed for this blog's audience.

Shallow End

Chris Farrell

by Tom Cullis

The excitement of the Summer Olympics still smoulders on in the memory, here's more magical sporting imagery. The yellow trunks connect with my previous post but there no boyish theme here. The elaborate and artfully arranged bow in the drawstring is intriguing. Trunks like these are sadly disappearing from the competitive scene in favour of technology suits, only divers and water polo players keep the faith. However, the next installment of my Olympic Sketches series at the Yahoo! group (link in sidebar) does feature a swimmer in trunks.

Photo courtesy of Tom Cullis Photography

Growing Up

'Josh' by Catherine Opie

This young man with touselled hair and sticky-out ears (I love 'em!) trying to look fierce seems not so much a sporting warrior as the mischievous kid down the block. His natural, trim body and slender arms, undeveloped by gym work, are transformed by the footballers gear but not entirely concealed by it. 

Given that this is an art photo, the way Josh is holding the football seems pretty lowbrow but I suppose it does contribute to the idea of emerging manhood in a corny way. As another reviewer has pointed out, this boy is old enough to serve and die for his country.

Merman

Richie - Merman Dimitrio

Mermen are classic fantasy figures but don't have quite the same alluring niche as their female counterparts. A man trapped within a restrictive body shape within a watery prison seems oddly emasculated. For the artist, the detail of where the man ends and the fish begins is highly problematic, Richie opts for a low slung tail.