'Don't be yourself - be someone a little nicer.'
~Mignon McLaughlin
As human beings, it is shocking to me how often we forget the human part. We look at other parts of the world and judge how much better we are. So many Americans are currently 'outraged' but what is going on in Russia even though there were political candidates in our own country spouting similar hate filled views in the only a few short years ago. For decades, the ability to have power and control over others were personality traits many sought. Being kind and pleasant, and caring about others, were considered traits of the weak.
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The truth is, regardless of who is charge politically, it is up to the individual to decided that treating others kindly, with respect and without judgement, is an important way to live one's life. It is choice really, and not always easy in a world that challenges and taught people to be hurtful on a regular basis. Because of how I grew up, the experiences I went through and the pain I witness, I made a conscious decision, somewhere around the age of 17 or 18, that there would be no room for cruelty in my adult life.
It is not easy, friends, co-workers, family and Internet make it hard at times. Slashing others down has become the norm in many places especially forums and message boards which seem to almost cheer and reward those that can make the cruelest and catties comments. I have written before that one of the reasons I began
FH was as an alternative to sites and blogs whose primary focus was trash, slash, out, cut down and spit out the subjects they were writing about. Kindness therefore, has become a trait that I not only admire, but one I find incredibly attractive in others.
So why, on
FH am I lecturing on the importance of kindness? Well, because kindness in humanity are not really themes commonly seen in the capturing of the male form. It doesn't seem that many photographers, nor the audience for their work, see it as a trait that worthy of documenting. When capturing the male nude, many seem to try to remove any sign of emotion or humanity with models often looking a little robotic. So often the desired look is either one of power or submission. With submission, the face is often blank or vapid; with power, it emotes full of snarls with eyes expression their desire to dominate. These images can be great, but the stereotypical facial expressions don't come close to capturing all of the emotions that are involved with being a man.
When I first profiled the work of photographer Jay from
Unlimited Male, I wrote that my favorite images were the ones that capture the essence of the man in front of the lens, not the ones who attempt to hide or cover it. In that post (
Grin), I was initially and instantly drawn to the images because of the model's incredibly grin. Jay so naturally captures his models, bringing out their personalities and the essence at their core that makes them special. Jay also manages to but his models at ease, capturing lighter moments that many others seem to ignore when shooting. With these images of Daniel, I believe one of his sexiest features is his humanity, a sweet kindness which literally seems to shine from every one of his images.
'Modeling isn't a job, it's a gift sent from God and I am going to enjoy every moment that I am blessed with. You will not find a model that is more easygoing, energetic or passionate as myself. I love what life has given me and don't hold anything back because life is not guaranteed tomorrow. Live life to it's fullest and great things will come your way.'
I was instantly drawn to Daniel's face and smile. Confident, but not cocky, welcoming and real. This made the rest of the package even more adorable and hot. Through Jay's images, Daniel seems so naturally comfortable and at ease in front of the camera, happy to share his joy, and his incredible body, with those that enjoy viewing. Most impressive, is how he does this with little to no ego. This naturalness, beautifully captured by Jay, is incredibly sexy, not to mention extremely rare. Jay says although he still feels he has a lot to learn, he is grateful for all the models he has worked with who help him to gain experience, improving with each shoot. I think Jay may already have found his niche. His natural ability to capture his models relaxed and not afraid to smile and show joy is already setting him apart.
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'Danny is definitely one of the nicest, most easygoing models that I have had the priviledge to work with. Very down to earth, no ego at all and I hope to work with him again in the future.'
Unlimited Male on ModelMayhemDaniel on ModelMayhem
