'Modeling is an affirming experience. For a slightly overweight kid who never thought he was good looking, it's been a way to make me feel more confident and proud of myself. It's also been an extraordinary record of how my body has changed over the years. I love looking back at the young Randy and then I marvel at the mature Randy of today.'
When I was reading through model
Randy Wesley's replies to my questions, I was struck by his use of the phrase 'over the years'. I knew what he meant in the context of his answer, but it also spoke to one of the reasons I initially reached out to the Florida based model. Many
FH readers have notice my Baker's Dozen series. The series was a way to celebrate the site's thirteenth year, and a way to spotlight models that I've featured multiple times over the years.
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I relish celebrating the artists, models and actors who've shared their work with the site, especially those who've contributed numerous times over a span of time. Whenever I think about stopping FH, it's those artists who usually motivate me to continue. I enjoy telling their stories, and following the growth and changes in an artists work, a models look and an actors career. Images capture a moment in time, but with my focus of story, I like to celebrate the moment in as a part of something bigger, a passage or chapter of a longer story, a snapshot of a life in the midst of living.
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Part of
FH's history has included covering the work of David from
YogaBear Studio, something I loved doing starting back in 2011. Although David isn't shooting as much as he used to, when I saw Randy's avatar on Model Mayhem, I knew instantly that I wanted to feature his work and that the images was shot by David. When Randy sent on the images from the set, I was immediately transported back to one of my all time favorite locations, the old abandoned train and railroad tracks that drew David back again and again. I also knew Randy would have a great story to tell, and was curious about the images and what he was in the midst of when they were taken.
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What motivated you to being modeling? 'I was a slightly overweight kid who harbored a bit of an exhibitionist streak. When I went to college, I lost weight and started feeling more open about exploring my exhibitionist side. Still I didn't try modeling until a few years later.
I contacted some area colleges and inquired about posing for life drawing classes. Mostly, I just wanted to see if I would have the guts to stand naked in front of a group of artists. I found out pretty quickly that I enjoyed it, and I got a lot of compliments about my poses. Evidently, all the research I did prior to that first class paid off. I got asked back for more sessions and soon I was posing for several schools. It was a rewarding experience because the artists appreciated my work, and I was helping them create something of beauty.'
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'After I had some experience doing life modeling, I wanted to have some photos taken. I contacted a photographer and arranged to meet up with him. We went to a large public park and gardens that had some areas that were a little more private. I ended up getting naked several times when people weren't nearby, and the photographer captured some B&W images of me that I thought were great for a first shoot. My heart raced every time I took off my clothes, wondering if anyone would see us taking the nude photos.
The photographer also took some shots of me clothed. I gave my parents an 8x10 clothed portrait of me, which they displayed in their home. I used to snicker a bit when I would look at the photo and think back on the nude shots that were done the same day. After that experience, I stated shooting with any photographer who wanted to work with me. However, at that time, I lived in a more rural area with few options for photographers. It was also before most photographers had websites, so no one saw my nude photos.'
'One day I got in touch with NakedTony who had a website. I was fascinated by the photos of regular guys as well as the photographer and his husband. I drove to the Chicago suburbs so I could shoot with him. Over the next few years, I shot with him three times (if I remember correctly). I was thrilled when I got to see some photos of me posted on his website. '
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What factors did you weigh before deciding to shoot nudes?
'I guess the only factor I considered was how likely I would be seen by a coworker. I was in a professional position at work, and it wouldn't have been good for me to get noticed doing nude photos. Still, I figured my risk of exposure was minimal because there wasn't the plethora of websites then that you see today. I also figured that anyone who saw me on NakedTony was likely gay and not likely to share my images with my coworkers.
I was involved with a married man at the time (all very discreet). Like me, he had an exhibitionist streak, but still he wasn't happy about my posing naked for other people. He begrudgingly went along with it. It was just one more thing we fought about, and eventually we parted way. I later met the love of my life, and I continued to pose for artists and photographers with my new partner's (now husband's) blessing. He was/is supportive of my modeling. One photo of me posing on a farm hung in our bedroom for many years. We've also done a couple of shoots together. One B&W artistic shoot occurred early in our life together. Last year, I dug out some of those prints and made a collage for him for his birthday. Those photos as well as my "farm boy" pic are displayed in a more discrete location in our current home.'
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Any odd or strange stories from any shoots?
'A friend of mine does photography as a hobby. He's photographed many men, and I asked him if he would photograph me on a farm. My husband has always called me his farm boy because I lived in a rural area when we met. My friend found an abandoned farm with an old truck and a barn, and we did a shoot that was great fun for me. One photo is the one I had enlarged as a gift for my husband, and a few other photos ended up in a gay mag called DUDE. The mag had a real guys section (kind of like Real Men in Playgirl... which I always wanted to be in), so we submitted several shots. It was a rush to see myself in the mag, and my hubby loved it.
I did several more shoots with my friend, and some of his images of me from my younger days are among my all time favorites. One of the shoots got me another appearance in DUDE a couple of years later. And ultimately I made it into Playgirl's Real Men with photos done by another photographer.'
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What has been your favorite experience thus far?
'Shooting with David from Yogabear was a huge goal for me. I've always loved the outdoor shoots that he's done with various men. I finally got the opportunity to shoot with him when we were in San Diego in 2017. It was an amazing experience, and I absolutely loved the location. Shortly after that shoot, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I spent most of 2018 going through cancer treatments (surgery, radiation, and hormone suppression), so modeling wasn't an option for me then. My recovery was slow in 2019, and then 2020 came along. Needless-to-say I haven't had the opportunity to model for some time. I'm starting to think about trying posing naked again. I'd love to find a photographer who would be willing to work with me after all I've been through. I'm not in the shape I was in for the Yogabear shoot, but I'm slowing trying to get back in better shape. Someday I hope to have the guts to get in front of a camera again.'
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'The shoot with YogaBear was like living out a fantasy. I was shooting in a location I had always admired in David's previous shoots. That was seller. Plus David has an eye for images that amazed me over the course of the day we were together. He is great at providing direction and capturing a model at his best. I was sorry that he shut down his website. I'm not sure what was happening that caused him to do that. I haven't had any contact with him since then, and I often wonder how he's doing.
I've worked with many photographers over the years. They all have their own sense of style. With David, I felt about as creative as I have ever felt in a shoot because he was capturing such gorgeous images of me.'
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What are your boundaries for a shoot? Have you ever said no to a concept or shot idea?
'I've only done two shoots with other men (other than my husband). The first shoot was with another model who I had become friends with. My husband wasn't keen about my shooting with him, but he allowed me to do. The shoot was very artistic, and we got some gorgeous images that day. That shoot was also with Yogabear. The second duo shoot was with RealMenRealLife. My husband accompanied me to the shoot, which we thought was a solo shoot. When the photographer John showed up he had another model with him. Evidently he wanted to shoot the other model (who hadn't done a shoot before), and John was keen on shooting us together. The shoot got pretty explicit, and my husband watched the whole thing. He thought it was extremely hot. I never would have been so open in a shoot if he hadn't been there. I was glad I had the experience, but it's not something I'd be quick to repeat. '
Do you have a dream scenario for a shoot you'd love to do?
'I may have lived that out. I always wanted to shoot with Greg Weiner (who did a ton of shoots for Playgirl). I finally got to work with him when he started his Paragonmen website. I was one of his early "real men" that he put on his site. Guess I am always a "real man."
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