'I think the human body is beautiful and if presented in an artistic way, there’s nothing wrong with it. I have posed nude I think you only live once and you shouldn’t feel ashamed of being nude as long as it’s tasteful.'
In every profession you'll find prodigies. Individuals new to a field who excel from the beginning. Although I have featured many models and photographers new to photography and the male form, there is something immediately exceptional when viewing the work of two seasoned professionals at work.
JR Christiansen has been shooting since he was a kid, beginning with black and whites before transitioning on to digital. JR has an incredible eye for light and shadow and I especially love how he captures and blends the pliability of the human body with the resistance and constraints of cement, windows and wall of brick. JR's mages also inspired one of my favorite FH pieces to write, Cornered.
If there's a model, and a body, perfectly matched in strength and force of brick and cement that surrounds him, it's Tony. Tony, Anthony Cantanzaro, has been modeling for over 20 years and worked with many well known artists who capture the male form.
Anthony has the distinction of not only appearing in Playgirl Magazine twice, but almost 12 years apart over two separate decades. His first appearance was back in January 2001, followed by a large spread in the magazines 2013 Spring issue. You can check out a sampling of Tony's two appearances on The Over-FlowHERE:
I love this series of Tony by JR. Both model and artist know exactly what they're doing and Tony has perfected his intense and sultry look. JR beautifully captures Tony's personality, experience and incredibly impressive physique. I especially love the last few shots of Tony wearing nothing but his tight sweater. The blue material actually serves to highlight and define Tony's body and is useless to hide the muscles below.
