'The great bonus in working with Ricardo is that I can always count on his physique being even more impressive each time we shoot. We have worked together since early 2014 when the construction worker and part-time model was just 21. I can’t begin to imagine the number of hours this guy has spent in the gym since then. At 23, he’s sporting a massive, ripped physique.'
'To my surprise, I find that my interests are taking me toward physique art photography; at least this year. I suspect that working with the likes of Ricardo, Norm and Alex, three gym buddies who sport three of the best physiques to come through the studio, has a lot to do with it. Playing along the line between art and photography has long interested me, however.'
'But as I focus more and more of my time and efforts at crafting art out of bodies, increasingly I am coming to value a model’s torso above all other physical attributes. Capturing the evanescent light and shadows playing across the body is the essence of the art and having a subject with sufficient definition to cast a few shadows is increasingly a base requirement for me. The one physique model I can count on always to deliver the goods is Ricardo, the kid brother (and personal trainer) of our second cameraman and production assistant, Alex Corso.'
'The timing of Ricardo’s last shoot with us was very much determined by the schedule of snow birds. I have long had my eye on a metal sculpture that has appeared as a prop in the photos we’ve shot in the studio/office of a friend, David. The room the sculpture calls home is too confining to adequately showcase such a large prop in an art pose and for some time we have been looking for a chance to bring it into the studio. That finally happened in December, just days before its owner, a prominent Madison Avenue designer, retreated to Florida for the winter.'
'I wouldn’t think of borrowing such a large (and expensive) piece of art without having the owner present to supervise its transit and handling. We took advantage of having an extra set of hands in the studio that day and pressed David into service as our stylist (and model spritzer), freeing Ricardo’s older brother, Alex, to devote his full attention to the second camera.'
'Perhaps it’s a reflection of their native Colombian culture, but unlike the Italian brothers Luca and Matteo, Ricardo and Alex are a bit more reserved around each other. Alex steps out of the studio when his brother is posing nude. Given that dynamic, it’s worth noting that my favorite picture of the day was one of Alex's last shots, taken just as Ricardo's clothes were coming off.'
'Alex's picture of his kid brother inspired a series from the session that we’ve dubbed, It Was a Dark and Stormy Night. Alex wasn't around for the rest of the session, but you can find the full series in Captured Shadows #3, the studio’s quarterly physique art magazine. The images start to blur the line between art and photography and invite the viewer to spin a back story for the rain and flashing lights.'
~Behind The Scenes~
A special video presentation has been prepared for the readers of Favorite Hunks. In addition to dozens of additional images from his shoot, many take you behind the scenes at New Manhattan Studios. Other images from the day can be found in Ricardo’s gallery and in the Fine Art Gallery on the website.
