Last month, I was excited to discover the work of model and entertainer Carter Nillihcmaster James. (Swagger) Carter's enthusiasm, positive energy, not to mention his great smile and incredibly hot bod, made him not only memorable and sexy, but also someone I looked forward to exploring a little further.
Thankfully, I didn't have to wait long as the exploration was made a lot easier with the help of San Francisco photographer Keith Ingram. I noticed some of Kieth's images in Carter's portfolio and immediately got in touch. As luck would have it, Keith had been planning on sending on images of Carter for FH, so I decided a follow-up was most definitely in order!
Keith is especially brilliant at bringing out character and personality in the models he works with. This was certainly the case with another Carter, model Rock Carter, (Boundless Energy) the subject of the last piece I did featuring Keith's work. I loved the wonderfully colorful, vibrant and fun world Keith created and knew with Carter's talent and energy the images would be amazing. I wasn't disappoint!
Keith Ingram
When I initially made contact with Carter on Model Mayhem, I was impressed by his professionalism and enthusiasm. The momentum continued during and after our phone conversation a few weeks before my scheduled trip to Los Angeles. He was pumped, I was pumped, and I was pretty sure I’d be photographing someone with a fair amount of confidence and personality. Which is exactly what I'd expect from an L.A. based model. But Carter James is not your typical L.A. model. Carter James is a one-of-a-kind force of nature. Carter James is… The NILLIHCMASTER!!!
Carter James
Keith met me on ModelMayhem, and he was quite the gentleman. He messaged me asking if I would like to do a photo shoot at the Redbury Hotel off of Hollywood and Vine. That hotel was absolutely gorgeous inside and out. It was a wonderful experience and Keith and I had a great view of Hollywood and Vine and the wonderful Capital Records building. 
Keith Ingram
I was staying in the heart of Hollywood. Hollywood and Vine in fact. I met Carter on the street outside my hotel and I was a little taken aback by this rather imposing figure, clad head to toe in black leather and sporting heavy metal shades. He reminded me of the Terminator as portrayed by a young Charlie Sheen. This was going to be… interesting.
Carter James
Keith was very professional, laid back, and a stand up guy. We shot in his rented Redbury Hotel room, bathroom, bed, and outside balcony! The Redbury Hotel got me thinking, "YES!!!! I WANT TO RENT A ROOM HERE ONE DAY SOON!!!" The word that basically sums it all up, "GORGEOUS!"
Keith Ingram
You only need to be in Carter’s presence for a few minutes to pick up on his positive energy and (once again) sense of professionalism and manners. Once I saw his Maple Leaf tattoo, I laughed and said; “So it’s true what they say about Canadians, you guys really are super polite!” That he is, but more interesting to me was that he doesn’t just present himself as a model, he’s an ENTERTAINER - and that’s what really made our shoot unique. The man knows how to pose, project, and rarity of rarities, he knows how to make a single pose tell a story in itself. Needless to say, he was pretty chill to work with. It was a true collaboration with lots of improvisation and trading of ideas.
Keith Ingram
Our session began late in the afternoon. When we lost the natural light, we switched to room light for a bit, then portable strobes. I originally had it in mind to shoot something sequential, but I abandoned that idea and decided to just let the space dictate how we’d shoot. Carter didn’t disappoint, and I hope you enjoy this sampling of our work together. I'd love to work with him again in the great outdoors. It's pretty obvious to me now that this much character and personality cannot be confined to a single room!
Carter James
It's hard to believe that photoshoot with Keith was done about a year and a half ago. Talking about this photoshoot makes it feel like just yesterday. It was a fantastic experience since Keith used a badass camera and a badass hotel room to shoot in. Would I work with Keith again? In a heart beat! :)
