'I have always been an adrenaline seeker my whole life. My mom nicknamed me Monkey when I was five years old for climbing a tall apparatus at a park. I started skateboarding when I was 10 years old and I started Parkour and freerunning when I was 15 years old.'
If you follow of the work of photographer Joseph Lally, you had the pleasure of being introduced to his work with Daniel Jensen. At the end of last week, Joseph posted close to 20 images of the 21 year old California model on his Instagram, causing a flurry of excitement on social media.
Daniel by Niel ♡ Angel
It isn't hard to figure out why, Daniel has a stand out look, beautiful hazel eyes, great facial structure, and an incredible body, all perfectly captured by Lally. I immediately headed to Daniel's own Instagram page and got lost in the many breathtaking images which show off not just his great body, but the many amazing things Daniel is able to do with it. Gravity and boundaries seem immaterial to Daniel as he accelerates through his surroundings, running, jumping, skateboarding, scaling tree's and flying through the air.
Next 8 shots from Damien Manspeaker
Many of these moments of motion were taken by photographer Damien Manspeaker. (PopJuice) Damien and Daniel make an ideal collaborative team, with matching energies that have merged to create some truly incredible images! Damien is also a friend of Daniel's who was in part, through his images, responsible for getting Daniel started in the modeling business.
'I actually never intended on modeling. I bought a camera and asked my friend Damien or as you know him on Instagram as @too_much_yogurt, who is really good at taking pictures, if he would teach me how to use my camera and we could do a photoshoot for each other. When we arrived at the location I slipped on mud and my shirt got dirty so I took it off. Damien looked at me and said "OH MY GOD. DO NOT PUT YOUR SHIRT BACK ON!" and started to take pictures of me shirtless. I uploaded those pictures to Instagram and Facebook and they drew a huge liking! Thats when I saw the potential I had. I started doing more photoshoots with him and then a talent agent found me.'
One of Damien's first shots of Daniel that drew those many likes!
After spending some time with Daniel's images, I knew I wanted to share and feature his work on FH. I followed the link on Daniel's page to Faraj Management, and within a day, Faraj had me in contact with Daniel who welcomed a feature, and my long list of questions. Those first images from Damien were just taken last year and I was particularly interested in the many changes, from leaving the military, and starting a modeling career, which have all occurred in a relatively short time span.
'I've had so many new and exciting experiences this year! Every time I meet a new photographer there is a new essence to the photoshoot. I think in all the learning experience is what I enjoy the most collectively from all the photographers I've worked with. One time I actually got naked in the middle of a huge cemetery for a funny photoshoot with Damien! That was my first time getting naked in a public location.'
Being new to modeling sometimes means maneuvering between photographers who want to create artist images, and photographers who just want to get you naked. How are you handing weaving through this given you're fairly new to modeling?
🔹I have had photographers ask or change the agreement closer to my arrival to location and I had to cancel the shoot because they tried to be sly. Its not too hard because most photographers are upfront and its easy to just say no to a request.
What factors did you weigh before deciding to do nude/implied nudes?
🔹What are my parents going to think when they find out or even see those photos? I don't know but I hope in the end they are proud of how far I've gotten at that point with my career.
Did the response from friends/family enter into your decision making process?
🔹I weighed the odds and told myself that I can't let others stop me from doing something I want to pursue. My family and friends all support me though and are love the progress I'm making. I love them all very much for their support!
Is it strange having women and men lusting over you virtually on-line?
🔹I don't mind the thought of that reality. In a way it is very flattering! My newly found fans are very excited for new content and love show their love with comments and likes.
Can you share the stories behind your tattoos?
🔹The Pigeon tattoo was my first tattoo. I got it because I love pigeons and thought I might as well get something I love as a tattoo. The Black Panther tattoo was my second tattoo. I got that because I showed the picture to a friend who was looking for tattoo ideas and he said it would look stupid so I went and got it to prove him wrong. The Sun/Moon tattoo is my third tattoo and final for now. I got it spontaneously wanting to kill an hour of time.
What would you consider the most important thing you took from your time in the military?
🔹I learned how to conceal my emotions and thoughts and rationalize situations in strategic ways. I also learned how to control my bearing and many useful life hacks. Ultimately I learned how to work out and that is what helped men to sculpt my body from scrawny to toned and muscular.
Any feedback on your images from any of your military friends?
🔹My military friends are impressed and congratulate me every now and then on my progress.
Remaining shots from Joseph Lally
Skateboarding vs Gym Workouts?
🔹I actually need to start skateboarding more often to strengthen my calves because its very hard to do that in the gym compared to the natural work out of pushing yourself on a skateboard.
What part of your body are you most happy with? What part gets the most attention from others?
🔹I am actually most happy with my legs. They don't look as strong as they really are. I don't normally do a squat or leg press work out for leg day. I have my own work out and it helps me jump high and far. Most people love my arms and my back muscle.
Where does your confidence in front of the camera come from?
🔹My photographers instruct me to be me and so some of the images they capture are me trying to practice talking with my eyes. I haven't perfected that yet so the images may send weird messages but I also like to show creative and fun active photos of climbing and flipping to show a wild and fun side of myself.
Why do you like most about modeling?
🔹I like that I am getting paid to stay fit and take care of my body. I also look forward to traveling the world on trips to photoshoot locations when I am assigned to agencies. Right now I have so many options I can't decide. I am open to many paths in the industry and looking forward to my options and opportunities in the near future.
