'I know the conventional wisdom in modeling seems to lean towards serious facial expressions, but I think some of the best images happen when a model is relaxed and having fun. That mood yields some very appealing smiles.'
We often assume, that we're are at our most bare when completely naked. My experience has been, that clothing isn't the only way to shield. I have seen many shots of models, even featured a few, that even when naked, are not really exposed. Some hide behind props, some merge into background or poses. Many use their faces to remain hidden, giving nothing away with their eyes or expressions. Although their face may be visible, it remains a mask, covering not what, but who we are looking at within the image.
One of the hardest things to capture, is a natural smile. When feeling uncomfortable or insecure, on the first things people do is suppress and minimize our facial expressions. More than the size or shape of any particular body part, nothing exposes more about us than our eyes, nose and mouth. The ability to express a smile naturally, especially when on camera, is a sign of confidence, being comfortable, and a healthy sense of self.
Model JayCee has a great body, tall, lean and fit. It's was his sexy and engaging face and smile however that first grabbed my attention. JayCee's eyelashes, lips, dimples, jawline an smile were the first things I noticed, and the features I most wanted to see more. As you can see from this collection of images, California photographer TCorrigan felt exactly same way, and Tom captured an impressive array of images including many shots which focus on JayCee's face and killer smile.
For Tom, photography has always been one of his artistic outlets, but up until a couple of years ago, his primary focus was on landscapes. Tom's love of the human form, especially of the male variety, made switch his a focus a natural progression of his work. Although a great landscape can be visually breathtaking, they can be limiting creatively. Tom finds working with live, dynamic human subjects allows him more opportunities to use wardrobe, lighting and location to create different moods and emotions, and the opportunity to reveal more about his subject in front of lens.
'When I book a model, I like to do some studio shots and at least one or two location shoots as well. I like to capture a large number of varied shots, so that I can see the model from different perspectives. I enjoy using wardrobe to help develop a feel for a shot, but nudes are even more interesting to me. A successful nude shot can be difficult. It takes a certain skill to help a model look relaxed or sensual in a nude shot. I enjoy that challenge and I always look for ways to improve my next shoot.'
TCorrigan
Tom discovered JayCee's images on Model Mayhem, and in addition to noticing his great face, was impressed with many of his interesting poses. Tom's practice is to always talk with models before a shoot, this helps him get a feel for their personalities, and for them to get to know his. It is also a great time to finalize wardrobe, locations discuss what each of their goals are for the shoot.
'JayCee was enthusiastic about the shoot and I knew at that point that we would make some great images. We worked so well together that we scheduled a second shoot a few weeks later. We captured a completely different feel in the second shoot, which yielded several great images.'
In his work with JayCee, it is clear to me that Tom more than accomplished his goals. From both his location shoot, and second studio shoot, Tom captured a full spectrum of looks from fashion to fitness to striking portraits and full nudes. In almost every image, JayCee's face, especially his beautiful eyes, act as sort of an emotional barometer, elevating the enjoyment experienced with each of Tom's shots.
