'I'm down like a clown in the underground.'
The second I saw my first image of Zach Clemens from photographer Alain from studioAtruong, I felt the pulse. There was an energy and spark you could literally feel ignite and explode from the work. Alain, as he did with Joey, who I featured last fall and winter. Alain has the eye, and the skill, to beautifully capture the spark at the core of the subjects he shoots. Without a doubt he captured those unique qualities within Zach that make him so appealing and... so unique. The top quote above are Zach's words of support to my request t feature his images. Those words only cemented and mirrored the fun, adventure and erotic unpredictability Zach brings to his work.
'My goals are primarily financial. Gotta stack that paper and pile that cheese high. I figure I'll cast my image out there like a fisherman using bait. If I get any sponsors of my appearance, hooray! In terms of modelling, I'm down with whatever's groovy, and love to learn and experiment.'
When someone has a spark, that 'it' factor so often talked about, it can be difficult to define its core. With Zach however, there are several factor in play which make up why he so magical in front of Alain's camera. It begins of course with his look, part adorable frat boy mixed with just a helping dosage of Tumnus and maybe a dash of Marilyn Monroe. Great body, devilish grin and of course those incredible green eyes.
'What eyes! This is what EYES should look like, right? beautiful beyond words. I've been doodling eyes since I was a kid. Beautiful eyes have always fascinated me.... the kind that Elizabeth Taylor possessed and the kind of Zach possesses. As much as I love the naked male form, really, my interest lies more in their faces and eyes. Headshots are definitely my forte.'
So Alain throws in an Elizabeth Taylor reference, and I write Zach has a dash of Marilyn Monroe... These references are not about gender, they are all about that spark I keep coming back to. Taylor and Monroe both had qualities that made them rise above the rest to stand out and shine on screen. I find Zach's movement and poses quite unique to male modeling, with the image below specifically harking back to Monroe. Zach pulls it off beautifully, masculine, but with a bit of tease, erotically charged, and timeless just the aforementioned icons. Look for more of Alain's work with Zach next week on FH.
'I spotted lots of potential in young Zach. He looks stunning and he exudes such youthfulness and vitality. His emotions are real and they come through in the photos. Zach is very young yet very mature in that he's willing to learn and improve as a model. It's so easy to get lost in Zach's mesmerizing eyes. What I enjoyed the most was his boyish laughter and giggles whenever I teased him or when he was playing with my cat (who wanted to model, too). Zach exudes boyish sensuality and beauty in all of his photos.'
