David Goes for a Swim
Added 2020-04-21 20:24:44 +0000 UTCApril's model is David, a beautiful Dominican boy from New Jersey!
I first met David on instagram when he reached out to ask questions about my photography. He was struggling to come out to his friends and family and like many young gay men, he had turned to the internet to search for acceptance. I felt lucky to help build his confidence, even from afar, and assure him he was perfectly normal, and beautiful just the way he was. After all, it was only a few years ago I went through the same process of learning acceptance (hell, I still am). I remember wishing there was a photo series like this one, amidst the typically grotesque and pornographic representations of male sexuality found online. David asked if he could model when he turned 18, and I agreed.
David and I met in November, soon after his birthday. We first walked through the downtown area of his hometown at dusk, allowing him to be illuminated with passing cars and neon lights from closed shop windows. David had a warm smile, and an eager, nervous energy that was infectious. He had just begun a relationship with his first boyfriend, so we had a lot to talk about. We found a hotel with a great (empty!) pool where we could shoot privately for the rest of the night, and although the scenery wasn’t very dynamic, David’s nude body proved to be art of endless possibilities.
The first time someone poses nude is very special. There’s a visceral, immediate connection between photographer and subject, an open loving energy that creates electric moments in time. David and I discussed first love and sexuality, and explored what it meant to each of us. Contrary to many depictions of men, vulnerability is incredibly sexy. As he shared his body and his story with me, I felt honored and loved to help him grow.
I also found a surprising number of opportunities for unique color editing along the way, leading to my most intense photoshop editing job of all my shoots so far. Almost 4,000 photos taken and 315 photos chosen for editing. This month I released my entire David photo set (all 315 high-res photos in color and black & white!) to full members. Upgrade now to get a full photoshoot every month.
