Beanie Cap Guy

Photographic Influences

Contemporary influences include Herb Ritts, Bruce Weber, Greg Gorman, Annie Liebovitz, Paul Freeman and Claire Jean among many others.

Bruce Weber...

Herb Ritts...

Ritts and Weber created imagery in the beginning of my career that somehow made it acceptable to photograph men with unapologetic openness.

 

Annie Liebovitz

Liebovitz's work made it clear that her comfort with and respect for the people she photographed created a level of intimacy in her portraiture that stood her apart from the crowd.

 

Greg Gorman...

Greg Gorman's black & white nudes in his book "As I See It" speaks to a trust and intimacy with his models that I aspire to and am inspired by.

 

Paul Freeman...

Paul Freeman has given us skillfully crafted portraits of both male and female athletes that echo the classic Greco-Roman status and veneration once reserved for the Gods.

 

Claire Jean...

And finally, French artist and photographer Claire Jean who lives in Brazil creates with a joy for people, earth and color that has excited me and riveted my attention more than any other living artist.

While the work of these gifted photographers has inspired me over the years it doesn't generate in my a desire to copy them, but rather rather join them in their unabashed love of what they do and to craft with the same skill and passion they do.

Narcissus

Matt as Narcissus photographed on the north shores of the Great Salt Lake

The Copper Pot...

David floats in the waters of the Great Salt Lake, a pounded copper pot in hand and the light from a solar eclipse bathing him in its cool cool light...

The Effects of the Solar Eclipse

I thought it would be interesting to show you what the effects of the Annular Solar Eclipse were on David, the model I was working with when it took place. 

Here side by side are David and Duma who both have similar body types and almost identical skin tones which makes the comparison easier to see. Both pictures were taken at the same time of day when the sun was at almost the same place in the sky. And they were taken in the same location at the north end of the Great Salt Lake with almost identical surrounding elements. I shot both of them with my Nikkor 105 1.8 manual lens with an ISO of 100 and the white balance set for partial shade to offset all the blue. Both images were shot using Adobe RGB color space. Except for being shot a year apart from each other all of the givens are pretty much the same. The one major variable here is that David still had some of the dried terra cotta clay on his body. Had it not been there his skin would have been even more pale than it is. 

Sculptor

Sculptor Dave Pletsch under the light of the Annuar Solar Eclipse - May 20th 2012

 

Ignudo

Ritorno Con Gusto

After nearly a year's absence from blogging I'm returning so that I can have more freedom to post the imagery and thoughts that are relevant to my life at this point. The resolution of the images is intact here and that alone makes this a more desirable venue for sharing my pictures. I'm also able to share the nudes here and that more perfectly aligns with my core desires and moral compass. I don't consider my work pornographic and it compromises my integrity to be subject to censorship and the prudery of others. Not to mention irritating the hell out of me! :-) So thanks to all of you who continue to express an interest in my work and I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter...

Tom

DUMA - my newest book

A year in the making, DUMA is the story of a wild and crazy road trip that first brought Duma and I together as artists and lovers. The relationship is over but the images have taken on a life of their own in this 120 page book featuring my favorite work from our time together. You can preview the book in its entirety online here. 

Annular Solar Eclipse

When I first heard about the Annular Solar Eclipse on its way to us on May 20th I knew immediately I had to be out on the Great Salt Lake when it happened. But I also had to find the right person to work with and my search turned up a beautiful and gifted sculptor named Dave who stepped effortlessly into my imaginations and delivered on the promise I'd seen in his pictures. Here are some early images from our shoot out on the far north end of The Great Salt Lake in Utah in an area I've now nicknamed Stonehenge. These were all crafted just before, during and just after the Annular Solar Eclipse of May 20th 2012.

For the beginning of our journey together as artists, sculptor David Pletsch crafted an animal totem from natural terra cotta clay and then offered it up to Mother Earth just as the Annular Solar Eclipse began on May 20th 2012. After offerings and blessings were made David left the totem there on the rock as a gift to the earth.

This is the first in a series wherein David will sculpt various offerings to the earth, leaving them where they were crafted as we move on from the setting towards a new destination in the wild places of Utah.

Pieta`

Recently I took Duma and one of my favorite models Andy out to the Great Salt Lake Desert to do some pictures. I had a feeling they would be wonderful together and persisted in making this shoot happen. Here are some of the pictures that reinforce how important it is for me to trust my instincts when it comes to the people I photograph. Duma Sully and Andy Rawlings photographed out on the vast expanses of the Great Salt Lake Desert...

Pieta` featuring Duma Sully (left) and Andy Rawlings

 

 

Sage King...

He was very young when the crown became his and he wore it well. Alone in the desert he let the sage, the sun and the stones inform his thoughts and he danced upon the earth while the blue blue sky bathed him in its clarity. His rule was long and through it all he honored Mother Earth and shared her simplicty and wisdom with those in whom his guardianship was trusted.  When he died his body was taken to the highest rocks and burned; those same rocks upon which he had so often danced and played. When you visit the desert late in the day you can see his ashes still dancing there amongst the sands and the sage, awash in the glow of the setting sun in the western sky. This is the land that he loved and that will keep him safe along his way.

Winged Victory...

 

Diana Dennis photographed in my studio in Hollywood. These were shot with a Zeiss 150 on Plus-X 220 and scanned from the original negatives. Additional texturing added in photoshop.

David and Duma...

 

The great love of Michelangelo's life was Tommaso dei Cavalieri (c. 1509–1587) who was 23 years old when Michelangelo met him in 1532 at the age of 57. Cavalieri reciprocated the affection: "I swear to return your love. Never have I loved a man more than I love you, never have I wished for a friendship more than I wish for yours." They remained devoted to each other until Michelangelo's death at 89.

Duma is 22 and I'm 57

Pussy Cap Ads...

 
I'm working on a new series of ads for my Pussy Caps - aiming for a subtle continuity from image to image. Here are some of the ads so far...

 

 

Russ & The White Angora Blanket...

 

I photographed Russ on a cold windy day at the Little Sahara Sand Dunes in Utah. For most of the shoot he was bundled up but the white angora blanket carries the tradition of complete nakedness underneath it. Weaned in the waters of the Pacific in Southern California, Russ is no stranger to the cold; he slipped into the blanket without a hesitation and we crafted these images that I've become so fond of.

There are many thousands of men and women who've come and gone from in front of my cameras over the years. Russ stands out from the crowd, as much for his warm and engaging personality as for his great physical beauty. I love working with him and will be doing it again soon.

The White Angora Blanket continues its journey and will never be washed; it carries the DNA of a lot of beautiful people and will continue to gather more as the years go by. The project is ongoing and will continue until I die, at which time the blanket will become my daughter's along with the collection of images that feature it. Let me know if you'd like to be a part of the journey. The only stipulation that comes with being photographed with the White Angora Blanket is that you be completely naked underneath it. How much of your body you show or don't show is up to you.

 

Chauncey...

Salt Lake City artist Chauncey Secrist came across my radar a few months ago at a bday party for Erica Salti. Took about 15 seconds to figure out that I wanted to work with him.  So here you go, the talented and handsome Chauncey...