Beautiful

Ronald N. Tan’s Personal Project Muse: Sukh and I (Conclusion)

EVEN IN 2010, THE CURRENT MAINSTREAM POP CULTURE IN BURMA IS STILL FASHIONABLY CONSERVATIVE FROM THE WESTERN PERSPECTIVE. TOPICS OF SEX IN MOVIES ARE STILL "TABOO," AND KEPT AT A BARE MINIMUM OR CENSORED BY THE BURMESE FILM BOARD. THIS GIVEN INSPIRED RONALD N. TAN TO EXPRESS HIS DEFIANCE TOWARDS HIS BURMESE UPBRINGING BY CAPTURING WHAT HE FINDS BEAUTIFUL -THE ELUSIVE MALE BEAUTY - IN PROVOCATIVE AND HIGHLY SEXUALIZED IMAGES OF MEN. THIS WAS THE BASE FOR A DEDICATION, WHAT HE SIMPLY CALLS PERSONAL PROJECT.

"One of my greatest joys overs the years since I started chasing my dreams of being a photographer was meeting the shy and self-confidence lacking East Indian named, Sukhdeep Maan in 2008. I was living in Los Angeles and visited home in Sacramento. I was the person whom help rebuild his self-confidence. Once I headed back south for Los Angeles, I have not seen Sukh until February 2010 when him and I conceived Personal Project." – Ronald N. Tan, August 2010.

Originally, Ronald N. Tan’s Personal Project was going to be all East Indian/Middle Eastern/Persian male subjects. But he came to realize that had he continued with that goal, he was setting Personal Project up for failure. Sukh was a special and rare find! Ronald’s Burmese culture and the greater East Indian culture is very hush-hush on these type of images. As he evolved in photographic craftsmanship and no longer afraid to sexually explore these blunt and provocative images of men, Personal Project evolved to welcomed men of differing ethnic backgrounds with a caveat that volunteers must be new to the nude modeling genre so that both volunteer and him would mature into the project together.

"August 27, 2010 was the day both Sukh and I decided it would be his last official contribution towards PP; however I told him he’s welcome to contribute unofficially with the only rule that each subsequent contribution is to get more deeper into exploring blurring of lines and comfort zones. We’ll see how those future explorations between my PP muse and I will develop." – Ronald N. Tan, August 2010.

These photographs are amongst Ronald N. Tan’s favorites during the voyeuristic shower fantasy he shared with Sukh. He wanted to pay a slight homage to the shower images of the once famous male super model, Mr. Marcus Schenkenberg’s famous shower photograph captured by one of Ronald’s own idols, Mr. Bruce Weber. This is Sukh’s final performance of his curtain call… for now. Ronald's Personal Project is available for viewing on his website and blog, and another proof of this young photographers integrity and great sense for class and style and his sensitivity of the things that matter. –B-

Read also: BeautifulMag Interview | Ronald N. Tan, Personal Project.

RONALD N. TAN | BEAUTIFULMAG

Sergei Yahchybekov's Memoirs of A Boy

IF WE HAD CHILDREN OURSELVES, I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS I WOULD GIVE THEM IS TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHATEVER YOU DO, YOUR ACTIONS AND DECISIONS WILL COLOUR YOUR ADULT LIFE. YOU DON’T ALWAYS HAVE THINGS IN YOUR OWN HAND AS A CHILD, BUT SOMEHOW IT WOULD BE GOOD TO KNOW  AND ANTICIPATE THAT EVERYTHING LEADS TO WHAT YOU TURN OUT TO BE.

With a name such as Sergei Yahchybekov, you probably won’t immediately think about someone who lives and Works in Toronto, Canada. Still that is exactly where Sergei does his magic. But you were right with your first thoughts. Sergei Yahchybekov was born on August 24 (happy birthday Sergei) in 1986 in a beautiful old town called Lviv, located in western Ukraine. He thanks his features to a combination of Ukrainian and Russian blood with a bit of Armenian in the mix. Spending his childhood years in picturesque Lviv, Sergei got inspired at Young age by the art, architecture and culture that shaped his every day life. Until he moved to Canada at age 10.

Not being able to communicate in English, Sergei Yahchybekov experienced his first years in Canada as harsh. It was a rough time for him as a Small boy, feeling like an outsider and not being able to make friends because he was so different from everyone else. It seemed inevitable Sergei became depressed and had serious doubts about his life in Canada. These strong emotions that he experienced as a young boy still linger in his soul and these feelings of loneliness make way in his photography. Especially his self portraits.

Growing up as a loner, Sergei wasn’t the coolest kid at high school. Still this was where he first gained more self confidence, simply due to the fact he discovered he was smart and earned respect for that from his classmates. "I started embracing and accepting myself during this time and started expressing myself with photography," Sergei comments while explaining how he first got introduced to photography. "Up until this day, photography has given me an output and a connection to many people that I don't think I would've had otherwise. I like giving people a look inside of me and hope that they get to know some part of me through my photos."

Sergei Yahchybekov is a romantic at heart and that is often where his inspiration comes from. Seeing beauty in everything around him, he started out shooting urban landscapes. But soon he evolved into portraiture and editorial fashion. His self portraits are exceptional. Inspired by strong emotions, such as love, relationships and life itself, Sergei has captured himself in ways no one else probably could. He obviously puts a lot of thought in every photograph. Life taught Sergei to be self-sufficient which has lead to a very independent style in his work, with little to no influence from other famous artists in his universe. It also made him decide to self-publish his first photo book called Noir, a dedication to the mysterious yet raw, stark and timeless quality of black & white photography. Sergei Yahchybekov life hasn’t been an easy one, but it did bring him onto a path of creating strong, independent and beautiful art. –B-

Besides admiring his work on his professional website Sergei Yahchybekov can also be found on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. His personal work can be found on his Flickr account.

SERGEI YAHCHYBEKOV | BEAUTIFULMAG

Exposing Sylvain Norget

EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER STOOD IN THE SPOTLIGHT KNOWS THAT PUTTING YOURSELF OUT THERE REQUIRES QUITE SOME COURAGE. IT REALLY ISN’T THAT EASY TO PUT YOURSELF IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE. KNOWING THAT YOU ARE EXPOSED TO EVERYBODY AND THEY WILL ALL JUDGE YOU FAR WHAT YOU DO, WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU SAY.

Exposure. That is what it all comes down to in photography. And than we are not talking about the technical term. The process of creation is a beautiful one. Having an idea, a concept and slowly seeing it taking shape in your mind. Than the process of visualizing it with the tools at hand. Whether it is photography or something else, the process of creation requires you put a lot of personality and emotion in your work. And when it is done and you are ready to share it with the rest of the world, that is when it really gets scary.

For photographers the moment to publish their work is always an exciting time. What will it look like through the eyes of others? How critical will the audience be? But no matter what, it is a creation that, even though sprouted from their mind, is something they can still distantiate themselves from if necessary. For models, it is a bit different. They really put themselves out there, for everyone to see; Every little imperfection is visible for the eye of the world. But even then, they are not completely responsible for the final result. Since model photography is most of the time a process that involves two. Most of the time.

It gets really scary is when you work all by yourself. Meaning, when you are model and photographer at the same time. That is when your creations are truly yours and yours alone. That is when there is no one else responsible. No one else to blame when things go wrong. And no one else to praise when the result exceeds your expectations. Bordeaux based photographer Sylvain Norget is such a man. Besides his excellent work with other models, Sylvain is also known for his daring portraiture of himself. Usually in unusual situations, poses or characters. Sylvain knows as so one else the thrill of putting yourself out there. Exposing yourself to the world in a way you envisioned for yourself. Sharing an intimate idea, a concept that started with you alone, and boldly placing it on front of an audience, with no excuses and no shame. Sylvain also knows as no other the euphory that comes with the excitement of the exposure. Because Sylvain Norget is a master when it comes to self portraits and daring settings.

We know Sylvain Norget from his The Naked Rabbit Project, a series of photos in which he poses with, mostly, nothing else but a rabbit mask. The project was his way of dealing with his fear for the furry animal, and the portfolio received outstanding critics. Being one of the winners of the 2009 Transfiguration Contest held in Barcelona, Sylvain has also shown he is not afraid to show his face without the rabbit mask. Always in some kind of extravagant or provocative setting, Sylvan seems to be daring his audience to question him. Always sexy. Always seductive. Always surprising. We have but one question for Sylvain Norget. What’s next? –B-

SYLVAIN NORGET | BEAUTIFULMAG

Taking Michael Doxtad to Bed

WORKING ON BEAUTIFUL HAS BROUGHT US TO PLACES YOU CAN NOT EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE. OK MAYBE YOU CAN, BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT I HAD IN MIND. I WAS MORE TALKING ABOUT VERY PERSONAL, VERY INTIMATE PLACES. SUCH AS THE BEDROOM OF KRISTOPHER KELLY. JEALOUS? I BET YOU ARE.

It never cease to amaze us to see where photographers do their magic. Some use real studios, complete with props and all. But others work with whatever they feel comfortable with. Kristopher Kelly is such a man. He is the kind of artist who can get inspired by something and turn a perfectly normal place into a whole new universe. You might remember his series with Daniel Miller, shot in a dirty toilet. We have seen that restroom in its original state and believe me, it has nothing to do with the way Kristopher redecorated it.

When Michael Doxtad came to Kristopher with the request to do a portfolio series, Kristopher felt he wanted to do something edgy and sexy in terms of concept. Since it is not always easy to find a good environment for such a shoot, Kristopher decided to use his own bedroom. Which of course did need to undergo some modifications. Now we have seen this bedroom ourselves and it is a very neath and stylish room. Nothing to do with what you see on these photographs. Believe me if I say that chaos never comes in a spontaneous way. It is well staged and organized.

Anyway, Mike definitely hit the mark with Kristopher’s concept. Only 20 years old, Michael has been around the block and obviously has got what it takes that makes the difference between a good model and a great model. He is the kind of guy to arrive at a shoot with an open mind and really ready and willing to try anything you throw at him. Et voila… the result is here… a series of stunning images that places Kristopher Kelly and us literally in the role of a voyeur, watching Michael Doxtad taking himself to bed and doing things to himself that you could only wish he would do to you. And even though Mike’s poses indicate he seems relaxed and casual, the mess he made in the bedroom is a clear indication of a very passionate moment. –B-

KRISTOPHER KELLY | BEAUTIFULMAG
MICHAEL DOXTAD | BEAUTIFULMAG

The Last Evening

JUST IMAGINE, YOU ARE IN PRISON FOR SOME UNIMAGINABLE CRIME AND SENTENCED TO DEATH. YEAH I KNOW, A BIT ABSTRACT MAYBE, BUT NOT AT ALL THAT UNREALISTIC. SO PLACE YOURSELF IN THAT POSITION. WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND. HOW DO YOU CONTINUE LIVING YOUR LIFE. AND MOST OF ALL, HOW DO YOU FEEL THE EVENING BEFORE YOUR LAST DAY?

Recently New York photographer Joe TickNow went grocery shopping. This by itself is hardly the effort of mentioning. I am convinced Joe does this all the time. But this time he came home with not only his groceries, but also the excitement of a possible new project. Because while shopping, Joe met the artist/painter Stephen Arnold Workman. "I met Stephen by accident at the grocery store," Joe remembers. "I don’t know what I was thinking but I just gave him my business card and told him if  "Check out my website, if you like my style, let shoot !!!" and I didn’t even introducing myself, who I am."

To make a long story short, Stephen Workman decided to hold Joe to his promise and sent him an email only 4 hours after they initially met. He had checked out Joe’s website and was impressed by his work. Enough to encourage himself to put himself in front of Joe TickNow’s camera in order to being transformed into a piece of art instead of being the artist himself. The two talented guys started a fruitful email conversation with as goal to get to know each other a bit better and understand each others expectations. Being impressed by Stephen’s first physical introduction already, Joe was inspired to leverage the painter’s strong masculine and rough image and came with the idea to portrait Stephen as a prisoner on his last evening before execution.

The Last Evening is a portrait series that combines Joe TickNow’s conceptual vision with an artistic style and approach inspired by his subject Stephen Arnold Workman. The emotional concept by itself is beautifully visualized by Stephen. The photographs display and intensity and loneliness that you can imagine to be part of a prisoners last night by himself. The graphic and text elements seem to be a visualization of the thoughts going the thoughts going through his head. You can imagine him seeing his life flashing in front of him and while mentally preparing himself for the inevitable end, taking one last look over the wall to a freedom he would never enjoy again. The Last Evening is another victorious accomplishment by Joe TickNow and a wonderful introduction of Stephen Workman as male model. –B-

STEPHEN WORKMAN | BEAUTIFULMAG
JOE TICKNOW | BEAUTIFULMAG

Calvin Brockington: A Man of Colour

CALVIN BROCKINGTON IS BLACK. BORN TO AN ADDICTED MOTHER HE LIVED WITH HIS GRANDMOTHER. UNTIL SHE HAD STROKE AND DIED AND THE GOVERNMENT PLACED HIM IN A FOSTER HOME. AT THE AGE OF 8 YEARS, CALVIN ALL OF A SUDDEN FOUND HIM IN A WHITE NEIGHBORHOOD, CULTURALLY AND HISTORICALLY CONFUSED.

Little do we know when we are born. Little do we know of what life has in stock for us growing up. When Calvin Brockington’s grandma died, he got himself new foster parents. His new mom was Polish. His dad Irish. He got white brothers and sister, lived in an all white neighborhood, went to a white school and a white church and had white friends. Black children didn’t know how to accept him. Thought he had turned on his own kind. But Calvin was only 8 and did what he had to do to survive. And even though his foster family was loving and sweet, for Calvin it was a time on confusion. But also a time that made him the man he is now. A survivor.

Calvin Brockington is a fashion photographer based in Dallas, Texas. He has been doing this since for only 3 months now but started 8 years ago in Florida. Confused? Yeah, we thought so. Calvin started working in photography while living in Miami. There he worked for several agencies but the restrictions that kind of work brought, was cause of so much creative frustration for Calvin that he decided to just give up. And so it happened he sold all his equipment, moved to Dallas and took a job as make up artist for an L.A. based company. But that didn’t mast very long. Calvin got diagnosed with Lymphoma and needed to spend all his time and energy on himself and his survival.

Little do we know what life has in stock for us. So we take what we get and make the best of it.
Calvin Brockington learned at young age that nothing comes without a fight. And that attitude made him beat his illness. That attitude also made him realize that life is far to short to have any regrets. He decided he would never be that person who wished he had chased his dream. He wanted to be that person who made it all happen. Calvin realized he loved photography and he missed photography. And so he went on line, purchased the best camera he could afford and put himself right back into the game. And this time around, it was Calvin Brockington who set the rules, shooting what he wants to shoot: men of colour. –B-

Models: Eric Crawley | Dustin Chase | Chris Simmons | Max.

CALVIN BROCKINGTON | BEAUTIFULMAG

Mermen Live in Poland

MERMAIDS ARE MYTHOLOGICAL AQUATIC CREATURES, HALF WOMAN AND HALF FISH. ALL THEY DO IS SING AND SEDUCE SAILORS, CARRYING THEM TO THEIR UNDERWATER KINGDOM WHILE FORGETTING HUMANS CAN’T REALLY BREATH UNDERWATER. OF COURSE WE ALL KNOW MERMAIDS DON’T EXISTS. BUT MERMEN. THAT IS A COMPLETE DIFFERENT STORY.

Mermen are legendary water spirits and the male equivalent of the  popular mermaids. Much less known, they are often portrayed with green seaweed-like hair, pig like little eyes, a red nose an green pointed teeth. Completely stupid of course. Because we know as a fact that mermen are stunning examples of masculinity. Dark haired, broad-chested fellows, with light blue eyes that shine light reflections on the surface of the ocean and strong and melancholic facial features. And unlike the stories, they do not have a fishtail from their waist down. That would be a shame, wouldn’t it. No, mermen are mostly seen in tight fitting blue jeans. Wet of course. One element in mythology is true though. Mermen are rare. You don’t see them every day. In fact, you hardly see them at all. But if you want to see one, we happen to know that the best place to spot them is Poland.

Earlier this year we introduced you to Maciej Grochala. Maciej – Mat for his friends – is a 41 years old photographer living and working in Poland. Following his interest and the inspiration he found in some masters of photography, he picked up the art himself and rapidly developed himself as a well skilled, self-taught photographer. As we mentioned before, it is still not so easy in Poland to find men who are willing to bare it all in front of a camera, but Maciej is blessed with a large group of friends and acquaintances, who also have other friends and acquaintances. And so, through the never failing system of word to mouth, Mat has been able to built quite an interesting portfolio of male model imagery, next to his other work such as architecture, fashion and art photography.

Jacub Jasinski was born in the little town of Olecko but has since then moved to Gdańsk. Gdańsk is one of Poland’s bigger cities and is located at the border to the Baltic Sea. Gdańsk is know for a local liqueur, called Goldwasser (gold water) and the creation of this alcoholic beverage is a legend by itself, that brings us back to the topic of today. In the center of the city stands an impressive fountain, sculpted in the person of Neptune. The fountain has been a symbol for Gdańsk since it was erected in 1633. As it seems to be common with monumental fountain, many people started to throw coins in the basin. Something that after a little while became quiet an annoyance for the King of the Seas. In fact Neptune, already know for his short temper, became to irritated with all that gold, he raised his trident and hit the water so hard that the gold fell into pieces, forming small golden flakes which now shine in the tasty herbal liqueur.

Inspired by this tale, Maciej Grochala took his latest discovery Jacub Jasinski to the water front and had him pose between the mossy rocks that give the Gdansk coastline such a mysterious and romantic look. The result: a set of portraits that places Jacub in the character of a modern day Neptune, a merman that, if you want, could seduce you with one look of his light blue eyes and take you with him into the deep to dwell forever is his exotic underwater kingdom. –B-
MACIEJ GROCHALA | BEAUTIFULMAG