Happy Halloween!

I love Halloween. Yeah, I know that is not earth shattering. If you have read FH for any length of time you know I go all ADD with the holiday graphics. Halloween is often called the 'great gay holiday' and I am sure many of you love it as well.



My love of the holiday is not just about the day it is more about the season. The time from mid September through mid December. Winter has not hit full force yet, it is cool, crisp, an energy in the air. Pumpkins, straw and apples. (can you tell I don't live in a city...). For many the summer is the time to be outside having fun. I find the muggy summer weather a bit much at times. From about mid September on I have been increasing my nightly runs, walking the dog longer than normal and heading the beach far more than I did in August. (The beach on a cool windy day is absolute Heaven to me).


Above: Photo by lens focus.

I think the reason I love Halloween is simple. It may also be a reason you do and don't even know it (I would be curious to know). When growing up knowing your different, family holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving can be stressful. When in the closet it means questions from dear Aunt Ruth about girlfriends, when Out of the closet it means whispers from cousin Miranda and scowls from Uncle Phil.

Halloween is not a family holiday. When I was a kid, after a certain age it was about leaving mom and dad at home to give out treats and running out of the house to meet your friends. As an adult it is still about gathering with people you want to be with instead of the stress of having to be with family who you may or may not get a long with. Families (and I love mine btw, most of them anyway) come with pressure. Halloween is pressure free, it is simply meant to be fun. At it core it is being exactly who the boy once pretended to be is not. Gay or straight, anyone who stresses over what 'family' holidays bring up can celebrate this day as it is for you, not them. I hope one day to incorporate this same feeling into my Christmas's as well, but until I become totally healthy, trick or treat!


You can check out my previous Halloween themed posts by clicking HERE:

Special Thanks to Melissa for today's banner! In the spirit of the day, check out Melissa's great blog Edge Of Forever which celebrates the theme of the day beautifully!

FLYFOTO Does Halloween!

The Photographer: FLYFOTO


Artist - One who is able by virtue of imagination, talent or skill to create works of aesthetic value.

I usually identify most photographers I profile as artists. Taking a great photograph is more than just the physical ability to perform the task. Great photographs, like art are often the result of forethought, imagination and knowing how to bring out the best, or something new from the subject in front of the lens.



It is not often however that I call a photographer a painter. In the case of Joey from Flyfoto I think the word fits. Not only because Joey uses make-up and color in the way many great painters do but as well because there is almost a feel in many of his photos, even when viewed on a computer screen that they were created on canvas, not on photo paper.



Although not as noticeable in this series due to the dark feel, Flyfoto combines light and color together in his work which helps creates the painting feel. His use of backlight is also a key element in setting a tone and feel for the subject. It is his use of color that has me going back to Flyfoto every time I am looking for shots for an upcoming holiday. If you search FH you will see some of his shots from this past Easter. His photos had exactly the same feel, color and even texture of a basket of Easter eggs.



Joey, who is based in Boston, has been documenting the masculinity of men for going on 20 years.

'To some, photography is a business. To me, it is a passion. It is through this amazingly creative process that I study my subjects, and always strive to find that elusive ‘precise moment’ which separates a great image, from one that captivates, enlightens, informs.'
Joey (FLYFOTO)

You can see more of Joey's work by Checking out his Blog HERE:
You can also see more of his portfolio on MM HERE:
This past week also had FLYFOTO Profiled on Beautiful Mag which you can read HERE:






The Model: Boston Aiden

24 year old Boston Aiden says of working with FLYFOTO:

'Amazing photographer-creative, respectful — has a great eye and ability to make an incredible photograph. Has the ability to make anyone feel at ease and comfortable with him and themselves. Great experience! Highly recommended.'

Aiden also enjoys creating unique and edgy images, making him the perfect model to help bring to life (or death) FLYFOTO's vision of the macabre.

e many

Just Because: Spiderman

Halloween always brings back my love of Spiderman. Spiderman was my favorite cartoon as a boy. The repeats were shown at lunchtime and on Saturday mornings. Spidey and Peter Parker presented as more non-threatening than lets say The Hulk or Superman to me. Might have been the suit... I dressed up as Spiderman several times over the year (mostly as a kid, but once in my 20's). I had spidey pj's and bed sheets (and yes long gone). On the Ev of Halloween here is a bit of a tribute to the sexy Web-Slinger.





Below: Tobey Maguire (Caps vis Superherofan).








Below: The Black Spiderman (yes that is his name). See more below
Photo by Will Michels.

-The Black Spiderman- by CC Brooks

The Black Spiderman already has quite a following on the net. Besides modeling, The Black Spiderman is also doing mixed martial arts on the side. Using his spider tattoo as a theme for his work, he has a large portfolio of images which represent the superhero well! My favorite images are by CC Brooks who took all the images here. You can find The Black Spiderman on Facebook HERE: or check out his great Blog HERE:



The Black SpiderMan
Stats:
Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 195 lbs
Chest: 42"
Waist: 31"
Shoe: 13.0
Hair color: Black
Hair length: Short
Eye color: Black
Skin color: Olive



All Photos of The Black Spiderman by Houston based photographer.CC Brooks. CC claims on his website in his portfolio you will not fine one boring photo. CC says the reason is very simple and clear, 'I LOATHE BORING photos'.

'My gift is capturing the moment and all the emotion behind it.'
CC Brooks.

Check out more of CC's work at his site HERE:

-The White SpiderMan-

Above: Tom by Silvie R.

37 year old Tom_73 is by trade a civil engineer but his need to have a creative outlet has him currently working as an art director. The German model's need for a creative outlet is more than clear in his portfolio filled with creative, edgy and powerful images.

Below: Photo by Marco Carocari.


Tom_73
Stats:
Height: 6' 1"
Weight: 198 lbs
Chest: 43"
Waist: 34"
Inseam: 34"
Shoe: 13.0
Hair color: Brown
Hair length: Medium
Eye color: Blue
Skin color: White

Below: Tom by Kalle Hardy.



Below: Tom by Niels Kolditz.


Next four amazing shots by Toni Pham.





Remaining shots of Tom, and some of my favorites, by visualizer.