Benjamin by Mark Grantham

The Chocolatier:
Benjamin by Mark Grantham



It is always a joy to showcase the work, the passion, of Santa Cruz based photographer Mark Grantham. I have featured Mark's work many times on FH and am always blown away by his ability to capture the male body in new and creative ways. Mark shoots men the same way one might capture architecture with a focus on angle, on lines, shape and form. In one of my features on Mark' work (The Beauty Of Lines) Mark said the following;

'I approach each shoot with an eye for creating art... for creating something unique... for making the model shine... for grabbing the attention of the viewer... for creating a bit of mystery or wonder... Each of us is unique, so why create the same image over and over? '
Mark Grantham



I was recently pulled back to Mark's work and his work with Benjamin really caught my eye. On his site, Mark Grantham: Photographer a section is devoted to his shoots with Benjamin and I loved the work, especially the shots of Benjamin standing alone, naked, on the highway (see one below), which are exceptional.



'Benjamin was an amazing model - one of my first muses really. He was also one of my first digital subjects - a point that was driven home when I lost part of our first shoot somehow (he readily agreed to reshoot the lost material the next week further proving what a great guy he was). All told we worked together 3 times.'



'About the time of our 3rd shoot he was shot for Playgirl Magazine, appearing a few months later as the centerfold. By the time the magazine came out he had already stopped modeling (it was just a lark for him in the first place). I lost track of him for several years, but we found each other again on line last year. He is now a chocolatier, creating hand crafted gourmet chocolates for gourmet markets.'



Benjamin is also the focus of one of Mark's books (Benjamin 2008) with close to 50 pages of the incredible images of Mark created with Benjamin. You can check out more of Mark's books and preview Benjamin on blurb HERE:




Mark Grantham Official Site:
Mark Grantham on Model Mayhem:
Benjamin by Mark Grantham on blurb:

Randall by Mike Tossy & Mark Grantham

Randall by Mike Tossy


It is always interesting to see how a subject is captured through the eye of different artists. We all see things slightly different and it is fascinating to see the slight, and not so slight, differences in how two or more artists choose to capture it. In my second outing of Perspective with Mark Grantham and Mike Tossy, the photographers, not surprisingly, are travelling, this time in Hawaii.



Mark and Mike met Randall on a beach in Maui. Mark says he is a bit of wimp when it comes to walking up to great looking guys and asking if they might be interested in modeling, he says Mike is the braver one of the two for that task. After Mike talked with Randall they all met up the next morning at the beach to shoot. Randall obviously enjoyed the experience as they followed up a day later with a couple of other locations on the island, including a giant bamboo grove and an abandoned mill.



Although many photographers would have been quite satisfied shooting a hot guy on a beautiful beach in Maui. It is no surprise to me though that Mark and Mike followed the beach up with the bamboo grove and abandoned mill. In every shoot, whether at home in Santa Cruz or traveling the globe, the architectural blending of model with environment is always beautifully manifested within Mark and Mike's images. Their use of lines with body and bamboo and having Randall not just laying on sand, but apart of it, is one of the reasons the work of Mike Tossy and Mark Grantham always captivates and impresses me.



Mike Tossy Official Site:
Mike Tossy on ModelMayhem:






Randall by Mark Grantham


Mark Grantham Official Site:
Mark Grantham on ModelMayhem:

The Beauty Of Lines: Mark Grantham

'Photography is about capturing textures, patterns, shapes, tones, color, light and lines. The sum of all these attributes makes a photograph worth looking at.'
Omar Upegui R.



This past October photographer Bill McClaren introduced me to his work with CaSon MacBride and he Michael Puff's work with Damon Mahoney. Both CaSon and Damon are dancers and and in front of the lens were pure magic.
What a spectacular gift then to find that CaSon and Damon were photographed together by one of my favorite chronicler's of movement, photographer Mark Grantham.



I first posted about Mark's work over two years ago. I was immediately drawn to his work as he is a master at capturing moments of movement. When I think of Mark Grantham I think of space. Mark's work is not just about the body in motion it is equally about the space in which that motion occurs. If you have ever found yourself alone in a large empty space something magic often happens. I don't know about you but when I have been all alone, completely alone in a gym, a church an office building I begin to act, to move in away I would not do if the eyes of others were upon me. I run, I dance, I sing loudly. I am sure you have all had a similar experience. This feeling is powerfully freeing. Alone or with someone you trust in a large space, a warehouse, inhibitions disappear and the magic begins. It is precisely this feeling that Mark Grantham captures so exactly, so beautifully.



'I approach each shoot with an eye for creating art... for creating something unique... for making the model shine... for grabbing the attention of the viewer... for creating a bit of mystery or wonder... Each of us is unique, so why create the same image over and over? '
Mark Grantham

One gets the feeling from Mark's work that spending a day with his camera inside, in a studio would be a chore....but, if he took that same camera outside his creativity would kick in. Now this creativity would not generally lead to shots of lakes and bunnies. Mark captures his models not coming out of an ocean but instead in something more man made, or maybe more specific man made an abandoned. His models would be coming out of a abandoned structure or within a building, once seen as architectural perfection, now seen as outdated and old. I cannot say for sure, nor did I ask Mark, if the location he chose for shooting CaSon and Damon was actually a long abandoned warehouse or a well dressed studio. I actually don't want to know. I prefer the feeling that the artists skill, along with the beauty and movement of his subjects created a change. Somewhere abandoned, lonely and dead, even briefly, for a moment....was brought back to life.

'They did all the work and I just ran around trying to document it in some why that would do justice to the magic they were creating.'




This was Mark's forth shoot with CaSon. 'CaSon is a dream to collaborate with! Not merely handsome, and with a great body, he is graceful and imaginative. He is a dancer, an actor, a goof, and willing to do anything for a shot.' For this shoot CaSon suggested bringing Damon along.

"I'm not sure CaSon ever brought a stitch of clothing to any of our shoots, other than what is on his back, which works for me - I'm all about the model and not this year's fashions. I don't think I've ever met a model so relaxed and comfortable in his skin as CaSon. CaSon and Damon know each other from dancing in the same ballet troupe together. Actually they're both in several dance groups, but have this one in common. Damon compensated for CaSon's lack of wardrobe by bringing several bags of things we might use, from clothes to robes, ballet shoots to combat boots, swords to guns...

While we worked a number of the props into his solo images my work of the two of them together was about their lines and the movement and grace they brought to the day. Individually they are both amazing, and together they are out of this world. The day was about creating - creating dance and creating images. One of them might suggest an idea or a part of the building to explore and before you knew it they were improvising around the concept. The temptation on my part was to just watch the amazing show they put on, but I had to keep pulling myself back to the camera and creating something to try and do justice to their artistry."



'Out of this world' certainly fits this incredible shoot. The last two shots are my favorites and so perfectly capture the 'textures, patterns, shapes, tones, color, light and lines' Omar Upegui R described in the quote used at the beginning of the post.

Thanks so much Mark for sharing your shots of Damon and CaSon with FH!




Be sure to check out Mark's official site HERE:
Check out CaSon MacBride on MM HERE:

You can also preview and purchase Mark Grantham's book featuring his work with CaSon HERE:

With The Greatest Of Ease: Apollo Bird by Mark Grantham

cirque érotique
Apollo Bird by Mark Grantham


'Oh, he floats through the air
With the greatest of ease,
This daring young man
On the flying trapeze;
His actions are graceful,
All girls he does please,
My love he has purloined away'
George Leybourne



One of the most exciting parts of any circus is without a doubt the aerial performances. Not only does it require a high level of technical skill, there is an artistry and magic in watching bodies move so gracefully in the air high above you.



When I think of bodies moving gracefully I cannot think of anyone who captures them as well as Mark Grantham. In my feature (Beauty of Lines) I put it this way;

'I was immediately drawn to his work as he is a master at capturing moments of movement. When I think of Mark Grantham I think of space. Mark's work is not just about the body in motion it is equally about the space in which that motion occurs.'



The idea for a circus theme has been with me for awhile but I could not go forward without including Mark's images of performing aerialist Apollo Bird. Apollo performs with the Vespertine Circus, a troupe of 7 multi-talented main characters, who have performed both internationally & across the USA. Mark's work with Apollo captures so beautifully what it is at the core that draws me to Mark's work and makes it such an addictive pleasure to spend time with.





Mark Grantham Official Site:

Perspective: Mark Grantham & Mike Tossy

Above:
Andrew by Mike Tossy

Two of my favorite artists to profile are Mike Tossy & Mark Grantham. I have been featuring their work regularly on FH for the last three years. There is a magic within their images which I think comes from a number of factors. Both Mark and Mike describe photography as both a passion and a hobby, not a profession. The married couple insist the men they shoot are comfortable in front of their lens and want to be there. You can see the joy within the images that comes directly from the creative process, not because of deadlines and pay checks. Both Mark and Mike fill their lives with so many passions and experiences that you can feel them beautifully infiltrating their work.

Below:
Andrew by Mark Grantham

I have always enjoyed featuring different perspectives of the same subject. I have been fortunate to have able to do this with models and photographers several times in the past. We all see things slightly different and it is fascinating to see the slight, and not so slight, differences in how two or more artists choose to capture it. Mark and Mike certainly do not always shoot together but have done so enough to have a quite a long list of models they have both shot. Mike and Mark have agreed to share their perspectives, both in work together and separately. Perspective with Mark Grantham & Mike Tossy will now be a regular monthly feature on FH and one I am really thrilled to have their work to share on a regular basis!

First up is Andrew!

Check out my previous features with Mike & Mark HERE:

J.Phoenix by Mike Tossy & Mark Grantham

J.Phoenix by Mike Tossy


I have mentioned before that I have a folder on my desktop that use to save images I want to use on FH in the future. I usually only this folder when I stumble upon a shot that I really love but don't have time to research. In this folder was an image of model J. Phoenix taken by photographer Mike Tossy. I had profiled J. Phoenix once before (see HERE:) but was certainly time to bring him back again!



Yesterday I received an email from one of my favorite photographers to profile, Mark Grantham. Mark was sending on some shots of J (Jason) for a birthday post as today is Jason's birthday! Included were some shots by Mark's husband, who happens to be Mike Tossy and included the shot I had saved in my desktop folder.



Jason has such a beautiful face and in some ways his look could be described as urban and contemporary. I love Mike's choice to create a bit of a contradiction showcasing him the rural, farm setting.

J. Phoenix
Stats:
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 159 lbs
Waist: 26"
Hair color: Black
Hair length: Medium
Skin color: Brown
Experience: Experienced





You can check out more of Mike's work with Jason and more of his work at his official site HERE:

Jason, who resides in Santa Cruz loves the artistic process and along with the photographers he shoots with creating magic in front of the camera. Some of the artists Jason has created magic with are also some of my favorites photographers. Besides Mike and Mark, Jason has worked with Michael Puff, Dylan Rosser, Scott Marrs, Tim Rixx, Henning Von Berg, JW2 Photo, Eric Scot Photo and more. You can check out more of Jason's work at his MM Page HERE:


J.Phoenix by Mark Grantham

Jason is one of Mark's favorite models and as you can see they have had a number of shoots together, in fact Mark says that he has had more photo shoots with him than any other model.








You can check out more of Mark's incredibly hot shots of Jason both at his website HERE: and you can see much more Mark's book 'Jason' that you can preview and purchase on Blurp HERE:Below: Images from Mark's book 'Jason'.


Happy Birthday Jason!