Ascension: David Needham by Shotbygrant Photography

David Needham caught my eye the second I laid eyes on my first image of the 23 year old model. David has a great body but it was his face, especially the combination of a strong face and jaw structure along with beautiful, expressive and sensitive blue eyes. Together, the strength, along with the sensitivity, create a great look which enables David to move fluidly from fashion to fitness as well as more character and story based images.



From the seaside town of Bridlington, East Yorkshire, David does much of his work in London but loves to travel throughout the UK for shoots. And ex British soldier,David's focus is now solely and passionately on his modeling work. Self describe as both hard working as well as bubbly, David looks forward to working with new photographers and trying on new concepts and creative ideas.



David's portfolio is both extensive and beautifully eclectic containing, as stated, many different looks; fashion, fitness, artistic nudes and character driven work. David worked on a series of shots with Dame Nellie Better which are just a little naughty, a little sexy and a whole lot of fun. Most of David's best work, including the shoot with Dame Nellie were taken by London's Shotbygrant Photography.



Artist and model obviously have a great working relationship with trust at it's base. Grant has ensured David's portfolio spotlights a variety of looks and makes great use of both his body, face and most importantly personality. Grant's has extensive experience in both color and black & white, has worked extensively with actors for their portfolios and is as well a sports photographer. He brings each of these skill sets in his work with David and some of my favorite images I am showcasing here.



Below: Love Grants fun shots of David with Dame Nellie Better

'Grant is really the guy who gave me my break. I was only doing local shoots, before he spotted me. Grant brought me to London and since then I've not looked back! Becoming professional and published! He is a fantastic photographer with a great portfolio but has as well become a very close friend.'
David Needham



'I can honestly say in all the years I have been taking photos he is one of the best models I have ever worked with and I thoroughly enjoyed the shooting days. Everything from early morning beach to formal clothing at Whitby Abbey. Some stunning shots and I can do no more than really recommend David for any type of shoot. Good looking, confident and takes direction really well. We have done several shoots now each better that the last and I know I can always rely on him.'
Grant Williams, shotbygrant photography



David Needham Official Site:
David Needham on ModelMayhem & check out hundreds of images on his Facebook Fanpage

Shotbygrant Photography Official Site & on ModelMayhem

Go-Getter: St. Paddy's Day shoot with Brandon Connelly

'There are only two kinds of people in the world, The Irish and those who wish they were!'



I have been looking to have model Brandon Connelly back on FH since first profiling his work with Travers Dow last summer. (Memorable: Brandon Connelly By T-W-D photos)When I did my first profile of his work, Brandon had just started his modeling career, but over the past eight months he has busy shooting with a number of photographers for campaigns and fashion shoots. As luck would have it, one of them was this St. Paddy's day themed shoot which provides me the perfect reason today to showcase one of my favorite Irishmen.



This shoot is not just sexy and fun, there is also a purpose. The images, from photographers Carlos Paradinha (whose other work with Brandon I will be sharing soon), Raphael Cesar and Nate Gowdy were done to support HVTU (The Seattle HIV Vaccine Trials Unit). HVTU is part of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in collaboration with the University of Washington. HVTU is dedicated to working with the local community to provide HIV vaccine education and research for people interested in fighting HIV.



Carlos and Cesar go to school with Seattle Gay News Staff Photographer, Nate Gowdy. Back in January Nate approached them about putting together a group shoot for HVTU with a Valentine's day theme. It was such a huge success, the SGN decided to have a photo shoot each month with a different theme. The St. Patrick's day shoot was the second of the series.



Brandon of course was a natural for the project and not just because of his great looks and Irish roots. I have been working on a series of features spotlighting his modeling work, and everyone who works with him gladly sings his praises!



'Brandon is very dependable and is a go getter, which at his age is very rare. Carlos Paradihna and I were doing a Audrey Hepburn styled shoot, (which is also on my facebook photography page), and we were thinking we really need some arm candy for the model. I sent Brandon a text message to see if he was available, he was there in a suit ready to go in 20 minutes! I only wish that every model I worked with had half of his motivation.'
Cesar Raphael



'I loved working with Brandon! He was always very prompt, ready to work and accommodating to new and inspirational ideas. His demeanor was always jovial, respectful, and helpful. He's not only modeled for me, he even has gone as far as helping me break down after a shoot. We've become friends now, which I think is awesome.'
Carlos Paradinha



At just 20, Brandon Connelly is not just building a strong portfolio, he is building a solid reputation. Look for more of Brandon on FH in the coming weeks.


Brandon Connelly on ModelMayhem
Join Brandon on Facebook

Into The Woods: Brandon Connelly by Noble Photography

No, these images were not shot in Ireland, but...the stream, the green, the moss, are as close to an Irish countryside as you will fine in Washington State. Shot by portraitist and nature photographer Charlie Nobel, the setting is actually the town of Eatonville. Brandon says the beautiful location was just off the road about a half a mile in the woods.



'The shoot with Charlie was awesome, he is a very nice guy and fun to be around. He just makes you feel comfortable. Charlie has a great sense of what he wants in each image and has a keen eye for detail, an exceptional nude photographer.'
Brandon Connelly



Brandon ended up in the Eatonville river, nude, along side the beautiful Shaun Tia after answering a casting call she had placed on Model Mayhem. Brandon said the Adam & Eve themed shoot was a pleasure due to the extensive experience brought by both Charlie and Shaun Tia.




Nobel Photos
Brandon Connelly on ModelMayhem

Call Me Holden Nowell...Maybe

Holden by Michael Tammaro

Ok, first off I am a wee bit embarrassed that I was turned on to this song by The Today Show's Hoda Kotb, but that being said it is a wee bit addictive. Canadian Idol alum Carly Rae Jepsen is signed with Justin Bieber's manager, and a recent shout out from the singer got her a lot of attention. Also getting his fair share of attention is model Holden Nowell who stars in the video for Carly's Call Me Maybe video. One of my favorite images ever is Michael Tammaro's image of Holden above. Not sure if I love all the new tats, but Holden pulls them off nicely...maybe.

Good Evening: Jonathan Shea Alexander by Emerging Talent Images

Last November, even as I was still putting together my first profile,(Good Morning: Model Jake Coleman Wilson)featuring the work of Mississippi's Emerging Talent Images, I was already thinking about a second. ETI photographer Bill had so many great images within his portfolio I wanted to feature a follow-up was already clearly destined.



The choice of who to feature next was sort of a no brainer. Bill's images of 26 year old Jonathan Shea Alexander were some of my favorites from the get go. Love the curly hair, goatee and expressive brown eyes. Jonathan exudes a combination of both sexy with serious. His look is one you could imagine fitting equally well both on a runway in New York City or shooting in a cabin on a mountain top.



Bill got in touch with Jonathan last fall and both were on board for a profile. The two had already shot together twice last year and were interested in getting together and shooting new images for the feature. I love the new set. Bill used all things I loved and described in my first profile, yet creatively, it is quietly, but beautifully a bit more aggressive, more night than morning, with a greater sense of urgency.



Below: Jonathan Shea Alexander by Emerging Talent Images exclusively for FH


Jonathan reports he began modeling the way many guys do. While in high school, he posted a few pictures of himself on his MySpace page and a local photographer noticed and sent him a message about getting some better shots done. After getting a couple of paid offers from other photographers he thought maybe he should give it a try and from there, things began to happen. Jonathan hopes a move to California is in his future, to further explore his modeling and acting aspirations.



'Bill is probably the best photographer I've worked with so far. He's easy to work with. No pressure, and we always end up with great images. I'm really happy with the last shoot we did because it gave me a little more edge for my port.'
Jonathan Shea Alexander



'This was my third shoot with Jonathan. I always enjoy working with him because he's a total pro. He falls easily into just the right poses without much direction and the camera loves him. He's extremely photogenic, laid back, and willing to work to make any concept perfect. I think he's got a lot of potential in this business. He just needs to be signed. (hint, hint to any agents out there looking for fresh, new talent).'



'This shoot took place at a loft apartment that belongs to a friend of mine. The place is a photographer's dream. It's so open and airy that the light just flows through the place perfectly. We did quite a bit of shooting in an open doorway and it was freezing outside that day. So Jonathan was quite the trooper to brave the cold, but the result was some really nice images as you can see. He continued to be a trooper when I put him in the shower because we had to keep the water fairly cool to keep my camera lens from fogging up. At the end of the shoot, though, Jonathan was able to turn the water on hot and warm up after a long photo shoot that was super-cool (literally).'
Bill From Emerging Talent Images



Jonathan Shea Alexander on ModelMayhem
Emerging Talent Images on ModelMayhem

The Patience Payoff: Ajuna Montano by Gordon Nebeker

It was just this past November that I first featured the work of Pennsylvania based photographer Gordon Nebeker. In the profile on musician Russell Patrick Brown (Constant Motion) I mentioned that I had loved Gordon's work for some time but could not find a way to contact him. I did not have a ModelMayhem account then nor could find a site or e-mail to get in touch. I really have to thank Russell for helping me connect with Gordon through their work together.



I have often mentioned the folder on my desktop. The folder that holds images I stumble upon and fall in love with. They are all saved within. They are often not fully credited, or simply credited by the first name of the model. In that file was the incredible shot of Ajuna Montano I used above as pic of the day. Each week as I profiled other models and photographers whose images were in that folder, Gordon's shot of Ajuna remained. As the images surrounding Ajuna were moved, uploaded onto FH and eventually deleted, I maintained hope, that if patient, I would eventually be able to get in touch with Gordon and the wait would pay off.



'Beautiful, classic and wonderfully dramatic with an immense respect for the men he shoots' were the words used I used in that first post to describe my feelings about Gordon's work. I believe the pic of the day image is pretty much close to my ideal of a perfect photo. The composition, pose and lighting, Gordon's skill at capturing with such detail, Ajuna's back muscles and yes, that truly magnificent butt!

There was something else though that stood out to me right away and has struck me each I time I see the image. A fascinating and certainly revealing contrast in the close proximity between Ajuna's bicep and his eye. His arm and bicep muscle show strength, speak to his determination and perseverance. But Ajuna's one visible eye, so close in proximity to the arm, expresses a gentle kindness and humanity that pulled together the image and it's beauty for me.



Although Gordon was supportive of my using more of his work, connecting with Ajuna about the profile proved a little more complicated. Although he jumped on board when Gordon contacted him last fall, patience again came into play. Between travel and moves it was just last month when everything came together. Gordon, who loves to escape those Pennsylvania winters, spends much of the season living and working in Florida. Ajuna is from New York but last month, he and his partner happened to be in Florida on vacation. Over lunch, Gordon and Ajuna helped me pull the new feature together. Gordon reported that he had not seen Ajuna in about a year and there were small changes in his appearance.

'Different haircut, but essentially the same handsome man who lights up any room or restaurant he enters with his infectious smile.'

Below, over that lunch, model and artist share their experience working together and answer a few of my questions as well:


Gordon: How long have you been modeling?

Ajuna: About three years now. I was a go-go dancer for a short while and several of the weekly entertainment magazines in New York did cover shots of me for their magazines but yours was the first real photo shoot I did. I've done one or two small projects (including a fun Christmas shoot -yes, I was Santa) since then but I've been busy with my work in retail and haven't had a lot of extra time to do much modeling. I am ready to get back in it though!



Gordon: What do you do in your spare time?

Ajuna: I go to the gym a lot and enjoy that. I am also a video game dork and sometimes they have to pry the game controller out of my hands.


Gordon: What is something that most people do not know about you?

Ajuna: I think most of my friends know I love to dance but they probably don't know that I know how to do a lot of different dances very well, especially the Latin dances.



Gordon: You told me you were in the military. Did being gay ever cause you any issues?

Ajuna: Yes, I did two tours in the Middle East and am proud of my service and my honorable discharge. I think one or two of my commanders knew I was gay but I didn't flaunt it and they didn't make any big deal out of it. They were more concerned about what kind of a soldier I was and I did my best to give them nothing to complain about. I am happy things have changed now for gay men in the military.



Gordon: How was the experience working with me on the shoot, was there any unease or nervousness that first time?

Ajuna: Very good! Another model you had worked with introduced us and that is how we got connected. It was my first big shoot and you made me feel relaxed and welcome which allowed me to feel very comfortable. It made me want to do my best in front of the camera. I liked how you didn't push me into a bunch of standard poses but tried to work with my body type and come up with shots that worked well for me. I like being in front of a camera. It gives me a rush of self confidence and satisfaction and a real sense of freedom. No, no nervousness at all! It was about everything I expected it would be and more.



Gordon: So you were comfortable doing the nude photographs?

Ajuna: My partner thinks I am TOO comfortable being nude. If I am coming from the shower at home and other people are visiting, I just walk to the bedroom without a towel.


Gordon: What is in the future for you?

Ajuna: I look forward to being back in front of the camera for you later this Spring and would like to do a shoot with my partner as well. I am really enjoying my work in retail and hope to do well with that too and I have a physical fitness competition in June I plan on entering. That all should keep me busy!

THANK YOU to both Gordon and Ajuna for getting together for the interview and sharing their work with FH!
Look for more of Ajuna on ModelMayhem HERE: & More of Gordon's work on ModelMayhem HERE: