![shirtless man twisting his body and looking back](https://www.robcolgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/blake8084s.jpg)
Vaccinations complete, ready to move on! After such a long pause, I’m back behind the lens with new work and a fresh face to photograph. This post features a new Ohio model who I had the good fortune to meet and start his portfolio with some amazing images.
![nude man from side, running with arms thrown back](https://www.robcolgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/blake8418s.jpg)
![nude man in profile with yellow ceremonial hat holding sword and pointing](https://www.robcolgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/blake8490w.jpg)
I quickly discovered that my model, Blake, had a theatre and dance background. He brought such a diverse layer of both physical and emotional presence to each and every shot. It was completely enthralling to have such an emotive individual before my camera.
![shirtless man stares down at the viewer from overhead cupboards in abandoned house](https://www.robcolgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/blake8836b.jpg)
![nude man with back to camera crouches in doorway of old house with hand extended up on frame](https://www.robcolgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/blake8777s.jpg)
His ability to look beyond the scene and bring his own personal interpretations made these shots successful. It was as much a mental connection as it was a physical connection.
I have worked with actors before and sometimes they can have a tendency to overact, not realizing that the vastness of the stage does not translate well in the smaller scale of photography. Blake had a great sense of this and was able to maintain a state appropriate to the situation keeping an intimate quality that draws the viewer in.
![nude man with eyes closed reclines in tree in front of old house](https://www.robcolgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/blake8747s.jpg)
![nude man with back toward camera standing in hallway of old house](https://www.robcolgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/blake8823w.jpg)
I was very fortunate to meet this young man. He is a quiet and sweet soul. There’s a sense of the “hometown” embodiment that makes working with non-professional models more appealing. Honesty with a dash of modesty.
Of course, I could be totally wrong. But it’s my interpretation of the nature of the individual that makes the images. And in this case, they’re quite spectacular!
![shirtless man sitting back, looking up at sunbeam](https://www.robcolgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/blake8103m.jpg)