Ryan Pfluger - Photographer

Ryan Pfluger is and an insightful artist Denny had the privledge of asking interviewing. Denny says one to watch.

Where did you grow up? When did you find your passion for photography? Where did you
study?
I grew up in Flushing, Queens and Long Island. I always enjoyed looking at photography but didn't start photographing until about 5 years ago. I wouldn't have even called myself a photographer until about 3 years ago. I did my BFA in Photography at SUNY New Paltz and my MFA in photography at the School of Visual Arts.

The series called Not Without My Father that you did with your own father is very powerful. You mentioned an estranged relationship between the two of you through most of your childhood. I’m curious what that relationship is like now?
I'm extremely close with my father and he is probably the biggest supporter of my work. The project really brought us together and cultivated our relationship more than I think anything else ever could. To go from a non-speaking relationship to something as special as what we have now is really incredible.

How do you think being gay plays a role in your work?
It's interesting to me, because being gay definitely influences my work tremendously, but my work is about much broader topics and photography itself as a medium. Being gay is just an aspect of me, so it's just an aspect of my work. While in a lot of my portrait work the subject matter is gay men, the photographs are really about relationships in general.

What do you look for in your subjects?
I look for people who are unique. People often tell me I photograph people that look like me, and maybe it's because thats what I am initially attracted to or can relate to since most of my subjects are strangers at first that I cultivate relationships with during photographic sessions. I really can just look at someone and know whether or not they will work for me and my style in front of the camera.

If you could photograph anyone who would that be?
By far it would be Tilda Swinton.

Is Men I’ve Met an ongoing series you continue to work on?
I think it's the body of work that I will never actually stop doing. To me it's like a good beer on a hot day. It's something I always want to do but don't want to be the defining aspect of me as a photographer. Since it was the first real project I started doing, it's become rather special and nostalgic to me.

In your series About a Boy you illustrate largely with self-portraits how “young boys are programmed with ideals and activities they must strive for.” If that series were called About a Gay Boy how might it differ…if at all?
I'm not sure actually. I have never been someone who has defined himself by his sexuality. While there are definitely different issues for gay youth, there is still an ideal expected of all boys as they are growing up. Having to be a masculine man, a provider, being good at sports and so on. I think dealing with my sexuality made me just more emotional about it all. I Felt like there was something wrong with me. Thus going back and looking at my youth, the project helped me deal with certain things that I locked up for awhile.

What advice do you have for other young photographers?
Really really love what you do. There are going to be so many ups and downs along the way that you really need to be secure with yourself and your work. Things kind of fall in place when they are supposed to. I still struggle with it and I've been photographing professionally for a few years now. You always have to remember there is always another photographer who has just as much ambition as you do. You need to understand what makes your work special and really cultivate that. Also, don't be afraid of trying something outside of your comfort zone because it might become something extraordinary.

To see more of Ryan's work go to:http://www.ryanpfluger.com/portfolio/

Dsquared Spring 2010

Dean and Dan Caten designers of Dsquared were inspired by the outdoors this season. The theme of their Spring 2010 collection was a summer camp out. Denny loved it. It was quirky, fun, sexy, and wearable. The styling choices of band aids, eye glasses, various boots and little insects placed over select Speedos gave the presentation wonderful character. They have not reinvented the wheel,but they gave a collection filled with charm. Denny says one of his favorites from Paris or Milan this season.

Markus Bollingmo - Photographer/Artist

We recently came across Markus's work and have fallen in love with it's alluring beauty. It reminds us of early Nan Goldin, but with a refreshing innocence.

Denny: When and how did you discover your passion for photography?
Markus: It is something that came gradually, starting maybe a few years ago. I was always bringing my compact digital camera with me everywhere and somehow I started more and more to do photos that were meant to be more than just a "facebook photo". I also started playing around with doing self portraits.
D: Who are some of the artists you are influenced by?
M: My friend Laurent Delaroziere has taught me a lot of what I know about photography, so for me the obvious answer is him. If you mean more "famous" artists I am not really sure. It would be stupid to say that none have influenced me, but it is not something I have given much though.
D: What inspires you?
M: Many things! Cute sexy boys, beautiful lighting, those people that give off that certain energy, cute kids, street art. They all make me itch to have a camera in my hands.
D: Where are you from? And where do you live now?
M: I am originally from Trondheim, Norway. I lived for a while in Stockholm, Sweden as well, but now I have been in Paris for 2 years.
D: If you could shoot anyone who would that be?
M: That kid of Angelina Jolie, the one with the mohawk...Maddox? He is so cool!
D: There is a beautiful intimacy in your art. Is this intentional?
M: Thank you! It is 100% unintentional.
D: How would you describe your work?
M: No no no don't ask me that. Look the photos and decide for yourself :)
D: Do you always have a camera with you? And what do you shoot with?
M: I am so paranoid that something will happen to my big expensive one (a Canon EOS 5D Mark II), so I don't dare to bring it with me everywhere. I used to have a little compact digital camera for that, but it is broken now.
D: What are you working on now?
M: I am retouching some photos I did today of a Brazilian boy.
D: What advice do you have for aspiring photographers?
M: Use the internet! Without it I wouldn't have been able to do any of this. Use it for getting your stuff out there and use it for learning how to be better. It's such a great resource.

You can see more of his work at:http://markusbollingmo.com/
and on flickr at:http://www.flickr.com/photos/sipho84/

Denny says one to watch!

You Animal!

Denny says make an animal donation.
www.worldvision.org
www.aspca.org
www.worldwildlife.org
www.theanimalrescuesite.com
www.hsus.org
www.thehumanesociety.org
www.petsineed.org

Simply Hats

Denny says guys go get yourself a hat.

Jeffrey Kilmer - Artist

The envoy gallery is a contemporary art space located at 131 Chrystie St in NYC. (http://www.envoyenterprises.com/home.html) “It brings together visual and performing arts, film, video, music, multi-media events, poetry reading, artist talks, publications and aims to provide opportunities for artists to exhibit their work within a context of current national and international practice.” Denny says it's one of the few galleries willing to take risks on unknown artists and it's largely supportive of the gay arts. Love it!


Jeffrey Kilmer recently showed some of his work at Envoy much of which can be seen in his new book called 23% Pure. Jeffrey has a masters in Architecture that can be seen reflected in much of his work as a photographer. His portraits are a glimpse into the youth of today’s society.

You book is called 23% Pure. Tell me how you came up with that title?
There’s no real story behind it. Its abstract. Architectural. It was a “working” title that seemed appropriate to the finished book.

What do you look for in your models?
Authentic, rebellious, skinny but toned, shaggy haired, strong featured, often with tattoos, scars, black eyes, broken noses. Interesting imperfections.

Subjects with tattoos are prevalent in your work, what is it about tattoos you are draw to? Do you have ink of your own?
It seems almost everyone has a tattoo. They are difficult to avoid. People with tattoos often appeared more interesting to me than those without tattoos. When tattoos were a rare occurrence, even just 10 years ago, they seemed more revealing. They told a story and offered clues about the person, the music they liked, etc… But now that tattoos have hit the mainstream they are becoming a little less interesting to me, and often less revealing, but I’m still drawn to certain people who have them.
I have two tattoos. The largest one was taken from an etching from the 1800's. I wanted something that looked “old school”, but also unique. I grew up hunting and fishing in Northern Michigan and Canada as a kid, before Post Punk/New Wave hit me. It’s a reminder of those days outdoors in the forest or on the lake.

You have been educated as an architect. How do you see it playing into you work today as a photographer?
Architecture is a fantastic education for a variety of disciplines. Art, Film, Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Photography.

Talk about your editing process. What is it you look for when choosing your final images?
There were 190 images selected for the book out of thousands. xxxx

What camera do you work with?
I’ve been using Nikon digital cameras over the past 6 years. I began shooting with 35mm film. None of that work made it into the book, due to the cost to digitize the film for print. I’d love to shoot with medium format film, but it’s too expensive.

You travel all around the county gathering your subjects. Where would you most like to visit again?
I find most of the kids via websites such as Myspace. The majority of my paid professional work is photographing architecture and involves travel. If I locate a bunch of interesting kids in a city that I’m scheduled to work in, I’ll try to stay an extra day at my own expense in order to shoot them. I love medium-size cities that are not on the radar, places like Tulsa, Oklahoma or Louisville, Kentucky.
The kids that interest me tend to have a certain moody or rebellious look to them. Perhaps they remind me of my teenage days?! Scars, black eyes, and tattoos tend to make them more interesting to me. The majority of the kids are cool, "creatives," and we often have common interests, such as music or fashion. Many of them become friends over time. We exchange music mix CD's and art via the old-fashioned mail.

What advice do you have for a young photographer?
My advice is to get a good education, take a lot of pictures!
Graduate school isn’t for everyone, but I matured so much there.

Are you planning book two and if so what can we expect from it?
Many of the subjects from Book 1, have been shot several times over the years, beginning when they were 18. Now they are 25. Mature. I’d love a Book 2, to be a series of 8-10 photographs of each subject, shot over a ten year period.

To see more of Jeffry's work or to purchase his book you can go to his web site at http://jeffreykilmer.com/

Denny says He's one to watch ;)

Model Spotlight David Gandy

David Gandy is a Brit born in Billericay, Essex in 1980. His Ageny is Dna (dnamodels.com) His first big break into the industry was in 2006 when being photographed for Dolce&Gabbana's Light Blue Fragrance Video.

Denny says Gandy should get into some acting classes and look into Hollywood. He has the classic good looks of Clark Gable combined with the rugged sexuality of Hugh Jackman.

“I would prefer to know I had some talent before moving on to acting, as I'm just enjoying doing well in the modelling industry at the moment.” David Gandy.

ALEXANDER SKARSGARD

Biography
Date Of Birth August 25, 1976
Born in Stockholm, Sweden

Alexander Skarsgard is an actor best known for his role as Eric Nothman on the HBO series True Blood. He is the son of My Guenther, a doctor, and Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard,( Amistad, Good Will Hunting, Exorcist: The Beginning, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Mamma Mia!, and Entourage) he has a brother named Gustaf Skarsgard. Alex studied political science, rendered military service in the Marines and intended to study at a school of architecture in Stockholm. In 1997, however, his longing to act grew stronger so he opted to study at Marymount Theatre School in New York City. In 2003 he was nominated for a Guldbagge for male supporting role in the movie Hundtricket. This was followed by several international productions such as Revelations and The Last Drop. In 2007, he played one of the main characters in the American miniseries Generation Kill.

In 2008, Skarsgard was cast in the HBO vampire series True Blood from Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball. Skarsgard plays the Role of Eric, a 1000-year-old Viking vampire and owner of Fangtasia, the fictional vampire bar.

Alexander Skarsgard did a recent phone interview with Oliver Polumbarit of the Philippine Daily Enquirer. Alex on what he researched to play Eric Northman:

“Yeah, when I did my research, I re-watched movies that I’ve seen, like the old Nosferatu with Max Schreck from the ’20s, Bela Lugosi’s “Dracula,” and Werner Herzog’s “Nosferatu” from the ’70s. Obviously, Eric Northman’s quite a different character. But diving into that old culture of vampirism was to get my creativity and inspiration going, basically. When you create a world with vampires, it’s up to you if you wanna do the whole thing with crosses or garlic or what happens when a vampire meets the sun. We hung on to a couple of those, but some of them we just dismissed. So it’s very open to interpretation …”

A rumor had been circulating about Alex being cast as Thor to be directed by Kenneth Branagh. In an interview with MTV News, Alexander Skarsgard revealed he'd actually gotten as far in the Thor casting process as trying on the outfit and filming an audition. He confirmed to MTV that he met with Marvel Studios Chief Kevin Feige and Thor director Kenneth Branagh a number of times before ultimately losing out on the leading role to Chris Hemsworth (Captain James T Kirk's dad in the latest Star Trek film). Denny Says they Fu**ed up by not casting Alexander as Thor…but time will tell ;)

The Paintings of Jacpues Sultana

Jacques Sultana is a french artist, painting primarily male nudes. Most of his work is so technically good it is photo-realistic. The work appears like private photos of a lover or close friend. It makes the viewer feel the intimacy of the moment. Overall his work focuses on the male nude. Although done entrancingly, I would love to see him do more of his portraits and lifestyle scenes. You can view his work at http://jacquessultana11.blogspot.com/

When they were younger!

The supermodel's of the 90's still going strong. The photos are taken by Peter Lindbergh, Mario Testino, Patrick Demarchelier, Mario Sorrenti, and Craig McDean.