Heavenly Bodies by David Vance

For the series sexy 2010 calendar on your wall, after Dylan Rosser and Rick Day, this week I would like to feature the work of David Vance.

Along with photographing men, David Vance is also a successful advertising photographer as well as editorial contributor in Cosmopolitan, Rolling Stone, Interview and Men’s Health, among others. A list of some of the stars he has photographed includes such luminaries as William Baldwin, Toni Braxton, Gloria Estefan and Sophia Loren. His two books published by Bruno Gmünder have been sold with great success. An alumnus of Rochester Institute of Technology, David maintains his studio base in his hometown of Miami, Florida.



( Heavenly Bodies - Warning, Nudity under the cut )

http://www.davidvance.com/

This year David Vance released a new coffee table book, Heavenly Bodies: David Vance seeks to make his models appear like Greek statues—and succeeds with brilliance. Every picture is a piece of timeless art that you want to blow up and hang on your wall.

Amazon: Heavenly Bodies



( Heavenly Bodies - Calendar - Warning, Nudity under the cut )

And to avoid people to ruin the coffee table book, Bruno Gmunder released the calendar with the same title, Heavenly Bodies 2010 Calendar. In addition to the very successful small size (21 x 28 cm / 8 ½ x 11”) there is also a calendar double the size (28 x 42 cm / 11 x 16 ½”) with wire-o-binding.

Amazon: Heavenly Bodies 2010 Calendar

( Timeless - Warning, Nudity under the cut )

Heavenly Bodies is a "sequel" of David Vance's previous book, Timeless: men of timeless elegance presented in classic and romantic poses - muscular bodies of immaculate beauty in gorgeous black-and-white photography. If you wanted to create living images of the statues of divinities, the real men shown here help make a reality of that fantasy. This is a classic imagery, which through the modern men in the images in no way seems dated. David Vance`s photographs resonate with a dynamic tranquility, a quiet passion. They are at once sensual and strong, haunting and insiring. They reflect a deep appreciation of classic painting and sculpture, and a great love of beauty.

Amazon - Hardcover: Timeless

Amazon - Softcover: Timeless

( Attractions )

The first coffee table book by David Vance was Attractions: David Vance is combining powerful masculinity and sensuality in his pictures like no other photographer. His classic-beautiful men were caught in moments of everyday life and tranquillity and own a dreamy ponderosity. His pictures are expressions of gay desire and gay aesthetics, his portraits are seductive and unique. A photo-book that will lure you into the empire of dreams. An erotic piece of art by one of the most important American men-photographers. An absolutely attraction.

Amazon - Hardcover: Attractions

Amazon - Softcover: David Vance: Best of Attractions (Postcardbooks)

One of the favorite models of David Vance is Nathan Wessel. Nathan Wessel, 25 years old from South Dakota, posed as an angel for David Vance, but also as Mercury, the Gods’ messenger. From South Dakota to the modelling world there is a big distance, but Nathan, after linking up with photographer Dennis Dean, found himself right in the heart of Modeling, exploring and discovering life to the fullest.



( Nathan Wessel )

( read more )

Probably one of the most famous shoot by David Vance of the last year was Levi Kissing Paul.



( Levi Poulter & Paul Francis )

Levi, born and raised in a small town in the Rocky Mountains, lives in Miami and started his career at the age of 24. He hit of right away, with a runway show in London as one of his first assignment, and a contract for Abercrombie & Fitch. Over the years Levi has graced the covers and spreads of many magazines, like Target, L’Uomo Vogue and DNA, and worked with a large amount of international renowned photographers. He has his own website where he shows more of himself – and not only professional photos – for a small membership.

( Levi Poulter - Warning, Nudity under the cut )

 

Enjoy Levi in the photo shoot he did for the gay resort in Key West, Island House (thank you tizi17), photography by Jason Rowan, design by Greg Needham:

http://www.fourdaysinkeywest.com/credits.html

Paul Francis, 1st generation American, born from Colombian and British parents in Philadelphia, is 28 years old, and eventually moved to Miami Beach, where he started his career as model/actor as well as a dancer in several professional performances. Paul’s whole life has been a chain of creative expressions. He has been drawing since he was 3, dancing since he was 8, acting since he was 16 and modeling – only – since he was 25. He actually never thought he would end up modeling, but since it is another medium of performance for him, it totally fits his character and ambition.

( Paul Francis )

( read more )

More Photographers at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Art

Family Unit by Z.A. Maxfield

There is a subgenre of romance that not often is chosen by authors, the Silver Romance. Usually the characters are forty years old and plus and usually at the second chance at love. Both these characteristic are respected in Family Unit.

45 years old Richard is an not ordinary grandfather. When he was still a confused teenager he fathered a child who he has never had the chance to raise. At the time he thought it was better for the boy, above all when he decided to be true to himself and living as an out artist in an open gay relationship. But when his son died in a motorbike accident and Richard was the only relative able to raise his then 3 years old grandson, Nick, that time Richard had no doubt that it was the time to step in and do his due, even if it meant loosing his not-fatherly-type partner.

Six years later, Richard is the perfect June Cleaver type of parent, working at home to be always near Nick and practically not having any personal relationship other than with him. Richard is gay and no one question it, but there is nothing to question since no man has ever entered their life. This is the situation in which enters Logan, retired Marine colonel recently moved in the neighbourhood. Logan inherited his died lover’s home in the West Coast and to respect his lover’s love for it he decided to move from the East Coast.

Where Richard is all West Coast artistry type, rainbow flag and peace wave, Logan is all East Coast’s integrity, with a planned life that resembles very much a military mission. They are at the opposite, the only thing that links them being both gays and over 40.

What I like most of the book is the mix of stereotype characters with original development. Richard is the stereotype artist, peace and love and all, but he is not the perfect parent: he is totally unable to cook an entire meal, he continually makes mistakes like leaving his naked pictures sketches around the house when there is an underage kid living with him, but basically he is trying to do the right thing, and so he wins for the commitment rather than for the perfect result.

Maybe Logan is more inside the boundaries of the military man stereotype, but there is the nice oddity of him being an out gay man. Logan is not the tortured gay military man who has only bad memories of his period as a closeted Marine; he willingly and consciously chose to be a Marine, and to follow the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. He didn’t question it, he wanted to be a Marine, and he had to do it. His previous partner was a Marine, one that retired before him, and when they were apart, they lived their life like any other ordinary “military” couple, made of long-distance relationship and letters and phone calls.

This is a very well planned balanced novel: it’s romantic enough without being too sugary, it’s funny enough without being too light, it’s angst enough without being too dramatic. And above all, it’s sexy enough without being unrealistic: these characters are more than 40 years old, and it means that they can be handsome, but the hair are going white, the flesh is not more so tight, and the skin is showing the first signs of age. This doesn’t mean that they can’t be sexy and enjoy it, each chance they have.

http://www.loose-id.com/Family-Unit.aspx

Amazon Kindle: Family Unit

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Anne Cain

Kyell Gold's interview with The Outer Alliance

Cross posted from kyellgold 

Very nice interview Kyell Gold did with The Outer Alliance (each Friday, their Spotlight features an ally who writes, reviews, publishes, or is in some other way involved with LGBTQI speculative fiction). He also named two times the Rainbow Awards ;-) and once yours truly Elisa! LOL how I love to see my name around, sorry, but my Leo side sometime roars...

http://blog.outeralliance.org/?p=466

Kyell Gold's interview with The Outer Alliance

Cross posted from kyellgold 

Very nice interview Kyell Gold did with The Outer Alliance (each Friday, their Spotlight features an ally who writes, reviews, publishes, or is in some other way involved with LGBTQI speculative fiction). He also named two times the Rainbow Awards ;-) and once yours truly Elisa! LOL how I love to see my name around, sorry, but my Leo side sometime roars...

http://blog.outeralliance.org/?p=466