Favorite Pic of the Day for March 31st

Above:
Ocho Kwon by Marlen Boro.
Check out more below!

Happy Birthday today March 31st to:

Actor Facundo Arana turns 39 today.

Check out more of Facundo and fellow birthday boys; Richard Chamberlain, Paul Mercurio, William McNamara & Loic Jacquet HERE:

Ahhh Those Glee Guys!

By the end of last season the writers had sort of ruined my love for Jessie. Jonathan Groff on the other hand remains near the top of my list. His Bohemian Rhapsody remains one of Glee's best musical numbers. Very happy to hear Groff will be back for the last three episodes of the season. Hopefully he will get another chance to shine!


And...just because...
Harry Shrum for Yellow Magazine:


Yeah Harry, looking good!

힘 Ocho Kwon by Marlen Boro

승리
Ocho Kwon
The Gentlemen of Marlen Boro


Breaking stereotypes is always a battle. America for some reason seems to be a country who hold on to prejudice. and corresponding stereotypes, more tightly than others. In 2011 stereotypes about everything, a handicap, your sex or sexual orientation or your race are still pulled out by uncreative writers in the media and ignorant individuals within our society. With highly populated groups such as women, African Americans and gays still fighting for equality for in some cases basic rights, what are smaller groups to do...




21 year old Ocho Kwon from Minnesota has found that for him, the way to deal with stereotypes is to challenge them with actions. Instead of complaining, Ocho chooses instead to live his life in a way which proof no one group can shoved under the same umbrella.

'Stereotypes have definitely impacted my 'work.' Stereotypically, Asians = textbooks, computer games, scrawny. Lemme tell you something, i hate reading, I have a short ass attention span only when in class, I don't play computer games except for like Call Of Duty on xbox (which is entirely a white peoples game and game system), and if you haven't noticed, I'm hella NOT scrawny. I've also never played Starcraft ever in my entire life. its not that I don't appreciate my people haha, but i pick my own shit. I've experienced two different cultures and instead of leaning towards one more than the other, I have found the happy medium, great success.'
Ocho Kwon

If you picked up the sarcasms in the above quote than you can see humor also plays a major role in not just how Ocho deals with stereotypes but in addition how he responds to lives challenges in general. Humor is a also something Ocho says connected him to Marlen Boro. Ocho says they are both laid back with a similar way of looking, and laughing at the world.




'I want to do this for myself. If the industry likes fit physiques, sweet, because I like the challenge of pushing myself physically. Growing up playing sports and competing at the college level for soccer has taught me how to use my discipline to reach my physical and mental goals. Pushing myself for everything related to this particular industry is just another happy excuse for me to go to the gym so its a win-win. Y only live once, might as well test what something like this could be for me. Gonna hit it with an open mind, a positive attitude, and have some fun.'




'Working with Marlen is sweet. The shoots are efficient and it doesn't feel like work. He doesn't bombard me with ridiculous commands and stuff am not comfortable with. Winning!'

You can check out Ocho on Model Mayhem HERE:



'More so than most models I work with, Ocho has a vision of the image he wants to capture. If it weren't for his awesome sense of humor, he'd probably be a pain in the ass to work with!'
Marlen Boro

MarlenBoro.com is moving to a new server - faster load times - fewer error messages. In the meantime you can join Marlen on Facebook which he updates with new work on almost a daily basis!

Favorite Pic of the Day for March 29th

Above:
Keith Griffin by Carl Proctor
-See more below-

Happy Birthday today March 29th to:

Happy 65th to an inspiration to many of us the incredible Bruce Weber.

Check out more of Bruce and fellow birthday boys Nick Beyeler & Christopher Lambert HERE:

Thumbs Down: ABC

I did not really pay much attention to the recent stories about Chris Brown until today. Anyone who reads FH on a regular basis knows I loath cruelty and violence, but decided there was no need for Chris Brown to get even another second of my attention. But... over the past couple of days I have reading some bloggers and forum posters making some interesting comparisons to how ABC reacted to Adam Labert (who although acted out sexually did not break any laws). Brown, currently on probation, admitted to losing it on the set of GMA. I guess being gay is a much greater crime to some of the suits at ABC...
Read more HERE:

Kudos to Downton Abbey

As is usually the case with me, I was slow to get on the Downton Abbey train. I had heard how great it was from a variety of sources including a friend who fell instantly in love with the series. I have had both good and bad experiences with British drama. I have spent more than a few nights in theatres where I was itching in my seat for the thing to just finish. Downton Abbey did have a few things going for it. It's incredible cast included Maggie Smith and Elizabeth McGovern, two of my favorite actresses. It was also on television so if I was bored I could simply change the channel. I DVR'd episode one but took so long to watch it the subsequent episodes were over before I even started watching. Thankfully Masterpiece reran the series the last few weeks and last night completed the first four episodes.

The first 15 minutes off Downton hooked me. The music is haunting and the opening scenes with the staff preparing the house for the day were a carefully choreographed and visually stunning piece of film. I was happy to read more episodes are currently in production. Downton has been described as deliciously addictive and that is exactly how I would describe it. The drama is not flashy but intense and each and every actor perfect in their roles


above: Theo James by Kate Friend.

An added bonus was being introduced to actor Theo James who played Turkish aristocrat Kemal Pamuk. Kemal only appeared briefly but his character had a lasting impact. James was born in Oxford, has a degree in philosophy from the University of Nottingham, and trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. His memorable performance in Abbey will have me researching more of his work.

Visual Stimulation: Keith Griffin by Carl Proctor

'I've always been fascinated by visual stimulation and photography of all kinds.'
Carl Proctor



I don't think there is much we do as adults that cannot somehow be connected to the first decade or so of our lives. For some it is a great thing, pulling childhood dreams and goals into adulthood. For others it can be a painful process trying to get as much distance from those years as possible.

I feel lucky that although not perfect, my first 10 years were full of fantasies and dreams of the future. I am going out on a limb here but I am sure I am not the only person who answered pretend questions from famous interviewers while sitting on a lawn chair in the backyard. I of course was being asked about my latest movie and how I prepared for the role. Perfecting my autographed required countless hours of practice.



There was nothing better as a kid to dive into a great book and be taken on a wild and exciting adventure. For Carl Proctor his interest was in far away places and says he would spend hours at the local library looking at photos in travel magazines. As an adult Carl has spent 35 years in the travel industry living out his childhood travel fantasies.



Eventually Carl moved from experiencing to capturing his fantasies something he says was helped by moving to digital photography which allowed him to do his own online editing to get the results he desired. Although Carl's portfolio is diverse and he loves shooting all types of subjects he says, 'I am most interested in capturing people either by surprise or by design.' I love this line as I am sure like many, if it was not for the fear of getting the crap beaten out of me, I would love to go around photographing people as they go about their day.



When I read Carl's about me section on his web page the words Visual Stimulation were a perfect description of what I felt viewing his work. Colorful, creative, erotic and alive are all words I would to describe Carl's work. What most stood out to me though was how specific and detailed Carl's images are. I have often assumed editing is generally about covering, hiding something you don't want the viewer to focus on or see. Carl however also uses his editing skills to highlight something, sometimes the smallest of detail, which enhances the viewing experience.



When it came to choosing a model to showcase Carl's work the choice was easy. Carl's work with 21 year old Keith Griffin embodies each of the adjectives I used above. Keith's energy shines through every shot. Something I rarely comment on but that stood with Keith is how exceptional and skilled he is with posing. Keith hits just the right physical and emotional mark. This may be connected to Keith's extensive acting experience. Keith, primarily a stage actor and has been in many local theatre productions. He believes that being able to perform on stage night after night and consistently be good is the mark of a true actor.



Keith also has visions of his future. Keith says he wants to always stay positive and confident in the pursuit of his dreams. Unlike many actors who dream of stardom Keith's goals are quite specific. Besides the cover of Men's Health Magazine Keith hopes one day to win an academy award for best supporting actor. I love that Keith says supporting. Firstly, I think it says a lot about who he is as a person. Secondly, the supporting category is still seen as somehow secondary even though it has been won some of the best actors on the planet. One of my favorite performances ever was Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People. His portrayal of Conrad led to Hutton's only Oscar thus far in the best supporting category.



'Working with Carl has been one of the best experiences of my career so far. Some of the best images in my portfolio were taken by him. Not only has he taught me so much about the art of creating a unique and brilliant photograph, but he has also helped me grow so much as a model. Working with Carl is so much fun and his shoots are always relaxing and stress free. He is always professional and respectful and he always notices the little things that really make his work standout. I can't wait to work with Carl Proctor again in the future.'
Keith Griffin



'I have had the pleasure of working with and getting to know Keith in three amazing photo shoots over the past couple years. During that time I've also been enthralled watching him lose himself in a couple highly entertaining stage productions. As I would watch Keith on stage I would often think, "If the people in this theatre only knew how good Keith REALLY looks!". He would give me as much while modeling as he did to the audiences he performed for. In his theatre playbill bio, when asked what his hobbies were, he said "Working out. Acting. Working out. Acting. And working out." It shows! He has become leaner and more defined with each shoot. He comes to each photo shoot excited and fully energized and willing to push the envelope in any direction. Watching someone like Keith mature and continually improve is very gratifying. After nearly ten years of working with hundreds of models, it is no stretch to say that Keith has become one of my proudest portfolio stars.'
Carl Proctor

Thanks to Carl and Keith for sharing their work together with FH!

Check out much more Carl's work on Model Mayhem HERE: & at his official site HERE:

Favorite Pic of the Day for March 28th

Above:
Mark Remly by John M Clum
See More Below!

Check out today's birthday boys including; Matthias Koeberlin, Ben Richards and Vince Vaughn HERE:

Favorite Click of the Week

One of most memorable and creative shoots I discovered last week was Scene Model Jarrod Scott by the incredible Elvis Di Fazio. Elvis' blog Diaries Of A Smutographer is a visual feast to each of one's senses. Although they appeared everywhere last week thanks to YVYMag where I first discovered the set.

Kudos to Matt Elrod

When the latest installment of Survivor began I skipped the first episode. I do not share the producers obvious 'woody' over Russell and was also not to thrilled with the fact they also brought back Rob. Well a couple of things happened. Firstly Russell happily took an early exit and Rob, as always quickly grew on me. There is something about his personality that draws you in.



Matt Elrod also played a role. The 22 year old is a pre-med student (who obviously does a little modeling) in Nashville. Called the 'poor mans Fabio' and 'wannabe Jud' Matt got the boot early in the game and barely had time to make any impact. But...this season Survivor added Redemption Island and Matt has been winning every challenge put in front of him since. The odds are against this continuing until the end so I hope the producers find a way to reward his success with a return to the game.