Sexiest Man Alive!
I’ve finally made into People Magazine‘s Sexiest Man Alive! issue, I’ll just have to settle for being on the wrong side of the camera in this instance.
When photo editor Duane Pyous called me to discuss shooting Parks & Recreation’s Nick Offerman for him I thought of it as a normal editorial assignment, until he told that Nick would likely be up for most anything. Inviting? Yes. But also daunting. In a strange way strict boundaries make for creative blossoming, so then what of the opposite? Boundless options make for unlimited ways to miss the mark? Perhaps not…
So, I put this offer from Offerman to the test, and presented Duane with three of the most extreme and outrageous ideas I can come up with. And, amazingly he goes for the most elaborate and ambitious one. Here is how I described it:
What is sexier than a middle-aged man, shirtless, with a flood of water coming down on him? To me – nothing. This is an homage to the classic handsome man water portraits that Herb Ritts delivered to us in the late 80s. Black-and-white, backlite and beautiful.
So now I have two days to figure out how to do this. On the first of these days I’m shooting on location with top assistant Maegan Gindi and ask for her two cents. She tells me of J & M FX in Brooklyn, and how they did some impressive fire and explosions on a set that she worked on once. Within seconds I’m on the phone with them getting an estimate.
Magically everything comes together on the day of the shoot. The FX crew and my photo team all step up and deliver beyond expectations, and Photo Editors Duane Pyous and Brenna Britton are both on set to provide creative guidance. And Nick, of course, is indeed up for anything, presenting it in the most handsome and poetic way possible.
Top Image: Nick Offerman - People’s Sexiest Man Alive!, Moustache Edition, November 26, 2012.
Second Image: Herb Ritts gets us wet.
Third Image: The J & M FX team construct a double pool at a Pier 59 Studio. All on-set snaps by Daniel Silbert.
Forth Image: The pools use recycled water from the studio’s sink, it is then heated for the subject’s comfort.
Bottom Image: Pulling together to get that shot. L to R: Briscoe Savoy, Nick Offerman, Chris Buck, Duane Pyous.