I have written before that often when I profile the work of a photographer it begins with one photo. In the cast of James Spada it began with a shot of Angelo Antonio on a flowered chaise lounge. (see photo below). It is with intent I added the word flowered as it the contrast between the chaise and model is what initially attracted me to the shot. Angelo is a beautiful man, a body builder who has worked hard to have the body that he has. Making the choice of putting his well defined and toned physique on the chaise is one of the reasons I enjoy Jim's work so much. If you spend some time on Jim's site, which I strongly encourage you to do, the theme continues in many of his shots. Putting fit, masculine models with beautiful fabrics, rooms and furniture is one of the many themes used in Jim's work.
Speaking of contrasts, I often find an innate and beautiful contrast in some body builders as well. Strong, powerful arms, legs, chest and body contrasted with a more soft and gentle face. Angelo certainly has this contrast with a great smile and beautiful brown eyes. 22 year old Angelo lives and works in Boston, Massachusetts and these shots are from several different shoots between Angelo and James. James says that Angelo has looked different (sometimes very different) each time they have worked together.
“As difficult to believe as it may seem, Angelo was, as he puts it, ‘a fat kid.’ He hated the teasing and the name-calling and made it his life’s work to resculpt his body and make his erstwhile tormentors chartreuse with envy. As you can see, he succeeded. His body now is something special, and so is his face. His sensitive eyes draw you to his classically Italianate features. When he is stern, he looks like someone you wouldn’t want to cross. But when he smiles—well, you just want to eat him up!”
James on Angelo
Angelo Antonio
Stats:
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 225 lbs
Waist: 30"
Hair color: Black
Hair length: Medium
Eye color: Brown
Skin color: Olive
Experience: Very Experienced
Check out more of Angelo on his ModelMayhem profile HERE:
Jim has published three collections of his male nudes, “Black & White Men,” “Edwardian Men” (both available on Amazon), and his just released new collection “Eye Candy,” available on Jim’s website HERE:)
Above: Eye Candy cover with model Randall
If you pick up "Eye Candy" you will see more of Angelo (He is featured in the book, 8 photos including the back cover) as well as many other of Jim's models including Randall, and Igor and Dean (shown below). “Eye Candy” features 70 color and duo tone images taken over the past three years. This is the first book of Jim’s to feature color photos since his switch from B&W film to digital photography in 2007.
Besides photography, James Spada is well known for his internationally best-selling biographies of Barbra Streisand, Marilyn Monroe, Robert Redford, John and Caroline Kennedy, Princess Grace, Bette Davis, Peter Lawford, Bette Midler, Jackie Onassis, Julia Roberts, Ronald Reagan, and others. (you can also check out those books at the Amazon link above).
Over the last six years, Jim has also become equally renowned for his evocative photographic studies of the male nude. Born on Staten Island, he had been an amateur photographer since high school. After he moved to Boston from Los Angeles, he enrolled in the New England School of Photography's evening workshops division in 1997, where he studied black-and-white darkroom techniques. It was at that time that he was inspired to begin his project "Black & White Men."
Below: Igor
“Black & White Men” was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award as the Best Visual Arts Book of 2000 and was chosen one of the three best gay books of the year by the Independent Publishers Association.
Also this season Jim’s first novel was published, a work of historical fiction. Entitled ”Days When My Heart Was Volcanic,” it is available on Amazon or at Jim's site HERE:. It covers six pivotal months in the life of Edgar Allan Poe in 1846.
Thanks so much to James Spada for sharing his work with FH!
Below: Dean
