I received a question about the Spartan Warrior costume. While researching this article, I remembered a photo shoot that I loved.
A few years ago, I saw a Facebook post by Rahim Mastafa in which he posted images. The model, Blake, wore a Spartan Warrior costume was a physical education teacher and looked fantastic in the costume. (The costume comes from the movie titled “300” (Warner Brothers, 2007).
Rahim Mastafa & Blake in Bath, United Kingdom
Rahim had a photo shoot with Blake, a physical education teacher, in Bath, United Kingdom. Most of the images were at the Roman Baths.
Rahim posted some behind-the-scenes video of his Bath photo shoot.
Conclusion
I am glad that I received the question, as I got to review one of my favorite photo shoots. I thank Rahim and Blake for the fantastic images. I even placed Bath, UK, on my travel list (post-pandemic).
Are you a fan of costume-based photography? If so, what is your favorite costume? Let me know in the comments.
Note: After writing this post, I found a photo of another gym trainer who wore a 300 Movie costume: Jeff Seid by Photographer Luis Rafael.
I was interested in finding out more about Luis, and I found out through a web search that Luis is a YouTuber. His first video was a podcast that he filmed with his friend Nano Azpurua. I found the story about his background interesting, as I am a first generation U.S. citizen and have family from South America.
It is a treat to hear the model that you see in photos speaking. In the podcast, Luis and Nano touch on many topics. I recommend watching the video. I have picked out some information for the introduction to this blog post.
Biographical Information
Luis’ birthdate is September 4 (Virgo).
Luis was born in the United States; his parents are from Venezuela in South America.
Luis’ height is 5 feet, 10 inches (1.78 meters). Luis mentioned in the podcast that he went to a model open call (where scouts look for models). The scouts told him that he was too short. (Usually models are 6 feet or above in height.)
Other Information from Luis’ Podcast
When Luis started a TikTok account and began to get a lot of views, Luis then attracted interest.
Luis prefers not to live the full-time job life. Luis has worked several jobs since he was 16. In the podcast, Luis mentions that he attended online college courses. He did not mention a course of study.
Luis commented briefly on his workout goals. He stated that he will talk about the subject more in another video.
At the time of this blog post, Luis and Nano were looking for a name for their podcast and podcast ideas. You can enter suggestions at Luis YouTube video.
Pandemic and Protest in 2020
The year 2020 was eventful with a pandemic as well as several painful events involving fatal citizen encounters with law enforcement officers. One notable case was the one involving George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ample witness videos ultimately became a macabre film of 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
The aftermath of this event spread worldwide. Luis attended one of the protests.
As mentioned earlier in the post, Luis had a photo shoot with Photographer Lester Villarama in Los Angeles, California. (Grooming was by Keon Cruz.) One session was featured in Maximo Magazine.
There was another photo shoot that was done in black and white. While color photos dominate, I still find black and white photos intriguing.
Stevan Reyes
Luis also had a photo session with Photographer Stevan Reyes in Florida. Photographer Reyes also had a photo session with Kyle Hynick.
Conclusion
Luis has attracted a huge follower base for his TikTok content and has been making the best of a challenging 2020. I wish him best as he pursues his career path outside of the salaried 9-to-5 life. (Model Dominic Calvani has a similar opinion.)
It is interesting to hear the perspective of a first-generation U.S. citizen, as it is the same experience as mine, with family from South America (former British colonies), which is also a similar experience as mine.
I look forward to seeing more photos and social media content from Luis.
If you have any favorite photos or social media content that you have seen of Luis, please leave a comment or send me an email.
In August 2020, Box Menswear released 4 new underwear styles. One was a new version of the King Fit boxer, the Evo version. Three other styles were more bold selections within the well-searched and competitive men’s lingerie category:
Suspender jock
G-string
All over lace boxers
The new range is a departure from the current range of men’s underwear available for sale at Box. Based on the number of people searching for items in the men’s lingerie category, it is a good bet. The available sizes for the new range are XS to XXL. (Further details are below in this article.)
Box Menswear’s sizing chart
Note: At the time that this post was published, the new items are available for pre-order.
Other New Items
In addition to these new items, I have learned that there are other new releases, for example, new colors for the king fit boxer brief as well as shorts. (Further details are below in this article.)
Presenting Matt Luscious and Photographer Paul Jamnicky
In viewing Box Menswear’s Instagram pages, I saw previews of the new range. Photographer Paul Jamnicky and Canadian fitness model Matt Luscious created images, with Matt wearing the new range. Both men posted photos on their respective Instagram pages.
In October 2020, Matt competed in his first classic physique competition.
.With the new Evo version, there are several changes from the current version. The first is the bigger waistband with larger lettering for the brand. According to the brand description, the Evo is made of cotton fabric.
(The current king fit boxers have a fabric composition of Body: 96 percent bamboo viscose, 4 percent elastane; vent: 88 percent polyamide, 12 percent Spandex.)
Matt Luscious by Paul Jamicky in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The Evo features more room in the front as well. The Evo only comes in one color, nude (appears to be a beige color).
Suspender Jock
The suspender jock is a new addition to Box’s jockstraps range. The suspender jock, like the king fit Evo, features a bigger waistband with the larger typeface of the brand. The styling of the jockstrap is different in two ways:
The rear of the jockstrap has more straps, the usual two at the rear but bigger and more elastic grip. There are two vertical straps are each side.
The front of the jockstrap has a blue fabric panel, with an opening at the top.
Matt Luscious by Photographer Paul Jamnicky
The overall look is strong yet more-revealing. You can see more images (NSFW) on the website.
G-String
The G-string is a more-revealing brief style. The only real fabric covering with the g-string is the front, which is a thin, see-through material. There are thin straps that have the brand name which holds the g-string on the body.
You can see more images (NSFW) on the Box Menswear website.
All Over Lace Boxers
With the lace boxers, the wearer gets fabric coverage like a boxer brief, but the fishnet-style solid fabric is see-through. The styling is similar to the new king fit Evo style discussed above.
You can see more images (NSFW) on the Box Menswear website.
Conclusion
With the suspender jock, g-string, and lace boxers, Box Menswear has made its entry into the men’s lingerie market. After glancing at the search traffic numbers, the category has high interest and many brands trying to fulfill the wants of the people in this market.
Perhaps, you want to add some variety to your underwear selections. Check out what Box has to offer.
Have an interest in men’s lingerie? If so, leave a comment as to your favorite styles in the comments. If there are styles that are not widely available, but you think should be, let us know of the rare or missing styles in the comment section.
Walking Jack is an underwear brand based in Greece. The underwear is designed in Greece and made in Portugal. The brand applies a modern take on classic men’s underwear. The Bluebird is available in the following styles: trunk, brief, and solid brief.
I am a fan of blue and the underwear looks great. I am interested in trying on a pair of the trunk style. (See another post with my personal review.)
Bluebird Collection Photo Campaign
Walking Jack had a photo shoot for its Bluebird Collection. The model was Roger Zacha, a physiotherapy student in the Netherlands. The photographer was Louis C. The photos were taken in Cyprus.
Walking Jack’s Bluebird Collection
Walking Jack’s Bluebird Collection offers an all-blue design, with a fabric composition of 95 percent cotton and 5 percent Elastane. Also, underwear in the Bluebird Collection offers a longer waistband and a lined pouch.
The underwear is suitable for the gym and daily wear, an indication that the underwear can be worn to work and school as well as to a workout (gym or at home).
Size Chart
Walking Jack has a wide variety of sizes from Small (27-29 in or 70-75 cm) to XXL (36-39 in or 91-99 cm).
Shipping
Walking Jack delivers worldwide. I live in the United States. According to Walking Jack’s website, I would be in zone 4. The shipping fee would be 6.50 euros (registered post) for an expected delivery time of 10 to 14 business days or 20 euros for an expected delivery time of 2 to 4 business days. As I use the U.S. dollar, there is an international currency exchange element.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, delivery can be affected. Walking Jack provides a delivery advisory for customers to review.
Conclusion
The Bluebird Collection is a great new addition to Walking Jack’s product lineup. The shade of blue selected for the collection is on point.
If you are looking for something new to add to your wardrobe, consider the Bluebird Collection.
While doing some social media work for Box Menswear, I was able to discover the work of Austin, Texas, based Photographer Carlos “Trey” Salazar. Trey was one of the photographers at Box Menswear’s 2019 photo shoot in Texas.
Carlos Effort
Seth Holbrook
Carlos Effort
I saw some Trey’s photos from the Box Menswear photo shoot on Instagram, which I liked and wanted a physical print. I emailed him and found out prints were possible. I have bought several prints over time.
Trey provides some information about his inspiration for his business as well as his photography niche.
Trey has been a photographer for over 10 years now. He started his career as a wedding photographer, traveling the country from NYC to Napa Valley. Trey shot weddings with 50 guests to 500 guests, he loved meeting new people and making new friendships. A few years into his career he began shooting senior portraits for Texas high school seniors.
While on location shooting he was a victim of an accident and lost his right foot. After months of therapy and recovery, Trey made a career move into fashion/portraiture. He began working with male clients in the Austin area, that grew to the Texas area, then grew to national clients and now he works with male clients from all over the world.
Trey works out of his home studio in Austin, in addition to traveling to NYC, LA, and Florida for shoots.
This blog has had several articles on the models in front of the camera. This blog article will focus on the person behind the camera. I will start with an interview Trey did with Yo Soy podcast.
Trey’s First Photo Book, Planned Tentatively for Spring 2021
Trey posted on his Instagram page that he will produce his first photo book in Spring 2021.
Alejandro Victoria hosts the Yo Soypodcast, which is also based in Austin, Texas. In 2019, Yo Soy had an interview with Trey.
In the podcast, Alejandro and Trey discussed several topics, including how Trey transitioned from working in retail to entering photography and owning his own business. Trey also discussed how he entered the male portrait photography niche. Also, Trey provides his view on being a Latino within the portrait photography industry.
Trey is open to providing photography advice to people who ask him for it. He noted in the interview that while he provides technical advice, each person has a different eye and will produce different images.
While Trey posts photos of stunning models on his Instagram pages, those models’ business is based on looking fantastic in photos. Those photos attract attention and create business leads. Trey takes photos of all people, focusing on helping the person to look their best.
For people looking to enter photography, Trey encourages people to take a lot of photographs of everything. This is the way to discover what type of photography the person likes.
Alejandro asked Trey if he had any favorite models. Trey responded that he likes working with models that are comfortable in their skin. (Interestingly, Trey himself prefers to take photos rather than being in photos.) Trey named two models as favorites, Keith Laue, and Kevin Mize, though I got the impression that he likes working with all people.
I have provided a summary of the 30-minute interview. I recommend listening to the podcast, as you get to learn more about Trey the artist and person creating the images.
Topher AlfordDon HolidayKyle
Carlos EffortEric Guilmette
Need portraits for your project or want to buy a print? Contact Trey for more information.
Other photos that I have bought: Box Menswear model Alex Parker and another model named Jordan. The photos are more of the models interacting with space. The models have been in the gym or have a physique developed with athletics. Most have sunlight and one is under studio lights.
Why Buy Photo Prints?
With the Internet, there is a lot of photography to enjoy. However, photographs are a form of intellectual property which is owned by someone, usually the photographer. The issue with the Internet is that the photographs are enjoyed without credit being given to the model or the photographer. So, on the blog, I make sure to locate model and photographer names and provide links for each. To the extent possible, I ask if prints are available.
Need portraits for your project or want to buy a print? Contact Trey for more information.
As things have moved to digital and there is more concern with conserving paper and the use of chemicals, prints are less common than when I was growing up (there was not the Internet as it exists today. Photography was based on the use of film and having prints made.)
Also, I want to support the artist making the photos that I enjoy. So, I buy a book or a print to do it.
Trey’s Blog
Trey has a blog on his website. Below are some entries from 2018 (no longer on the site) that I liked.
Topher Alford
One model that had fantastic photos that I have come to love is Topher Alford. According to the blog post, Topher is a model represented by Raw Connects Model Management.
Topher was with Trey in 2018 to take test photos and, unsurprisingly, was getting calls for modeling gigs. I wish Topher the best in his career.
Trevor
One blog post was about a New Yorker, Trevor, who is an artist. Trey met Trevor through Instagram. All the photos are great.
Need portraits for your project or want to buy a print? Contact Trey for more information.
Box Menswear
Trey had been taking photos for Box Menswear clothing since 2018. Based on his blog posts, he likes working with the brand. An interesting side note: In the Yo Soy podcast (discussed above), Trey mentioned that Luke Mills, the owner of Box Menswear, had asked him to take photos in Thailand. Trey had declined the invitation.
For the next big trip, Box Menswear brought the photo shoot to Trey’s state–Texas. I noticed that some of the photo backgrounds for the 2019 photo shoot were the same as some of the photos on Trey’s Box Menswear blog (spring 2018 commercial shoot with Keith Laue and a selection of Box Menswear editorial photos with several different models).
Need portraits for your project or want to buy a print? Contact Trey for more information.
After the Box Menswear photo shoot in Texas, one of the models there, Carlos Effort, returned to do another photo session with Trey.
Calvin
Another photo set was with a model named Calvin. Calvin has several talents: art, dance, and baking.
Conclusion
The models are seen in many photos and advertisements, the photographers also responsible for the image are not seen yet are an important part of the field. I heard about Trey’s work while seeing the numerous photos related to the huge Box Menswear photo shoot.
Also, I was happy to find the Yo Soy podcast in which I was able to find out more about Trey’s background and approach to photography.
I look forward to enjoying more photographic art from Trey.
Please write your questions or comments about photography or male modeling industry in the comment section.
