Beautiful: Inspired by Joseph Smileuske

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WE ARE ALWAYS FASCINATED TO SEE HOW THE WORK OF SOME CAN INSPIRE OTHERS. SOMETIMES INSPIRATION CAN BE FOUND IN THE MOST UNEXPECTED PLACES. JOSEPH SMILEUSKE FOR EXAMPLE. HE FOUND INSPIRATION IN THE WORKS FROM COLT STUDIOS FOUNDER JIM FRENCH. BUT IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY THAN WHAT YOU MIGHT THINK.

It would be easy to say that you can get inspired by gay adult productions. But in this case there is a little bit more to it than the obvious. Joseph Smileuske didn’t find his inspiration in Colt’s video’s but in the photography of Colt founder Jim French. "He photographed the most beautiful built men in such a classy elegant style," Joseph explains. "He made his models "Larger then life" and he drew me to photos of nude men as a form of creative expression." So maybe we should write a thank-you note to Jim. Joseph’s photographic work is a most welcome addition to the ever extending universe of male photography.

Joseph Smileuske grew up in Syracuse, NY where he studied Graphic Design and ended up working for a local newspaper before moving to New York City some 10 years ago. Here in the city he discovered his passion for photography and working through different jobs, he finally landed in the field of photo retouch. Working with photos and learning the tricks to enhance their beauty gave Joseph so much pleasure that he started to wonder what it would be like to make his own art. And so, about 3 years ago, he bought a camera.

Retouching photos and actually taking photos are two very different things. And so, bravely, Joseph embarked on some courses in how to use camera and lighting before he started to experiment by himself. It seems obvious he picked up on the art pretty fast. Joseph chose people as his area with a specialism in male nudes. Inspired by the portraits made by earlier mentioned Jim French, but also driven by the skillful work by masters such as Bruce Weber and Herb Ritts, Joseph set to work and started to experiment with lighting and settings. His efforts already pay off, but Joseph is still learning. And that he is enjoying every second of it clearly shows through his work. When asked if he has some examples that are more recent that earlier mentioned he immediately comes up with a list of some of the great: Justin Monroe, Rick Day, Mark Henderson. It is only a matter of time before Joseph Smileuske own name will appear in someone’s list, and he will in his turn become an inspiration for another artist. –BM-

JOSEPH SMILEUSKE | BEAUTIFULMAG