Tyler-made

STRANGE AS IT MAY SEEM, PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT ALWAYS THE JOB THAT BRINGS ENOUGH MONEY TO LIVE FROM. MANY PHOTOGRAPHERS YOU MIGHT THINK ARE PROFESSIONAL, ACTUALLY HAVE A REGULAR JOB TO MAINTAIN THEIR LIFESTYLE AND TO ENABLE THEM TO PRACTISE THEIR ARTS. IT DOES HAVE ITS ADVANTAGES TOO HOWEVER. BECAUSE WITHOUT THE PRESSURE OF PAYING THE BILLS, YOU ARE MORE FREE TO STICK TO YOUR ARTISTIC VISION.

We once called Jay Diers the master of intelligent erotic photography. Quite a mouthful and quite a reputation to live up to. We still believe it though. Having published two photo books and many individual series, Jay has been able to change his photographic style while still remaining loyal to that specific element that makes his work so remarkable. Jay Diers is not a mass-producer and that too makes his work so unique and outstanding.

While looking at Jay Diers’ photographs a few things immediately stand out. First the choice of his men. They always have this boy next door look, mixed with a healthy dose of sexuality and sensuality. The next thing is his use of moody color schemes. Browns, yellows, black and white and sepia tones stand guarantee for stylish portraits that have a certain melancholic feeling to them. And last but certainly not least, the erotic load. No matter what the subject, Jay’s photos seem to raise your testosterone level even without showing anything explicit sexual.

Recently Jay Diers relaunched his website and simultaneously opened a blog. Websites are great as a resume, but what makes a blog so interesting is the more personal touch. It was here that we learned Jay started a new job not too long ago and it is here where we can discover his exploration in the many different fields of photography in a more free, self-expressive manner. Such as his beefcake reimagined series and his flowers and architecture photography, all in that same quite style that he uses for his male portraits. It was also here that we were introduced first to Tyler, the model Jay used for his attempt in doing more fashion photography. Now fashion is a whole different story when it comes to photography. Models are used to carry the clothes, who are the real heroes in the shots and not seldom we have seen series that could have been much better if the focus would have shifted more towards the human aspect than the product. Not so in Jay Diers’ work though. It is fashion alright, but tailor made to fit Jay’s own personal artistic vision. Or should we say Tyler-made, since the model is clearly still the hero in this beautiful set of imagery. Jay Diers might not have that much time to dedicate to his art because he has a job to take care of, but whatever he creates, it is first class photography with a personal style that only can be maintain without the pressure to produce. –BM-

BeautifulMag archive for Jay Diers: A Night at the Motel | Jay Diers' Second Time Around | Spartans.

JAY DIERS | BEAUTIFULMAG