JOHANN D’NALE SET OUT TO DO SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT WHEN HE KICKED OF BUT I LIKE IT. HE REFERS TO IT AS AN ARTISTIC PRACTICE AND USES THE TAG LINE ‘THE ALTERNATE FACE OF PORTRAITURE’. WHILE HE TOTALLY RESPECTS THE AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHERS PRODUCING STUNNING FASHION, MALE BEAUTY OR PHYSIQUE WORK, HE SIMPLY HAS NO INTEREST IN CHASING A ‘ME TOO’ LINE OF COMMERCIALITY OR ‘LIKES’. INSTEAD HE WORKS TO PRODUCE INTERESTING, QUESTIONING IMAGERY AND WORKS WITH HIS MODELS COLLABORATIVELY - AND HOW THIS WORKS DIFFERS FROM ONE TO ANOTHER.
Johann D'Nale is a photographer based in the United Kingdom. Focused on creating stylish, original imagery of the male visage and form, Johann's photographs a diverse selection of men – aiming to share the beauty and subtleties and to record each person at that point as they transition through life. He works with guys from a broad spectrum of ages, backgrounds and reasons for wanting photos. Some are everyday guys looking for social media or dating app pics, others are models - aspirational or already working - looking to develop a folio and others are simply interested in collaborating artistically - to develop something more than a run of the mill set of imagery. Johann's photos are a mixture of personal promotion, portfolio and project-based photos.
Knowing all this it shouldn’t come as a complete surprise that Johann D’Nale is the kind of guy who likes to push boundaries every now and then. If you visit his But I Like It website you will understand what I mean. Johann works often on the base of a project or theme. Sometimes romantic, sometimes erotic. Always with an idea behind it. For example, his AdidasPorn project, which looks at how certain brands are fetishized by the gay community.
Johann met Ulysseros online. Ulysseros started to get some followers on the Internet, but had not yet embarked on his journey that would lead to the real recognition he deserves. After having seen Johann’s portfolio, Ulysseros thought it a good idea to work together to further boost his book and was willing to travel a good distance to do so. From earlier conversations it became clear the young model has a healthy interest in fetishwear, especially leather, and underwear and so it was decided he would carry a well-filled suitcase with him while traveling to Johann’s studio. A big effort but certainly one that paid off. The result of that shoot is a set of photographs that is both intimate as well as exhibitionist and erotic. And the perfect visualization of Johann’s AdidasPorn concept. –BM-
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