Photography
Portraits & Casting of male models
by the best contemporary photographers
A male model portrait and casting photography portfolio should capture the diversity of faces, expressions, and silhouettes with a refined artistic and technical approach. This type of portfolio highlights images where lighting, framing, and composition reveal the models' personality and charisma.
Portraits can be in black and white, playing on contrasts to highlight bone structure and the intensity of the gaze, or in color, using natural tones or bold palettes to evoke different atmospheres. Backgrounds are often minimalist, neutral, or textured, allowing the model to remain the central element of the image.
In a casting context, the photographs favor simple and natural poses, highlighting the model's physique without artifice. The emphasis is on expressiveness, posture, and attitude, allowing agencies and brands to perceive the subject's potential for different projects.
Finally, a successful portfolio incorporates a variety of styles, from close-up portraits capturing the intensity of the gaze to wider shots illustrating gestures and body dynamics. It is therefore an essential tool for models and casting professionals.
Scott B. Davis
In this portrait of Thomas Roblez, Scott B. Davis displays all the subtlety of his artisanal and contemplative photographic approach. Produced using a large-format 8x10 view camera and developed using historical processes such as platinum-palladium, the image is distinguished by its delicate texture, infinitely smooth transitions between light and shadow, and an almost palpable texture.
The model's pose is both sensual and introspective. Thomas, naked, eyes closed, sketches a gesture suspended between abandonment and tension, his hand behind his neck, his arm raised. This gesture recalls the ancient figures of Narcissus or Apollo, where beauty is as much contemplated as it is isolated from the outside world. The body is not presented in a search for ostentatious expressiveness, but in an inner, almost silent vibration.
The light, very soft and diffuse, caresses the volumes of the torso, the forearm and the face, constructing an image of great formal tenderness. The slight blur of the focus contributes to a timeless aesthetic, Davis's signature: we are not facing a snapshot, but a photographic meditation. The blur becomes a breath between the model and the lens, an emotional filter that invites a sensitive rather than descriptive reading.
The dark background, combined with the old wooden armchair, places the model in a timeless, almost monastic space. Nudity is never exposed brutally; it becomes matter, flesh in harmony with shadow and light.
The photograph thus presents itself as a portrait of presence: a young man suspended between carnal tension and inner contemplation, in a visual silence where the light sculpts the soul as much as the body.
Inspired by Squidgame
Bartek Kliński by Marcin Rychly Karrde
“All those moments will be lost, in time.. like tears in rain…”
-Blade Runner-
"When I began my adventure with photography a few years ago, little did I realize that it would turn out to be not only a true passion for me but also an inspiring way forwards in life.
Today, equipped with professional photographic equipment, I aim to show things that wouldn't otherwise be seen, using my imagination, together with my long fascination with film and my experience as a computer graphic designer to help me. I try, in my own original way, to capture faces, fleeting thoughts, momentary glances and those occasions which without photography would be lost in time, like tears in rain.”
This photograph by Marcin Rychly Karrde embraces a sporty, dramatic, and subtly erotic aesthetic, playing on the tensions between strength and vulnerability, performance and exposure. The image features an athletic young man partially clad in American football gear. The bare torso, bulging muscles, and light gliding across the skin accentuate the sculpted body, like a contemporary reinterpretation of the classical ideals of the heroic male nude.
The tight framing and slightly forward-leaning pose reinforce the introspective intensity of the subject, who gazes downward with an almost meditative concentration. The black makeup under the eyes, typical of the football player, evokes both combat preparation and theater, adding a performative touch to the whole. The neutral background highlights the silhouette without distracting, emphasizing the graphic unity between the body, the equipment, and the chromatic contrasts (black, white, red, and metal).
This photograph evokes the codes of sports fashion as much as those of studio portraiture, blurring the lines between art, advertising, and identity staging. The image explores masculine archetypes such as the warrior, the athlete, or the living statue, while deconstructing them through the non-aggressive, almost gentle pose and the highlighting of the skin. It reveals a contemporary look at the male body, oscillating between controlled power and sensual aesthetics, inviting the viewer to contemplate not only the image of the athlete, but also that of a man presented as a sculptural, emotional, and symbolic figure.
This photograph by Zeb Daemen embodies a neoclassical and contemporary aesthetic, playing on the balance between sculpture and the human body. The male model, dressed in nothing but underwear, adopts an elegant and introspective pose, leaning delicately on an antique bust placed on a pedestal. The setting recalls the compositions of academic paintings, where male beauty was idealized and sculptural.
The black and white reinforces the timeless character of the image, highlighting the texture of the skin, the subtle musculature, and the softness of the shadows. The neutral, clean background accentuates the sobriety and solemnity of the scene, highlighting the model's posture and the interaction between the human and the art object.
Daemen plays here on the duality between the living and the inanimate, past and present, flesh and stone. The photograph thus questions the relationship between art and the body, where the model himself becomes a sculpture, merging with the classical element in a contemplative elegance. The image evokes fragility and masculine beauty, transcended by a minimalist and sophisticated approach.
Chris Araya-Colvin by Zeb Daemen
Photographer Damon Baker's style is distinguished by a black and white aesthetic marked by dramatic intensity. This image perfectly illustrates his approach: a contrasting play of light accentuates shadows and textures, giving the photograph a striking depth. The tight framing and slightly tilted angle reinforce the emotional intensity of the subject, whose posture and expression convey a sensual vulnerability mixed with confidence.
Baker excels at exploring faces and bodies through expressive lighting, highlighting the model's lines, muscles, and veins. His style evokes a tension between strength and fragility, capturing the raw, spontaneous moment while maintaining a careful staging. He favors subtle grain and deep contrasts, creating a cinematic, timeless atmosphere that characterizes his work.
Josh Richards by Damon Baker
Damon Baker, the author of this self-portrait, was going through a period marked by drug and alcohol abuse at the time, a reality he candidly discusses on his Instagram feed. In light of this intimate context, the image is charged with a strong emotional density, marked by ambiguity, inner struggle, and raw vulnerability.
The pose, torso stretched, arms crossed above the head, gaze falling beneath a damp fringe, goes beyond a simple aesthetic gesture: it becomes the physical language of a fight against oneself. It is no longer a body offered to the light, but a being in crisis, caught between the call of clarity and the attraction of the abyss. The cave in the background, dark and rough, acts as a mental metaphor: that of confinement, of a shadowy refuge where one confronts one's inner demons. The viewer does not know whether this body is trying to tear itself away from the darkness or abandoning itself to it.
The light, harsh and relentless, chisels the muscles with an almost painful intensity. It doesn't caress, it reveals. It embodies the brutal lucidity of moments of falling, when one perceives one's own collapse with chilling clarity. The downcast gaze, the tense features, betray a fracture of the soul, an exhaustion, perhaps a silent confession.
This portrait thus becomes a visual confession. The body becomes a place of trial, the face a mask of inner disorder. The captured moment oscillates between beauty, pain, and the hope of rebirth, because even in the night of the cave, a glimmer of light still remains.
William Kim by Brent Chua
Brent Chua is a portrait photographer whose style is distinguished by a minimalist aesthetic and a subtle use of light and shadow. Chua favors natural lighting that sculpts the model's body, highlighting their lines and bone structure. Black and white accentuates the purity and timelessness of the image, reinforcing the emotional depth of the subject. Chua takes an intimate and uncluttered approach, where every detail—the posture, the gaze, the texture of the skin—contributes to a powerful visual narrative. His tight framing and neutral background direct all attention to the model, without distractions. He emphasizes a raw elegance, revealing the natural beauty of his subjects without unnecessary artifice. His style recalls the purity of the world of fashion and fine-art portraiture, combining technical precision with a poetic sensibility.
Brian Jamie's style is distinguished by a sophisticated yet sensual aesthetic, highlighting masculine beauty in dramatic lighting. The careful lighting, with well-controlled shadows and highlights, accentuates the model's facial contours and muscular definition. The color palette, dominated by cool tones, particularly the deep blue of the background and clothing, creates a modern and elegant atmosphere.
The choice of clothing, an open denim ensemble revealing part of the torso and visible Calvin Klein underwear, reinforces the fashion and editorial aspect of the image. The model's attitude, with a piercing gaze and slightly casual gestures, brings a captivating intensity. Brian Jamie plays with the texture of the clothing and the light to add depth and dynamism to the composition.
His work, inspired by the codes of fashion photography, combines technical precision and artistic sensitivity. He subtly captures contemporary masculinity, oscillating between strength and vulnerability, in refined yet striking settings.
Simon Loof by Brian Jamie
This photograph by Gale Araujo depicts a male model in a sensual and assertive pose. His bare torso, highlighted by soft, natural lighting, accentuates the definition of his muscles and the tension in his body. His intense, penetrating gaze immediately captures attention, adding a dimension of provocation and mystery.
The drooping straps of her black pants create a visual dynamic, suggesting a relaxed elegance and a certain boldness. The contrast between her skin and the dark fabric reinforces the minimalist composition of the image.
The photograph's aesthetic is part of a contemporary approach to fashion photography and portraiture, where bodily expression becomes a powerful narrative tool. Araujo plays with masculine sensuality without going overboard, leaving room for a subtle tension between vulnerability and confidence.
Amerigo Valenti by Gale Araujo
In his editorial style, Thomas Edwin expresses himself with controlled subtlety, relying on fluid gestures and nuanced expressions. His gaze, often introspective, exudes a quiet intensity that effortlessly captures attention. He favors natural poses, playing on delicate movements and controlled relaxation that confer an impression of refined spontaneity. His interaction with light is essential: he uses it to emphasize the softness of his features or create subtle contrasts that reinforce the depth of his expression. His charisma is based on a calm and magnetic presence, evoking timeless elegance and an understated artistic sensibility.
Photographer: Hadar Pitchon
Instagram “Once deleted for my nipple, I’m back now with both”
Thomas Edwin by Hadar Pitchon