SOME NUDE WORK:

This continues to be one of my favorite shoots ever. Not just because of Cary’s incredible presence but it reflects a moment that I experienced as a teenager so it holds a personal affiliation. In high school English class we were shown Franco Zeffirelli’s film* Romeo & Juliet (1968) after studying Shakespeare. It was the first time I saw a man nude on film.  The fabrics and dewy light draped around Romeo’s naked back and the romantic tone of the film made significant impression on me and my style of shooting.

I recreated the morning glow of Romeo’s scene with sheets I bought at a thrift store for a dollar. I remember Cary being very excited about showing the final shots to his fiance. We were to shoot again but he quit modeling after he married.

*I do have to note that Zeffirelli and that film have become controversial as both main actors, who were actual teens when they appeared in the film and its nude scenes, now say those scenes were part of the final film without their permission.