I had been wanting to play around with the idea of commercialized youth for sometime, and Cam was the perfect “youth” to try this idea out on.  Originally I had intended this series to be bright and colorful, with the colors of commercial logos splashed across the images.  I wanted to do a commentary on the influence of major brands on not only the youth, but America as a whole.  In the end, however, it felt more powerful to remove the power of the “brands” by taking away the color, and allowing the focus to fall back to the “boy” where it belongs.  Enjoy! -JM

According to Urbandictionary.com:

A “Twink” is an attractive, boyish-looking, young man. The stereotypical twink is 18-22, slender with little or no body hair, often blonde, and is not particularly intelligent. A twink is the male answer to the blonde bimbo cheerleader.

Now, I have to make it extensively clear that this is simply the pigeon hole we put Nick into for the show, and that this is not how I would describe him in reality!  While he definitely falls into the “attractive, boyish-looking, slender, no body hair, blonde” description, he is NOT lacking in intelligence.

I had nick into the studio recently to shoot some of the looks he sported for the runway.  The majority of the looks we picked for this photo shoot were by Rufskin, and one great pair of pink trunks by Diesel.  Enjoy! -JM

I’m proud to say that the series can be seen on OhlalaMag.com.  To be published on this entertainment, travel, fashion, and lifestyle blog and to see these images amongst the great talent featured there, is a great honor.  Take a look at the images here, and be sure to visit Ohlala!  Enjoy! -JM

This post contains images some viewers may find inappropriate.

It was a hot day, with a lot of sun and very little wind.  But the gorgeous setting of the garden at mid-day lent perfectly to the soft, over-exposed aesthetic that we wanted.  The images below are only a sampling of the full day’s effort!  The models pumped out look after look, and still had a smile on their faces when all was said and done!  These ladies were troopers!  Keep an eye out for the Fall look book!  And be sure to visit the Lee and Birch website to see the full Spring/Summer look book!

Make up and hair by Hanna Wagner.  Styling by Nikki Dykstra.  Production assistant, Rob Schaftenaar.

Models (in order of appearance below):  Andrea, Maria, Kayla, Lizzie.

Models represented by The Matthew Agency.

I was pleasantly surprised when the editor of DNA liked the concept enough to request I do a written piece for the series as well!  Below is the story, along with the photo series!  It can be found in the current issue of DNA on magazine stands in Australia now, soon to hit stands in America. Enjoy! -JM

“For decades, men have endured the punishment of unflattering, uncomfortable and uninteresting underwear,” says photographer Jerrad Matthew.  He’s right. Plenty of undies devolve into shapeless, grey, unsupportive and unsexy versions of their former selves after a wash or two. Yes, we’re talking to you Fruit Of The Loom, Hanes and Calvin Klein.  But what some companies have done to damage the sex appeal of men’s briefs, others such as Rufskin, Aussie Bum, N2N and Andrew Christian have worked tirelessly to repair.
“It’s time to revisit the simplest and most basic men’s undergarment and give these under-appreciated items another chance!” declares Jerrad, which he does in this cheeky spread for DNA.  Model Colin Andrews endures another type of punishment to show just how mighty whities can be! After all, what other than stretch white cotton can reveal so little and so much at the same time?

This post contains images some viewers may find inappropriate.

While I have shot many photo series that I would categorize as sexy, and worked with many models in that category as well, the natural chemistry between these two married models literally made me sweat.  There was no hesitation, no awkward warm-up time between two strangers working together for the first time.  It was simply a matter of stripping them down and throwing them in front of the camera.

I hope we did our muse couple, Becks and Posh proud with these images.  If working with married couples could always be this insanely sexy, I would have to consider adding a new package to my list.  Enjoy! -JM

Hair and Make Up: Hanna Wagner.

Set Stylist / Assistant:  Daniel Parker.

]]> http://jerradmatthew.net/the-category-of-sexy/feed/ 6 http://jerradmatthew.net/tied-up-chained-down/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tied-up-chained-down http://jerradmatthew.net/tied-up-chained-down/#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:43:05 +0000 jerradmatthew http://jerradmatthew.net/?p=315 Do you prefer to be tied up, or chained down?   Today I bring you both in a combination of two series shot with model Wesley Lunsford.  Among my first attempts at editorial photography, here are two stories, both shot in a different city and months apart.  It is truly a coincidence that they… um, tie together so well.

In Tied Up, the photo shoot took us to multiple locations around Memphis, Tennessee.  I wanted to show the versatility of ties, that they are not just for formal occasions.  A tie can make any outfit just that much classier, even when you’re not wearing much at all… you’ll see what I mean below.

Chained Down was photographed on the rooftop pool deck of a building in Nashville, Tennessee.  Shooting at night, the city got lost, but with the focus on the model and his chains, who would have been looking at boring buildings anyway.  I wouldn’t dare to say that chains are nearly as important an accessory as a tie is, but they sure are sexy.

As I continue to grow in my career and shoot new and amazing images, I hope to still periodically bring you flashes from my photographic past.  These two series are just some of the archives I plan to share, so keep checking back!

Oh! And, by the way, which do you prefer?  To be Tied Up?  Or Chained Down?  Leave a comment below and let me know! Or at least which of the two series you liked more!  Enjoy!  -JM

Tied Up

Chained Down

Hanna brought a modern take to three distinct decades of style.  First, 60′s mod with clean lines and clean face.  Next, 70′s Hippie chic with flowing hair, a bright open face, and beads, lots of beads.  Ending with what I call 80′s Big: big hair, big make-up, big accessories, and bigger statements.

It was nearly impossible to narrow down the best images.  Picking one from each look was simply not an option.  I am so excited to present this series, please enjoy!  -JM

I drove to Ann Arbor, Michigan to meet model Derek Watson.  Derek was in need of some new amazing images for his portfolio and comp card.  We had been talking about shooting for quite some time, and both of us were quite excited to finally meet.  Considering he also drove into Ann Arbor, and neither of us had even been to the city, let alone lived there, finding great locations was quite a task!  It is, however, one thing I pride myself on… being able to find amazing backdrops for amazing photographs.

Our first location of the day was a simple underpass and stair case.  I love working with large concrete structures.  Maybe its the simple texture, perhaps its the clean lines, but solid cement just seems to provide the perfect structural setting for fashion images.

Our second location took some time to find.  We drove and drove and drove… got a burger (at least I did…models don’t eat) and then drove some more.  Finally we happened upon an old worn out barn house in the middle of a field full of the tallest weeds I’d ever seen.  We braved the weeds, the bugs, and the possibility of snakes to get to this amazing spot.  The rustic setting was well worth the treck.  We all must sacrifice for our art.

Finally, the last location of the day was a lucky find.  We sped past a junkyard, not thinking twice.  After a moment or two of silence, the idea came to both of us.  A quick U-turn was in order.  We sped back to the graveyard where Derek was bold enough to ask permission to shoot.  As you can see from the pictures, it was quite a stellar find!  Over all, it was an amazing day, and I think the images prove that.  Enjoy!   – JM