While this site is primarily about me and my work, I thought that this was something exciting and of interest to those of who love physique photography, as much as we do!

Jack Mackenroth Launches 2012 Calendar with 100% of

Proceeds Benefiting amfAR --
The American Foundation for AIDS Research

As the first television personality since Pedro Zamora to be vocal about his HIV status, Jack Mackenroth has quickly become the most visible, out HIV+ advocate and educator in the country. . . if not the world. With the release of his 2012 calendar, he hopes to raise both money and awareness for AIDS research, and to show through his photographs that a person living with HIV can be in top physical form, healthy and sexy. All proceeds from the calendar will go to amfAR (Amfar.org) to help find a cure for AIDS. Mackenroth has been living with the disease for 22 years.

Designer, athlete and HIV/AIDS activist and educator Jack Mackenroth has had the priveledge of shooting with some of the best photographers in the business. Each month of the 15 month calendar will feature a different photographer with a very different style. Jack is a role model to many people in the HIV community and a fitness model that many aspire to emulate.

Photographers taking part in the project include Adam Bouska, Rick Day, Carsten Fleck, Frank Louis, James Franklin, Karl Giant, Tommy Synnamon, Mattheus Lian, Richard Gerst, Ray John Pila, Sonny Tong, Thomas Evans, Krys Fox and Preston Cros.

“I have amassed such an amazing collection of images that I wanted to put out a calendar that will help to combat the silence and stigma associated with being HIV-positive,” says Mackenroth. He adds, “If I can raise money for HIV/AIDS research, it’s even better.”

Jack has been a vocal and visible advocate of the HIV community, touring the country through numerous speaking engagements and special appearances at events. He continues to speak around the country and will be planning calendar signing events in the upcoming months. His memoir, “Making Lemonaids” will be released this winter.

The autographed calendar will be available for pre-sale starting in mid-August, with shipping starting Sept. 15, 2011. All proceeds benefit amfAR—The American Foundation for AIDS Research. (Amfar.org) The calendar’s dimensions are 8.5 x 11 inches, and are available through (ONLINE NOW) for $14.95 (plus tax and shipping).

For additional information, please visit Jackmackenroth.com.

Hanging out with the beautiful boys of BEL AMI, in Budapest!

ROB YAEGER is a model in New York City who recently came to Chicago for a photo shoot.

He is an up and coming Adult Movie Actor and we did some amazing shots of his physique and fully naked - of course, we can not publish those here. But watch for more of Rob in the next year and visit his sites!

Rob Yaeger.com 

This summer I have been so busy with other projects, I have had limited time to photograph
beautiful men in and around Chicago! However, these 2 stunning male models
made it onto my schedule this summer? Hot?  or what? 

The top model, John, has done  fitness and physique work
before and needed some new photos.
 
The bottom model Nic, is 22 and has worked for Abercrombie
and been photographed by Bruce Weber
several times and just signed a contract with Ford in New York!


Michael Snell
Blue Men Photography - Chicago
Specializing in male models / fitness and physique

HOW EXCITING!  

DNA Online Magazine and Blog, from Australia,  were looking for some beach and water photos and have chosen to feature some of my work this month! Some of my photos will also be in their newsletter! If you don't already get it,SUBSCRIBE now. They have an amazing hot magazine and I am very honored they want to run some of my photos and models!

CHECK OUT MY LINK ON THEIR SITE! They get over 10,000  hits a day!


 



    

      





 

 

         

 

  

        

These are a couple models from last fall. I have been so behind ingeting images up!
The blonde is from Michigan and is a trained ballet dancer - what an amazing lean body.

Mario, on top, has been modeling and acting for several years now.

 

This young guy is 18! He was discovered working in a local gym and has an interest
in getting into acting and modeling. His skin was flawless! Everyone loves his smile,
not to mention his rockin'  abs!






male models chicago photographer physique photography Turbo Tagger

 

 

    The year is coming to end and we have at least 10 more weeks of Winter!

I like to shoot outdoors, so most of my work happens April-November.

Indoors you can cupture some nice window lighting....

male models chicago photographer physique photography Turbo Tagger

 

 

What a crazy summer! I was able to shoot a half dozen hot models this summer and over the coming weeks, will share some of the images with you! I have one more shoot this weekend, outdoors at an estate with an up and coming actor! But after that, I try to take most of the Winter off, because we hate shooting  indoors. Although in November, we are going to Puerto Vallarta for Latin Fever! So I will hopefully find some models there.

I was very honored this past week, when the wonderful creators and owners of BEAUTIFUL contacted
me and wanted to feature my photography on their amazing site!

Based in Paris, this duo has been spreading beauty on the Internet since August 2005. "We got the
idea that it would be nice to create exposure and publicity for people who mean or could mean
something in the gay surroundings. There are so many talented and sexy gay men out there who
deserve some attention, and we like to bring them closer to their potential audience. It seems to be a quite appreciated concept considering the positive responses and requests we get from both sides. Of course the fact that we scatter some nudity over our site might have something to do with that as well!"

The Beautiful Blog gets major traffic! Thousands of hits per day. To be featured on their blog is a real honor! Stop by their site and check it out. You will be hooked, I am sure, and become a regular reader, as I am.

Thank you guys!!!
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Michael

      

I CAN'T WAIT TO GET OUTSIDE AND
START SHOOTING AGAIN! UGH! 




I am so tired of being cooped up indoors, shooting  models on my couch and on my
bed! - Well, OK, so it's NOT THAT BAD!



But I love doing things outdoors and I have
3 guys lined up who claim they are exhibitionists and don't mind being naked outside!

That will be a lot of fun! - A good model
really does have to be a bit of an
exhibtionist. Someone shy usually
doesn't photograph well.




    

BROTHERS! 


Is that everyone's fantasy ? or just mine?




And these two hotties from Eastern
Europe, one is straight and one is gay.




Is that everyone's fantasy? or just mine?

 

 
                                   

                          

This is some of my early work. Back in the day, I won't say what year but you can probably figure it out!

Back in those days, singers/performers gave a media pass to photographers and allowed then to shoot the entire show, from the photographers pit! You could leave with 150-200 shots of someone! It was awesome. Plus, you got to go
backstage and hang out with them after the show most times!


   


Then came Madonna. She decided it was not necessary for photographers to be allowed to shoot the whole show. She really changed the industry. Her manager allowed photographers 2 songs only from the pit, then gave them tickets away from the stage, usually in the balcony, forcing photographers to shoot with a tele-photo lens, if they wanted more photos.

   


Then came Prince! He decided to take it a step further! He offered no passes for the pit. He set a photographers area on the main floor, it was slightly raised, near the tech booth, which was about
50 rows back, forcing everyone to shoot with a tele-photo lens. I said enough.
And I walked out of that show!

                       

From there on out, all performers started the 1-2 song limit. It wasn't as fun anymore. And they wouldn't let us backstage. So I moved away from the genre and started to focus on models! But there was some good times! I was on tour with Heart (super nice ladies) for 2 weeks. Followed  Alice Cooper for a week. Photographed Grace Jones (who was amazing!) , Bette Midler, Tina Turner (who is a wonderful person!) , Village People, David Bowie, Babys, Angel, KISS, George Clinton & Parliament, Diana Ross,  Bob Seger -
ok, now I guess I am dating myself. Really,  was about 10 years old then!  LOL.

It was good times! I consider myself very lucky to have had that amazing opportunity and meet some awesome people!

I think I have a pretty good for fresh talent. A lot of my most successful models are guys I hand picked off the street and have never modeled before. One of my models left Michigan after I photographed him, and moved to New York, where he was recently featured on RUNNER magazine, he does work for J. Crew and Donna Karan, and has a small part in the new movie THE GOOD SHEPHERD.

 

John Murphy (above right) got his body in tip top shape for our photo shoot. I was able to get him a spread  in MENS WORKOUT, which I shot, and was able to get him a $10,000 advertising campaign for a major sports suppliment company.



                                            

 

Adam Bouska, (above right) started as model and later found himself in back of the camera, shooting young and upcoming models. Adam now lives in California and has a calendar coming out later this year!



I am always looking for fresh faces and great bodies!
If you are in Chicago or coming to visit, look me up!  Michael Snell  Malephotog@gmail.com