bushnstache: Men of Color

“Hold there,” Mr. Yato said. “Let the light fall from above.”

Hiroshi stilled, the shadows doing just enough… and not quite enough.

“Don’t move.”

Less reveals more, Yato thought.

Hiroshi kept his gaze forward. Does he see it… or want to?

1. Unknown Model by Tamotsu Yato (shadow play)

This set is a small shift from my first month—focusing on men of color who were very much part of this world, even if they showed up less often. The images are there, and some photographers—Mizer, Juleff, and others—really mastered lighting various skin tones and posing a range of body types.

2. Bill Edwards (tree limb)

3. Ralph Gomes (on a stool)

4. Bobby Gordon (boulder and sky)

That said, the camera wasn’t neutral back then. Who got photographed, how they were framed, and how those images circulated reflected the times—and those times didn’t see everyone equally. You can feel that in some of these photos, where the fantasy gets pushed a little harder—less about the man himself, and more about the idea of him, which can feel… off now.

5. Bill Cerdas (tarp)

6. Nobou Takemoto (twist)

7. James Hargrove (highlights)

For me, it’s simple. I love this era and what it gave us—but I also wish it showed more of the full picture. The world is full of beautiful men…and I have eyes for all of them.

8. Enrico Torres (reclined)