We start with Bill Douglas, the famous redheaded centerfold from the 1970s, perched on a log in the river. From there the set moves through men posed in rivers and creeks — in the water, along the banks, or stretched out near the current — with a bonus appearance by John Kesler showing this theme never really disappeared.
From lakes we move to rivers, which create a totally different mood in physique photography. Rivers usually bring rocks, currents, colder water, shaded tree cover, and sometimes waterfalls cutting through the frame.
Even when the shots blur together with lakes or ponds, you can usually spot the difference in the winding current or the rougher terrain.
Lakes feel calm and reflective to me. Rivers feel more rugged. More camping tent than cabin. More fly-fishing and A River Runs Through It.
What I like about these images is the feeling of stumbling onto a private moment out in nature somewhere far from civilization. The water winding through the landscape, the curves of the river echoing the curves of the body, the sound of rushing water somewhere just outside the frame.
There’s something deeply masculine and nostalgic about it for me — part outdoorsman fantasy, part quiet swimming hole memory. One small problem though: that water is usually freezing cold. Enough said.
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