Stairs

This set begins with Gareth Gowan stretched across a weathered staircase like something out of Christina's World (Andrew Wyeth 1948) and ends with Colt favorite Matt Cromwell twisting his shoulders and hips into a pose that feels half jazz dance, half beefcake photography. 

1. Gareth Gowan in Wyeth-esque pose (notice the towel under him).

Along the way we get Lloyd Beardsley glancing back over his shoulder, Barry indoors, two appearances by John Converse (Dak), and Brad Patton proving that almost any pose can work if you're brave enough to try it.

2. Lloyd Beardsley ascending.

3. John Converse aka "Dak" at the bottom of the staircase.

Stairs show up surprisingly often in physique photography. Like doors and windows, they can create frames and strong lines, but they also introduce movement. A staircase suggests that someone is arriving, leaving, ascending, descending, or simply passing through. 

4. John Converse aka "Dak" reclining on stairs.

5. Barry (see June 11 Doorways-Front) with staircase in background.

Sometimes the photographs feel completely domestic, like Lloyd looking back as if he's inviting us to follow him upstairs. Other times the stairs become something more abstract, full of diagonals, unusual angles, and playful shifts in perspective that feel almost a little M. C. Escher. An ordinary staircase suddenly becomes a stage set where we're not quite sure where we're going—or how we got there.

6. Larry Lara at the bottom of concrete stairs.

7. Ed Bono, hunky Colt model with classic stache reclining on carpeted stairs.

That's what I enjoy about staircase photographs. They can be practical, playful, intimate, or experimental all at once. A stairway can become a hillside, a pedestal, a lounge chair, or a pathway to somewhere just out of view. 

8. Brad Patton, versatile blonde star in an odd pose on wooden stairs.

9. Buzz Corbett, clean shaven Colt star on concrete stairs.

And let's be honest—if a handsome naked man pauses halfway up the stairs and looks back over his shoulder, most of us are probably following.

10. Matt Cromwell, beefy Colt star with strong tan lines and flexed calves on brick staircase.

Please leave thoughts, questions, or corrections in the comments.