All Images are the Copyrighted property of David Fagan 2003

Playgirl magazine just narrowed down all the guys who have ever appeared in the magazine - from the first issue to the current - and YVAN COURNOYER was chosen as one of the top twelve!

Not only was Yvan's body one of the twelve hottest - he was chosen for the cover to represent the group! CONGRATULATIONS YVAN!

This is Yvan's fourth appearance in a Playgirl publication and damn - HE IS HOT! The most recent one had him as one of the fifty hottest men in the world, this new issue which chose him having the hottest bod is on newsstands now!

David Fagan: 'Capturing the dynamic
quality of the male physique'
http://connex247.com

The weekend after Easter I first met Yvan Cournoyer. We had a photo shoot scheduled in San Diego for Saturday morning, an event that would change my life. Ok, I’m sure that sounds like hyperbole, but such occasions do happen. And, often, as may be the case with Yvan, the person who is the catalyst is completely unaware of the extent of his influence. That’s one reason I’m particularly glad that you asked me to interview, so that I might have this opportunity to acknowledge my appreciation for Yvan and the debt I have to this man.

I have aspired to being a photographer since a kid when I first held in my hands a Brownie Hawkeye box camera. Life, captured on film and reproduced on paper, fascinated me and continues to do so. And as I grew and photographic technology grew, I soon became aware that the camera could be more than a recorder of history, that it could create art. That blending is what has drawn me to aspire to be a professional photographer.

I yet find it a disconcerting to think of myself as a ‘professional’ photographer. Perhaps because I am not solely dependent on photography for my living, but photography is definitely my life’s focus. My first photographs were landscapes and city scenes. I enjoyed “framing” slices of everyday life, and I still enjoy line and shape, the architectural aspects of composition and those aspects are present in my work. However, in the past two or three years, my sensibilities have changed, my interests in subject matter has changed radically – I think I would say ‘matured’ – and my greatest ambition now is to capture the dynamic quality of the male physique.

What I look for in a male model is first the man’s musculature, the shape and form of the muscles that lie just below the flesh tones of the skin. In my pictures I hope to convey not simply the size or potential strength of those muscles – I’m not particularly fond of the massive bodybuilder physique – I hope to present the beauty, the symmetry, the sensuality of the male form, a classic look with a contemporary view.

Of course, for this, you have to have the right model. And, for my interest, Yvan Cournoyer is exactly that. Yvan possesses a physique that is strikingly symmetrical, his musculature allowing for the dramatic play of light and shadow over the muscles’ curves. He also possesses a classic beauty. Now that term may not often be applied to men. More often men are described as handsome or attractive, and both of those terms would be appropriate for Yvan. But, from my perspective, a really good model possesses beauty and not only in his physical characteristics but also in his whole being. With the Greeks I believe that true beauty in life is a balance between mind, body and spirit.

This interest in portraying a classic approach to the male body developed, I’m sure, from my having taught courses in humanities. My ‘day job’ – my first career – was in education. I taught at the university here in Houston, which led to my exploration of ancient ‘cultures’ – especially that of Greece. And one of the things that I found particularly admirable in their world-view was their attitude toward the male nude. "Their culture respected the male form, even glorified its perfection in beautiful marble statues, an influence which, in later centuries, can be seen in master artists' renditions such as Michangelo's David.

I guess, with the contemporary medium of the digital camera, I’m seeking to do a similar thing -- to create an artistic rendition that, at a basic level, does homage to the model’s physical beauty.

But it’s not only the physical beauty that I want to portray. I’m not interested solely in the exterior. A photograph is an intimate thing. So much so that there have been cultures that created a taboo against a camera capturing a person’s image. Their fear was that the camera steals the individual’s soul. And in a fundamental way, these cultures were right. In depicting human beings, the camera does have the potential to see inside the soul, to see and capture on film personality and passion as well.

Well, that’s true IF the person being photographed has such depth, if the individual is open to revealing himself and alive to life’s passions. So this is another thing I look for in a male model. There are many men who may possess attractive, even strikingly beautiful or handsome features. Physiques that approach perfection abound. Ok, maybe not to the level of Yvan’s, but you know what I mean. There are lots of men with beautiful bodies. However, what interests me in a male model beyond his physical attributes is if he has a passionate nature, and, very importantly, if he is sufficiently comfortable with himself and the photo shoot to show that passion to the camera’s lens.

Yvan has that ability. First, let me say that as a model Yvan is much more than his stunning physique and sensual aura. He is intelligent – and highly articulate – and, importantly for my interests, he is also confident in who he is, and, consequently, he has what I most want in a model – he is capable of being vulnerable in front of the camera. He can allow his personality to flow through the camera’s lens. Serious, humorous, even impish sometimes, and above all passionate, with a sense of the dramatic that I particularly like, Yvan allowed all of these aspects of his personality to be probed by my lens. He shared himself unreservedly. In fact, as this particular shoot developed, I found myself often following his lead as much as giving direction. It was a highly collaborative endeavor. I think I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to photograph Yvan and hope we can do so again soon.

The photos with this article are by David Fagan and are not to be reproduced by any means. The photographs are copyright 2003 by David Fagan.

The photographer David Fagan lives in Houston, Texas. His pictures of Yvan may be seen at www.Queer-America.com and www.QueerSouthBeach.com , and soon at www.davidfagan.net where museum quality prints will be available in limited editions for private collectors.