Dangly Bits!

What an odd day! Started with a trip to the gallery to buy a present for a friend. We were all to meet there at 10 and I drove Friend down as she was hit by exhaustion when she got to me. Unfortunately the gallery doesn't open till 11. We had already been warned the birthday girl was planning on a walk so to be careful but as it was we all ended going to hers for a coffee whilst we waited! Her husband was told what we were all up to but she just thought we were calling by to say happy Birthday! They have recently moved to a house with a garden and I had a tour with the husband. What a garden! As usual in Calstock you have either a pocket handkerchief or a football field!!At one time loving laid out by the owner with specimen trees and different sections, but now overgrown and needing much work. At the end was 2 types of bamboo with a tree only discovered in China in the 1940's! All it needed was a Panda! 
At the gallery we chose a pen and ink of the viaduct  by the owner and I asked the owner if I could bring my camera to drawing class - I knew drawing the nude man was going to be a trial but it seemed an ideal opportunity and way more fun to try photographing him! She said I could ask him! Home with weary Friend who came in for lunch - luckily had left over  sweet potato and red lentil curry from my HelloFresh box the previous night!
All too soon the time had come to face the dangly bits! He was quite happy to be photographed as long as I sent his photos to him so he could give to his agent!!  So after doing the rapid 2 minute sketches of him to loosen us up, I did this rather than the longer drawings after our tea and cake! He struck what he said were easy poses, then began to get creative!He only turned his back on us for one pose, and only because we asked him to!  I had a chat with him during the break, seemed quite natural to chat as he stood there totally starkers in front of me! He started to model at school since he could hold a pose better than the rest of his class, then at university modelled to give himself some income, and so he has continued! He now does a blog as he was asked so many times how to be a model, what type of poses to do. Because he was so relaxed it really wasn't a problem drawing him, well apart from my obvious inability to draw! Photographing him was actually quite a trial  as I really didn't know how best to set the camera for the light and skin tones, I tried aperture and then shutter  priority and then manual and then aperture with a low ISO. processing them is also proving to be difficult  and to be honest I'd rather finish doing the rest of the bird of prey photos!