Late last summer I met up with Berlin based hottie Orson Deane for a sweltering shoot in London's Epping Forest.
We've been talking for a while about what to do with the pictures and it seemed like a brilliant time to share a special digital edition of meat featuring that shoot.
You can order a special priced download here
Check out my interview with Orson who's currently self-isolating in Berlin below.
meat: Hey Orson, how are you?
Orson: I'm OK. The world's falling down around us and I've had some mad anxiety these past few days, but I'm OK. I've got a roof over my head, I live in a fantastic city, and I'm literally sat beside a freshly brewed cup of tea.
Where are you and what are you up to?
I'm in Berlin. I moved here from London about this time last year because, a) it's bloody brilliant, and b) Brexit was driving me up the wall. You know I love being outdoors; Berlin is a green, vibrant, healthy city with a lot of great artwork. But thanks to the Coronavirus, I'm spending longer indoors at the moment.
I'm so glad we are finally getting to release the pictures we did in the forest last summer when life was 'normal'.
You say that as if I haven't been pestering you! No worries, you're a busy man. I had great fun making these.
It was such a hot day!
To be honest, it wasn't a bad summer all round. I was in and out of London, Berlin, and Barcelona. I got so much sunshine that I started getting used to it. That's why the winter hit me harder, but even that has been quite mild.
I was kinda excited to shoot outdoors in a space like that, something I've never done before.
I've done it a few times and, while I agree that it's exciting, it's also just so comfortable for me (weather depending). After all, that's the way we're meant to be.
You are definitely a bit of an explorer.
You could say that. Ever since I was a kid, I've liked seeing how far I could go. Over the next hill, through the next tunnel, under the next tree. I've always hoped that I might find somewhere undiscovered, rare, unique, or dizzyingly cool (like an abandoned monster truck or something). As I grew up, this morphed into fantasies of finding muscular men outdoors, shirtless and chopping wood, a porn cliché.
What are your memories of our shoot?
We had a roam around some woodland seeking somewhere you could get adequate light (you are such a lighting queen), and settled on an open area not far from the highway. I remember that I wore a pair of my least attractive trainers and deeply regretted it. Nevertheless, from what I can see, the shoot came out looking fantastic. You're a great laugh and would love to work with you again in the future.
We managed to attract quite a bit of attention.
I remember that a hilarious old man took a shine to us. He seemed like someone straight out of 'The Vicar of Dibley' and clearly liked what he saw. He very politely stayed out of our way, watching us work. He eventually provided a few artistic suggestions (like me sticking my cock in a tree hollow). Neither of us was sold, so he walked over, took my position, and mimed how he thought the next shot should look. No matter where we went, he had his eye on us!
It turns out everyone's an art director!
Indeed. He has probably been scouring the internet for these images ever since.
You are definitely not averse to a bit of public nudity.
You're right, we're all naked under our clothes afterall and the human body is a beautiful thing. We all need to be a little more honest about our imperfections. Maybe then we could shed our collective anxiety around nudity. My experiences tell me that Berliners are much calmer about it; there's an open, freeing attitude towards sexuality and body image.
Is there something particularly sexy about stripping off outdoors?
Yes, I love to see it. I also like it when a bloke in a suit busts his shirt open, or when there's someone who's really well dressed at a naked party. It's the unprecedented, the diversion, the boldness, the confidence.
What's going on with you creatively at the moment?
I'm a writer, so a lot of my time is spent on the computer. For inspiration: I watch films, read, and listen to tons of orchestral music. Obviously, I also have my fans pages to look after, so I'm always keen to find photographers, videographers and models who want to make something new.
Any future plans we can look forward too?
I was going to try and zip about to the UK, the US, and elsewhere in the time available to me, but now that none of us can move, it might have to wait. It's a shame because I've been talking to people I really want to work with. Lord knows I could start a podcast or a video blog. I could just write more. Who knows how long this will go on. I'll try and do some home workouts. At the same time, we're quarantined so that, when (or if) normality returns, I can arrange to work with some photographers in Berlin. Otherwise, I might just grow to the size of George RR Martin and write the next Game of Thrones.
And how do you feel about having a whole issue of meat to yourself?
Honoured! And it's digital, so the pages won't stick together.
Any tips for any meat boys thinking of getting their kit off in a forest?
Whatever's going on under your clothes, you deserve to feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. Find places and people you feel comfortable getting naked with. And most importantly: be a rebel, but be respectful.
Check out more Orson at orsondeane.uk
You can order a special priced meat Orson Deane download here