**** Many of the images in this post are NSFW ****
"Provocative photos for people who understand the fine difference between sexuality and sensuality!"
One of the many pleasures I get from writing Nichevo is the selection of photographs for the usual eye candy section of each post. Today those selections were made for me by the ground breaking photographer, Henning von Berg of Berlin, Amsterdam and Los Angeles, who has graciously provided his personal favorite photographs from his recently published book Alpha Males. Uncle Gerry and Nichevo are honored to have been noticed by Herr von Berg in our little corner of the world and privileged to present them here for you today. I must also thank Simone Ahrenz of the HvB Photography staff in Berlin for the patience shown in answering my questions in numerous emails and for providing the wealth of material from which this article is derived. All images in this article are copyrighted by Henning von Berg and used by permission.
His first group shot "Trio" was shot in 1984 with of course 3 models, shot his first magazine cover "New York" in Duesseldorf, Germany in 1994 and had his first photographic exhibition "Silhouette" in Cologne, Germany in 1996. Herr von Berg has also done work in front of the camera as a model for San Francisco photographer Greg Day in a 1997 photo shoot in Berlin "Henning and Wolfe. In that same year he decided to pursue photography as a full time profession as well as posing for artist/painter Salome' also in Berlin for a work called "Leather Master".
By the year 2000 Herr von Berg had become know worldwide for his unique eye-catching images which transformed his name into a recognizable label with and international reputation. He specializes in outdoor sessions using natural sunlight and prefers to work with amateur models both male and female. Dedicated to character portraits and fine art nudes, his favorite subjects include aristocrats and prostitutes, disabled people and athletes, and common folk and celebrities. Herr von Berg comes from a traditional German family but he often intentionally breaks taboos and bends the rules to bring new perspectives to his artistry.
His definitive book Alpha Males published in the US in December 2007 by Bruno Gmunder is a landmark achievement in a career overflowing with such achievements. Although I have never personally met the man, which I hope one day to do, I would have to say Alpha Males does much to define his artistry and give insight into his personality. I imagine his presence to be larger than life yet he seems to capture the essence of his models bringing forth their individual personalities without intimidation. He brings forth the exuberance in all his models by infecting them with his enthusiasm and easy charm. The next four photographs are wallpapers available for free download from the Alpha Males website, click on the photos and they open up to 1080 x 1240.
Born in 1962, Henning von Berg has always had an interest in photography, having received his first 35mm camera in 1972. He took his first snapshots as a hobbyist "Nude Male Torso" in 1973 and won his first award for photography in a local photo contest in Hanover, Germany in 1977 for "Landscapes". His photography remained a self taught hobby as he studied and became an engineer, a profession which he followed for 13 years until 1997 when he decided to pursue photography full time. Herr von Berg gained attention rapidly with his photographs of unusual groupings. He has been featured in many magazines and publications numbering over 400 on 4 continents. His many exhibitions at galleries and museums has lead to his works of art being sold at fine art photography auctions and his being asked to be a judge in several photography competitions.
By the year 2000 Herr von Berg had become know worldwide for his unique eye-catching images which transformed his name into a recognizable label with and international reputation. He specializes in outdoor sessions using natural sunlight and prefers to work with amateur models both male and female. Dedicated to character portraits and fine art nudes, his favorite subjects include aristocrats and prostitutes, disabled people and athletes, and common folk and celebrities. Herr von Berg comes from a traditional German family but he often intentionally breaks taboos and bends the rules to bring new perspectives to his artistry.
"He gave free reign to his predilection for adventurous photographic investigations into the bounds of mental freedom and physical liberation in big metropolises in his ‘Naked City’ series (Berlin and Sydney). For example, in Naked Berlin he presented his uninhibited models in birthday suits against a number of landmarks, including the Brandenburg Gate and the parliament building Reichstag, amongst others....he is concerned with the vestiges of a nudist culture that took hold of Germany in the 1920's, and still speaks to him personally: the nude represents ideals of liberty and crumbling hierarchies of conventional dress codes."*
"Henning von Berg has discovered for us that men should not be locked into over-simplified ideas about how they should look, how they should behave, and how they should present themselves for the world to see. A giant bodybuilder can contrast his ebony skin with a fragile ballet tutu. Groups of men can just take it all off and appear in public naked; to break the barriers between what is all right to do and what is not all right to do. Heroic poses tell us that there is more to a man and more to life than a pose."**
His definitive book Alpha Males published in the US in December 2007 by Bruno Gmunder is a landmark achievement in a career overflowing with such achievements. Although I have never personally met the man, which I hope one day to do, I would have to say Alpha Males does much to define his artistry and give insight into his personality. I imagine his presence to be larger than life yet he seems to capture the essence of his models bringing forth their individual personalities without intimidation. He brings forth the exuberance in all his models by infecting them with his enthusiasm and easy charm. The next four photographs are wallpapers available for free download from the Alpha Males website, click on the photos and they open up to 1080 x 1240.
"Any successful author or publisher hopes to stimulate sales when selecting a title for a published work. Alpha Males is therefore distinctive and, in this connection, a brilliant title. It works, and the light application of deception has never done any real harm, so anyone ordering the book by merit of its title alone won’t be disappointed, either. It aptly describes this remarkable collection of von Berg's photographic creativity, and captures the interest of all connoisseurs of male nude imagery.
For his settings, Henning von Berg favors monumental buildings or imposing landscapes that are visual marks of the forces of nature. Hence, his love of the USA, and of particularly working in the deserts and at beaches around Los Angeles. But he is ambivalent about the current state of North American society and says: “Two hundred twenty years ago, they were so far ahead of Europe, and even in the 1960's they definitely provided much inspiration for advancement of civil liberties. But now, the people there are generally prudish. And behind this facade of respectability flourishes the world’s most prolific porn industry. Clearly, pornography and prudishness are each conditions of the other.”"*
Alpha Males is his most prolific work to date containing 160 pages of absolutely stunning photography. Alpha Males can be purchased at Amazon.com, where the suggested retail is US$76.50 but is discounted to US$48.20. So with out further embellishment I present to you Henning von Berg's personal favorite photographs from the book. Until next time as always, Enjoy!
*Dr. Boris von Brauchitsch
**David Leddick
Alpha Males is his most prolific work to date containing 160 pages of absolutely stunning photography. Alpha Males can be purchased at Amazon.com, where the suggested retail is US$76.50 but is discounted to US$48.20. So with out further embellishment I present to you Henning von Berg's personal favorite photographs from the book. Until next time as always, Enjoy!
**David Leddick
1 comment:
Very nice post...thanks for letting me know.
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