We are thrilled and honoured to be featuring incredible Spanish photographer Jorge de Reval at Stunning Men with a selection of his beautiful work. Some of his models are now household names.
Cristian Romero
Jorge's stunning work with beautiful models is extensive, so it has been a difficult task to select a few shots to post here
Roman Khodorov
Jorge was born in Madrid of parents with Spanish and Russian heritage. He travelled a lot in Europe, living in Lyon (France), Brussels (Belgium), Prague (Czech Republic) and eventually ended up in Bratislava (Slovakia), but recently moved to Budapest seeking job opportunities.
Konstantin Kamynin (Kirill Dowidoff)
Jorge's passion and knowledge of art is beautifully
reflected in his work.
reflected in his work.
Please make sure to check Jorge's Facebook page to check his work and show him some love and support by 'liking' it!
Don't forget to visit Jorge's website to see more of his work! His stunning models also need your support, so have a look at their work too!
Here's Jorge's full interview
Jorge,
welcome to Stunning Men. It is a great pleasure to finally be able to feature
you in our blog, as we have been huge fans for some time now.
Could
we start off by talking a little bit about where you are from?
I
am from Madrid, the capital of Spain, but I have a Russian background.
You
have travelled in Europe quite a bit before settling down in Budapest; what did
you enjoy the most?
I
have not settled down yet. I am a nomad, I am the grandson of a Cossack and, as
Russian poet Mayakovsky, who is also of Cossack dissent, said “I might be right
or wrong, but I can’t settled down”. Even Budapest is
just one stop of what I call the pilgrimage of my life. What I enjoy the most
is being able to speak native languages and learn the culture of each place.
Your
work has been admired by many for some years now. How did you become a
photographer? Is that something you always wanted to do?
A
famous old American photographer discovered me and told me I had a gift.
He
taught me the rules and poses for male photography and became my Maestro.
What
did you do before you worked as a photographer?
I
dedicated all my life to Art and Culture. My day job is as an Art and Language teacher.
You
have worked with many stunning models over the years. How do you manage to find
such stunning guys over and over again?
I
have an eye to recognise beauty and to select it from what I think is ugly.
However the concept of beauty and aesthetic has changed over history and it is
also subjective and relative. You can communicate with it or not. On the other
hand I am the only one who has the courage to scout his own models in the
street, sport events or recently in social networks and if I get a no as an answer,
I keep going to the next one.
What
do you look for in a model? What’s important for you?
I
look first at the face, then at the body. Through the face and features, more
precisely through the eyes I can view the soul. It is said that the eyes are the window to the soul, the light to the body, as the Bible says.
Other photographers are obsessed by hair, muscles, for me eyes are a way to the person’s world and that is why I always focus on the eyes.
Other photographers are obsessed by hair, muscles, for me eyes are a way to the person’s world and that is why I always focus on the eyes.
What
do you enjoy the most in photography?
The
communication with the model. Every time a good model comes, it is a gift for
the photographer. They present us with their presence and photography must
always be an exchange, a brief but intense relationship, a kind of affair with the
model. The best portraits as in Velázquez, happened when there was a big dose
of empathy between model and painter, because they knew and trusted each other.
What
is your favourite location for a shoot?
‘En
plein air’ (outdoors), the impressionist way. The study of natural moving light
outdoors but also an artistic interior. The most important is light and the artist’s
skills to master it. A location with natural beautiful lighting is more important
than the props or even the model. When I arrive in a new location I look at the
sun or where light comes from. Light is the beauty.
If
you weren’t a photographer, what would you be doing?
I
am an artistic soul … what could I do? If you put me in an office, you kill me
alive.
Do
you have any role models?
Roman
Dawidoff (Khodorov) marked a new era in my photography. He is the most
photogenic model I have ever worked with and he was my first ¨Muse” and my
Russian inspiration.
What
do you do to have fun and relax? What are your interests and hobbies?
Travelling
around the world and visiting many historical sites. For relaxing, my country house
in the Sierra in Spain, which I call my “hermitage”.
What’s
the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
Maybe
leaving my safe and decent job in Brussels to live the Slavic adventure to “terra
incognita¨
What
kind of music do you listen to?
Classical
music. The Russians ... but now because I live in Hungary I rediscover Liszt
with his Rhapsodies, but also Kodaly.
Where
do you see yourselves and what would you like to be doing in let’s say 10
years’ time?
Still
visiting Mother Russia and master the language and literature, though I think I
need another life for that! But as a counterpart and relaxing in my mountain house.
Finally,
what three words describe you best?
Enthusiasm,
mysticism and freedom.
Jorge,
thank you so much for taking part to this interview and for being such good
sports. It was fun and a real pleasure to talk with you. All the best for the
future and we are really looking forward to seeing new work from you.
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