Gallery 32 – Jun

A common friend introduced Jun to me. When we met, I felt there was a connection, a realness to his personality that I liked. He was geniune. I have met some guys that I can tell immediately are fakes, inside and outside. Jun however possessed a kind of brooding aura that I drawn to, which is always good for a photography shoot. He exuded both sensuality, sexual appeal, and a hint of insecurity in his personality.

He asked politely if it was okay for him to smoke. I obliged and I photographed him as he was preparing the paper and leaves. For someone that likes to smoke, it immediately calms the person down; they are home. I could feel his body relax into the nicotine. Don’t drill me or those on how it damages the body, life leads to death anyway.

Some people ask me how I resist the the temptation of such men . Well, to be frightfully honest, when I am working, I am serious about what I do, and if there is more than a mind connection, during the shoot is not the place for making advances. But here’s the other side of the coin: Many times I do not want to have anything to do with the model. I finish the shoot, the guy gets dressed, we sign the model release and you’re out the door. Work accomplished!

Jun Li is the director of the recently acclaimed movie Tracey, a story of a man who comes out as a transgender woman.