Roger Wingman is a NYC-based photographer who tends to point his lens at LGBTQ subjects. “My main demographic is the gay community,” Wingman says.
Bathing Beauties
A case in point, his interest in “male portraits and drag queens as main subjects” has led to Wingman’s latest project, SPLOOSH. The photo essay is one of several that he has built by staging multiple shoots around a thematic hook. “I’ve been focusing on doing more photo series,” says Wingman. “In the past it was a random shoot here; random shoot there.” In the past, Wingman explains, that made it “hard to piece together the content in an organized fashion.”
For example, in 2016 he created a show at what was then G Lounge — in the space that is now Chelsea’s REBAR — called BE MINE. “It was a Valentine’s Day Bondage theme,” he says wryly.
SPLOOSH is also unabashedly sexy, but trades bondage for bubbles. “I feel like every photographer has their ‘wet’ series, using showers or tubs,” Wingman observes. “I avoided doing one for a long time [because] bathrooms don’t tend to be photogenic. They’re often too small and have bad lighting.” Luckily, in the course of his work for a photography studio, Wingman gained access to an ideal set for getting wet. “When I found this bathroom, I figured I had to use it while I had it.”
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The subjects featured in the series all volunteer their time. “Some are friends, but I connect with a lot of talent via social media,” says Wingman. Does he get turned on during the sudsy, sexy-looking shoots? Not so much.
“I’m too busy worrying about lighting and angles to be turned on,” Wingman says with a laugh. “The tub is slippery, so I’m always cautious when they’re getting in and out.”
Though Wingman cannot yet reveal the details, the response to the series — from both fans and additional subjects volunteering to pose — has inspired him to plan a sequel, which he’ll aim to start shooting in spring of 2018. “Maybe I should call it SPLOOSH The Next Wave?” Wingman says with a laugh.
To see many more shots from SPLOOSH and Wingman’s other projects, follow him on Instagram @wasitrodge.
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Last modified: July 3, 2019
