The Power of a Smile... with Joe F
- LIAM C.
- Jun 16, 2016
- 2 min read
I fell in love with Joe F almost instantly after we met. He didn't really speak English at all, so there was little conversation, but he said a lot with his smile. And this guy almost never stopped smiling.
I met Joe F along with Jo'i D in Tamsui. Roman, my assistant for the Taipei project, found Jo'i and then Jo'i suggested his friend Joe to join as well. The more the merrier. At first the plan was to shoot Joe nude at home, but he couldn't use his place to shoot and I didn't want another hotel room shoot. So, although I'd have liked to shoot him naked, we opted instead for an outdoor shoot. Plus, although I love nudes, I already had five nude shoots in the Taipei collection and don't want too many. I didn't want to turn the Taipei issue into another Berlin issue!
Anyway, we were happily taking photos around Tamsui and then just as we walked past a quietish alleyway, Joe stopped to whisper something to Jo'i, who then translated to me that Joe wanted to go into that alley for a few stripped down pics. You can see the whimsy on his face, which I snapped just when a group of four old ladies happened to walk by and spot Joe with his trousers down.
Although I couldn't chat to Joe, I still felt connected and like a friend. Everytime I looked at him he would smile back, and it melted my heart, making me feel safe and encouraging a serious bastard like me to smile too. A smile is a powerful, wonderful thing, and I think Joe may be the smiliest boy in Taiwan.
Elska Boy: Joe F
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Photographer: Liam Campbell
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