Extraordinary men do extraordinary things; some of them create beauty where there was none. Terry J Cyr creates images … images of men, images that foster the beauty of the male form that will live on well beyond the the artist’s lifetime. Terry’s tools-of-the-trade: a camera of course, but that’s perhaps the least on the list. There is his mastery of light, a skill way beyond the average photographer that is so critical to the final result. There is his imagination, which reminds us the male form is one of Mother Nature’s finest endeavors. But the most important tool of all in Terry’s arsenal is his sensitivity … his love of life, his vision, all of which are pleasantly evident in his body of work.

Travis ... From the Caravaggio Series

In Terry’s own words:

This article gives you only a glimpse of this remarkable man, his work, his thoughts and his life’s experiences. For more see Terry’s two websites:

The Naked Man Project and Cyr Photo Blogspot

Prints are available at both locations.

Model Brian Brooks

One man’s exploration in finding himself and his search for light, beauty, desire and art.

by Terry L Cyr

I recently turned my creative eye to the nude male form and began a personal exploration of what it stirred within myself as an aging gay man and the impact it had on my life. The Naked Man Project is a twelve-month endeavor to expose that raw, sensual, and often sexual side of naked men. Not just a study on homoerotic art, it involves beautiful men of all kinds, often featuring straight men exposed as reflections of themselves in artistic nudes. Though the writing [accompanying the images] becomes a meditation on sexuality and desire and how it’s revealed in gay art, the images strive to defy boundaries of erotic photography and reveal what we face at the core of ourselves when we are naked, exposed and at our most vulnerable. The two become a personal history of my life. my dreams and aspirations, friendships, inspiration; a delving into my own gay sexuality that is a journey of discovery and illumination as a gay artist. It is an in-depth look into the heart and soul of my artistic expression, drawing from my background in theater lighting design and a life-long fascination with art. My images are inspired by the classic works of Caravaggio, Mapplethorpe and Fred Holland Day.

Model ... Travis

“I often wonder how many people create works in a vacuum that nobody sees. How many people feel unworthy of the creative process? How many people never begin the dream because it seems impossible? How many people live lives stuck, without a means of expression? Stuck in a job? Stuck in a relationship? Stuck in their own limitations?”

Model ... Jared

“My advice now is: don’t be so judgmental of yourself, create the dream, name it, and follow it. Somehow empower yourself with what you do. I have made a lot of mistakes and created lots of truly bad images, but it is the process of growing so allow yourself to fail. Allow that dream to extend beyond what you know and expand the vision to a limitless possibility. Go for it; don’t wait until you become a middle-aged man to realize your potential. But most important believe in it and work toward it every single day.”

Model ... Chad

“I have barely been out of the studio for almost a year now and there is a part of myself that feels it has stagnated. I know for sure I have lived far too much in my head and not Continue reading →