ROMEO
Featured image

Meet the boys of Doopler Magazine

armando-frezze-durand-doopler-10When photographer Armando Frezze Durand found that his account with a famous photography website had been removed, he was frustrated. “The company claimed abuse of terms of use due to nudity,” he says, explaining that the website had a problem with his photos that included shirtless guys. “We tried to reply to the website with a couple of long e-mails arguing there was criteria mistakes, but eventually we decided to create our own platform for our photos.”

Doopler is the result of Durand’s efforts, a magazine that showcases his photography, full of young guys on the cusp of adulthood. Based in Argentina, Durand characterises Doopler’s models as typically “less than 60 kilos in weight, between 18 and 30 years old.” He says he found this body type was often maligned by the gay media in favour of larger, more muscular builds, and he wanted to create a space where slender guys would be celebrated.

armando-frezze-durand-doopler-34resizearmando-frezze-durand-doopler-18resize

Part of this decision was to give thinner guys more body confidence. “The majority of the guys don’t want to stay in front of the camera,” he says, “but after they see the results they feel a lot more confident. We love to believe that part of our work is to bring confidence to other young boys. We want them to see themselves reflected in a positive way and create their own beauty standards.”

The boys of Doopler Magazine can be both playful and pensive, each snapshot offering the viewer a glimpse into the often lonely and complex worlds of today’s youth. “I think we try to reflect that energy  that exists without limits or conditioning a boy has while being a teenager. Even though our models are a wide range of ages, all of them share that vitality, that good vibe. We want Doopler Magazine to represent us, represent our ambience, the things we love, the art we love, the sexuality and the positive young energy which reminds us to live right here, right now in the present time.”

armando-frezze-durand-doopler-11armando-frezze-durand-doopler-28resize

As Doopler goes from strength to strength, the creators are now launching Into The Black, a collection of some of Durand’s favourite photos from his career. The book features the same type of young, slim guys as the magazine, only this time, they’re shot in artful black and white. Durand describes it as a “visible pattern of photos shot at home, in the studio and on vacation,” documenting his daily life and the people in it. The boys featured in the pictures, Durand is keen to stress, are not models, but friends, colleagues and the photographer’s partner.

With the release of this comprehensive body of work, Durand is hoping his passion for boys and photography will reach a wider audience, enjoyed by likeminded people who share his enthusiasm for the male form and the vitality of youth that comes with it.

To see more from Doopler, check out their website.

armando-frezze-durand-doopler-12-copy

into_the_black_7

into_the_black