PHOTOS: The masculine beauty of trans men
by Petit Fours
The Test Shot: Photographs with a purpose. 
You don’t see many photos of trans men. And when you do, it’s rare that they focus on them being sexy and damn fine. Well they should more.
Because they are.
"considering how trans guys use style to transform their relationship to the world". Liam on The Test Shot
And for people uniquely sensitised to the implications of how the world perceives you, style has extra resonance.
Original Plumbing magazine, blogged about on TMC here, is a real pioneer of trans documentation and photography. Local London kids LGW and Jamie Pallas have set up a blog that aims to do a similar thing: capture transmasculine beauty in some of its dress-shirted and leather-jacketed glory. Looking at fashion, identity and sex appeal the beautifully shot photos on The Test Shot (by LGW and guest Kit Ryall) are couched in interesting write-ups cum interviews by Jamie.
Kyle on The Test Shot – "There’s still something of a conservative dresser trapped inside of me who screams to be taken white-middle-class-man seriously, but I find that if he is horrified when I leave the house then I am doing something right"
Jamie writes that his motivation for doing the blog was to “consider why and how trans guys used style to transform their relationship to both self and the world”.
" in recent months I’ve got more confident, and worn the gold leggings and tight tops that I shunned as an awkward teenager. I guess I want people to look at me and think, he looks cool, happy in his skin." Felix on Test Shot
LGW adds:
Sick of thinking about being trans* as something that is constantly pathologised, the creators of the Test Shot decided to take a lighthearted and accessible approach to the transmasculine identity in their new portrait project. Intended to be a starting point for conversation about that identity through seeking honest accounts of how good it feels to be seen the way you want to be seen, the aim of the Test Shot is to celebrate transmasculine style for all its versatility and strength.
These guys are beautiful – go check it out.
Also – get in touch with the Test Shot guys if you’d like to be photographed – they’re looking for new models.
http://thetestshot.tumblr.com/
mytestshoot @ gmail.com
Related:
The Best Trans Magazine Ever: 5 Reasons Why Original Plumbing is Awesome
Tuesday Top Ten Ways You Know You’re Queer
TMC Reviews Tomboy: Gender, panic and children in poignant French film
Why I got naked for a porn shoot, and a gay photographer’s thoughts on why we’re still shy of our bodies [NSFW]
