Row, row, row your boat 
Gently down the stream. 
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, 
Life is but a dream.
                                                       -- Children’s Nursery Rhyme

Oh sure, you had the same dreamy thoughts as I did about photographing a bunch of young, hot athletic rowers from Washington’s DC Strokes gay crew club. Regardless of what your definition of what sexy is, rowing is anything but. These guys not only work hard, but they do it at 5:30 a.m. and practice into the night through all kinds of extreme weather and temperatures.

When the guys first approached me about their idea to do a calendar, I said “yes,” thinking it would never happen. Putting a calendar together is a lot of work, and I didn’t believe they would follow through with that much effort. But they were smart and got graphic designer Tony Frye involved, making it a reality.

With the first photo session on a day in March that had to set a record for low temperatures, I was afraid the cold would freeze my camera. I secretly hoped that none of them would show up so I could get back to the warmth of my home. But there they were on the edge of the Potomac, wearing the skimpiest of outfits – a uniform that affords absolutely no protection. Just try and look hot when freezing your butt off. I thought they must have ice in their veins. 

Their patience extended through subsequent sessions over the next six months and under the most unrelenting heat and humidity that is so characteristic of DC’s brutal summers. To my surprise, I never heard a whimper or complaint.

My opinion of these guys changed dramatically as we took photo after photo after photo. There was a lot of waiting around, changing clothes, moving boats in and out of the water, but they had nothing but smiles. I realized that rowing is a cohesive sport that extended on land, too. They not only rowed together, but made sure they pulled together as a support system when teammates had to navigate obstacles in their lives, staying in close touch whether members were in Iraq, Afghanistan or the White House. The “rowers-in-training” function as a cheering squad for the A-team during regattas. One would have thought they were in the same boat with their teammates. Their cheering alone would frighten any competitor, so that day when they beat the guys from the straight team, it was more than a Kodak moment, it was Olympic gold. The unity was inspiring.

When I got the calendar assignment, I called Cyd Zeigler at Outsports to get his advice about photographing a rowing crew, and his input was valuable -- make each shot realistic and germane to rowing. In other words, don’t fake it. 

While the goal was to show the crew as a team, I also wanted to provide insights about them as individuals, hence more candid and personal individual shots were included.

The early morning sessions presented the biggest challenge, as the dock faces directly into the rising sun. Conversely, it was the opposite in the afternoon, so the reflection off the water always presented a problem. Most of the indoor shots were in my DC home or studio, where I used softbox lighting and sometimes very low or available light. Even though I knew the calendar would be black and white, I shot everything in color and Tony converted the images in the editing process.

Because the guys were not models and probably not as comfortable being photographed up so close, I tried to use my background as a former journalist to converse with them, attempting to divert their attention from the camera or the process. In each case, the best images came near the end of their individual sessions when they were more relaxed. No surprise there.