![a middle aged man wearing only an open shirt](https://format.creatorcdn.com/60d27a2f-6866-4196-a96c-6b120957ad39/0/0/0/0,0,667,1000,1600,1000/0-0-0/7a1a6d69-7119-4e26-82af-7e69134dd72b/1/1/_KLM7879-Edit.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037466191~hmac=9aa4a2d364ba8d6eb109fcc3ca967d98c310239825083f9e0169da05429a2035)
I met Angus in 2018, ten years after he had undergone life-altering bariatric surgery resulting in the loss of over 300 pounds. Despite the passage of time, and the obvious health benefits of such a significant weight loss, Angus still suffered from the social and psychological impacts of having been morbidly obese for much of his life. He struggled with both body dysmorphia (the inability to recognize the real appearance of his body) and gender dysmorphia, owing to the rounded shape (and in his mind, the feminization) his body had assumed post reconstructive surgery. As a gay man in a culture that values and sometimes fetishizes physical appearance and masculinity, Angus felt that his body compromised his acceptance and connection within the gay community.
The challenge for me, as the photographer, was to present Angus and his body without judgment — neither as beautiful nor flawed — and yet to create photographs that did more than simply document his form.
Comfortable in His Own Skin is broadly speaking, an affirmation of body acceptance, and on a more personal level, Angus' exploration of his body and sexuality and the courage he summoned to do so with me.
![the unclothed torso of a middle aged man with his arms overhead](https://format.creatorcdn.com/60d27a2f-6866-4196-a96c-6b120957ad39/0/0/0/0,0,782,1000,1600,1000/0-0-0/46b268f6-8f72-44fc-8284-5cce1f5d6421/1/1/img203-Edit.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037466191~hmac=8b86cbadccae5fcef24327756282c7988e5f79c2eced41ace75ae71bf9122af8)
![the unclothed back of a middle aged man with a tattoo running along his spine and his arms overhead](https://format.creatorcdn.com/60d27a2f-6866-4196-a96c-6b120957ad39/0/0/0/0,0,783,1000,1600,1000/0-0-0/bc536b98-158e-44cd-9963-f547dc91c73c/1/1/img204-Edit.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037466191~hmac=9b826c7e00fe04c40f1bb84f32f552c0041cb11358695899dbe7d09058fa48c5)
![the unclothed torso and head of a middle aged man](https://format.creatorcdn.com/60d27a2f-6866-4196-a96c-6b120957ad39/0/0/0/0,0,779,1000,1600,1000/0-0-0/8b0da93d-5c51-4ebd-a691-20d3c6c1d66a/1/1/img196-Edit-Edit.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037466191~hmac=c1621deb0aec297a9b121545d2aa521c8956454ca6f4074c240d71b53f5ae839)
![the back view of a naked middle aged man with a scarf draped across his back](https://format.creatorcdn.com/60d27a2f-6866-4196-a96c-6b120957ad39/0/0/0/0,0,804,1000,1600,1000/0-0-0/cf30a181-94ac-49db-a635-77d5f2a8cb36/1/1/img202-Edit.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037466191~hmac=79a3f0d8be0ce58318207c91013add9eb12a81d6f61e9a52f035ab571e29a675)
![a seated nude male with a scarf draped over his shoulder](https://format.creatorcdn.com/60d27a2f-6866-4196-a96c-6b120957ad39/0/0/0/0,0,775,1000,1600,1000/0-0-0/e277e562-68a7-465a-8968-a8575de0597d/1/1/img189-Edit.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037466191~hmac=9b336c57bdcc04bb998a3d5a9eea202f67d6d7d3f519e0c55e393eba1a651e6b)
![the back view of a naked middle aged man showing his buttocks](https://format.creatorcdn.com/60d27a2f-6866-4196-a96c-6b120957ad39/0/0/0/0,0,770,1000,1600,1000/0-0-0/452bfe4a-d357-4439-b117-4cad4620b93f/1/1/img179-Edit.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037466191~hmac=5f232153f1c8bca7bffcd6e22144bc2ae14ecddd32bec9f0e29c88d9e101b403)
![the front view of a naked middle aged man showing his genitals](https://format.creatorcdn.com/60d27a2f-6866-4196-a96c-6b120957ad39/0/0/0/0,0,778,1000,1600,1000/0-0-0/95be406d-3431-42b5-aab1-4fae6271faeb/1/1/img182-Edit.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037466191~hmac=40b1f09b8088a57408a8756f2e086a863265d39f39a6320b1e1343e44454da95)
![view of the exposed buttocks of a middle aged man](https://format.creatorcdn.com/60d27a2f-6866-4196-a96c-6b120957ad39/0/0/0/0,0,788,1000,1600,1000/0-0-0/cd689b87-aa5a-469c-8d16-fdefb6ecb292/1/1/img197.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037466191~hmac=dc6fd7e7582d7421b33adc9c4b366093813c00f5021133cec47c1e9ec6de0b42)
![a nude middle aged man covering his genitals](https://format.creatorcdn.com/60d27a2f-6866-4196-a96c-6b120957ad39/0/0/0/0,0,776,1000,1600,1000/0-0-0/3785c58e-a5d3-447b-a303-b806b9b2f5ab/1/1/img216-Edit.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037466191~hmac=0a061f0664a283c25fed50f81dc566495e13dbcd6cb978d60ff159054a2e9bc6)
![a nude middle aged man covering his face in despair](https://format.creatorcdn.com/60d27a2f-6866-4196-a96c-6b120957ad39/0/0/0/0,0,667,1000,1600,1000/0-0-0/1d4de596-8267-43b6-9b1a-56281649e6cc/1/1/_KLM7958-Edit.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037466191~hmac=9aa4a2d364ba8d6eb109fcc3ca967d98c310239825083f9e0169da05429a2035)
![close-up of a mans lower body including genitals](https://format.creatorcdn.com/60d27a2f-6866-4196-a96c-6b120957ad39/0/0/0/0,0,781,1000,1600,1000/0-0-0/7243a5fc-bb12-4658-a542-2730064c9e96/1/1/img184-Edit-Edit.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037466191~hmac=559029e13478aa1abd38849cccbbc6639255757cd78d2b9b0407d98ae39e0832)
![close up of a man's hands grabbing his thigh](https://format.creatorcdn.com/60d27a2f-6866-4196-a96c-6b120957ad39/0/0/0/0,0,667,1000,1600,1000/0-0-0/bfdd1f92-57cb-496f-917b-57c49b85a4ee/1/1/_KLM7914-Edit.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037466191~hmac=9aa4a2d364ba8d6eb109fcc3ca967d98c310239825083f9e0169da05429a2035)
![close up of a seated nude male including genitals](https://format.creatorcdn.com/60d27a2f-6866-4196-a96c-6b120957ad39/0/0/0/0,0,1000,667,1000,1200/0-0-0/5d280110-dd9d-4568-99e1-a5d5d3b0ff18/1/1/_KLM7993-Edit-Edit.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037466191~hmac=dfa78089874ac3a59c0e23cb54ddab626f4ae900feb2f3454c38928be5a56c15)
![close up of a nude male's upper thighs and genitals](https://format.creatorcdn.com/60d27a2f-6866-4196-a96c-6b120957ad39/0/0/0/0,0,1000,667,1000,1200/0-0-0/9f3ae896-0429-4f36-b81d-71f7c3eee754/1/1/_KLM7997-Edit.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037466191~hmac=dfa78089874ac3a59c0e23cb54ddab626f4ae900feb2f3454c38928be5a56c15)
![nude male lying on his back with his legs raised overhead](https://format.creatorcdn.com/60d27a2f-6866-4196-a96c-6b120957ad39/0/0/0/0,0,733,1000,1600,1000/0-0-0/82c0789c-2277-44ca-a284-bee928d04e4b/1/1/_KLM8008-Edit-Edit.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037466191~hmac=2af9672c1febf01f4c68ff660d00eee7e10dd90f0f003d303dc6387d7e18e73e)
![close up of a nude male clutching his inner thighs exposing his genitals](https://format.creatorcdn.com/60d27a2f-6866-4196-a96c-6b120957ad39/0/0/0/0,0,1000,667,1000,1200/0-0-0/95484204-f3a7-437e-8b6e-f436f13aa7aa/1/1/_KLM8025-Edit.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037466191~hmac=dfa78089874ac3a59c0e23cb54ddab626f4ae900feb2f3454c38928be5a56c15)
![seated nude male leaning forward](https://format.creatorcdn.com/60d27a2f-6866-4196-a96c-6b120957ad39/0/0/0/0,0,805,1000,1600,1000/0-0-0/5f35b4da-af82-4c26-bce3-98f28ddab3b7/1/1/img217-Edit.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037466191~hmac=2f5ff9c5782702a69a9e825b1c34441465c4b0dcb313b7a6e159274b9362985a)