How Ron Amato Shot the Solitary Beauty of Men in Provincetown's Wild

Below, Ron Amato details the experience of photographing men in Provincetown during a pandemic.

For a photographer who makes images of people, creating work during a global pandemic was challenging.

All photography by Ron Amato @ron_amato

Pictured: Eric @alittlebiteric

"After spending the winter and spring in New York City, I was ready to get my toes in the sand and water and feel the sun on my skin again while making photographs. When I returned to Provincetown, Mass., in January 2021, I was ready to experience the town in a different way. Still in the middle of pandemic restrictions, I knew shooting indoors was off-limits while braving the outdoors in winter would be challenging. But I was up for it if I could find models who were as well. I think we were all aching for a creative outlet, so the models braved Provincetown in January for the sake of art."

Pictured: Joao @itsnotjohn with Trevor @trevor.fool

"Reflecting on the photographs I made during that time, I find a simple beauty in nature and the human spirit. Being forced to work exclusively outdoors and from a distance shaped the work in subtle ways. Perhaps because of the emotional state of the models and myself, there are strong feelings of nostalgia and contemplation in the photographs."

Pictured: Benji @meat_market

"The mood is less sexy play and more thankfulness for just being. Most of us experienced nature in more significant ways during the pandemic. As I look at the images here, the figures seem less to occupy the space than to be part of it. As with many of the work and lifestyle changes we made during the past year and a half, I think this new perspective will stick with me."

Pictured: Adam @gaystrychef

Ron Amato is a professor in the Photography and Related Media department at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Follow him on Instagram, @ron_amato.

Pictured: Christoph @christophitness

All photography by Ron Amato@ron_amato

Models in order of appearance:
Eric @alittlebiteric, Joao @itsnotjohn with Trevor @trevor.fool (pictured here, too), Benji @meat_market, Adam @gaystrychef, Christoph @christophitness