PHOTOS: Vulnerable photo series captures the softer side of leather
By Graham Gremore · 12 comments· Updated on September 11, 2023
“I grew up in a society where it was bad for a man to appreciate another man’s body,” Mexican photographer Aaron Herrera tells Queerty. “The attraction I felt was forbidden. So there born the curiosity to take sexy pictures of men. I wanted to capture an intimate and close view of the male body and male sexuality.”
Herrera is from Mexico City. Many of his images depict leather and, he says, are inspired the artist Tom of Finland, whose work helped him to discover his own leather fetish.
“It is interesting to see how a man can be transformed with just a harness or a piece of leather,” he explains, “how a shy man becomes a sex god.”
Herrera says joining the leather community has helped him find that sense of place he longed for growing up.
No matter where you’re celebrating Pride, you’re likely to see some common threads.
“At first, I was into the leather community just for the sex, again because it was forbidden for me,” he explains. “Now, it’s more about brotherhood. Men can show their emotions, sexual instincts and wild sides without being judged or rejected. That is what I try to capture in my work.”
Click through for a sampling of Herrera’s work, and see more on his official Facebook page…
As you can see, Aaron Herrera captured the softer side of the gay leather world. Aaron Herrera’s photos provide a great platform for exploring and showcasing the diversity within the queer community.
From the bearded biker with an open heart, to the older gentleman in full leather regalia, these photos prove that true leather is about so much more than a sexual kink.
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@truckproductions: Thank god someone said it. It’s worn like a costume that just gets in the way of you being able to actually get at the man behind it. Give me a natural man who is confident in his masculinity without the costume any day.
“At first, I was into the leather community just for the sex, again because it was forbidden for me,” he explains. “Now, it’s more about brotherhood. Men can show their emotions, sexual instincts and wild sides without being judged or rejected. That is what I try to capture in my work.”
Pathetic.
As Stache helpfully pointed out : this is NOT a gay thing… it is a FETISH COMMUNITY THING.
There is also a beautiful diversity within the leather community that transcends any of these negative and ignorant comments about leather as a costume. I wish the selection of images had included more diversity because there is a thriving group of leatherman that represent the Latino race, the African American race, Europeans, and a growing population of leather folk in places like South Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Anyone who is truly familiar with the community, the kink, the brotherhood, or the history of leather knows this is often a way of life. It was born from a movement of people who were not accepted by the gay “community” they saw around them so they created their own space that was affirming, structured and representative of the gay life/identity they embraced.
Anyone who attends some of the gay leather events around the country: IML, MAL, Folsom (East & West) will attest to the diversity, the seriousness, the brotherhood, and truly kinky and free-hedonistic celebration that is the leather lifestyle.
@Stache: I agree! Go to the Folsom Street Fair in SF, or IML in Chicago and you will have a lot more respect for the leather community. You will see all walks of life there, and understand that it is not a costume nor anyway fake.
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bottom250
I prefer seeing leather men as dominant strong macho men.
Chris
when i heard two leather-clad men trading cheesecake recipes, i grocked, in all its fullness, that it is ALL a costume.
truckproductions
it’s all butch drag. the minute the speak the charade is over.. I can’t get passed the artifice of it all.
ErikO
@truckproductions: LOL very true.
Dave Downunder
@truckproductions: Thank god someone said it. It’s worn like a costume that just gets in the way of you being able to actually get at the man behind it. Give me a natural man who is confident in his masculinity without the costume any day.
Stache
To those that attach all these negatives to leather you should go to Folsom Street Fair in SF one time. It’s not just a gay thing. You see all types.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
“At first, I was into the leather community just for the sex, again because it was forbidden for me,” he explains. “Now, it’s more about brotherhood. Men can show their emotions, sexual instincts and wild sides without being judged or rejected. That is what I try to capture in my work.”
Pathetic.
As Stache helpfully pointed out : this is NOT a gay thing… it is a FETISH COMMUNITY THING.
It should stay there
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
*i meant KINK community
Thomas
There is also a beautiful diversity within the leather community that transcends any of these negative and ignorant comments about leather as a costume. I wish the selection of images had included more diversity because there is a thriving group of leatherman that represent the Latino race, the African American race, Europeans, and a growing population of leather folk in places like South Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Anyone who is truly familiar with the community, the kink, the brotherhood, or the history of leather knows this is often a way of life. It was born from a movement of people who were not accepted by the gay “community” they saw around them so they created their own space that was affirming, structured and representative of the gay life/identity they embraced.
Anyone who attends some of the gay leather events around the country: IML, MAL, Folsom (East & West) will attest to the diversity, the seriousness, the brotherhood, and truly kinky and free-hedonistic celebration that is the leather lifestyle.
IanHunter
@Stache: I agree! Go to the Folsom Street Fair in SF, or IML in Chicago and you will have a lot more respect for the leather community. You will see all walks of life there, and understand that it is not a costume nor anyway fake.
GayEGO
They just want a good spanking! :>)
Geeker
Why are they trying to make something that’s a sexual fetish sound like something deep and profound, it’s a kink that’s all.