Seth Fornea by Rick Day: Part II

Seth Fornea by Rick Day

On October 20th I had the pleasure of shooting with Rick Day .  Rick Day is a world renowned photographer and someone I have wanted to work with for quite sometime.  His images are iconic and well recognized.  A simple google image search for Rick Day will return a plethora of juicy and delightful images.  I am sharing two of the images from our shoot.  More to come later as I get them :-)

A Little Summer Recap Starting with May :-)

Hi Guys and Gals!

Sorry it has been so long since my last post.  Since about May, JARED and I have been traveling/working non-stop.  My best friend Dustin has been on the road with us a lot too!  I don't think we have missed a party or a festival ;-)

Along the way we have had some great experiences, met some amazing new friends, and really grown a lot as a couple.  If you read my birthday blog you know Jared and I met at Mardi Gras and became boyfriends in April in Key West.  So I am going to pic up around May and let you know what is has been going on :-)

Just to let you know....Jared and I are long distance.  Jared lives and works in beautiful Ft. Lauderdale Florida.  He is surrounded by palm trees, blue skies, warm water, sandy beaches, and dear friends he loves.  I live and work out of Raleigh NC.  Raleigh is one of the biotech capitals of the nation boasting the infamous Research Triangle Park.  We both have international airports and can easily jet set to meet each other in fun locations!

So Jared and I officially became boyfriends April 2nd, after midnight at the Bourbon Street Pub in Key West Florida.  It was a very special moment as both of us had been single for a very long time!  After that we took our first trip together as boyfriends the weekend of April 13th.  Jared flew to Raleigh and we took a little road trip to D.C., a short 4 hour drive from my home.  The road trip was a blast!  We listened to each others favorite music/podcasts, sang, laughed, (may have been a lil naughty on the road), and held hands the entire way!  Once in DC we stayed with two friends of ours, Carlos and Denis.  Our weekend in DC was all play and exploration.  We dined, worked out, went to art installations, enjoyed a walk on the main lawn, and of course went out at night with friends.  Most special of all....we first said "I love you!" at the end of this trip :-Deeeee.   Here are some pic highlights.

Enjoying a walk around the Washington Monument.

A romantic moment on a bench in the United States Botanical Gardens

The next two pics were snapped after brunch by our friend Denis Largeron of Denis Largeron Photographie

The last night of our trip, Jared spotted his reflection in my eye and we got this amazing pic!

In the beginning of May we traveled to Jared's hometown, Lafayette Louisiana for Festival International de Louisiane Festival Website .  It's a citywide event celebrating french speaking South Louisiana and its culture.  The festival featured, food, crafts, music, spirits, and friends all related to french influence.  Festival International de Louisiane is the largest outdoor Francophone event in the U.S.   The festifal places special emphasis on highlighting the connections between Acadiana and the Francophone world.  I got to meet Jared's family, his college friends, and re-connect with some college friends of my own living in Louisiana still.  Here are some highlight pics from the trip.

Crawfish!  A Louisiana Tradition!

Getting a good view of some french bands performing!

After hours with our bartender friends at Jules Downtown :-)

Our friends recently opened up a new nightclub called Bolt.   If you are in Lafayette LA you should check it out!  BOLT NIGHTCLUB

My roommate in college came down to join the party as well!

Festive Regalia 

The next weekend, Cinco de mayo, I flew down to Ft. Lauderdale to spend a weekend at Jared's home.  I was able to experience FLL Jared style, meet his friends, and enjoy the sunny florida weather.   We went to the gym, went out at night, and even ended up playing on a yacht for two days.  As you can tell these first three trips were just for fun...no working just playing!  

Relaxing in the grass after hitting bursting a candy filled piñata :-)

Cruising on the boat with the boys!

Enjoying a sunset on the yacht...breathtaking!

Being silly with the boys in the pool out back!

My first time on the yacht!  It was amazing!

A couple weeks after the florida vacation it was time to get in the air and get to work!  Our next adventure was International Mr. Leather May 26th weekend, commonly known as IML.  IML is held every year in Chicago.  It's a huge leather fetish festival.  My friends and I were hired to work the IML Revolution Party promoted and organized my Matthew Harvat of Circuit Mom Productions!   The weekend was fantastic.  Dustin, Jared and Myself had a blast!  We danced, we shopped the leather festival, we explored Chicago, we went to the Grabbys, and Dustin met his current boyfriend-Mel!  A lot happened that weekend!  Here are some highlight pics.

Our lovely table at the Grabbys!  Left to right, Matthew Harvat, Dustin Smith, Mel Platzke, Seth Fornea, Jared LeBlanc, and Harry Cross.

We got our pic on the red carpet!

We couldn't resist sharing a romantic kiss with this background!

My bestie Dustin and I with our new chains :-)

Performing at the House of Blue Chicago!

A romantic moment in Millennium Park Chicago!

IML Closing Party.

The Opening set in white morph suits at IML Revolution.

Well that takes us to the end of May.  I plan to release these in installments by month.  Next up is the first weekend June....and GAY DAYS ORLANDO...so stay tuned!

Here is a lil teaser to keep you interested ;-)

Short Clips from Parties

Here is a lil vid of short clips from parties ;-)

Ask Me Anything-An Interview with Seth Fornea

By Donald Fortenberry-Independent Southern Gay News

I was assigned to interview Seth Fornea, a GoGo boy/dancer living in Raleigh NC.  That's a random/unusual place for a dancer to live I thought....however who am I to judge.

I flew into Raleigh/Durham RDU one Saturday morning and was impressed by  the airport terminal.  It was completely modern with high beamed ceilings and natural lighting from the over sized windows.   I had never been to Raleigh...only read about it in the countless Business Week articles about the bountiful quality of life there.  I got in my rent-a-car, punched in the address, and began driving to my subject's home.

After about 20 minutes of generic highway driving through rolling hills, I turned down a street into a little 60's style neighborhood not too far from downtown.  I pulled up to the address, parked on the street, and gathered my voice recorder and a notepad.  Here we go I thought.

The house was small, brick, and quaint.  The landscaping was extensive, but seemed to be lacking care-it resembled an overgrow english garden with a bit of an amateur flare.  I knocked on the door and heard footsteps approaching.  I was greeted by a mid 20's young lady with blond hair.  At her feet were two chihuahuas  that scurried about with the energy of hummingbirds.  She said don't mind them...they love visitors and attention. I told her my intentions and she seated me in the front parlor of the home.

The decor was very organic with browns, greens, and blues accented in white.  

Seth came in from the backyard.  Not at all what I expected.  He was wearing shorts with paint stains, a ratty old t-shirt, and a straw hat.  He greeted me fondly, shook my hand and asked for a minute to wash up...he had been gardening outside.

He looked a lot like his photos, but much more comfortable and less styled in his own space.  He and I actually had a lot in common...both redheads and a very similar build.  He put on a pot of coffee and we sat down for the interview. 

DF:  How did you get started as a GoGo Dancer?   

SF:  I grew up and went to college in Louisiana.  During college my friends and I made frequent trips to New Orleans for fun nights out on the town.  I was in the closet then.  I remember passing by OZ and the Bourbon Pub.  The french doors of both clubs were open and I could hear the beating of the music as well as catch glimpses of the GoGo boys dancing on the bars.  Their white underwear glowed under the black light and contrasted with their tan bodies. I was about 19 at the time.  I always admired their bodies and watched in fascination.  It was a early sexual memory that remains vivid in my mind.  Fast forward to the age of 27 and living in North Carolina, a group of friends and I returned to New Orleans for Southern Decadence.  Once again I was faced with those same bars and similar dancers.  I began to think I could do it just as well.  So at 27, I set out to begin dancing on bars.  I started from scratch, promoted myself, and worked my way up the chain.  I would find bars online in a city I wanted to work, email the contact on the website and go from there.  I have taken that early sexual memory as a 19 year old, reclaimed it, and made it my own.  I now work all the big bars and major parties across the country.  It has been quite the ride :-)

DF:  Are your weekend travels profitable, for example did you make money on your IML weekend or did you spend more on travel, accommodations, food, etc then you made dancing? 

SF:  Each trip is slightly different.  If I am dancing on a stage for a large circuit party....those weekends are more or less break even/free travel weekends.  Most promoters will cover either flight, hotel, and base pay or a combination of the three.  If I am dancing on a bar for tips....it then becomes a highly profitable weekend.  Most bars will cover or provide accommodations and provide a base pay.  On top of that tips are really good :-)

DF:  If you could rub a magic lamp, wish you were straight, and wake up the next day completely straight with all your memories of a hetero-sexual past....would you and how hard would that decision be?

SF:  No and the decision would be very easy.  I am completely at peace with my past and my journey to an out homosexual man.  The only thing I would change about my past would be to apply more sunscreen growing up.   My only true regret in life is my lack of sunscreen application as a teenager.

The percolator had stopped dripping at this point and Seth got up to fix us both a cup.  I took a first sip...BOLD.   "Chicory" Seth said.  It was community coffee with chicory.   Seth's mom still mails him bags of the coffee from home.  Apparently coffee was a big tradition in the Fornea family which lead me to my next question.

DF:  What do you miss most (besides your family) about where you grew up in rural Louisiana?
SF:   My home town had 240 people....we drove the 4-wheeler into town, we went barefoot to the grocery, ate snowballs everyday in the summer with cream, rode horses, fished, bought shrimp out of the back of someones truck, spent lazy days shelling peas under the carport, had corn shucking parties as big family events..  I suppose I miss the connection I felt with the place.  Being born and growing up in the same place for 18 years does allow you to make what feels like a connection with a setting.  It may simply be the familiarity, but when I go home it always feels like home.  So I miss the feeling of home. 

DF:  Was there a time in your life when it wasn't maybe as wonderful as it seems now....and if so would you share a bit about it?

SF:  My life has been a series of mostly highs.  I tend to find and activity I have a passion for, focus on it and really get into it.  As an example when I was 16, I wanted to be a pilot so I took flying lessons and got my license.  When I got to college I wanted to be rower so I tried out for the rowing team and really progressed in the sport.  When I became a homeowner I buried myself in home improvement projects and got really handy.  Right now I am delighted in being very social and traveling.  But I have had sad phases.  The one that stands out is my struggle to come out to my Mom and Dad.  I think this is probably a common denominator with a lot of gay youth...the coming out story.   Mine happened 8 years ago and it remains to be an on again/off again discussion with my parents.  When you take your parents off a pedestal and see them as just people with shortcomings- it makes it easier to handle when they don't accept you right away.  I could talk about this with you but that would be an entire interview in itself.

DF: Ok how about some easier questions....Are you cut or uncut?  Top, Bottom, or Vers?

SF:  Really?  I thought they flew you in for this interview...

DF:  Ok, I confess maybe I just wanted to know that for myself ;-)....moving on.  What is your comfort food and drink of choice?

SF:   I have many comfort foods....I really like peanut butter....especially on chicken or a banana.  I love french fries covered in cheese, chili, sour cream, and green onions.  I also love frito pie.  As far as drinks...I can really order anything at the bar and sometimes will just order what other people in my group are drinking to make it easier on the bartender.  But if I were to choose I would stick with a 7 & 7.  Speaking of food...may I offer you something?  I have a stocked pantry.

I kindly declined his offer.....although the thought of him making me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in an apron did make me blush a little.  I thought about asking for a little show but wanted to keep professional boundaries.  By this time the chihuahuas had calmed down and were quietly napping on their daybeds in the parlor.  The blond girl that answered the door had turned out to be Seth's sister who moved to Raleigh to live with him in 2009.  She said goodbye as she left the house headed to work.  We now had the house alone. 

DF:  What do you do during the week when you are not traveling and dancing?

SF:  I work as a chemist for the government.

DF: Oh that's interesting a Chemist/Dancer. 
SF:  It's a good combination..  It allows me to have a really solemn week, focused on work and fitness after work.  By the time the weekend comes I am ready to be a slight exhibitionist ;-)

DF: A slight exhibitionist....that may be an understatement ;-).  What do you enjoy doing in your downtime?

SF:  I am a big gardener.  Although, right now I am a little embarrassed at the condition of my landscape.  I have been traveling a lot and its been hot and dry in Raleigh so things are not looking up to par.  I am into perennials, herbs, flowering shrubs and I recently started planting some fruit trees.  

DF:  What do you want to accomplish in the next 5 years.

SF:  Well I could answer that from a number of angles.  From a personal standpoint, from a career standpoint, from a love life standpoint. I am going to go with the sort of dancer/public figure standpoint.  I would really like to get in to acting and music videos.  I always enjoy music videos and that's something I have not explored yet. 

DF:  Ok well...I guess that about wraps it up...I think I have plenty of material for my article.  Hey I was wondering....I don't fly out until tomorrow morning and I am free the rest of this evening.  Would you like to hang out...maybe grab dinner...we can definitely indulge in some chili cheese fries...you are both charming and handsome ;-)

SF:  Thank you for your kind offer....but I have to decline....you see I am not into redheads ;-)

.............

My Diet

Everyone is curious as to how I keep my abs.  The secret to abs is in your kitchen.  I firmly believe abs are 30% workout plan and 70% diet.  If I have an event I want to be "cut" for I start about 3 weeks out on a strict diet plan, high intensity interval cardio, and still my usual lifting.  Here is a basic summary of my diet....much like everything in life there are slips ups now and then...don't be too hard on yourself ;-)



Breakfast: ~6 0z chicken breast, couple servings of mixed veggies...( I buy the already cooked frozen stuff in the bags that I can microwave) and an apple, pear, or banana.


10:00 a.m. piece of fruit, greek yogurt, or maybe some nuts.


Lunch: exact same meal as breakfast


3:00 p.m. piece of fruit, greek yogurt, or maybe some nuts.


After gym: whey protein shake


Dinner: just a meat...chicken or beef and about 6-8 oz and a handful of almonds.  Sometimes I may just scramble 3 eggs....I try to stay away from any and all sugars at night.


Throughout the day I may drink some of the fresh fruit juices....but not a lot as they are loaded with simple sugars.  For fruits I prefer apples, blueberries, blackberries, and bananas.


Here is an example of a breakfast meal...chicken with mustard, spinach, and mixed veggies:

Over the Rainbow (Cover by Jared Bradford LeBlanc)

This is Jared singing his cover of "Over the Rainbow"  It's BEAUTIFUL and FULL :-)

Over the Rainbow (Cover by Jared Bradford LeBlanc)

Facebook Fan Page

Head on over and "Like" my facebook page to stay up do date :) https://www.facebook.com/SethFornea1

How to Apply Self Tanner

As a redhead I have struggled my whole life with the idea of tanning. If I were to naturally tan, it would require a great deal of gradual sun exposure over a period of months to achieve color. In the process I would be doing considerable damage to my epidermis.

Thus I have been on a quest for a number of years to find the perfect self tanning solution/process that works the best with my skin chemistry. I began using self tanner at the age of 17 around the year 1998. Back then the solutions were horrible. They resulted in orange, uneven, splotchy...noticeably fake tans. Luckily science, research, and the hard work of technicians have resulted in much better self tanning options. Recently the gradual (build a tan) concept has been on the market.

These are my favorite solutions. The concept is a moisturizer with a small amount of self tanner in the solution. The color resulting from a single application of this product is barely noticeable.....but after two or three applications a definite darkening will be realized. My personal favorite is the Equate Healthy Glow Daily Firming Moisturizer. Equate is a Wal-Mart generic brand.

I know some people shy away from generic/store brands. But from a science standpoint they are no less of quality. You would be surprised how many national brands (jergens, proctor and gamble, etc) actually make store brands. For my skin chemistry the equate healthy glow results in just the right color and just the right amount. I would encourage you to experiment with several brands to find the one that works the best with your own body.

The art of a self tan is in its application. I prefer creams over sprays. If you are already olive toned/tan then a spray will be fine for you as mistakes are easily masked by your own darker complexion. For us fair skinned individuals...the sprays are going to be too concentrated and you will look "spray tanned" Lets say I want to be tan for a weekend. Its a five day process to achieve what I believe is a natural look.

Sunday to tuesday nights....I daily exfoliate in the shower and do complete body moisturizer all three nights. This helps to remove dead/dry patches and preps the skin with moisture for the wednesday and thursday night applications of the self tan. Care should be taken around knees, elbows, hands, ankles, and feet. On Wednesday I shower with a basic soap...no fragrance or moisturizing body wash...just a clean pH balanced soap. Then after drying off I apply lotion to my knees, elbows, hands, ankles, and feet. This lotion with sit in the cracks of the knees, elbows, and rougher parts of your body. This prevents the self tanner from settling in the cracks and prevents dark orange splotches. The lotion sort of acts as a barrier cream.

Then I put on latex gloves and under a ceiling fan I begin the application process. I start with my back. If a friend is not on hand I put the self tanning cream on a flat door or wall and rub up against the surface to apply the tan to the center of the back. I then move to the legs, torso, shoulders, arms, and end with the face. Much care is taken on the legs to avoid the knees until the legs are almost done....at that point lightly brush over the knees. After the tan is completely absorbed into the skin I remove the gloves and lightly brush over the backs of my hands with the under sides of my forearms....this creates a gradual end of the tan as it approaches the knuckles of the hands. Do not attempt to apply to the fingers and knuckles...it will look horrible.

After I am done I stand nude under the fan for about 5 minutes to allow the tan to completely absorb and dry. I always do this only at night before bed. You do not want to do it in the morning or before any possibility of sweating. Its best to apply at night, then sleep. This give the tan the ability to develop exactly where you applied it and not run or become splotchy as a result of sweating. In the morning when you wake...if done correctly you should notice a nice gradual color development that should last for about 4 or 5 days. Enjoy :-)

Gen Silent Documentary

Has anyone see this documentary? If yes what can you tell me about it....

Upcoming Appearances

A lot is going on this summer in the way of dancing. Three parties coming up that I am a part of are IML in Chicago, Gay Days Orlando, and the Matinee Party at NYC Pride. I am working for Circuit Mom Productions at the IML parties Sunday and Monday night of IML weekend. Mark Baker is throwing the main parties at Gay Days at both Universal and the Hard Rock. The Matinee NYC Pride party is usually on Gov. Island. Although this years venue has not yet been announced ;-)

Alan F. Bradley Easter Weekend Shoot

On Easter weekend I met Alan Bradley in the outer banks of North Carolina and we had a fun weekend shoot. Here are some of the pics :-) We got in a swamp which was a blast! We were in and around the Nags Head and Kitty Hawk area of the outer banks. We even got a 4 wheel drive truck stuck getting to one of the locations!

One Human Family

The last weekend in March I was lucky enough to go to Key West with three people I adore...Dustin, JC, and Jared. JC and I flew to Ft. Lauderdale thursday night and stayed with Jared. Jared took us out and showed us Ft. Laud nightlife on a Thursday. He also made me an amazing birthday cake (Carrot Cake) one of my favorites. This was a birthday celebration trip for JC and I. Here is a pic of that amazing cake :-)

The next day JC, Jared, and I went paddle boarding on the intracoastal waters of Ft. Lauderdale. It was a little tricky to stand up..but so much fun. We played for about two hours, stopping to swim, and going down all the fun little canals to see the sights and the beautiful homes on the water.

Friday night Dustin arrived from Raleigh and we went out to score in Miami. We danced till the wee hours of the morning and then called it a night. The next day (Saturday) we got up and had a quick brunch at the Palace on Ocean Drive in Miami before taking the road trip down to Key West.

It took us about 3 1/2 hours to get down to Key West. The journey was filled with fun stories, stops for coffee and ice cream, and lots of music and youtube videos (lucky we all have iphones). We got down to Key West, parked the car and rented bikes. The sun was just setting and we went to a little restaurant and had a quick meal before heading down Duval Street on our bikes for the first time. It was magical. The architecture, the ease of getting around, the great company. That night we had drinks at the Bourbon St. Pub and saw a fantastic drag show at Aqua. Sunday morning we got up about 11 a.m. and started our day by biking down to Sarabeth's. A memorable brunch spot everyone should try in Key West. They have the most amazing tomato soup, omelets, and almond crusted french toast.

After brunch we began to explore the island...shopping a lot, buying a few things, and enjoying some delicious frozen yogurt.

The tile work "One Human Family" is located at the Southern Most point of Key West. It is kinda the motto of Key West and a very accurate indicator of just how friendly the island is!

Well of course we got adventurous and bought some fun little swim trunks...had Sesame street characters and hello kitty put on them and basically took over the island. We were a huge hit everywhere we went...but more than that....we had the best time cracking ourselves up.

We went to a tea dance and got to take a great pic with a fella named Kirk. Jared already knew Kirk-a bartender at the Bourbon St. Pub and Kirk was kind enough to let us stay at his place on the island for the weekend! He is in the middle of the pic.

Jared also introduced us to Joe...the owner of the pub. Joe was so much fun! We ended up gogo dancing at the pub that night. The next day Joe took us out on his boat...along with Derek and Austin from the A-List New York who happened to be there as well that weekend. We went way off the coast of Key West to an Island...played on the beach and snorkeled! We saw numerous packs of dolphins that swam right next to the boat.

The trip was my favorite of my life. Everything was so chill...so fun...so breathtaking. Dustin, JC, and Jared are diamonds in my life and made every moment so much fun! Dustin is like the brother I never had....I can tell him anything...he is always there for me. JC has been a friend for a while and is always a perfect gentlemen. The trip was also very romantic for me. Jared and I have been talking since we met at Mardi Gras. Almost inseparable conversation. Friendly wake up calls in the morning, random calls during the day, goodnights, fantastic skype dinner dates. We decided on this trip to be boyfriends...early April 2nd to be exact. I love holding his hand, the way he kisses my shoulder, and most of all the man he is. So I would like to introduce to you Jared....my boyfriend :-)