GayGeek

Does Aarnes Boyz deliver what it promises on the outside?

AarnesBoyz is a new twink site that opened early this year. I always have high hopes and expectations for a new site. I really want to give new sites a good review, and I want to be optimistic about their future potential. More often than not, I blindly subscribe to new sites. I always hope my little contribution will help them along.

I did the same thing with AarnesBoyz when it first opened. There was strong incentive for me to do so. When looking at the Previews section on the public home page, I saw that the outdoor shots and many of the models are from the same photographer who supplies material for BoyStation (pre-2009), KimPrivate, BadPuppy, Janes Gallery, and BerlinMales. If you are a twink website fan, you know who I am talking about. Based out of Dresden (apparently), his photography has a style that I have always enjoyed. I suspect, but cannot prove, that this website is that photographer's own site. He is Aarnes himself?

The Preview section contains an awesome collection of material for such a new site. A photographer of this guy's experience surely has some of his favorite stuff lying around that he kept for the release of his own site. There are about 70 photosets shown including about 40 models.

At the beginning of the Previews is a note that says "Please keep in mind that the samples marked COMING SOON are not yet to be found in the members section." (Well, actually they are marked "comming soon".) This is where the confusion begins (some might say it's deception). You are led to believe that there are 70 photosets available. The usual practice of websites is to show all of their available material in the Preview, or a limited amount that is nonetheless still available. "Coming soon" is something for members, not guest previews. Each set is marked "On line" or "comming soon", but it's difficult to see.

To make matters even more confusing, the "comming soon" photosets already have comments, and you are allowed to vote! Wait a minute ... aren't you supposed to do that after you see the photoset? What is this bullshit of being allowed to vote and comment in the Preview section for photosets that have not been released? Once you get into the Member section, the ability to vote disappears! Furthermore, all of the "comming soon" photosets are not available in the member section for either voting OR viewing! Are guests actually voting based on the three thumbnails of each set in the preview? What about paying members who want to vote? Do we really have to back out of the member section and vote in the preview section?

But confusion aside, does the site deliver its promise of twinks "... from their best side."? Well, yes and no. Read on ...

What's good about Aarnes Boyz? What needs improvement?

The best aspect of the site is the photography. This photographer has years of experience at this. He knows his models and his locations well. Lighting for outdoor and indoor shots is usually excellent. We get outstanding 1500x1000 photos filled with intricate details. All of the photosets are solos; there are no duos (yet). The solos follow the usual strip and jack-off formula. The models themselves are very nice. They tend to be in the 20-21 age range; very few 18-year-olds. The only problem with the models is that they are virtually all shaved or closely-trimmed. It's hard to tell if this is the photographer's preference, or if the shaving fad has yet to peak in Germany. Either way, I don't like such a lopsided presentation. Give me some bush, please!

Each photoset has a thumbnail gallery, and an easy-to-use slideshow feature. It works well. Each set is downloadable as a ZIP file, but only for the first 42 days after release. This is a weird policy, and I'm not sure what the purpose is. It's particularly strange because the videos are always downloadable with no time or license restrictions at all.

There needs to be some serious improvement of the Preview vs Member section issues that I spoke of earlier. Move all of the voting, ratings, and comments to the member section.

So now we come to the videos. And this is where AarnesBoyz really needs some improvement. Basically, I don't like videos very much. But it took this site to really make me realize exactly WHY I don't like videos. A video camera should be used to show us things that a photograph cannot: Movement and sound. Therefore, a session with a video camera should be completely separate and different than one with a photographic camera. That's where AarnesBoyz really needs to do some work (actually, many other sites fail at this also). The videos here simply exist to say that the website can say that they exist. There is no creativity or any intention of making an erotic video. The first video I watched was of Alex, one of my favorite models from BoyStation, KimPrivate, and the others who are related to this site. In this video, the sound is natural. We get to hear everything going on. Unfortunately, it's just a video recording of the photographic session. You get to hear the incessant clicking of the camera as the photographer takes photographs of Alex, and some poor assistant gets to hold the video camera and wait for something to happen. Alex shifts from pose to pose. At the points where the photographer has to verbally instruct him, the sound is edited out. We don't even get to hear Alex when he has a comment or question! So I still don't know what he sounds like. The only time the video camera is given something to do is when Alex has to walk a few yards to another location. In another scene, he is asked to climb up a ladder. But once he reaches a certain point, the photographer apparently tells him to stand still so that photographs can be taken. And yet Alex is looking at the video camera, slowly swiveling his hips just enough for us to see, as if he knows that the video camera needs him to do something ... but he can't do it because he'll get barked at by the photographer. Later, when Alex finally cums, we can't even hear him groan or catch his breath because the photographic camera is clicking away like a hungry crab at low tide. On a side note, this video shows Alex with his full bush! Also, the photographic session that is being videoed is the one for BadPuppy.

The other video was of a model named Lucio, one of the few 18-year-olds. He's a cutie I would love to take care of for the rest of my life. His video is an indoor scene in a bar. This poor boy is so confused by the presence of both a photographic camera and a video camera, that his eyes dart back and forth between the two, trying to figure out just which camera it is that he's supposed to work for. Mind you, his darting eyes are lovely. But the whole dilemma is sad. And the music that accompanies this video is just putrid. Lucio is a great model, and his photoset is great. He has so much potential to shine in a properly-produced video.

So come on, AarnesBoyz. Use the video camera for its purpose! If you are doing a video, make up some simple story, or give the model something to do besides pose. I want to see a model's limp cock jiggling around with each movement, to hear his voice and whispering sound of his palm as he slides it across his chest, the slapping of his loose scrotum against his thighs as he jacks off, and the catch of breath as he cums. If there truly is an individual named Aarnes, then hear me now: You are a master with the photographic camera. Now become a master of the video camera by opening yourself up to its unique ability to capture movement and sound!

How is Aarnes Boyz unique?

At this time, AarnesBoyz is not unique. It hasn't found its niche yet. In content, style, and presentation, it is most like KimPrivate. But it's better than KimPrivate because it has a better navigation system, and the photographs are in a higher resolution. AarnesBoyz has the best chance of standing out if it continues to build upon its solid base of outstanding photography and models. It also needs to be mindful of the shaved vs unshaved issue. If Aarnes can pour more creativity and energy into videos as separate entities from photographs, then the site has great potential. If not, then drop the videos and concentrate on photographs only. BoyStation and KimPrivate exist largely because of this photographer. Now, Aarnes, do the same for yourself!