Gratuitous Shirtless Steve shots

Things to do when you’re trying to avoid working: learn how to do screen shots!

(with a shirt, but it’s one of my favorites)

… slinks back to work …

 

Eye Candy

Soaps have no special effects, pretty basic camera work, and lots of scenes of people sitting around talking. Still, in the end it is a visual medium, and some of the pleasure of watching a soap is for what fills the eye. So here, in no particular order, are some of the things I have been enjoying recently, in purely visual terms.

1. There’s been a lot of talk about Ed Scott’s changes in lighting and camerawork. But here’s a very good example, because during a scene between two characters I don’t care for, that infuriated me (you would never try to kill Sami, Kate? Really?) and offended my sense of professional police ethics even more than usual, I was struck by this very beautiful shot:

2. Here’s another beautiful shot, which highlights another pleasure of watching soaps, the smoldering gaze (if we can ignore who Phillip is smoldering for here):

3. I love watching actors play off of each other, showing through their body language the relationship between the characters.

We’ve got young love partners in crime:

And two people who have been through it all together and are more blissfully in love than ever:

4. I’ve gone back and forth on Steve’s long hair, but must now come down in full support:

5. Chelsea’s bitchface. May she never be over-redeemed:

6. I’ll give a shout-out to the costume department for these shiny necklaces and the wonders they do for Julie Pinson’s cleavage (sorry I couldn’t find a shot of her alone):

7. Here’s my pretty, pretty Phillip, who no matter what they have him do is a pleasure to behold. Here he is looking very pleased to be gazing at another possible love interest, Chloe:

And I’ll throw out a request for some of the other visual pleasures of soaps: characters we care about in well-done love scenes (Chick, hint, hint), and the across-the-room eyesnog.

Screencaps courtesy nbc.com and steveandkayla.com

 

Shallow Time

Let’s talk about hot guys!

On TWoP last week everyone was listing their top 5 swoonworthy guys on the show. Since I missed it, I thought I’d do it here instead, where I can add pictures to justify my picks. And hey, generally when I post here I try to be in depth and insightful, but sometimes it’s fun to revel in one of the best pleasures of soaps: watching hot guys in action. And since I never do screencaps, this is a good time to start.

#1. Naturally I have to begin with the hottest character in the history of daytime, Steve (Stephen Nichols):

And I think looking at this photo just impregnated me:

I must give a shoutout to the 80’s version. Here’s a guy who knew how to wear a ripped tank top:

And displaying that unique combination of weepiness and sexiness that is pure Steve:

#2. Phillip (Jay Kenneth Johnson), my other big crush on the show. He’s master of the brooding look:

And doesn’t look bad without his shirt either:

#3. Then there’s Nick (Blake Berris). I love his slender, lanky body and his little flat butt. Here’s a nice shot of his lanky sexiness, clothed:

But I think I love him best in concerned, compassionate mode:

#4. EJ (James Scott), here pre-psychosis:

All right, I’m adding another one. Pardon me, I couldn’t resist this butt shot:

#5 (surprising myself with this one) Max (Darin Brooks) has been growing on me. He has a very nice neck and shoulders, as can be seen here:

Honorable mention: For those million and a half of you who keep coming to my blog with the search terms “Trevor Donovan shirtless,” here ya go:

Also, if you want to see many, many pictures of Trevor Donovan—and other Days actors—in various states of undress (and where I got many of the pictures I posted here), go to this site: Soap Hunks (Days)

Other screencap credits:
S&K screencaps 80’s

S&K screencaps 2000’s

Wow, that was a fabulous waste of time. But so much fun! I promise I will try to be serious and insightful next time I post.