Chad Hunt is a figure known for his diverse and contrasting careers. On one hand, he is an award-winning photojournalist who has spent years documenting the lives of soldiers in conflict zones. On the other hand, he is also known as a prolific gay porn star. This article explores both aspects of his life and career.
Photojournalism Career
For over 20 years, Chad Hunt has been documenting people and the world around us through award-winning photojournalism. He received his BFA in photography from the Columbus College of Art and Design in 1994 and studied at Virginia Commonwealth University's MFA program. Other training includes the Eddie Adams Barnstorm VII Workshop and interning with iconic photographer Mary Ellen Mark.
Hunt's professional career began in 1999 when he landed a staff job as a photographer at Richmond, Virginia's Style Weekly Magazine. During his time there, Hunt received 38 Virginia Press Awards.
In 2004, he moved to New York and began working for a range of publications and clients. Since moving to Maplewood, NJ with his wife and 14-year old daughter, Hunt continues to create empathetic images for both advertising campaigns and publications. Currently he is working as a staff photographer for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC.
Hunt's work often focuses on military subjects, creating photo stories for Men’s Journal, Popular Mechanics, the cover of Time magazine, and his own personal portrait series of soldiers.
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Several years later after my father passed away, I found myself drawn to the images of our current conflict in the Middle East. In 2006, I applied to be embedded with the US military in as a freelance photographer. My main objective was to capture the day-to-day lives of the soldiers and to gain first-hand knowledge of what they were going through. In a strange way I also was hoping to learn a bit more about my father and how his military experience shaped who he was.
Since then, I have visited Afghanistan three times. The first time I was invited to photograph the 10th Mountain Division at a tiny firebase called Kamdesh. Kamdesh is in northeast Afghanistan, five miles from the Pakistan border. There, the troops patrol the mountains on foot in search of the Taliban. I returned to Afghanistan a few months later, this time to a small firebase called the Korengal Outpost in the Korengal Valley, along frequently targeted supply line between Pakistan and Kabul. This past spring (April 2009) I returned for a third time, now to South- Eastern province of Paktika, the epicenter of the newly escalated conflict.
During all of my embeds, I slept in the same bunker as the troops, ate the same MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) and accompanied small squads on foot patrols through the rugged terrain. The average age of the soldiers was about 21. After all, not long ago they were on their high school football teams and worrying about their grades. One solder I met said: “I joined the Army so I could go to college but all I’ve done is get shot at.”
Today as our nation’s interest dramatically shifts from Iraq to Afghanistan and other areas of conflict, the conversations are mostly around politics, strategy and money. But regardless of one’s views, the sons, daughters, mothers and fathers that are fighting there deserve to have their stories told. That is my goal with these images.
Before my trips, my relationship with my father had given me a unique understanding of soldiers and the hardships they face in the decisions they make. Though I was able to leave Afghanistan without a scratch in my body armor, with each trip I returned home with an even deeper respect and empathy for the men and women I spent time with.
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His first trip in the fall of 2006 was to Forward Operating Base Kamdesh and was completely self-assigned and funded. Later that winter, he returned-- this time for Men's Journal to be embedded with the 10th Mountain Division at the Korengal Outpost for a story which appeared in the March 2007 issue, "The Taliban Hunters." In both of these trips, Hunt's primary goal was to capture the day-to-day life of the soldiers stationed there, and to help tell the story of an often-overlooked war. In 2009, he returned again for a third trip to the conflict, this time positioning himself with 1-509th infantry scouts and Task Force Attack at Salerno and Forward Operating Base Orgun-E , while on assignment for Popular Mechanics and shooting for the Corbis news agency.
Since moving to Maplewood Hunt has worked on various military related assignments but has shifted into assignment work that is less dangerous. Recently he worked on a project for St. Vincent Medical Center photographing addicts for an ad campaign and has worked on human interest stories for NJ Monthly magazine.
His personal photo project was featured in Popular Photography Magazine and Broad Street Magazine - a series of Halloween porch portraits of trick or treaters that he has done every Halloween for the last six years.
Key Assignments and Projects:
- Documenting the 10th Mountain Division at Forward Operating Base Kamdesh
- Embedded with the 10th Mountain Division at the Korengal Outpost for Men's Journal
- Photographing 1-509th infantry scouts and Task Force Attack at Salerno and Forward Operating Base Orgun-E for Popular Mechanics
- Photographing addicts for an ad campaign for St. Vincent Medical Center
- Human interest stories for NJ Monthly magazine
- Halloween porch portraits of trick or treaters
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Adult Film Career
Chad Hunt's a hugely prolific gay porn star in many senses - he's got an impressively long portfolio and an 11-inch cut cock. He made his debut in 2000 with director Michael Lucas and his Lucas Entertainment studio and appeared with him many times. Chad hails from Ohio, where he was born in 1973, but was based in New York during much of his porn career. He stands about 5ft 10ins tall, tops in movies (until the Jett Blakk movie Endgame in 2008) but has bottomed in his private life. He was married for several years to his high school sweetheart and together they had a child before divorcing. He's also a Social Studies/Education major.
Chad won the 2004 Adult Erotic Gay Video Hottest Cock award and in 2002 tied with Michael Brandon as Adult Erotic Gay Video Awards Best Performer.
Awards and Recognition
- 2004 Adult Erotic Gay Video Hottest Cock award
- 2002 Adult Erotic Gay Video Awards Best Performer (tied with Michael Brandon)
Filmography Highlights:
Chad Hunt has appeared in numerous adult films. Some notable titles include:
- The Other Side of Aspen 5
Awards and Nominations
Chad Hunt has received several awards and nominations for his work in the adult film industry:
Getting Started in Documentary and Conflict Photography (feat. Ondrej Vachek)
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Adult Erotic Gay Video Awards | Hottest Cock | Won |
| 2002 | Adult Erotic Gay Video Awards | Best Performer | Won (tied with Michael Brandon) |
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