Underwear News Briefs has had the pleasure of teaming up with various models and photographers throughout the years, showcasing their work across our site.  To continue showcasing these great artists, we are doing a series of profiles each week to allow you to continue to get to know these great people, their lives, and their work.

This week’s model profile features Derek Yates.

Derek sat down with us at UNB to discuss his modeling career to date and show some of his best work.

UNB Kyle: What was your first modeling gig and how did you come to get it?

Derek: I don’t really remember my first gig, per se, but my first photoshoot I guess would be by a local photography at an agency in my hometown that I was working with at the time to work on my modeling and acting skills before going to some competitions. They were just simple test shots.  I consider my first REAL photoshoot to be with Ethan James based in Murfreesboro, TN. He has a great artistic eye, and has a way of using a small space for all his models and making it seem new in all of his shots while making his models just look so good.

Kyle: What made you want to pursue modeling?

Derek:  I’ve always thought modeling would be a lot of fun. You get to have the opportunity to meet so many fun people, travel a little bit, and a chance to portray a type of acting in still shots, which is another part of my career. I consider myself still at the start of my career, and can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Kyle: Which shoot do you consider your breakthrough in your career?

Derek: As mentioned before, I feel my shoot with Ethan James was the kickstarter for my modeling career. It was the first round of pictures I had that came across super professional, which made me look professional. So I was able to use them to help market myself to start getting more and more interest, while gaining, for the lack of a better term, a fan base.

Kyle: Which shoot has been your favorite? Why?

Derek: I wouldn’t say any were or were not my favorite. Each has had its own flair, with different setups, different clothing (or lack there of), different photographers, and all for various reasons. I’d like to say I’ve learned something from each shoot that I have done that has helped me become a better model. So with that said, they are all my favorite for that reason.

Kyle: Which shoot has been your most challenging? Why?

Derek: None of my shoots have really been all that challenging I’d say, as far the shoot itself. The challenging part to any shoot, if you are doing anything that shows off any part of your physique, is just making sure you look your best. That means keeping up with my fitness regimen as well as being on point with my diet, and both at times have had their difficult moments for one reason or another.

Kyle: Are there any brands or photographers you would like to work with that you have not worked with yet?

Derek: The first thing that popped in my head was Calvin Klein. I dunno, there’s something about being able to say you were a big header (no pun intended) for Calvin Klein’s underwear brand. That’s not to say any other brand is bad, or not as good. It was just the first thing that popped in my head because I recently was talking to a model friend and it got brought up as being on our “Modeling Bucket List.”

Kyle: What is something that your fans don’t know about you outside of modeling that you want them to know?

Derek: I’m fairly open about what my life entails through social media. The one thing that seems to get lost in the cracks with my fans though is that I am the co-founder of 1N3, which is a non-profit my mother and started to raise awareness about the consequences of drunk driving after my brother was killed 3 years ago by a drunk driver. Our general mode of operation is going to different events, school, functions, etc. and presenting our story in hopes of impacting people to think more about their action, and that your choices matter. We pull his wrecked van on a trailer for people to see the impact first hand in that way also. The biggest factor to our non-profit is that after choosing to forgive the woman who killed my brother, we then brought her on our team after being released from prison to come and be a part of our presentation, which has made an even bigger impact since then when people are able to hear her story and see how we all work together for the same goal of trying to make our roads safer for everyone.

Kyle: What kind of diet and exercise do you do to prepare for shoots?

Derek: I am the first to admit that I am still very much a newbie, in a way, when it comes to things like this. I learn something new almost everyday it feels like when it comes to fitness and diet. My journey has been long, but rewarding the sense of discovering new things about my body, how it works, and what it wants. Each person’s body is different, and it is all a science as far as how to prep for a shoot vs. doing your normal workout and diet. Like I said, I’m still learning, and I would hate to give improper advice, BUT, recently, what I’ve seen that has worked for me as of now is starting to cut out carbs a few days before as well as water to try and clear up any bloat and in attempts at tightening everything up as much as possible, plus upping my cardio a bit more a few days before as well to try and burn off just a bit more unneeded fat.