ATLANTA—Adult producer-director-performer Collin O’Neal may have a second career in the works if gay porn doesn’t work out. On Monday, a photograph he took during a recent excursion to Australia was declared CNN.com’s “iReport Travel Photo of the Day.”
The honor landed the iReporter profile of O’Neal’s real-life alter-ego, Shawn Loftis, on the front page of CNN’s website, along with the photo.
“I received the e-mail this afternoon [in Madrid, where he is filming] from the CNN travel producer notifying me that I was awarded ‘Photo of the Day,’” O’Neal said. “I was so happy my jumping croc picture from my trip to Australia’s Northern Territory was chosen.”
O’Neal returned from Australia 10 days ago to attend an industry function in Los Angeles, stop by his home in Miami Beach, Fla. for one night and spend a day in New York visiting retail customers. The next morning he flew to Barcelona to attend the Barcelona Summit trade show. Somewhere in the middle, he found time to upload some pictures from his Australia trip to CNN’s citizen-journalism website. The prize-winning crocodile image was taken in Darwin.
“I was only supposed to be in Darwin for two days, but when I landed at the airport and the hot moist air hit me, reminding me of my home in Miami Beach, I immediately called the airline to stay an extra five days,” he said.
While in Darwin, he visited nearby Litchfield National Park and Kakadu National Park. It was in Kakadu that O’Neal went on a “croc cruise” and captured the croc image.
“I’m sure you will see a lot more of me on CNN.com and eventually on CNN [on television],” he said. “I am in contact with many producers at CNN, and since my weather report that received nearly 80,000 hits and comments from viewers about me reporting in my white tank top, loving my casual reporting style, well, CNN is very happy.”
O’Neal’s most recent title, lensed on location in Australia, is World of Men: Australia. It is available for pre-order at WorldOfMenDVD.com.
