What is it that makes a home so appealing? Luxurious fabrics, soft cushions - and well-defined men relaxing in them! HOUSEHOLD IDOLS, the very first book of photographer Mark Henderson, shows plenty of masculine models in opulent and colorful interiors. Read on for an exclusive interview which reveals the photographer's background and what his favorite pictures are.

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Muscles, body hair ... What else does a man need to look as masculine as your models?

To be honest, when I choose models to photograph, big muscles and body hair are not a prerequisite (although it doesn't hurt either...). Primarily I look for well-defined and proportioned physiques that will look spectacular in the natural light I prefer to use. As you may have noticed, photographing sensational abs are a specialty of mine! I also seek models who are able to convey, with their poses and facial expressions, the kind of languid, dreamy mood that I want my images to evoke.

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Many of your pictures are shot indoors. The men are surrounded by curtains, they recline on luxurious beds, etc. ... What must the perfect furnishings for your images be like? (Bauhaus didn't work?!)

Setting plays an important role in my images. I want the models to appear comfortable and relaxed, as if the viewer has caught them in private moments of reflection and romantic anticipation. To achieve that atmosphere I create inviting settings that include beds, sofas, chairs, as well as soft cushions, luxurious fabrics, and the ever-present (fake) furs. Since I have most often used my own 1918 bungalow in Los Angeles as the location for my photo shoots, the images in "Household Idols" simply reflect the interior and architectural design of my home; however, I've begun to expand my shoot locations to accommodate a wider variety of settings, including more modernist interiors. So if there is a second volume, you may see a Bauhaus-like interior or two ...

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There is this one wonderful picture in your book where you can see the soft body hair of the model. It looks like you can reach out and touch his legs and his ass. How did you manage this hyper-realistic effect?

Yes, I think I know the image to which you refer. It depicts a young blond model named Marcus reclining on a sofa covered with blue fur. As will be obvious to anyone looking through "Household Idols", I do a great deal of post-production work to my images. I won't reveal all my secrets (although most photographers will be able to figure what I do), but in general, I tend to heighten contrasts and saturate individual colors to lend the image a particular punch, drama, and immediacy. I find there's a certain visual "tension" between the exaggerated, sometimes flatly abstract use of color and the otherwise naturalistic, almost tangible quality of various textures, including the model's skin and body hair.

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Your work is full of color and light. Also the opulent drapery is reminiscent of baroque art. Do you have special paintings or even artists in mind when you start to shoot?

Since I am an art historian by training and profession specializing in European art of the 17th century, it would seem logical that I would be directly influenced by particular artists of the period. For example, my study of Baroque painters and sculptors has surely influenced my preference for expressive colors and deep contrasts of light and dark. But curiously enough, I rarely think about art historical references when I'm devising a shoot; however, I feel certain that my many years of art training has influenced me in ways that I'm not consciously aware. One of the first things you learn as an art historian is to "read" a work of art for line, color, composition, texture, perspective, medium, etc... That kind of analysis almost becomes second nature for art historians when looking at a painting, sculpture, or photograph, and it is probably this ingrained sensitivity to the formal elements of art that helps tremendously in creating my own images.

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Is there a single picture in HOUSEHOLD IDOLS that you like most?

I'm often asked which image in the book is my favorite, and just when I've decided on one, I turn the page and there's another one! In truth, there are several favorites, many of which have a special personal meaning to me because several of the models have become dear friends. But there is one picture to which I am continually drawn. It is of the model Chris Rockway standing in the main hall of my house with his head lowered and eyes closed. On the right side of the image, part of Chris' profile and spectacular torso are reflected in the glass of a picture hanging in the hallway. To me, this one image perfectly summarizes the tranquil, dreamy, yet sexually charged mood of the entire book.

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posted in Releases, Interviews, Photography on 23.10.2008