With "Private Moments" Howard Roffman presents his 15th coffee-table book. Once more the sexy guys of the Slovakian porn label Bel Ami are his inspiration. It comes quite as a surprise that the master of empathetic black-and-white photography shot his new pictures in summerly colors. In our interview Howard speaks about his work and the boys of Bel Ami.

Howard, the public first took notice of you as a photographer almost 20 years ago and one can say that you gained quite a large popularity since then. How has photography-which you still call a hobby-changed your life?

HR: It's changed my life in two big ways.  First,  it gave me a way of communicating to a broad audience.  For most of my adult life I've wanted to convey a message about the beauty of gay sexuality.  My books have allowed me to do that in a very personal way.  Photography has also allowed me to meet so many great people that I would not have otherwise met. It's broadened my circle of friends and given me a new perspective, especially from people much younger than me.

Your trademark has always been the empathetic black-and-white photography. Now with "Private Moments" you decided to work in color for the first time. How did this happen?

HR: It happened as a result of my switch to digital a few years ago.  I made the switch fully intending to continue creating black and white images.  But the images at first are color and must be converted.  When I saw the color images I realized that it gave a whole new dimension to my work and I was hooked.  It was an exciting discovery for me after so many years shooting black and white film.  You might say it recharged my batteries!

Was it your impression that your color photography was able to express things that you couldn't have expressed with black-and-white photography? And if so: What was it?

HR:  For me, color is more rich and more modern. It adds a new level of emotional content to an image.  But I see all of those elements as secondary to what I essentially want to express through my images.  I am looking to allow the viewer to make a connection with the models, to experience something personal and intimate with them.  In that sense, my approach has been the same whether shooting black and white or color.

"Private Moments" was your second project with the Slovakian porn label Bel Ami. The guys are professionals when it comes to sex, yet each picture is a classic Roffman: Intimate, tender and often playful. Can you describe the difference between working with porn actors and working with "civilians"?

HR:  Until I started shooting Bel Ami models, all the guys I photographed were not professional models.  I generally didn't like the professionals because they put on an artificial face; they are not there to show you who they really are.  What I love the most about the Bel Ami boys is that they are genuine. They aren't fashion models and they aren't hardened, cynical porn stars. They are regular guys who are very comfortable with themselves and their sexuality and there are no pretenses in front of the camera.  It's a unique combination of attributes that is perfect for my work.

You are working as a chief executive for a world famous movie company, which is a pretty time-consuming job. As a photographer you create photo books and run exhibitions all over the world. How do you manage to find the time for getting inspirations and implementing them?

HR:  I'm not a person who is happy being idle.  I have a lot of energy for my passions, and I guess I'm lucky that I'm passionate both about my career and my hobby.  So I make the time for both.  My week days are pretty much devoted to work.  For the past several years, I've taken off a couple of weeks here and there to photograph the Bel Ami guys in Eastern Europe and Africa.  And sometimes they come to visit me in the State as well.  Evenings and weekends are for editing and creating my books.  It can definitely be stressful, but somehow, it all seems to work.

Your photos always imply that there is a close relationship between you and your models. The guys of Bel Ami are certainly used to being observed, but generally spoken: How do you make your models forget that there's the guy with the camera? How does the relationship between you and them develop?

HR:  I've found that the single most important thing in shooting people, especially in intimate situations, is trust.  The models have to understand that you are there to create beautiful art with them and that you have no other agenda.  Without that there is no openness or comfort..  I think from the very beginning of my photography I've been able to convey that to my models because it's the truth.

Last question: next project: black-and-white or color? And who is inspiring you at the moment?

HR:  I have quite a bit of additional Bel Ami material, all color, that has not been published.  It represents the next phase of my color work and really takes it to the next level. So I'd love to do another Bel Ami book!

posted in General, Interviews, Photography on 17.09.2009