I’ve done many things in my life. I am always amused to see people at my art shows being flabbergasted by my bio. I usually don’t talk about my achievements because they are in the past and what really counts for me is what comes next. Yet, I am one of the lucky people who almost always has been able to follow his passion. And I’ve had many! Here is the short version: from a Ph.D. in English philology (to a furnace operator by the will of the commies) to an American Studies Professor to a Fulbright Professor to Vaclav Havel’s translator to a high-ranking diplomat, and many in between. I loved them all! Art has always been somehow a big part of these passions. Then the time came to start yet another journey of passion, with my Nikon cameras and my obsession with beauty. Honestly, my partner of 15 years, Mark has played a big role in it. On the one hand, I quit my last “serious” job with the Czech Embassy in order to be able to legally stay with him in the U.S. On the other hand, it was Mark who convinced me to pursue my passion as a photographer, and who has supported me for all those years since leaving the Embassy.

I’ve taken photographs all my life, but I did my first serious photo shoot with a model relatively late, I guess it was in 1997 in Washington, DC. The beauty of the human body, male or female is something that I could never paint although I would have loved to. So, photography has become my way of painting the nudes I desired to paint. The light and shadows have become my brush. I call it painting with the shadow because that’s what good photography, as art, really boils down to. Especially if the object is a nude body. Nudity itself is not erotic. I never fully understood what eroticism and erotic meant until I started looking at nudity through the view-finder of my camera. Nudity itself is not even beautiful. But it is the bundle of light and shadows and angles, a tempting mixture of passion and smiles and innocence, a truly mysterious hodge-podge of innumerable "Elements of Creation," lit properly and huddled into a split second that makes nudity erotic and the erotic beautiful.

2. Do you think that another man could better understand the language of male body?

I can’t make that judgment. It would really depend on how we define the “language of male body”. In a physical sense? Maybe. But personally, as a photographer (not as a lover! that would be a totally different and perhaps a more appropriate discussion!), I would be careful about the word “better”. I am sure that a woman sees a male body in a different way than I do as a man, but that doesn’t mean she understands it less or worse. I actually love comparing the respective male and female ways of photographing male nudes; there is definitely a difference in their approaches. But that’s good for the photography and for the world. Diversity and space for different views help us keep this world exciting, and yes, also sane and relatively free, right?!

But I’ll confess something you indirectly alluded to with your question: When I photographed my first female model, after having done tens of males, I felt quite nervous and helpless at times. The routine lighting suddenly didn’t work for me, and it took me some time to figure it out. If you approach photography as painting with the shadows, then you really gotta pay attention where the shadows drop, and believe me, you get the shadows in different places and in different shapes on a female body, that’s for sure! Also, I believe I can understand what’s erotic about creatively imaging a woman, but I cannot really feel it with all my senses like I can with a man. My sexuality probably limits me here more than when I photograph a woman, but again: It may not be a weakness. It just means more rationalizing and more calculation on my part, whereas with men, I can trust my instinct and my feelings. It’s probably fair to say that there’s definitely more of me in my male nude images than there is in my female nude images. But I don’t have to apologize for that, do I? /laugh/

3. As you wrote to me in your last mail, there are two kinds of male nudity in photography: artistic nudity, and just conventional male nudity. What does it mean for you: art per se and conventional nudity?

Well, it was in the context of what I put on the walls in a particular bar in Prague. I said that the work at the bar was not my best work. I chose the images there because "I had in mind the crowd that appreciates conventional and perhaps somewhat clicheish male nudity more than art per se”. It may have sounded arrogant, but it in fact was an expression of an awareness that most gay men in gay bars, as my experience tells me, look at a photograph not as a piece of art but as a decoration stimulating their imagination, perhaps erotic fantasies.

There are tons of nude pictures of beautiful men that are nothing else than just that: Nude pictures of beautiful men. To make it clear: I myself have made a lot of photographs whose “artistic” reputation is saved mostly by the beauty of the model, not by my creative spirit, my creative way of “painting” the beauty on “canvas”, by telling a story. Those may be pretty photos, but without the soul. They are fine, technically perfect, and you’ve most likely seen hundreds of similar photos of the same kind all over the place. The pose, the setting, the lighting, the gesture, the smile, the outfit…everything is but a repetition of the same. As if taken in the same studio by the same photographer. A cliché, if you wish. It’s a hyperbole, but do you know what my reply to those oh-sighs over a beautiful butt etc. usually is? “Take the beautiful model out of the picture, my dear, and if you are still left with something beautiful or extraordinary, something that speaks to you and your emotions or feelings, you are probably dealing with an artist.” Otherwise, it’s just yet another commercially successful hormone-packed snapshot. A photo without a soul. To be blunt: Compare Bruce Webber’s photos for cK or A&F catalogs with his homoerotic photographs in books, like The Andy Book [Weber’s first art book about a boxer named Andy]. The latter speaks volumes about where the commercial, calculated beauty of the model leaves the beauty of artistic expression behind. I admire Bruce for his shots of Andy even though his cK models would beat Andy in a beauty contest on points.

I myself try to put my standards above the conventional “lovely butts” and “big chests”, and I know I succeed at times. Simply put: It’s easy to find a glamorous Hollywood appeal in a photo of a fashion-modeling celebrity with a pretty face. It’s harder, but much more rewarding and fun, to find the beauty in a boy from the street. The latter is my aspiration by choice. It’s these “other”, aspiring photos with a soul that keep me going and smiling and enjoying my photographic life adventure.

4. Do you think that the male body is more interesting as a model than a female body?

No. I must disagree. It’s different, but not more interesting. In terms of the number of images published, male nudes may still be way behind female nudes. So, perhaps from that point of view, they may seem to be more interesting. Or, just less hackneyed. But otherwise? I tend to photograph male nudity more often because I feel more comfortable with male models. It’s simply a matter of my personal preference. I can trust my instincts with a man much better, both artistically and emotionally. Let’s face it: I am a gay man. I can’t take my sexuality out of the equation. Actually, I don’t want to! It is my big helper. My partner always jokes about my “having a new date” when I find a new model, or when I start working on a new project. But he is actually right. It often feels like being on a date! There is definitely a chemistry going on between the model and the photographer. It’s also a power game, an incredible opportunity to let mutual vulnerability and emotions speak out in the silence and the heat of the lamps (or the sun). It’s very intimate. I need to get to know the person in order to express his true essence. It is a fast-track adventure. I am always nervous before I start. Yes, it really feels like a date. Stripping a model off his clothes makes him vulnerable in more than just a physical way. Perhaps that’s the reason why so many of my models have later become my friends. We had a date, we got quite intimate in a few hours, how could you let that go unnoticed?

5. There are black boys and Asians at your work. How do you find them? Do you think that there are any practical differences in taking pictures of black or white boys?

Living currently in the USA, I have no problem to establish diversity in my portfolio. Seattle has a large Asian and African-American communities. I wish I had more black models though. Stereotypes aside, many Asians have hang-ups, a culturally based natural “shyness” in terms of full nudity, but many are curious enough and they are easy to gain trust. But if you see more Asian models in my portfolio, blame it on my aesthetic preference. After all, my boyfriend is a Japanese American. /laugh/

Is there any difference in terms of technique? You bet there is! When I photographed my first black guy, it was in Maryland and he was a beautiful man from Ghana. Beautiful, silky skin; dark, dark, black, almost anthracite. Gorgeous intelligent and playful eyes. Yet it was a big revelation for me that I had to reverse all I knew about my shadow-painting. You use shadows to create forms on a light-skin body. Forget it with a dark black skin! You don't have that option on a body that does not give the shadow a smallest chance. So, with black guys, I do just the opposite: Where I’d use shadows with a white guy, I use light on a dark body. Like a negative image. And of course, you have to use other tricks to make this work for you.

Simplified, my painting with shadows turns into painting with light on darker bodies. It’s challenging but fun. (And don’t ask me what happens if you put together a pale white guy with a dark black guy in one photograph. My first shoot of such a couple turned into a total disaster… I am still trying to figure it out and beat the common sense. It can get very tricky light-wise!)

6. What do you like to do more as a photographer: portraits or people who are moving, dancing etc., people or nature, boys or girls?

I like it all, but my true passion is portraits and dancers. Nature is fun to photograph, but I feel always limited. It’s rather static, and then, no matter how beautiful my photos of the Grand Canyon or of Prague may be, they never bare a comparison to being at Grand Canyon or in Prague and experiencing the beauty of those places in person.

People are dynamic in the sense that they have emotions and feelings and expressions, and your challenge is to capture those in your photos, or to revoke them. You can pose the model to get him where you want him to be. You can’t do it with nature. It’s also the interaction with the model that I cherish, the social element in it, the adventure of learning from them.

Taking pictures of people gives me a great opportunity to express my perception and feelings about them. It also offers me a special reward: a feeling that I help regular men and women discover for themselves that they are beautiful. Whenever they thank me for “making them look beautiful”, I think it is misplaced. I don’t make them beautiful, they are beautiful. What I perhaps do for them, and what I am proud of in my work, is helping them understand a little better who they are and how the rest of the world may see them. Needless to say that I feel very lucky that I can court this beauty on the daily basis, and very happy that I can share it with others.

7. How much time does it take you to prepare just one session?

It depends. Mentally, I prepare for days, sometimes weeks. But I also work very much with intuition, and I tend to be spontaneous. I usually carry ideas and think about a particular photo shoot for days (and often nights) before it happens, but the truth is that on the spot, I often go with the flow and with the energy I get from the location and the model.

I used to be meticulous about writing down poses and ideas I had in mind for a session, and then I would end up not even taking the notes out of my pocket! I always have a general idea of which direction to go, but the implementation is really dictated by the inspired moment on location, and often with the priceless creative contribution of and active communication with the model, not by my notes on the paper. Mental preparation is important, even the notes sometimes help, but then I let my creativity go with the flow of the moment, not the other way round. Some of my best photos are a result of a pure spur-of-the-moment ideas.

8. Some of your models seem very special for you, like Vaclav Jiracek, Jerome Tso, Michal Stipa. Is it more difficult to make pictures of such celebrities? Do you like more such sessions with a ”star”, or just with a normal guy? Do you have any interesting, or even amazing experiences from sessions with such celebs?

Well, I think all the three you mentioned, and many others I photographed (like extraordinary dancers Ben Griffiths, or Bennyroyce Royon, etc.) would not agree that they are celebrities. They are special to me not for their perceived celebrity status. They are men of extreme talents and the world does, or soon will know about them. But the word “celebrity” itself for me has an artificial taste of a calculation, fakeness, and zero value. Celebrities are made by media, not by their achievements or contribution to making the world a better and more beautiful place to live. It’s based on a popularity contest, whipped by the power of media and show-business. I am rigidly suspicious of the value in that “contest”.

I don’t care if my models are celebrities or not. They are people I met at some point in my life, I liked them as human beings, I admired their talent, and they charmed me enough to ask them if I could photograph them. I’ve made one rule for myself from experience: I can’t photograph people I don’t hit it off with. People who I’m only attracted to physically do not become my models. There must be some kind of a connection that I make with them, and it is that connection that usually leads to my desire to photograph that person.

So, no, it’s never difficult for me to take pictures of my models like Michal, or Vaclav, or Benny, whatever their popularity status is. I don’t have to see them as celebrities, as I have the privilege to see them as friends. And it’s fun to spend time with friends, even when they stand in front of your camera, isn’t it? Every moment with all of these models and many others feels special. Because of our human connection, I would like to hope it also feels special to them. In fact, I am sure it does.

I don’t think that is accurate. Photographing a straight guy has its own challenges. They sometimes feel intimidated by the fact that I am gay. But in either case, it’s a matter of mutual trust, and reputation. I am very professional both with gays and straight guys, and I get along with both pretty well. Some gay guys may show this “princess” element in them, but you might be surprised how self-conscious and self-centered a straight guy can be at times, too! So, the term “princess” can apply to both, I guess. At times, I photograph a gay model who really takes his posing for an adventure. I had a guy make a pass on me here and there, it obviously wouldn’t happen with a straight model. It’s all flattering, but always manageable./laugh/

From a photographer’s standpoint, the easiest model should be a straight exhibitionist and a Narcissus, right? To my surprise, this show-off type is more common in the straight male population than among gays. Unless the gays are more apt to hide it, to employ this art of refinement and playfulness. They may enjoy the game and rituals of initial shyness. You never know. It’s fun to break that shyness anyway.

10. Is your work with a model just a work, or something more? Do you have friends (or even more than that) among your models?

What is more than a friend? A close friend?/laugh/ I think I answered this one before. Photography is my passion. I don’t go to work. I enjoy myself doing what I love doing. I’ve photographed many of my friends, and I’ve made friends among many of my new models. Certain level of intimacy (not necessarily in the physical sense) is a nature of nude modeling, and it leads to closer relationships in some cases. I take my business and my art adventures as a great opportunity to enjoy the social element in it. In short, yes, many of the models you see in my pictures, are or have become my friends.

11. What is the most important thing in photography, and what is the main problem for you in your work?

The most important thing is the eye, the ability to see what others may not see. Or to see the world and its pieces in a different way. In the digital world and with the miracle of Photoshop at hand, anyone can do photography on a mass scale. But the most expensive camera with the best skills in Photoshop will not make anyone a great photographer. It’s in your eye, and in your heart. You may succeed commercially, but without a creative eye and a sensitivity to the unusual, you won’t create or add new beauty to the world. Isn’t it what art is about, after all? My biggest problem is time. And, should I admit it, the reluctance to pay the needed attention to the business part of my adventure. Unfortunately, in the competitive system of sharp elbows called capitalism, you have to spend way too much time and energy on marketing yourself, making yourself visible. I frankly hate that part of my photography, but I am trying to be better about it too.

12. Do you ever take pictures of Polish models?

Strangely, I haven’t yet. I have a strong affinity towards the big Polish soul, but the opportunity has simply not presented itself. The closest I’ve been was this pan-pal of mine from Toronto, Maciek. Cute, intelligent, charming, big-hearted…we never materialized it. But I know one day, a Polish charmer will cross my path, in Poland, or in Prague, or somewhere else. Do you want to be the first one? /laugh/

13. Have you had any exhibitions in Poland?

Would you take my “No” to your question as an invitation for me in the near future? I would honestly love to!

14. What are your artistic plans for the future and where can people see your work?

You can see small fraction of my work at my website www.rockheart.com. Unfortunately, you can’t see my best work there as the best pictures I often keep off the Internet to use them in my books and art shows. I have many dreams! I prefer the term dream; a plan sounds too chilling, too obliging, and too impersonal. Plus, planning is not my skill anyway. /laugh/ I get overwhelmed every night I go to bed thinking about my dreams and how to make them reality! But the most important and immediate on my list are two nice photographic books. I started working on them. I love writing and I would like to combine my photography with my writing. I can tell you that one is going to have dancers as the main theme. The other one is most likely going to be my take on vices and virtues, using all kinds of photographs in it, from people to nature to documentary… I have a few shows on my schedule in Seattle, New York, and Prague. Will continue working on a project with dance students from Julliard. There’s a lot to do in near future, which is great! I love my work.

Free time? What is it? /laugh/ When there is any, I love traveling, going to the theater (my boyfriend has a wonderful one-man show, www.pathscrossing.com, so I’ve recently spent a lot of time in theaters and around great free-spirited theater people!). I like listening to classical music…and hanging around with intellectually stimulating friends who I can learn from. And political activism is one thing that you’d always find on my schedule.