Masculinity

Incredible artistry in these photographs! Every photo tells its own story. The trust between the models and the photographer is evident in the photos. Some are teases, some are contradictions, all are thought provoking to varying degrees, and ALL show the beauty in the male form and body, from an artistic and not a prurient stand point. Michael Stokes is a photographic god when it comes to presenting the male form in ways that have deeper symbolic meaning and in ways that inspire the intellect. The photos, at the most simplistic level are gorgeous photos of gorgeous male bodies! The beauty of Michael's presentation is that one immediately, or almost immediately, sees a story or point of view that Michael and the model are presenting. Anyone who is offended by Michael's photos is most definitely not looking at the photographs with anything other than a lude and lurid intent! Michelangelo would have appreciated Michael Stokes photography for the incredible art that it is; the messages presented; and analytical thoughts provoked. I hesitate to use the word "passion" only because some will take the use of the word in the basest possible meaning, when the intention is the opposite. Never-the-less, "passion" is the most accurate word to express the feeling one senses in Michael Stokes relationship to his own work process and the ultimate product. These are serious artistic photographs, not beef cake!

I had a rough idea of the content contained within Michael Stokes' Masculinity book before I received it yesterday. I have to say, I was *extremely* surprised and delighted to see the mastery of his work in printed form. Michael has a special knack for drawing out the very best features of each of his models--the eyes, the body, the way his waste twists in motion, a smoldering gaze, the back of his head--you can rest assured that you're seeing the pinnacle of stylized male form beauty. Simply put, Michael is a visual poet. One would expect a book of the idealized male form to be somewhat salacious, but in this book, the obvious care with which he's constructed each shot vibrantly comes through. Each image is presented with class, style, and substance. Highly, highly recommend this addition to your collection.

The photos are top notch; the men are handsome, athletic and masculine; the book is quite solid and well bound. Strangely enough, it felt as though there weren't as many pictures as the size of the book would otherwise suggest. I have a few other books with similar themes but still disappoint. Stokes really sets himself apart from his colleagues, demonstrated here by his skill behind the camera. It is also good to see that the men featured aren't afraid to 'bare all' and show the bodies in full view. No matter though

It appears that the photographer spent lots of effort in creating these images. My guess is that many are composite images and the reason is not that there are seams between the subjec and the background: the reason is because I cannot imagine how a nude model could have been in those places. Having said that, I was (and am) stunned by the quality of this work. Even the very erotic (solo) images are quite well done. I do have one complaint and that complaint I have with many photo books and that is that many images span two pages. I would rather spend more money and get my images in "one piece". [Publishers please take note of my complaint.]

Robert Stokes's "Masculinity" is an erotically charged photo essay of beautiful men. Partially dressed, nude, in the studio with fantastic backgrounds or on location, you may recognize some of the singer/DJ/actor/models from dance music album covers, high-fashion websites or You Tube videos. Photographed mostly in full color with some in black and white, the men are captured as athletes, policemen, soldiers or lovers waiting for you to come over and spend some time with them. Stokes, as many of his contemporaries, does not shy away from photographing his models with full-erections, hence the accurate title of the book. The men are presented without shame and therefore the photographs are sexual but not pornographic. Grown-ups will not be offended, however some may be envious. Masculinity will be a splendid addition to your collection of art and photography books.

This is my first book purchase of Michael Stokes' photography, however, I was familiar with his work from last year's wall calendar. Let me just say that everything about the presentation is perfection. From the selection of the model's/scenario's/photo's, to the binding, dustjacket and thickness of the paper it was printed on....absolutely stunning. A definite must-have for the coffee table - beautifully captured. Very impressed and have already purchased his 2013 calendar, also titled Masculinity.

I purchased this book several years ago after seeing Michael Stokes Photography on social media. I immediately fell in love with his work, and was on a mission to collect all his pieces. I’m thankful I did. This book is absolutely amazing. The artwork is beautiful and the print is a true collectors piece. I have continued to collect each additional book Mr Stokes has produced!

I bought this coffee table sized pictoral for my husband's birthday. Could not have been more pleased with the quality of the photography, model selection right down to the paper stock. Michael Stokes succeeds in capturing the essence of these guys masculinity from their physique right down to their vulnerability in their eye expression.

I first saw Michael's work through a certain social networking site. Someone I am subscribed to had posted a photograph that Michael had taken. Right there and then I was hooked. I had never seen such a stunning photograph. I had to get a copy of Masculinity just to see what else Michael had done. I purchased this book last week and to be honest, I was sitting on pins and needles until it finally arrived. Thankfully, Amazon don't really take that long to deliver stuff. My book arrived yesterday and while having my coffee break at work, I decided to have a wee cheeky flick through the book. I am kind of glad I was sitting down and I didn't have a mouthful of coffee while looking through it. I don't mean that in a bad way by any means. I was just so stunned to see such beautiful photography of the male species. A lot of people will probably take one look at the cover and automatically assume that it's full of pornographic images. Let me assure you that it's nothing like that. The photographs are very tastefully done. There's nothing remotely pornographic about this book. Well, to me it's not pornographic. There may be a few people that will use it for some other form of pleasure, but for me I look at this book through artistic eyes. The photographs are pleasing to the eye, extremely sensual, very tasteful, erotic and most importantly masculine. I don't think I'll ever see another photographer do the male form justice. Whether you're gay, straight or bi you will definitely appreciate this work. Ladies and gents, if you haven't got your copy of Masculinity I strongly urge you to get your copy before it's too late. You have to see what Michael can do with a camera and what he can get his models to do. It takes a lot of trust for a model to do what their photographer asks of them and Michael just seems to have that trust. I am really looking forward to see what Michael comes up with next.

A nice product, I finally could get. Don't regret it and highly recommend if you're a fan of human body.

Amazing and beautiful. Michael Stokes has created a work of art. His eye for the little things and the power and yet grace of the male body is exceptional. Superb photography that is not met with so much photoshop you can't tell what's real anymore!

An amazing book with great inspiration. I love Michaels technique with lighting and finishing. The message in each photo is wonderful. The book is finished to a very high standard and it's a joy to have a hard backed book in my hands rather than sloppy paperback it gives a quality feel to it. Would have loved a bit more bio about Michael himself and his use of techniques etc. Over all extremely happy.

Me and my wife love to look at these pictures of super sexy men and discuss how awesome it would be if I had such sexy physical qualities! Love it!