49 MEN showcases nearly fifty fascinating men who, when asked to stand still for the legendary San Francisco Paul Morris’ camera and questions, generously obliged. Acting like a personal journal, the revealing photographs and stories presented here illuminate Paul’s deep appreciation for each man.
This limited edition, hardcover monograph is printed on Lustre premium paper and is available at an exclusive price on TreasureIslandMedia.com. (Priced significantly higher on Blurb.com)
When I was 11 I had a friend who could draw well. His fame in the neighborhood came from his ability to draw dinosaurs, but I happened to know that he liked to draw all kinds of things.
He invited me to watch him draw once. It was on a Sunday afternoon at his father’s machine shop. I knocked on the locked door of the shop and he let me in. He took me to the back of the shop where a young man–15 or 16 years old–was standing naked and still. He was “posing,” a concept that was shocking and wonderful to me. They take their clothes off and they stand still while you study them. I asked my friend how he did this, how he got this to happen. He said “You ask them.”
It’s been one of the ongoing miracles of my life. It’s a wonder, and it’s true. If you ask men to stand nude while you study and photograph them, as often as not they’ll say yes. Men are, by nature, generous.
Men need to be considered and questioned, to be asked about their life, their work, their dreams. Men are generous because they long to be seen, known, appreciated and remembered. And their stories are like a second skin, as much a part of their bodies as their muscles and bones.
Here are 49 men who, when I asked if they would stand still for my camera and my questions, said yes.
Paul Morris – San Francisco, Ca.
