Tuesday evening, I glanced through "Homme - Masterpieces of Erotic Photography." It is an overview of visual male erotica from about 30 individuals. There are any number of similiar books on the market from tame to exotic. Or from the flaccid to the erect. "Homme" contains no defined jutting cocks, although I did wonder if some discrete fluffing had occurred.

Light and shadow play a large part in the composition and setting. Characters wrapped in semi-darkness with light falling from the left, or right or overhead to accent a physical detail. One photo has a man with light splaying across his chest, a dark band at the crotch, and then a finger of light that highlights the penis. Another has light from above that pinpoints the tits but creates crescents under the pecs. Another, in color, has natural light rising from the front but a green-neon-like reflection from each side the catches the right and left of the head, arms and hips.

Being unclothed, being nude and being erotic are separate entities. And all three categories are represented. The one thing missing in most of the works is a sense of fun. Nobody seems to be enjoying what they're doing. Although some appear to be laughing, it looks contrived.

I suppose my favorite is a straight-forward shot of a model partially-glistening with moisture, with head looking down and right hand clutching his hair. You are not able to see the eyes which may be closed. He wears a metal linked neck chain that holds another short link that supports a heavy metal cross. On his left side there is the twisting trace of a splotch of water that has just vanished. A shot that commands you to soak up the remaining beads of water with long slow slurping lashes of your tongue.

PAX!