Barely Working
List Price:
Our Price: $25.00
You Save: $14.95 (37%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $3.81 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Photographer: Adam RaphaelEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-08-07
ISBN: 1576874494
Number of pages: 112
Publisher: powerHouse Books
Book Reviews of Barely Working
Book Review: Barely Working - A Wonderful Male pictorial
Summary: 5 Stars
Barely Working, Adam Raphael's newest portfolio, gives us a wonderful visual of sexy young men engaged in different activities designed to show them to the best advantage through the lens of a camera. But this book is more than just photographs of great looking men - it is also a tribute to this photographer's skill at capturing and projecting his vision of youth, exuberance and energy at work and at play. The photos enhance the beauty and elegance of the male form, either solo or in group poses, by giving them a natural look which is even more pronounced in the group shots which are brilliant and draw you into the photographer's vision. One photo that captured my attention is the first one which is a picture of a young man driving a vehicle, and reflected on the hood of the car is the sun and a few pillow clouds that framed the photo and gave it an elegance which anyone can appreciate.
Mr. Raphael obviously has his favourites among the models as some of them are profiled in several shots, almost as if they had their own portfolios within the book, and this creates a story within a story and gives the book a different perspective. The brilliance of water sparkling on some of the bodies made me want to lick the page, and similarly, when some of the young men were shown with grease and dirt artfully placed on chests and other body parts, I wished I could get into the shots to clean the guys off.
The title of the book, Barely Working, is appropriate because the models are pictured in different work situations interacting with each other, but the most important aspect of these photos is that the guys appear very relaxed. I didn't see any sweat running down those exceptional pectorals due to hard work, but if there was any sweat I'm sure that volunteers were waiting in the wings to pat them dry. As the photographer stated in the book, he was looking for models "with a certain innocence, a playful and open nature, a willingness to be vulnerable and human, and to comfortably interact with others of their breed without any hint of sexuality ..." and he definitely achieved this objective.
Adam Raphael is well-known for his work in this field starting with his first published book of photos. The men in Barely Working are beautiful but the poses do not look 'staged' - in fact the photographer went to great lengths to ensure that didn't happen. Most of the photos are exquisite and the beauty of these pictures is that there is no frontal nudity. Raphael used clothing to enhance the male form and frame it in such a way as to make it even more stunning. By carefully selecting the clothing he projected a different dynamic in the group photos by creating symmetry. The solo pictures are subtle and nuanced and prove yet again that the photographer is a true artist in this medium in the same manner as an artist using traditional paint and oils on a canvas. Clearly this talented artist wanted to show his models in the best possible light and this book demonstrates his skill in this area. Wrenches, lawn mowers, shovels and earth moving equipment never looked so good.
Barely Working is an excellent "coffee table" book that will bring hours of pleasure and I highly recommend it, not only to the photography aficionado but also to anyone who appreciates male beauty.
Artists, A-Z Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Artists, A-Z Books
Rembrandt: His Life, His Paintingsby Gary Schwartz
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 1991-11-05; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $48.50
Life with Lowryby Tilly Marshall
Hutchinson; Published: 1981-02-16; Hardcover; Book
Andrew Wyeth: A Secret Lifeby Richard Meryman
Harper; Published: 1996-10-11; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $21.99
Price in other shops:
Georg Baselitz: Paintings 1964-67 [exhibition: May 1-31, 1985]by Georg Baselitz
Anthony d'Offay Gallery; Paperback; Book
Florence and Its Beauty: A Practical Guidebook to the Town and Its Monuments with 350 Illustrations and a Plan of the Principal Places of Interestby Sandra Orienti
G. Ramella - Florence, Italy; Published: 1956; Unknown Binding; Book
Lord of the Rings Sketchbookby Alan Lee
Harpercollins Pb; Published: 2008-09-01; Hardcover; Book
Picassoby Patrick O'Brian
Harvill; Published: 1994; Paperback; Book
The Art of Adventureby Galen Rowell
Collins Pub San Francisco; Published: 1989-09; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $16.92
Price in other shops:
Calder JewelryOther Distribution; Published: 2007-12-17; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $359.99
POPism: The Warhol Sixtiesby Andy Warhol, Pat Hackett
Mariner Books; Published: 2006-09-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.58
Price in other shops:
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
Naked (Bruno Gmunder Verlag)Bruno Gmunder Verlag Gmbh; Published: 2011-11; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $39.08
Price in other shops:
Bondi Classicby Paul Freeman
Cowboy Mouth Publishing; Published: 2004-05-14; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $70.00
Amateur College MenBruno Gmunder Verlag Gmbh; Published: 2008-07; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $19.75
Price in other shops:
All My BoysBruno Gmunder Verlag Gmbh; Published: 2007-11; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $20.00
Price in other shops:
Locker Room Nudes / Dieux du Stade: The French National Rugby TeamRandom House; Universe; Published: 2005-08-23; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $20.79
Price in other shops:
PlayersBruno Gmunder Verlag Gmbh; Published: 2011-03; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $43.86
Price in other shops:
Turnon: Sports: The Best in Erotic Sports Photography (Bruno Gmunder Verlag)by Various Artists
Bruno Gmunder Verlag Gmbh; Published: 2011-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $37.15
Price in other shops:
Heavenly Bodiesby David Vance
Bruno Gmunder Verlag Gmbh; Published: 2009-06; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $31.75
Price in other shops:
Oneby David Arnot
Dwa; Published: 2011-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $29.99
The Mammoth Book of Gorgeous Guysby Barbara Cardy
Running Press; Published: 2011-11-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.32
Price in other shops: