Customer Reviews

Barely Working

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Adam Raphael becomes more painterly with every new portfolio of photographs he presents. Beginning with the almost shy 2001 FRIENDS, his photographic portraits of young men whose trust in the artist is obvious, makes the images gentle and casual and very honest. In his 2004 FRIENDS AND BROTHERS, the relationship between the single model and the model grouped, Raphael played with space and suggested poses that never appeared forced but began to offer some commentary between the fresh, young and naturally beautiful young men and the artist. In short, Raphael pushed his space to create not only celebratory images of young men at their zenith of physical development, but he also suggested interplay or dramatic statement. In his 2007 portfolio ROOM SERVICE that drama became more polished as his beautiful men in rooms that echoed histories and stories allowed the viewer to go beyond the initial thought of simply finding vital, naturally handsome youths, to create fantasies. And without pushing the edge of full nudity Raphael found the exotic and, yes, erotic communication between his subject and his audience.

In observing the model at rest, at play, and in repose in the elegant surroundings that suggested a proscenium stage, Adam Raphael developed those skills of telling stories with the camera, and in this newest and in many ways most successful portfolio, BARELY WORKING, his ability to find the visceral humor, the moments of stress and relaxation, and the interaction between the props of the working man and the model that result in paintings that just happen to be made of film, is polished and exemplary. Whether focusing on the grease smears of the boiler room men or the geometrics of the yards of contractors, Raphael finds echoes in his sets that serve as complementary designs with the bare-chested, muscle men of his choosing. These lads continue to follow Raphael's keen eye for the naturally beautiful men, at times observed at work and at times at play, and more often at times with direct eye communication with the artist. But now the composition of each photograph is more sophisticated, flesh tones are excitingly balanced as choices of settings, and color objects create a harmony that while not pulling focus as technique, successfully result in enhancing the chiseled beauty of the models.

Some may wonder why Adam Raphael avoids frontal nudity when the audience is apparently now prepared for that historically prejudiced stance. Perhaps one reason is that Raphael is able, by maintaining elements of garments that enhance the physiques of his very choice models, to communicate more sensual images by taking the viewer just far enough to make the imagination engage. And it is that step, that decision, that engagement, that keeps his art fresh, vital, eternally youthful, and now, painterly beautiful! Grady Harp, September 08

I'm Shocked! but pleasantly surprised to see that a professional male photographer has listened to our requests and photographed young men the way they should appear, Relaxed! There are no statues, or stale unsmiling, motionless young men looking bored to death in Adam Raphael's new book, of young, hunky, and handsome men, aptly titled "Barely Working". It's a great title for a book of images featuring some of the best looking guys in America who are photographed working on various outdoor building projects, and having a great time on the job. The group shots of the guys are unusual as most male photography books of this nature do not bring a group of guys together in one place interacting, but usually show just images of men alone normally. These young hunks are barely working, for all work and no play is certainly NOT the case in these beautifully photographed shots. It so nice to see smiling faces for a change as the models are working, playing and talking. These guys are relaxed in front of the camera, seemingly not even aware of it, and the credit for that belongs to Adam Raphael. I thought Adam Raphael's last book "Room Service" would be hard to top but he has shown again what an innovative and dedicated photographer can do. The coloring, lighting and shadows in these images is pleasure to the eye.


There's no full nudity in these images, but in no way does that deter from the sexy, and artistic beauty of these young men captured at the peak of their physical perfection. In fact, it adds to their mystique and allure. Adam Raphael has captured the beauty of these men and to our benefit he allows us to share in his work and world of beauty. This will be one of the books on my top shelf of male photography books, which will be enjoyed and treasured for years to come.

For us legions of Adam Raphael fans, it is a very good thing that he is a prolific as well as masterly artist. On the heels of his majestic ROOM SERVICE comes yet another masterwork of male photography, BARELY WORKING. Once again Raphael causes myriad jaws to drop with his skill for capturing some of the handsomest young men alive doing what seemingly comes natural, in this case "laboring." It isn't just the beauty of the models, however, that gives great pleasure; it is also Raphael's meticulous presentation. He is one of the few artists in this field who can actually make his photographic canvas glow with the kind of light Cezanne would have envied. His pictures leap to life and provide a doorway through which the viewer can nearly step through (oh that that were possible!). In this collection Raphael gets a bit more risque than in his previous books with glimpses of male "cleavage,' but it is all in good taste and all in good fun.

This is another one for the ages and one admirers of beauty should snap up IMMEDIATELY.

Dissapointed in this book. Great photos - but the content does not go anywhere.

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.

I just finished looking through this book and was disappointed by the misleading title. First off, the cover boy is atypical of the homogenized beauties inside. True, they are barely working [in all 3 puns] but as far as photographs of handsome men in work settings, Freeman's Bondi books, like Bondi Work, offer more frank physicality; and the lush tones of Arthur Tress Male of the Species: Four Decades of Photography by Arthur Tress, more imagination. Most of the work pictured here looks, in fact, to be Modeling. If ever anything were more demanding than the half-hour of lighting, styling, and posing that go into a casual shot, it must be the viewer's suspension of critical sense that allows it to seem effortless.
>>If you search for the quirky intimacy some photographers draw forth from between themselves and their models, you'll likely find 4 stars at least one too many. But the book's not utterly pedestrian and certainly not inept.
>>If you search for the beautifully lit, beautiful bodies of the beautiful young created by an army of specialists for mass consumption, these blank canvases will make room for enough daydreams to pleasantly kill 20 minutes.

We have all driven or walked past work sites and caught a glimps of one or more hot guys working barely wearing any clothes and wished that we had a camera to capture the image forever. Adam Raphael has fullfilled our wishes in his most beautiful work of art to date. Only one criticism, not enough Paul Tornabene. Don't know who Paul Tornabene is? Buy this book and you'll find out, and you'll want to buy the rest of Adam's books too.

This book is worth the price. It is something you would not be ashamed of showing anyone. It does showcase some good looking men.