The Photography of Michael Stokes

Best known for his photographs of amputee veterans, flaunting “prosthetics and rock-hard abs in a bold celebration of their post-war bodies,” Stokes has published several coffee-table books on the male nude (most of them sold out).

Flashback: your early days at CSU, Long Beach. How did you get started with photography? 

Working as a flight attendant to get through college, I started as a photo major, then changed to Fine Art with an emphasis on film studies. My degree in film helped me understand the importance of visual narrative. Combining that with my previous photography experience, I learned that a single image can convey as much story as a short film. After graduating, I went into real estate sales for fifteen years, retired from that and returned to photography as a hobby.

You’re amongst the most prolific authors of coffee-table books on the male physique: guide us through your journey from the first in 2012 with publisher Gmuender (Masculinity) to the latest titles, crowdfunded on Kickstarter.

Bruno Gmuender’s CEO introduced me to the idea of using Kickstarter. At the time I didn’t know he was pushing for crowdfunding because the company was going into bankruptcy. They would not have funds of their own to produce books, and all financial matters were under control of a German bankruptcy court. Because of this, I became the publisher and they became my distributor. I learned a lot from their CEO, Michael Taubenheim, and I spent many hours learning from him about the printing and production details of his industry. After Always Loyal and Bare Strength, we did one more project together, a reprint of Masculinity. As I became more savvy about their industry, I noticed the waste, poor accounting and poor use of resources, so I declined to work with them on my next projects, Adonis Blue and Invictus –which was fortuitous as Bruno Gmeunder soon went into its second bankruptcy.

Photo: Michael Stokes.

In a recent tweet, you wrote “there will probably not be any more new books coming out (…) The cost to publish has doubled and it no longer makes economic sense.” We saw the traditional publishing model fade —with few exceptions; is crowdfunding also in trouble? 

Since I haven’t done a Kickstarter [project] in over four years, my opinion about crowdfunding is not timely. I can tell you that I left Kickstarter because they became overly complicated to navigate. They not only take a commission; they control your data base, your client list. Every time I want to login, even to respond to a message, they make me produce a passport or driver’s license. It’s ridiculous. So, if you have enough of your own funds to make your art, don’t use Kickstarter.

To be honest, I could probably figure out a way to continue making photos while maintaining some margin of profit, but in this new economy, the margins are smaller and the work demands greater. Anyway, I tend to stay in a career for a period of no more than fifteen years. I was a flight attendant for fifteen years, a real estate agent for fifteen years and I’m approaching my fifteenth year in photography so it’s time for me to move on to my next career.

Photo: Michael Stokes.

Your role in the development of the male nude as a genre is undeniable. But so is your contribution to its history. In 2014 you made your private collection of WWI and WWII soldiers available to Taschen (My Buddy); in 2021, 260 vintage shots, also from your private collections, were compiled in The Male Nude Underground 1880-1970. Let’s talk about Michael Stokes the collector and the researcher.

I love historical photos, but collecting vintage nudes has never been more difficult because of Ebay’s heavy-handed censorship of material. It’s difficult to buy and sell on what used to be the best platform for discovering vintage photos. Facebook (Meta) – same thing. You can’t advertise your collections without the threat of being de-platformed. Almost every day Facebook removes photos via their new automated system. In turn, I appeal, the photos get reinstated and then removed again. Social media is the most important vehicles for advertising.  Take that away, you have no audience.  If you don’t have an audience, there is less reason to collect and publish.

Photo: Michael Stokes.

Techniques. You’re equally at ease with outdoor and indoor photography. On location and in the studio. With color and B/W. But regardless of the different technique(s), settings and props, all your works are about your own vision of masculinity. It’s no coincidence it was also the title of your first book. I’m also struck by the sculptural, almost Michelangelo-esque quality of your photography. 

Thank you. As a photo major we were instructed to adapt to all lighting situations. Regarding my insatiable search for the masculine, that might relate to the early loss of my father and male siblings.

Who are the photographers and the artists who have influenced you the most?

Vincenzo Galdi, born 1871, is a personal favorite, and not because he was a good photographer, but because he is probably the earliest known photographer of male erotica, the first identifiable photographer of the genre. He took great risks following his passion. After him, it would be the physique photographers of the 1950s and more recently photographers like Herb Ritts and so on.

Photo: Michael Stokes.

The Facebook controversy. You’ve been very vocal about social media’s bias and Meta’s censorship. “Facebook’s ‘community standards,” you wrote in an opinion for The Advocate, “seem opposed to male nudity while welcoming some forms of female nudity.” And again: “I’m quite bothered by the creeping trend towards a consolidation of social media platforms prompting censorship.” Let’s talk about this trend and the many dangers artistic expression faces today.

I am actively planning my exit from Facebook and Instagram. Twitter or X, is the only platform that has never harassed me or removed my photos. When politicians call for government oversight and censorship of social media, I cringe. They simply want to make Meta an extension of government with no care of violating our first amendment rights. Again, X is the only safe platform free from censorship right now.

Photo: Michael Stokes.

What’s next for Michael Stokes?

Writing. Going back to my roots in college, the pain of my childhood –it’s all about the narrative. The medium does not matter. I have already done quite a bit of writing and have plans to do more. This is why I don’t immediately shut down my Meta accounts that total over one million people. I want to be able to let them know where I am going, when the time is right.

Thank you. Thrilled to welcome you to Playgirl.