The Shy Nudes of Mano Martinez (Photos)

Mano Martinez takes full advantage of this moment in the history of male erotic photography. For hundreds of years, the nude male form could only be represented in art as part of a larger heroic, mythological, or religious ideal. Mano sidesteps all the lofty justifications and presents casual, intimate photos of young men acting naturally and without shame. Shyness comes into the photographs at times, but the willingness of his models to expose their vulnerability to Mano and his camera is part of their beauty.

"[You could say] male erotic photography without justification [returns art] to its place before the arrival of Christianity, before the arrival of the prohibition."

Martinez -- who lives and works in Barcelona -- is inspired by the great masters of photography that influenced him: Avedon, Beaton, Brandt, Walde Huth, and Edward Weston.

Check out his very wide-reaching professional photography website here. Also Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tictail (online shopping), and his male erotic portfolio.