Bostonist breaks into the day of commercialized love with our official launch. Boink Magazine, the much hyped college sex magazine to rival H-Bomb, will launch with their Boink at the Roxy party on Thursday (tickets available on their site). Bostonist asked Photographer and Boink Co-Founder Christopher Anderson questions about himself, photography, the magazine, and Valentine's Day.

INTERVIEW
Vitals: How old are you, How long have you lived here, Where did you come from, and Where do you live now?

I'm 38 and grew up west of Boston. I went to school and worked in Washington, DC. I've also lived in London, Paris and Toronto. The Back Bay has been my home for about 14 years. I also have a place on the coast of Maine.

How long have you been taking photos? Did you formally study it?

I've been making images since I was in Junior High. I studied for 3 years at The New England School of Photography

What for you makes a perfect photograph?

Anything that comes close to capturing the true essence the subject.

Digital or Film?

It depends. In my heart-of-hearts I'm a black & white large format photographer. That is how I do most of my personal fine art work. I love the process of wet darkroom photography. I'm still filled with wonder every time I watch an image begin to appear on a piece of gelatin silver paper.

Having said that, I use digital quite a bit these days. I've used it almost exclusively for my magazine work. It has significant workflow and cost advantages over film. The greatest of these being the immediate feedback you get during a shoot.

I would say that both mediums have their strengths and weaknesses. So I try to put each to their best use.

Do you have any tips for photographers who want to do what you do?

My best tip is that your reputation is your most important asset. There are a lot of sketchy, so called photographers out there who prey upon the aspirations of young models and give the profession a bad rep. If you want to do what I do long-term, you need to be professional about it. Those who aren't just make it that much harder for the rest of us.

What is your favorite thing about taking the kinds of photos you do? Tell us a little about your approach.

My favorite aspect of photography is the connection that often forms between me and my subjects. I believe that the secret to creating great images of people is not necessarily superior technical skill... although that helps. It is more important to be able to bond and create a rapport with your models. Unlike other visual mediums where an artist can take great creative liberties, the camera picks up every nuance. If a subject isn't comfortable, it's immediately apparent in a photograph. That is why so few people actually look like themselves in formal portraits. Most of the people that I work with are not naturally at home in front of a camera. So I strive to create an atmosphere where the focus is not on the model having to perform but more like we are two old friends just chatting. Once you are able to establish a level of trust and intimacy with your subject, the results can be amazing.

My approach is more collaborative than some. When I'm working with people, which is primarily what I do, I don't treat them as if they are a bowl of fruit or some other still life. I want their input and ideas and the final images generally reflect that.

Both you and Alecia Oleyourryk (your editor and co-founder) have described Boink as "porn", what has attracted you to that type of photography? Do you think it's a market that needs more publications?

Many people have asked us the distinction between art and pornography... probably because other student sex-themed publications have insisted that they are artistic and literary not pornographic. We think that is just intellectually dishonest. Furthermore, why can't something be both artistic and pornographic? The two are actually closely related. A great deal of art is sensual... created to delight or arouse the senses of its audience. Pornography is just more narrowly focused on particular senses. There is an old joke in among photogs that the only difference between erotic art and pornography is the lighting. There is more than a little truth in that.

Undoubtedly the term "porn" has a negative connotation in many parts of America, including Boston with its Puritan roots. However, this attitude is not shared throughout the world, where sex and nudity are viewed with more appreciation and maturity. Sex is at the core of the human experience. It's a biological imperative and the reason we continue to survive as a species. Nudity is the natural state into which we are all born. An attraction to the human body is genetically programmed into each of us. It's hard to understand why so many people have bought into the social construct that sex is dirty and nudity is shameful. It is particularly puzzling because most of the people who condemn it, still engage in and presumably enjoy sex, which seems like hypocrisy to me.

In terms of the porn genre, is there a need for another sex-related publication? There seems to be an insatiable appetite for pornographic material, despite the fact that so many people publicly condemn it. Furthermore, I think what differentiates our publication from much of the traditional fare is that we are less about the fantasy of sex and more about it's reality. Not that there is anything wrong with fantasy. But the majority of pornographic magazines (and magazines in general) celebrate celebrity and physical "perfection". In that sense we are just the opposite. We are about real people (college students) not the airbrushed, PhotoShopped, surgically enhanced models you would ordinarily find in the pages of a nudie magazine. For our audience there is an allure to the attainable. Very few people will ever meet, much less have sex with a Jenna Jameson. But it is very plausible that you might see one of our models sitting next to you in Psych 101.

What are your thoughts on the term "Sex-Positive"?

I think everyone should be positive about sex. In fact, I can't understand anyone who isn't. However, I think the term is a silly one. I'm not a fan of politically correct phraseology. Nor do I like the tendency in our culture to constantly spin or re-label things in order to make them more palatable or acceptable one group or another.

Seeing as it is Valentine's day, what relationship do you think pornography has to Love?

You mean aside from the fact that many people (secretly or otherwise) love pornography?

I know there are many who think that pornography is a threat to "love" and monogamous lifestyle to which so many aspire. But I don't view it as inherently insidious. What we call love is basically a form attraction to another person. This attraction exists on many levels, not the least of which is the physical. It is perfectly possible and probably unavoidable for all of us to be physically attracted to people other than chosen loved ones. This does not mean that we don't love our partners, we are just programmed that way. If given the choice between having a partner use pornography for self-gratification or having them pursue actual physical relationships with others, I think most people would choose the former. And for those couples that are secure enough in their relationship, pornography can actually be used to enhance their love lives.

How did you go about finding subjects to pose for Boink? Did you put up signs or rome the streets looking for attractive students to pose for you?

Before it became highly publicized, we put up some postings on campus and in Craig's List. But once word got out, we had lots of people approaching us. We are getting on average about 5 requests a day from people that want to be involved in the magazine in one way or another.

Will you go up to anyone you want to photograph? What exactly do you say to them?

I used to do more of that when I was just starting out. Now that I have a reputation, people usually come to me. I've had both positive and negative reactions, when approaching people. The majority of people are flattered, even if they ultimately decide not to pose. Admittedly, it does take a certain amount of finesse for it not to seem like a sketchy come on. That is something you only learn through trial and error. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone that has any fear of rejection.

Why did you decide to start up Boink? Were the Harvard kids from H-Bomb too snobby, or would they not take off enough of their clothes to satiate you?

I thought the idea behind H-Bomb was compelling. I don't think it was particularly well executed, which seems to be the general consensus of most who have seen it. But I respect their efforts and their right to creatively control their vision. I know firsthand how difficult it is to create a magazine from scratch in a very short time.

My initial attraction to H-Bomb and the idea behind Boink was to broaden young people's sexual horizons by providing and honest and uninhibited forum for them to discuss it. I was also interested in promoting my belief that there is nothing inherently wrong with nudity or the appreciation of it.

I was disappointed when the H-Bomb founders started to back-peddle away from their original vision due to public and private pressure to remain "respectable". My experience is that very few great things in life are accomplished with out taking risks. Mediocrity is the inevitable result of playing it safe. So Alecia and I decided to put ourselves out there and swim against the tide of social conservatism that appears to be on the rise in this country.

Will you, or have you, taken pictures of students at other campuses? Do you think Boston students are particularly attractive?

We originally had the idea that Boink would be primarily a BU focused publication. However, we soon had eager contributors (both writers and models) from other schools approaching us. We realized that the themes we are covering are not specific to one school but more universal to the college experience. We do plan to actively include other schools in the Boston area... and perhaps beyond.

Boston is an educational Mecca and attracts students form all over the world. It has more than it's fair share of attractive young people. If you wanted to be a fashion model, you probably wouldn’t stay in Boston only because the majority of work is in New York, LA and other places. In any case, we are more interested in the girl or guy next door than we are the next supermodel. The talent pool for that is more than adequate here.

Are you single?

I’m not married, but I have a girlfriend.

Do you think that your work effects that?
It is a personal choice, not the consequence of my work. Obviously anyone that I date has to be secure enough to allow me to pursue my work, knowing that it frequently involves being in the company of naked models (both girls and guys).

What are your plans for Valentines Day?

I plan to spend the night in... cooking a romantic meal and relaxing a bit... for the first time in 6 months.