Wanna Look At 56 Photos of Brazilian Guys In Their Underwear?

Lope Navo's clients includes: Dior, L'Officiel, L'Officiel Hommes, Vogue, Forbes, Assouline, Taschen, Playgirl, TÊTU, GQ, and Esquire. So yes, he is qualified to sift through a large room of half-naked Brazilian guys to select the most talented. 

Lope tells us, “Yes, the Sao Paulo shoot was just a test to cast models, coming from all over Brazil, and they are either wearing their own clothes/underwear or the RUFSKIN San Diego undies I brought with me to Brazil.”

Find more about him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and 500px.com.

I'm very privileged to make a living with what I love to do. I guess I'm a photographer because I want to open new windows, for a gay kid like me, for a dreamer growing up in Manila reading most American magazines like Interview, Details, Out and even The Advocate. I was always excited to see the new covers coming out from Teen Beat Magazine and I collected all the Leonardo Di Caprio and Johnny Depp covers. For me those were one of my favorite memories of being a teenager. I felt like there's a beautiful world that is waiting for me out there. I have a sweet tooth I guess, I was addicted to the flavor.

What catches my eye have evolved all these years since the last time I was in Advocate Spotlight, but what remained constant is the male beauty I guess. 

I love vulnerability, a bit of a mystery and cocky male subjects, and even when I shoot females I see them as men. I like men who knows what they like, a bit aggressive but still sensitive, I know that's an oxymoron... but I think that what makes my subjects interesting, I find confidence very sexy. 

Years ago Out.com reviewed my photo book Stark, which is a rare find now, I heard they are selling it in Amazon for $3,000, I was shocked. Anyway Out.com said, "Stark by Lope Navo, a collection of thoroughly modern, yet timeless images of men at their sexiest. Bluntly stated: Navo's photos make your loins ache." I think that was nicely put and I can't describe my work any better. I would try to do more of this, back to my form I guess.

A good photograph for me is a conversation between the creator and the viewer. But my most favorite thing about photographs is that it takes you to another place, another dimension, even just for few seconds. I always have seen photographs as windows to dreams. I rarely buy or subscribe to magazines just to see reality, because reality is just outside my window, I want to take it a bit further than what meets the eye, I want to make people smile, laugh, dream, and even get excited or make their 'loins ache'... lol.

My favorite visual artist changes all these years also, it has evolved and even like a roller coaster it went on a very interesting twist and turns. But one thing that remained constant are the American photographers I grew up with. I honestly still love the work of the New York top dogs like Terry Richardson, Steven Klein, Herb Ritts, and of course Bruce Weber, looking at their work feels like going back home one summer afternoon when I was a teenager, it feels good and warm deep inside. 

Lope Navo (or Navo) was a painter, graphic designer, and now a photographer. He lived and travelled in most continents, coming from his humble beginnings his works appeared in Vogue, GQ, Forbes, Assouline, Playgirl, and Esquire just to name a few.

“I'm currently working on some new sexy monographs that will make some loins ache again, it has been long overdue since the last one.” — Lope Navo