ERICK MONTERROSA

A dreamer, entertains with dreamy images and draws attention to the beauty of the male body – Interview with Erick Monterrosa.

Who is Erick? Where you grow up, where you based, how did you get interested in art?

Erick Monterrosa is dreamer, who happened to use photography as an instrumentos to express my views on beauty and society. I was born in El Salvador, but grew up in Nicaragua. It’s there where my passion for fashion and the arts grew up. I was always the weird creative kid. Even if my parents lacked the knowledge to raise I child like me, they supported me by buying me the equipment I needed to start my photography journey. I’m a business major, and while working as a photographer for my university’s marketing departmet I realized this was my calling. I moved to Madrid in 2018, and it’s been my home since then.

If there were difficulties around your start-up, how do you remember what helped you to overcome them and become photographer?

Growing up in a third world country was a challenge for a gay creative child like me. People did not take me seriously at first. But being the stubborn that I am, I managed to convince my peers that my talent would get me somewhere one day. If you’re talented, once you convince yourself you’re made for success, the rest will have no choice but to agree.

Your photos are very masculine, raw. A muscular body and a beautiful face are not always enough to create erotic images. What can/do you do to help models get a better result?

Communication between model and photographer is key. I would say one of my skills is being a great director. I rarely leave the model alone in front of the camera. It’s always a cooperative effort. Getting the right angle is imperative, so I love guiding them to get best out of their features.

What is your workflow? How do you choose which models to work with?

I rarely choose my models, but they choose me. In that way, I know for a fact they like what I do, and are open to collaborate on my terms.

What is the definition of male beauty for you?

Male beauty is proportions and symmetry. But it can go beyond that. Quite often, your personality comes in the way to accentuate your features. I always think I like photographing interesting people rather than plain beautiful lifeless models.

You shoot a lot of studio and at least as many outdoor photo series. What is it about each location that you like?

I’m not married to any location. I’m changing constantly. Anywhere is a great location as soon as you do good lighting. But I do love decadent locations. Old abandoned buildings for instance.

A lot of your series are available for purchase and people can subscribe to your material on the Patreon site. How satisfied are you with this service and how much do you think people realise that it costs money to produce such professional material?

I’m very happy with Patreon. It helped me go throw the pandemic while I couldn’t work. I remember once they kindly asked me to remove content that violated their policies. They took the time to show me those posts, and waited for me to do delete them. I felt understood and respected. Regarding people knowing the cost of producing images, I don’t really expect them to know. It’s a human thing, we know the cost of something until we get involved.

Is there an erotic dream/scene that you haven’t photographed yet, but you really want to? If so, what is it and what is holding you back from completing the series?

There is! Here’s one: An all pink supermarket with naked models grocery shopping. I find erotic the idea of a world where nudity is be perceived as normal or even mundane. I haven’t done it because it requires production value, which I don’t have right now.

What do you do when you got time for yourself?

I spend time with my soon to be husband and friends. I also train hard at the gym, and travel to new cities whenever I get the chance.

If I could could look inside your computer, what would I see?

You would see organized folders hahaha. You easily find any shoot you are looking for.

Please finish the sentences:
My favorite movie is: The Devil Wears Prada
I won’t go out without: Hairspray
Impress me with: Kindness