Photographer Matthew Morrocco shows us the moments and men he captured during his autumn holiday in one of Europe’s most romantic cities.
Photographer Matthew Morrocco spent the early autumn months in Paris, camera in hand, filling rolls of film with images that feel like scenes borrowed from classical European art. His subjects — men he met or already knew — are captured in soft light and stillness: half-clothed, sprawled across covered sofas, lit by the city’s glow through tall, drafty windows.
The atmosphere sits somewhere between an old-world oil painting and a Sunday afternoon hookup: understated, intimate, and quietly romantic. But these weren’t staged fantasies. The men he photographed were people he met while in the city: friends, acquaintances, possibly lovers. “I wanted the work to feel ambiguous,” he says. “I don’t think the pictures are as fun to look at if you know the answer to this.”
Related | 8 Stunning Photos from Gruenholtz’s ‘The Fine Art of Erections’
And while the work has a timelessness, it’s also deeply rooted in the place where it was made. “A lot of my work has been inspired by pre-modern 19th-century painting,” he explains. “Most of which was made in Paris.”
Morrocco found himself immersed in Parisian culture and ready to create, noting the differences between European culture and American expectations: “A languid afternoon in France is beautiful,” he says. “In NYC, it’s lazy.” The slower pace allowed for image-making with intention. “I just wanted the work to feel relaxed and free and beautiful, like Courbet or Renoir’s nude paintings of women splashing each other by the lake.”
The Art of Connection
The men in these portraits don’t pose in any traditional sense. There’s a looseness to how they sprawl across the scene. “To me, the best photographs feel real,” Matthew says. “These aren’t models I’ve hired but people that I am already close with, or that I get to know through this process.”
The intention behind each shoot is to connect, and for Matthew, that goes beyond the camera. “There has to be a sense that the reason for being in the room together goes beyond just the making of the photo.”
Process and Portraiture
Morrocco’s photography is deeply personal, sometimes diaristic. It’s not a job that ends when the camera stops snapping. “I have to live inside my work.” He shoots only on film, which brings its own precision. “Film has become so expensive, I don’t want to waste it,” he notes. “Each frame is precious.” That intentionality shows up in the results. “I want to produce beautiful things for people to enjoy — things they might eventually put on their walls.”
Morrocco’s approach to photographing queer intimacy is grounded in realism rather than performance. “It takes a lot of work to put together these scenes,” he says. “So I try to imbue the process with as much enjoyment as possible.”
Q&A With Matthew Morrocco
Hi Matthew! Let’s jump right in. Paris — what a dream. You mentioned living there for several months while creating this series. What drew you there, and how did the city influence this collection?
A lot of my work has been inspired by pre-modern 19th-century painting, most of which was made in Paris. I have a great deal with a close friend who has an apartment there, so I just got lucky and started spending time in the city whenever I could.
The city definitely influenced the collection. It’s hard to describe without sounding trite, but “the art of life” feels more prescient in France. It’s very different from the USA, where life is a bit more about labor. People value doing things in America. A languid afternoon in France is beautiful; in NYC, it’s lazy.
Related | Beefy 2026: A Year of Bellies, Beards, and Bare Skin
In France, older things have value. In America, newer things do. Both have their charm and their drawbacks. France can be romantic and beautiful, but the culture can also feel sedentary. The USA can seem soulless or materialistic, but the optimism and emphasis on new ideas can be energizing.
European culture has a different relationship to nudity than the United States. What was the conversation like when asking each person to be photographed?
It was relatively straightforward. Mostly the conversation is about working through the logistics — the where and when.
Can you take us through a timeline of the collection? Were the images all shot in quick succession or over the course of your trip?
Yes. I was there from September through mid-November, and I spent pretty much the whole time shooting. I’d like to go back to continue.
You’ve mentioned being inspired by painters like Monet, Velázquez, and Ingres. How does that appreciation for painting influence your photographic process?
I like to have a plan when shooting. It’s helpful to have references for posing, composition, and color. I’ve always wanted my photographs to have more gravitas than “snapshot” photography. Before I shoot, I make little drawings and notes and usually keep reference images on hand.
W Magazine said your work elevates “quotidian things to the level of fine art.” How do you find that balance when capturing nude male portraiture?
I have to live inside my work. I’ve rarely been able to separate. That W Magazine article featured work mostly made with friends in my bedroom. There isn’t really a balance — even the smallest effort can make a daily task more artful.
These images feel like diary entries — intimate moments made public. Was it always your intention to share them this way?
Yes. Producing a beautiful moment for its own sake is easier than producing one for a photograph. But I am an artist, and I take that job seriously. I want to make beautiful things for people to enjoy — things they might eventually put on their walls.
Lastly, what did you discover about yourself or your relationship to art while living and working in Paris?
I actually do enjoy color.
Want to see the full uncensored gallery?
We’ve published all 12 images — including those too spicy for the site — over on our Substack.
To see more of Matthew Morrocco’s work — from behind-the-scenes glimpses to new releases — follow him on Instagram and TikTok. For exclusive content, full galleries, and uncensored projects, you can support him on Patreon.
