Andrew Einhorn makes “Naked Happy” coffee tables

It is a depressing reality that naked doesn’t always equal happy, so the savvy erotic photographer who wants his girls both naked and happy has to find a way to keep both of those balls in the air.

Andrew Einhorn, whose Playboy TV show “Naked Happy Girls” is entering its third season, has published his third book of photographs, “Naked Coast to Coast.” Inside are beautiful photographs with snippets of Einhorn’s banter with the models.

Gram Ponante: I like your use of flirting as an interview technique.

Andrew Einhorn: That’s the only way I can operate really. I want to make the models so comfortable that they are free to reveal themselves as real people as well as sexy women.

GP: The photographs and interviews make me think that you want each of these women to be your girlfriend. Do you choose to photograph women who make you feel that way or is that a function of the photography?

Einhorn: Certainly a little of both. I would say it’s more a function of my photography, as I try to establish a quick, fun connection with each model, so she’s relaxed, happy, and open to my suggestions. But with 38 percent of the women I photograph there is a deeper connection, and I wouldn’t mind them being my girlfriend. For at least three hours.

GP: Three hours seems very generous. Good for you. Would you say your Playboy show and the book are logical extensions of each other or are there differences between the Andrew Einhorn of the show and the Andrew Einhorn of the coffeetable book?

Einhorn: Yes, the book and the TV show are definitely logical extensions of each other! All the work goes hand in hand. What you see is what you get. I’m happy, funny, energetic, smart, and athletic either way. The photos and even the comments are directly representative of the fun, zesty relationship between me and the models.

GP: “Naked Coast to Coast” isn’t a book of pornography, but it is like a Google Earth travelogue that you really want to turn into pornography.

Einhorn: I love to shoot where models live, and I love to make models laugh. I want them to have fun more than anything.

GP: How would you describe your work as opposed to that of “Naked States” photographer Spencer Tunick?

Einhorn: Spencer is certainly more conceptual than I. His installations are planned months in advance, and often have specific themes that deal with the environment he’s in. He’s very stern with most people, as he has to be to get what he wants. I on the other hand love to just jump into a situation without any preconceived notions and just go with the flow.

GP: If many of these women are potential 3-hour girlfriend material, how do you deal with your own occasional desire to cross the line?

Einhorn: As I get older and the models get younger, there is less and less chance for sexual interaction.

GP: Sorry.

Einhorn: But I did have an affair with a 27-year-old Taiwanese woman in Sydney Australia. That made me very happy. I only cross that line if I’m certain that the model really wants to. I’m always very careful though. I would hate to put someone in an uncomfortable situation. That hasn’t changed since I’ve started.

GP: Now that you are a famous photographer of naked women, how has your job changed?

Einhorn: My job really hasn’t changed much. It’s still an endless search for women that I really want to photograph. I certainly have more credibility with three books and a TV show, but that only goes so far. Almost all models want to be paid now, since they assume I’m very successful financially.

GP: Are you rolling in pay cable and coffeetable book millions?

Einhorn: I wish it were true. It is nice to have women come to me to be photographed, but the amount is still very small, and it’s not always who I would choose. If I were in France, Romania, England, Germany and the Czech Republic, I would have many more to choose from. One nice thing is that I do get offers from fans to use locations, but they are usually in crazy places like farms in Idaho or old scrap yards outside of Sacramento.

GP: Do you pay the models?

Einhorn: I would say 80 percent of the models were paid. You just can’t put yourself on Playboy TV without expecting to be compensated. Some of the other women in the book were not, as they sought me out. I sure wish that would happen all the time. Especially with Atheist Filipinos who love hockey, comedy, and dogs, and who don’t hate sports and politics.

GP: Then I hope there is a boatlift of Godless Happy Girls from Manila just for you. One thing I noticed about this book is that there are a few women who aren’t amateurs and there are one or two who seem to have required a little coaxing to fit your “Happy” requirement (while most others just seemed happy out of the box). What was your screening process?

Einhorn: I’m partial in general to cute, ethnic, foreign gals who like to smile. But sadly, I just can’t pick and choose who I want all the time, so I’m limited. I really do prefer amateurs, as they have little attitude and don’t try to pose so much. The screening process is just me finding the best women I can, often to fit the theme of the show we are doing. But the few gals in this book that were not on the show, were just personal favorites of mine.

GP: This book is full of people who are someone’s personal favorites.

Einhorn: Thank you! Happy to oblige.

Buy “Naked Coast to Coast”

Previously on Porn Valley Observed: Andrew Einhorn—putting the Happy back in Naked; No Name Jane to start working with John Does again; Ed Fox—no mean feet; “Naked States”—The origins of Spencer Tunick’s Nudestack
See also: Andrew Einhorn