Liu Jianan, a top photographer with the fashion magazine FHM, says sexiness is not the only visual element in his photography. [Zou Hong / China Daily]

While most Chinese men may envy photographer Liu Jianan, whose camera is often focused on beautiful women, he insists his work is tough, citing a schedule that includes 20-hour days for as long as two months in a row.

Liu works for the Chinese version of For Him Magazine (FHM), which is known for racy photos. The February 2007 issue of the magazine reportedly sold out all 500,000 copies within days, because it contained a series of photos of A Duo and her E cup breasts. Both A Duo and the photographer were relatively unknown at the time but shot instantly to fame.

Later Liu shot more photos of stars for the magazine, many of which became controversial. His pictures often contain sexually themed role-playing, featuring women in authoritative roles.

The 33-year-old didn't get into photography until he pursued a master's degree at the Academy of Arts and Designs of Tsinghua University. He worked as lecturer at Beijing Institute of Clothing Technology for three years before he became a commercial photographer. Now he has his own studio and in addition to shooting photos he also teaches private photography courses. When a photographer tried to take his photo recently, he insisted on keeping his cap on.

"I'd like to stay mysterious," he said.

Q & A

Q: How do you discover and capture the unique beauty of a woman?

A: I think what a photographer does in the first place is not figure out what makes a model look good, but what makes her look bad. After you have figured out which places or from which angles she doesn't look good, you can avoid them in the photo, keeping only the best for the readers. This is what makes my job exciting and interesting.

Q: What type of woman would you consider charming?

A: I think purely adorable or elegant types are not impressive.

I admire women with masculine characteristics; she is neither your friend nor your lover, but right in between and in this way you can only appreciate her from a distance.

Q: Which part of woman is the most attractive in your opinion?

A: Actually, the most attractive part of a woman is her face, not some other body part. A face is the concentrated reflection of a woman's temperament, confidence and beauty.

Q: Will you ever get tired of seeing so many beauties?

A: I think beauty fatigue only happens when a man looks only at one woman for a long time. I like to shoot certain types of women for a while and then switch to totally different types. Maybe, I'll shoot women with really hot figures for a bit then I might turn to those who have less good figures but have extraordinary temperaments; there are so many types of women, I have not become tired so far after being in the business for more than six years.

Q: How do you define your shooting style?

A: Sexiness is only one visual element. I think overall my images are dramatic, black and filled with tension.

Q: Some people say your work is borderline erotic?

A: I would describe it as "decently sexy" or "healthily sexy". I discussed this with the editors of FHM, and we agreed healthy sexiness describes pictures that women don't hate after looking at them. In fact, our sexy photos catch the attention, in a positive way, of many women. These women probably want to know what men think about.

Q: Commercial photos go through large amounts of after treatment, does some of the original beauty get lost in this process?

A: Yes, there'll be some part missing. But that's what the magazine wants and what the reader wants.

I think that has something to do with esthetics. Compared with Westerners, who put more value on nature and natural states, Chinese and other Asian people admire things that are perfect.

Q: Have you used inquiries from unknown female singers or actors asking you to shoot sexy photos of them?

A: Yes, quite a few. It depends on whether I'm interested in the person and how much she offers.

There are also well-known stars who want to be in FHM, because it's good for their publicity.

There are also stars I'd like to shoot but can't because they are afraid it could turn out to be too controversial if they expose too much.

Q: Is it necessary to expose much to be in FHM?

A: The magazine might make compromises with famous stars, but unknown people need to accept the criterion of the magazine.

Q: Are the stars not concerned that they expose so much to the shooting staff?

A: Some will ask us to clear out, leaving only the photographer and one female assistant, but others don't care.

Q: Who is your favorite star to work with?

A: Christy Chung. We worked once with her; she was extremely professional and perfectly made every pose we required.

Q: Are you in a relationship now?

A: Yes, my girlfriend and I have been together for almost three years. She is not in my professional circle. I live a normal life outside photography.

How liu's subjects see sexiness

Christy Chung

Canadian-Chinese actress, crowned as the most sexy woman in Asia and seen on FHM's cover in June 2009.

"I am sexy because they made me sexy. For example, if the magazine prepared a bikini for me for the photo shoot, would I say I don't want to wear it? Women must feel confident; high heels will make you powerful because when you are in high heels, your hips will shake naturally. Sexiness can be learned!"

Jessey Meng

Taiwan top model, hostess and actress, who was the first Taiwan model to walk out on the catwalk during Milan Fashion Week was seen on the cover in April 2009.

"If I am allowed to wear more, I will show a more sexy self to the photographer. Most of my performing roles are hot and attractive women. However, I'm not so sexy in daily life. For me, being sexy is okay on the big screen but I like to keep a low profile offstage."

Zhang Yuqi

Chinese actress who won overnight popularity for her leading role in Stephen Chow's blockbuster movie "A Hope" was seen on the cover in November 2009.

"In my professional circle, there are always people jumping out and telling you what you should wear and what would suit me. Still, I dress according my mood.

"I chose the clothes, they don't choose me, so why should I adapt myself to them? Also, I do not go to a stylist. I think it's dull if my look is defined by others. Nobody knows me better than myself."

Qin Lan

Chinese actress, famous for her role in the San Sebastian International Film Festival winner "The City of Life and Death", was seen on FHM's cover in April 2010.

"I'm gonna step forward to present the sexy side of me. I think you are sexy when you relax your whole body, relax every muscle, and when you are sexy you feel the most relaxed and comfortable - but inside you need to work on your breath."

A Duo

Chinese pop singer, hailed as "the most promising star" by Forbes Chinese, was on FHM's cover in February 2007.

"It was the first time I had worn a bikini in public and the first time I had been so intimate with many male models.

"At work, my premise is that you meet my needs as far as possible; but in a relationship the premise is that I will satisfy you as much as possible, satisfy all the fantasies a man has about a woman."

Qi Wei

Chinese actress and singer, branded as the "top post-80s entertainment star" by domestic media, was seen on the cover in November 2007.

"As times passes, every girl turns into a woman, which is a necessary stage everyone will experience. A sexy woman has a special temperament mixed with maturity and intellectuality."

METRO