Playboy's Pompeo Posar (1985)

No photographer has made a greater contribution to PLAYBOY magazine than Pompeo Posar. In the 25 years he has been on staff, this extraordinarily talented man has photographed 60 Playmates (including six for foreign editions), 40 covers, the Girls of... Rome, Munich, Paris, the Iron Curtain countries, the French Riviera, Rio, Texas, the New South, Canada, Australia, the Adriatic Coast, Spain—literally thousands ofbeautiful women from around the globe. He has earned 18 awards for excellence, enhancing PLAYBOY'S reputation as one of the most photographically sophisticated publications in the world.
Pompeo's photographs have a timeless quality. His conception of the female form was developed early. As a young man growing up in Yugoslavia and Italy, he "loved to visit the museums and stand for hours in front of paintings by Rubens, Titian, Raphael, Michelangelo, and so on. I was fascinated by the beauty and grandeur I found there." Those boyhood impressions are evident in photographs that have been called "lush" and "elegant" by admirers.
At least part of Pompeo's success can be attributed to his relationship with his models. In the cover story for the April 1985 issue of American Photographer magazine, writer David Roberts described watching him work with a Playmate prospect. At first, the young lady was shy and somewhat hesitant, but" by noon it became routine for her to loiter at Posar's side, an open robe barely perched on her shoulders, as she scrutinized her 8x10 nude Polaroid self along with the experts." Roberts concluded that the transformation was entirely due to Pompeo's "bedside manner."
PLAYBOY Associate Photography Editor Janice Moses says Posar doesn't really have a technique. "He's just sincere. He makes women relax because they know very well that he likes them and he appreciates their beauty and he's very sensitive to their shyness."
Pompeo has great respect for the feelings of his photographic subjects. "I never want a girl to feel intimidated by my looking at her. I usually avert my eyes when I'm not looking through the camera. I turn away and let her relax. And if I do look at her, I remind herthat she's beautiful. I tryto give her self-confidence."
In the book Getting to the Top in Photography, by Peter Gam baccini, Gregory Heisler neatly summed up Pompeo's reputation in the photographic community: "At PLAYBOY, my biggest kick was meeting Pompeo Posar. He's shaped more young men's minds than Dr. Spock."
We cannot properly do justice to Pompeo's 25 years of PLAYBOY photography in these pages. We can only present a glimpse at the style and grace that have been captured by his discerning eye throughout the years. Happy Anniversary, Pompeo. And thanks.

Models
Laura Young
Jan Roberts
Connie Mason
June Cochran
China Lee
Kai Brendlinger
Veronique Vendell
Donna Michelle
Jennifer Jackson
Maria Perschy
Gin Audibert
Paulette Lindberg
Majken Haugedal
Cynthia Myers
Britt Fredriksen
Lieko English
Tina Mraz
Kristine Mendoza
Jennie Wallace
Inese Parsons
Carol Green
Claire Rambeau
P.J. Lansing
Alberta Brandenstein
Marlene Wiese
Marlene Appelt
Anulka Dziubinska
Margie Ferstl
Marilyn Cole
Vicki Flynn
Cyndi Wood
Lillian Muller
Karen Christy
Patty McGuire
Jane Lubeck
Barbi Benton
Ann Penington
Diana House
Debra Jo Fondren
Susan Lynn Kiger
Lisa Sohm
Ruth Guerri
Nicki Thomas
Michele Drake
Denise McConnell
Ita Siders
Candace Collins
Ursula Buchfellner
Lisa Kaiser
Liz Glazowski
Lisa Welch
Sandy Cagle
Mirjana Vulic
Jasminka Dedvic
Danic Markovic
Kym Malin
Cathy St. George
Charlotte Kemp
Loretta Martin
Barbara Schantz
Linda Rhys Vaughn
Jolanda Egger
Rita Jenrette
Terry Moore
Vicki LaMotta and Peter Athas
Marilyn Griffin
Caroline Webb
Uschi Hu
Susie Owens
Terry Nihen
Bebe Buell
Pamela Zinszer
Janet Lupo
Marilyn Cole
Debi Johnson
Penny Baker
Sylvana Suarez
Suze Schott