Sometimes, however, Probst is more cynical, as we see in plate 47, "Brennan Removes Prop from Set" (left). The production assistant (Brennan, presumably) carries a gargantuan black dildo, only slightly bigger than Brennan's own well-muscled forearm. It's clear that something's just come to an end, something likely long and arduous (the dildo as metaphor). Brennan wears a look of perturbation as he walks, leaving the two pornboys behind to clean themselves off. Probst's camera makes it perfectly clear what's now on these people's minds: "Where's my check? Where's the shower? Where's my beer?" And as if the masculine post-coital shame oozing from the shot isn't enough, Probst makes certain we're aware that Brennan's far sexier than either of the two models, implying that we, the porn viewing public, have been had -- that we've been jacking off to inferior goods. We see it again in plate 39, "Brian Shoots over Rudolph's Shoulder," in which another strikingly hot p.a. (Rudolph) becomes the center of attention. With a wry but kind wit, Probst points up the truism that there's always something better around the next curve -- or just out of camera range.

My personal favorites, however, are Probst's sublime shots, those moments of sudden, fleeting beauty -- like those in Weegee or dorm room-perennial Doisneau -- that show a complex range of human emotion in 1/60 of a second. Take one of Probst's favorite images, plate 37 ("Rudolph Watches Joey on Monitor"), in which Rudolph, the aforementioned p.a., checks the image of Joey Stephano crouching felinely on a small stage in the fuzzy background. Rudolph's profile is soft, impossibly handsome, as he holds the portable monitor for the off-camera director. He's filled with kindness -- or something like it -- as he watches this bird of paradise perform for the lens; for a moment he forgets his job, entranced by Joey's transitory brilliance.

A similar scene is captured in plate 77, "Model Lounges on Chair" (left). An unnamed pornboy leans back, eyes closed, unintentionally sharing his sleek body and floppy cock with Probst's camera. We're not the only ones who stop to look at the boy, though -- a p.a. stands just behind the chair, similarly taken aback by the model's languorous, involuntary splendor. Speaking from experience, it's rare to see a crew member look twice at a model; stagehands are typically jaded, surrounded by beauty every day -- and hey, after all, it's just a job. Moreover, half the p.a.'s are models themselves. This scene, reminiscent of Selene looking down with love and awe on Endymion, is a rare one -- a tiny treasure of tranche de vie.

Pornegrafik is published by Twin Palms Publishers and can be purchased online here or by calling 1-800-797-0680. Many thanks to Ken Probst for taking the time to speak to me about his work.