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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Author Albane Navizet

Aired June 16, 2002 - 10:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, as you know, it's Father's Day. And all morning we've been honoring and remembering dad.

Now ladies we have to admit, men can drive us crazy at times, but when it comes down to it we just can't live without them. Besides, Natalie Woods said it best when she was quoted as saying, "The only time a woman really succeeds in changing a man is when he's a baby." Men are our friends, our fathers, our grandfathers, husbands and children.

And photographer Albane Navizet captures the beauty of all the men in our lives in her new book "Men Moments." Albane joins us live this morning from Los Angeles. Hi, Albane.

ALBANE NAVIZET, AUTHOR, "MEN MOMENTS": Hi, how are you?

PHILLIPS: Very good, great to see you. Now I know what sort of triggered this project because you've had such a great relationship with your father. How did that make this book so easy for you?

NAVIZET: Well, you know, I was prompted to do this book when I read one more piece about how bad men were. You know? All the reasons to hate them and I went: This is not possible, I've got to do something else.

And with my photography express -- that when you appreciate someone, they exude great beauty and they are wonderful.

PHILLIPS: And I know how much you appreciated your father, too. Let's...

NAVIZET: Yes, I had a great relationship with my father, wonderful.

PHILLIPS: Well let's get right to the pictures, OK.

NAVIZET: Yes.

PHILLIPS: We're going to start, of course -- we're going to start when they're a baby. Now the special thing about this, this first picture, this is Quincy Jones' grandbaby. What a cutie-pie. Now, why did you pick this baby and also Quincy, who you photographed in this book? NAVIZET: Well, everything seemed to have -- this book seemed to have its own life and I photographed Quincy and then I run into his grandson and then his son. And it all came up like this, and Quincy, in my book, is wonderful because I did photograph a lot of celebrities in my life and this book is not about celebrities, it's about regular men, the men in our lives.

And I said to Quincy, "It's not about famous men, not great men, and so forth, but just men who are inspiring, who have charisma, like you."

And he said, "I want to be in this book."

PHILLIPS: He is humble, quite humble. Well, you talk about -- you didn't focus on stars.

NAVIZET: No.

PHILLIPS: And usually you take picture of celebrities. So as we look at these next couple of pictures, especially this next one, Marcus (ph), you've got to tell the story of how you approached just average men on the streets to be in your book.

NAVIZET: Well, my address book was not enough to photograph all these men. So I had to go and search for them everywhere I went -- in restaurants, in the supermarket and -- I mean, the first time I was extremely embarrassed, you know, walking up in the cereal aisle to this gorgeous young man and saying, "Hi, I'm a photographer, I'd love to take your picture. I'm doing a book on men."

Then I lost my embarrassment, and my friends got into the game. And my daughter came back one night saying, "I've met this great Chinese man, I think you're going to like him."

She had his number. And I would go and photograph someone and their son was there. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) And you know, it just happened that way, that people kept showing up, perfect for my book.

PHILLIPS: And this picture here that we're looking at. How did you get these men so comfortable? I mean, I know you have such a wonderful personality and people feel at ease, but, I mean, this is incredible.

NAVIZET: Well, I think the secret is to make them laugh. Make them laugh and they'll feel comfortable. And they take off their shirt.

PHILLIPS: And the next thing you know, this next picture. Now, I want to know if you were kissing this one. There's lots of secrets about these pictures.

NAVIZET: Well, Greg Loren (ph) is a painter. And he didn't have lipstick in the studio. So I had to put paint on my lips. I wanted to splash paint on his body, somehow, something. And he came up with the idea of kisses, which I thought that was so cute. PHILLIPS: And then the next picture -- let's look at that. Now we start getting into older men. Tell me why you focus on all different ages. You really find the beauty in young, and teen, and older.

NAVIZET: Well, you know, I mean, I've been thinking of all the men in our life -- fathers, sons, brothers, men of every age that -- I've loved men of every age, and I've seen my mother and my daughter. And so I wanted to do something for everyone. My book is dedicated to my mother, to my daughter, to my granddaughter.

PHILLIPS: And the whole focus, like you were telling me, your point of view, you wanted to make -- you -- explain this to me. You wanted to act as if you knew these folks, you were in love with these folks, because you felt it brought the love out in them.

NAVIZET: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Explain to me how you did this.

NAVIZET: Well, I told them I wanted to photograph them like I was the woman in their life. So I could -- through the love and appreciation that I had of them -- find greater beauty in them. And that's how it happened.

Even perfect stranger that I photographed -- they all were willing very much, to be approached that way and express through the photograph their tenderness, their gentleness, their charm, their sensuality. I mean, they were all wonderful to work with. They gave a lot to the book.

PHILLIPS: Well, you gave a lot to the book, too. It's so obvious the way they express themselves. Once again, the name of the book is "Men Moments" by Albane Navizet. Some beautiful pictures. And thank you so much for giving a little bit of yourself with us today to honor men in general -- Albane.

NAVIZET: Thank you, and happy Father's Day to all of them.

PHILLIPS: And same to you. Yes, and to all the fathers. Thanks, Albane.

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