By Peter Berton

ELIZABETH, NJ – Every so often at YNOT.com, an interview sheds a warm glow on the adult entertainment industry from a completely unexpected direction. Such was the case when we spoke with Lance Tyler, director of photography for Got Curves Magazine. Dedicated to delightfully curvy women and shot with love, respect and finesse, Got Curves is a body-positive publication that celebrates the female form without exploiting it.

YNOT.com was already well-disposed to feel kindly towards Tyler, given the quality of his work and the beauty of his models, but after this frankly uplifting yet unpretentious conversation, we felt positively buoyant. Read on, and see for yourself.

YNOT: What is Got Curves all about?

Lance Tyler: Got Curves Magazine celebrates women. The ladies who grace our pages range in age from 18 to 49 and dress sizes up to a shapely size 14. The photo shoots and videos have these lovelies in various stages of dress and undress up to artistically shot, tasteful, Playboy-style nudes. We don’t publish anything overtly pornographic. We call our look “showing sexy without showing sex.”

We are an eclectic magazine, and we know our readers/viewers are, too. We know other men and women find the female form just as exciting and interesting to behold as we do.

We have had nothing but positive feedback from everyone. Our readers and viewers like our posts on both of our Facebook fan pages. They leave comments that let us know we’re on the right track. We have a small following on Twitter, but they are loyal.

We appreciate everyone. We try not to take anyone for granted, there are so many other magazines in the world today, but they chose Got Curves. And for that we are very very thankful.

Why stop at size 14?

We have nothing against the larger sizes. This was just our preference. We may revive an older title idea we had years ago that was specifically for sizes 12 and up, but we haven’t decided yet.

We offer the average girl next door. Some are models, actresses or dancers. Some are seasoned professionals. Some are porn actresses. Some are moms and cougars. We even have a couple of grandmothers. Basically, we have something for everyone.

What inspired the magazine’s launch?

Years ago, I noticed there was something about almost every woman that someone could like about her — her hair or the way she walked or her smile or the curvature of her hips or her breasts. There was something someone appreciated.

This was my initial introduction to professional photography and working with models. My girlfriend at the time and I were exploring the swinger lifestyle and building our own adult website, and that also opened my eyes to women of all shapes, sizes, heights, complexions, nationalities and preferences. I found something about each one that I liked.

Everyone has their own preference or their own must-have list when it comes to what attracts them. Some have hard-and-fast rules. Others have flexible “I’d prefer ‘blank,’ but I’ll accept ‘blank’” ideals.

A good example is Kim Kardashian. When she first hit the gossip sites and magazines, her bubble ass immediately caught a lot of attention. Like her or hate her, there is absolutely no denying she has curves. There are those who will say she’s fat. I don’t understand that, but whatever. And there are those who think someone with more of a box shape is great.

I’m not judging anyone for their likes. We here at Got Curves are trying to encourage everyone to indulge themselves. We hope to offer everyone something they enjoy.

We also try to discourage any belittling comments or passing judgment on anyone’s particular tastes. Everyone has the right to like whatever it is that they like.

How would you describe your content?

Our content is a great mixture of a little bit of everything, ranging from casual to lingerie to sexy club wear to costumes to swimwear to various implied nudes and tasteful nudes.

We don’t present any naked, spread-leg shots. We don’t have any “pink” shots. We feel the “packaging” is what helps accentuate a woman’s curves.

Don’t get me wrong: The naked human form is one of the most beautiful creations to lay your eyes on. We just believe that you don’t have to be naked all the time to catch someone’s eye.

Nudity is great! We love nakedness! But from time to time, put on that sexy, sheer robe or wear that G-string that fits your butt just the way I like or put on that garter belt and stockings. Or maybe tonight for the dinner party, I want you to wear that top that squeezes your boobs together, and then later tonight when we get home I want you to put on those thigh-high, high-heeled boots. Tomorrow I want you to wear a baggy sweater and lace boy-shorts and stilettos. These are just some examples.

Got Curves is a printed magazine that’s also available online. We are headed into the Kindle and iBook stores soon. We’re also working to add more videos and interactivity on our website. We’ll be bringing back live-streaming of shoots and events that we used to do. We also plan to revamp our phone submission section. This is where models have been taking pictures of themselves with their camera phones and sending them in for our “Hot or Not” voting section.

Our “Page 8 Beauty of the Month” presents the best aspiring model for the month. It’s a great way to give credit where credit is due to the model, as well as to the photographer she worked with.

We have a lot of things on the horizon as we grow along. And yes — more nudity! [He laughs.]

Are the women in Got Curves the kind men really prefer, compared to the emaciated women touted by the fashion industry?

That is a loaded question. As I said, we try to have something for everyone. But I will answer your question like this:

I am very disgusted with the way the fashion industry has poisoned our minds into believing that women must be a certain size or they’re too big. In the fashion industry’s eyes, models must be walking coat hangers or they’re out.

The last time I checked, I don’t remember seeing any clothing designer or any of the fashion industry fat-cats who wore a size 2 or size 0. Yet, their pockets are full from the average-sized women who buy their clothes and wear them even better than the anorexic models who walk the runways.

This insanity from the fashion industry has caused so many misguided mental problems for people. So many self-esteem issues. So many eating disorders. It’s terrible.

I have been an advocate for size acceptance for many years. I feel that as long as you are healthy and you like what you see in the mirror, then that is all that matters. Someone out there is going to love you just the way you are.

To answer your question in another way: In my opinion, the women of Got Curves are definitely a better representation of what we ourselves — average person — like. There are currently seven of us on the team, and we all have our own input about what we like. So far, we haven’t had any complaints about our selection of models.

How do you choose your models, and who are some of the standouts to date?

Each model must be attractive, and we ask them to be proud of their bodies. We ask the model to accentuate her curves. Every model has something she likes about herself. We guarantee that someone else will like whatever it is, too. So we tell the models, “Just sit back and enjoy the attention and have fun!”

There are a couple of ladies who stand out. One is the awesome porn legend Brittany Andrews. She has been a great friend since our photo shoot together. We shot her in Brooklyn in a nightclub. She was sick with a cold. We were sick, too. It was cold in the club because it was after hours and the heat wasn’t on, but she was a real trooper and did a fantastic job.

We’ve kept in contact over the years, despite her busy schedule. She’s offered so much advice and even sent over a few other models to work with us. She’s great. We really appreciate her.

A recent newbie standout is Penny Stone. We met at a lifestyle gathering called TES Fest here in New Jersey. She immediately caught my eye. We exchanged contact information and arranged to do a shoot.

The first time we worked together wasn’t so great, but when we worked together the second time, I swear the difference was like night and day. She warmed up and relaxed almost immediately.

The pictures came out great. I think she is well on her way to doing big things with her modeling.

Being a photographer for more than 13 years, I have had so many good experiences and great shoots that it’s hard to pick one or two favorites. So far as porn actresses, I’ve worked with Monet Divine, Lisa Sparxxx, Brittany Andrews, Savanna Samson, Richelle Ryan, Blaklee Maddox, Alexis Jolee, Gina Lynn, Eva Notty and a few others. We are trying to coordinate schedules with so many others: Caroline Pierce, Joslyn Jaymes, Dee Siren, Dru Berrymore, Kate Frost, Brianna Jordan, Stormy Daniels, Jessica Jaymes — and we’re waiting on word back from Kiara Mia, Julie Cash and Vanessa Blake, to name a few.

As far as mainstream actresses and models, the most notable model I have worked with was Coco, Ice-T’s wife. I worked with her before and would like to shoot her again, but for Got Curves this time.

Then there is our wish list, which includes Vida Guerra, Serena Williams, Kim K., Halle Berry, Katherine Zeta Jones, Salma Hayek, Eva Vergara, Charlize Theron, Scarlett Johansson, Beyonce, Nikki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, Eva Mendes, Lisa Raye, Hoops, Draya Michele, Tila Tequila, Kimora Lee Simmons, Lucy Liu, Kimbella, Rhianna Fenty, Nia Long, Tahiry, Alicia Keys and Cyn Santana.

Both of these lists could go on and on. Like I said, there are seven of us and we each have a list.

What are your goals for the magazine?

The magazine is looking to expand its reach by branching out more into digital publishing. Nowadays, everyone is getting their information on the web. People are all about instant information, so our plan is to do more with the website, redesign our mobile app and then tackle Kindle while we keep our print publishing going for as long as it remains cost-effective.

We’re growing at a very rapid pace. We recently started working with a photographer in Las Vegas — Miles Long. He brings with him many years of experience and expertise. With him added to the team, I know Got Curves will make its mark known to everyone very soon.

[SIZE=1]All images copyright Got Curves Magazine. Used with permission.[/SIZE]