Book excerpt: The essential collection of pin-ups from photographer Robert Alvarado. He subtly combines color, form, and style to create an allure that captivates onlookers and confounds fellow photographers. The influence of pin-up photography pioneers like Alberto Vargas and Gil Elvgren is clear, but throughout the 145 alluring examples of Alvarado's work, his signature approach to this classic form will impress you in a way that only modern photography can. A year of trial and error went into achieving the look presented here: luscious images with flat color and a shine that accentuates the models' key features. Through Alvarado's modern innovations, which are debated on photography blogs, he composes pin-ups with models in traditional poses, in clothes, lingerie, or tastefully nude, looking directly at the camera.