As I have opined in the past, Taschen is the book store/publisher to beat when it comes to beautiful photography books. Even though they are known for their fun erotica titles like The Big Penis Book, 3D and The Big Book Of Breasts they also publish books on designs, filmmakers and fashion.

This day I came down to interview Liz Earls about her book Days of The Cougar, The Outrageous Visual Diary of A Sexual Adventurer. Liz’s hardcover is full of over 250 “fantasy captures” of her adventures with men between the ages of 19-32 and with Taschen editor/writer Dian Hason editing (I  happened to meet her as well this day. See the above photo) Liz’s hot pics and stories accompanying chapters with names like “Room Service” “Mike In New York” and solo pieces like “Seedy Hotel” make Cougars a smoking book indeed.

Being a cougar, is it the general case that you find what a young guy lacks in skill he makes up for with enthusiasm and stamina?

Younger guys are very self confident these days. They have been exposed to the Internet much more than anyone. To one guy I said: ‘My God, how did you learn that?’ I was so impressed.

And how did you go about getting the guys?

For the book I put a call out on cougar websites and my website fantasy capture (see below). I had to get them to sign a release, get their ID so there was no question of them saying, no I don’t want my face shown. For this book’s purpose I needed guys who would have no problem with any of that.

And you basically traveled the globe looking?

Yes, from New York, Hong Kong, Australia I went all over the world. For two and half years I was nomadic, I had basically everything in storage and I just traveled all over the world. It was really fun…traveling for fucking.

In the photo-essay section of the book where you basically have hot pictures accompanying the text, did these moments arise from the guy’s giving you inspiration for the scenes or you recreating something that either happened or you fantasized about?

A little of both. Some stuff was from things that happened in my real life that I could never capture at the time or when I found the guys I said I really want to outplay this fantasy. Some I wrote and we role-played it and the others are just how things happened with that particular guy.

Do you work with an assistant, somebody shooting while you…

No, not really. I just put the camera up some place; I look for rooms with different heights, some hotel rooms are all just on one level. Or if it is a situation with 2 or 3 guys I just pass the camera off to the person and say ”shoot it down”. (laughs).

How is it being a woman erotic photographer?

It’s really special, I really love it. I go to a bar and somebody asks what I do; I love getting the reaction. I think I look like Mrs. Cleaver in a way (a really hot Mrs. Cleaver who Eddie Haskell would have been barking at the moon over!) so it’s an interesting conversation starter. I am so open about it people just feel naturaly comfortable talking to me about it; I’m almost like a sex therapist.

So what’s next for you?

I am extremely busy, my website fantasy capture will have a member side eventually, an art gallery, store; everything erotic of course. I’d like to do another book too. It’s always good to do other subject matter-erotica of course-and I love working with Taschen, they really are unbelievable. I couldn’t have picked anyone better.

It’s really part of what my lifestyle is about so it all really fits.

For more info on Liz Earls, check out her website and for more info on her new book  Days of The Cougar, The Outrageous Visual Diary of A Sexual Adventurer, vist Taschen.