kpvxl The Selby is one of my favourite pit stops in the blogosphere. A trifecta of cool, it delivers voyeurism, star gazing and, yes, excellent design. however that’s just part of its charm. new York professional photographer Todd Selby started the blog two years back when he began snapping portraits of his hipster good friends inside their wacky, wonderful, winsome homes. His style promptly resonated with visitors like me, who enjoy seeing interiors in their lived-in, unstyled specify — never mind that the owners are a celebrated artist or a legendary surfer.
Each blog entry is complied with by a handwritten Q&A that’s completed by the owners as well as commonly covered in Todd’s own watercolour doodles. These are now a Selby signature as well as add to the blog’s quirky personality.
This was the Q&A completed by guests at the media introduce party, when Todd was in Toronto just recently to promote his very first book, The Selby is in Your location (2010 Abrams).
After satisfying his book signing at Holt Renfrew, I sat down with Todd for a Q&A of my own:
Did the concept for The Selby begin as a method to catch people or their places?
I started as a portrait photographer, so I concerned it with the portrait angle. The pictures as well as illustrations all tell a visual story about innovative people as well as their personal spaces. That’s my focus; it’s more about the people who are there as well as exactly how their area shows them. That’s what I like.
Can you usually assumption what someone’s house will be like before you see it?
No. You can guess, however you can’t truly know. house is extremely different for different people. For some, it’s a location you crash, for others it’s a location for your family. There are just so many different situations.
Your photos usually just have simple captions as well as in many cases, none. Why?
Because people don’t read! Plus, I want to tell a story visually with the pictures. I like to leave interpretation available to the imagination.
How do you select what areas to feature?
There are no rules. I try to make them as diverse as possible. as well as the person has to be interesting: them, their style. I have to be drawn in to that. The locations I shoot tell a story about the person.
What’s with all the crazy collections as well as houses with a borderline untidy aesthetic?
My look is extremely of the culture. It’s a backlash to that super modern, dot-com, end of the ’90s era. It’s messy, human as well as organic. people tell me, “Your website makes me feel okay with collecting strange things, being messy, having strange shoes.” I never believed it would have any type of impact, however if it does, that’s amazing.
How would you draw yourself as an animal?
Enough said.
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Photo credits:1. fashion designer Alexander Wang in his new York studio, The Selby2-3. Kimberley Brown4. Carpet designer Malene Barnett in her Brooklyn home, The Selby5a. Dick page as well as James Gibbs in their new York home, The Selby5b. artists Máni Lucjan Jurewicz as well as Úrsúla Miliona Jurewicz in their new York home, The Selby6. Sarah Cottier, Ashley Barber as well as Ruby Barber’s Sydney home, The Selby7. artist search Slonem’s new York studio, The Selby8. Hotelier Sean MacPherson in his new York home, The Selby9. Kimberley Brown