It’s kind of hard not to talk about fashion or models when I decided to write a blog about photography books, especially because my favorite photographers are related to such subjects. So again, here I am, talking about another book that ended up on my wish list.
I won’t bother explaining who William Baker is, because I don’t know much about the photographer either. His name came up when I discovered he had released a photography book about the model Igor Stepanov, who I follow on Instagram. This book is nothing but several daily photos of the model. A homoerotic voyeur study of Baker, who according to him, represented youth. “A generation that I felt so increasingly alien to, that lives through social media and expresses their emotions through emoticons or text messages. I was interested in how those ‘likes’ can be an antidote to the loneliness of teenage existence, and an opening to the adult world… an escape to a world of infinite possibilities from the dullness of everyday suburbia.”
Baker also explains through Wonderland Magazine about his interest towards Stepanov. “At first I just loved the persona he projected through his selfies on Instagram. He used to post these provocative selfies that were supercharged with this raw, street sexuality, but they had this innocence and this humanity, clearly they were seeking a response, as these images to me commanded attention. Obviously, I was super attracted to him but I was attracted because he really inspired me. He seemed to open up all these possibilities and made me excited to work, to pick up a camera and photograph him. I can only really comment if he was a worthy muse for me, because of course he was, otherwise it wouldn’t have worked, and I think it did.”
You can buy the book here.
Papiro & Mint 