When Todd Selby started his photography project The Selby in 2008, he didn’t think it would’ve blown up the way it did.

Taking his camera into the homes of creative personalities—artists, musicians, designers, and so on—Todd captures them in their natural habitat, hoping to catch a glimmer of what fuels their creative engines.


Photograph by William Gentle

Most people would’ve been ecstatic to just take a peek through some of these vaulted windows; but for Todd, heading down to the Louis Vuitton family home in France, or rummaging through Glenn O’Brien’s book collection is all in a day’s work.

He says he was just “nosey”, but this part-voyeuristic part-inspirational project has struck a chord with internet audiences everywhere and even spawned a book, The Selby is In Your Place.

TAXI Hi Todd, thanks for taking a ride with TAXI. You’ve carved a niche for yourself as someone who shoots the homes of creative personalities for The Selby. How did you stumble onto this idea?

Todd Selby I wanted to work on a personal project that explored photographically the connection between people and their spaces. Plus, I am nosey.

TAXI When you started, did you ever think the project would’ve been as big as it is now?

Todd Selby No way. I just thought it was fun and people would dig it.

TAXI How do you feel about now being a celebrity yourself?

Todd Selby I feel like I don’t get enough time to prep my hair properly. It’s hard to keep a good work/hair maintenance balance.

TAXI Creative personalities and creative interiors—do they always come together hand-in-hand?

Todd Selby Sometimes, but for sure not always.

TAXI These personalities are stereotypically known to be eccentric and with unusual tastes. What’s the weirdest item you’ve seen in a house?

Todd Selby Marilyn Monroe’s sleeping pills, they are in my book.

TAXI When you decide on someone’s place to shoot, do you give them any instructions on how to present their homes or do you tell them to leave it as it is?

Todd Selby “Don't clean please” is my only instruction to them.

TAXI Who’s the celebrity whose home you’d love to shoot at this point of time?

Todd Selby The Obamas in the White House.

TAXI Photography is similar to writing in that both fields attempt to communicate an external idea or theme—you’re interested in interiors, for example, and a writer might have various beats. How important is photographing what you’re genuinely interested in?

Todd Selby It’s very important for an artist to do work that is important and inspiring on a personal level; otherwise what’s the point?

TAXI How was the idea to publish your own book, The Selby Is In Your Place, birthed? Any upcoming publishing projects?

Todd Selby I love photo books, and I worked with editor Deborah Aaronson from Abrams to translate my web-based project to a book in a way that brought a new spin on it.

[To read the rest of this interview, click the 'Next' button at the top of this page.]

TAXI What is the word you think will reside in and reverberate through the creative industries over the next 10 years?

Todd Selby Try.


The Selby is in Your Place by Todd Selby published by
Abrams books, £22.50



To see more of Todd Selby's creative crib excursions, view his portfolio here.