The Thousands

There’s a profound sense of satisfaction to be gained from snooping through the houses of the rich and famous. It’s mixed with liberal doses of envy and frustration, sure, but Todd Selby‘s lush visual explorations of the homes of creatives and artisans the world over feel a lot more relatable and human than the average magazine pictorial.

Launching his new hardcover book The Selby Is in Your Place in Melbourne this weekend, the well-travelled and even more well connected Mr Selby was kind enough to answer a few questions for us.

Max Olijnyk: Can you tell us how you find your subjects for The Selby? You sure can pick ‘em!

Todd Selby: It’s always changing. In the beginning it was just my friends, then it was friends of friends. Now I also work with a few magazines such as the NY Times T Magazine and Vogue Paris, who help me find great people to shoot.

MO: Do you ever get jealous of the people and their amazing houses and lives? Cos I sure do!

TS: Not really, I really love what I do so I haven’t gotten very jealous yet.

MO: We use a point and shoot Canon with sand stuck in the zoom for our photos. What camera do you use?

TS: I use different cameras, and I change over time. Whatever works best. I now like to work with digital 35mm SLRs.

MO: If you could ‘borrow’ five items from any of the houses you’ve visited, what would they be?

TS:
1. Narwhal tusk from Jacques Grange
2. Skate ramp from Ozzie Wright
3. Canal boat from Retts Wood
4. Lagerfeld’s neon koo koo clock
5. Marilyn Monroe’s sleeping pills from Jacques Grange.