Book review: 'In Your Face' by Mario Testino (With an introduction by Anna Wintour)

Mario Testino’s talent with a camera must be maddening for other photographers working in a highly competitive field, but he remains one of the most revered stars in his profession. Testino has a natural ability to float effortlessly from studio to backstage to after-party, producing stunning shots in any kind of situation. From royals to mega-celebrities, Testino has shot some of the world’s most inaccessible subjects, always with an ease that betrays the complexity of the task. When Testino gets “in your face” he captures you at your best — and that is what makes him the best.

This unorthodox collection of 122 images, chosen by Testino from the span of his 30-year career, reflects the diversity of his work, from fashion and advertising shots to sexually-charged images and autobiographical photos.

Many of these images appeared in Testino’s first US exhibition in 2012, which included models Kate Moss, Stephanie Seymour, Gisele Bündchen, as well as actors Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, and Gwyneth Paltrow (above), musicians Mick Jagger, Madonna, and Lady Gaga, and footballer David Beckham.

Full of colour, life, and humour, this selection is a testament to the ability of a tireless chronicler of fabulousness.

According to Publishers Weekly: “Cheeky, flirty and bold, Testino’s collected work is a monumental addition to the history of fashion photography that shows the artist riding that clairvoyant line between knowing where culture is headed and steering it there himself.”