Peeping Tim

 “I have no concern in whether a person is gay or straight,” photographer Tim Hailand says. “I’m just interested in whether they’re an interesting subject.” Judging by the first three books in Hailand’s One Day in the Life of… (Hailand Books, $35) gay people might just be more interesting than straights. The second and third in the series, both of which will be out in February, feature out musicians Jake Shears and Rufus Wainwright, respectively. (The first in the series focused on straight Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, and a fourth — planned for later this year — will have out rugby superstar Gareth Thomas as its subject.)

 Hailand’s books have celebrities welcoming readers into a single day in their lives. The stars write personal accounts of the day’s events — often disclosing secrets and personal quirks — that are accompanied by Hailand’s images. 

 “Basically I start with them in bed in the morning and follow them till they go to bed at night,” Hailand says. Though the photographer is granted complete access to his subjects, don’t expect unsavory photos. “I’m not going to photograph them sitting on the toilet. There’s a picture of Jake in the shower, but I want kids to be able to buy the book. I don’t want to print naked photos of people, and I don’t think it’s necessary to tell the story.”

Hailand hopes to eventually lure other household names, such as Lady Gaga, David Bowie, and Kylie Minogue, to spend 24 hours in front of his lens. “What they have in common is that they’re all creative people,” he says. “I find that creative people tend to go about their day differently than a noncreative person.”

Books can be purchased here.