Buoys of Summer

Here’s what photographer Matt Albiani's new book Lifeguard on Duty (out June 9) is NOT:

It is not an Abercrombie & Fitch catalog — Albiani's photographic collection of lifeguards on (and off) duty contains things the porny clothier wouldn't dare showcase: Body hair, for one. Scrapes, sweat, bedhead generated by (gasp) a bed instead of a $1,000-an-hour stylist.

It is not in any way related to Baywatch — You’ll be hard pressed to find anyone in Lifeguard on Duty who would run in the slo-mo footsteps of Yasmine Bleeth in pursuit of an “acting” career. Many of Albiani's lifeguards ignore the lens altogether, their eyes fixed on the sea. Even those who stare into the camera wear looks of mild bemusement, betraying a growing impatience: Like all the disinterested lifeguards you've ever ogled at the beach, they have better things to do than be your fetish object.

It is not an editorial fashion spread — While Albiani has shot campaigns for the preppy likes of Ralph Lauren, his bronze gods eschew Top Siders (and shoes in general) for something grittier: Actual people doing actual jobs. Instead of spritzing salad dressing on their flexed muscles, these lifeguards stretch them in preparation for real work. They nurse injuries. They scan the water for potential disaster. Mercifully, they do share fashion’s disinterest in covering skin. But here, dropping trou is merely a hazard of the trade, not the trade itself.


Lifeguard on Duty will be available June 9 from Antinous Press.