Portraits celebrating queer love and connection

Look at me like you love me — Photographer Jess T. Dugan’s new book offers an intimate exploration of identity, relations, and desire across gender and sexuality.

Coming of age as a young queer person, nonbinary photographer, Jess T. Dugan remembers the profound effect of seeing images of LGBTQ+ people and communities in fine art photography after going so long without seeing them in the broader culture.

Recognising the ways in which representation and visibility shape our sense of self and the world in which we live, Dugan set out to create To Survive On This Shore an inclusive look at older transgender adults across the United States. “The strong response to the work confirmed that people were hungry for these kinds of images,” they say. 

With their new book, Look at me like you love me (MACK), Dugan now turns inward for an intimate exploration of identity, relationships, and desire. Bringing together a selection of recent photographs from their long-term project, Every Breath We Drew, Dugan combines portraits and still life images with personal writings about love, connection, loss, healing, family, and self-knowledge. 

“For me, the pursuit of living an authentic life, of seeking expansive and inclusive love, has run alongside loss: the loss of family, of acceptance, of an easy path, of friends,” they say. “But, the other side of this loss is an urgency to live authentically, to seek beauty and liberation and self-expression and intimacy.”

Look at me like you love me explores questions of personhood in an effort to understand what it means to be one’s true self on your own or in a relationship; be it romantic, platonic, familial, or communal. For the book, Dugan selected portraits that spoke of the connections they have made with their partner Vanessa, and close friends, as well as people they met in passing that they’d wanted to get to know better through the act of making photographs.

“I’m drawn to people who possess a certain kind of energy: a gentleness, an assuredness in themselves, a combination of strength and vulnerability, a willingness and ability to be truly present and to engage with me on a deep emotional level,” they say. Dugan works slowly and collaboratively with their subjects so that each portrait becomes a fusion of artist and sitter.

The photographs are accompanied by Dugan’s poetic passages penned between March and September 2021. “I’m in my mid-thirties, I have a family, I have a child. I’m asking different questions than I was asking in my early 20s,” they say. 

“The texts come from a place of heightened self-reflection; some focus on specific memories, some on why I’m compelled to make photographs, while others focus explicitly on desire.”

Ultimately, Look at me like you love me is a testament to the universal need to be seen, cared for, celebrated, and loved for who we are. “We are all magical, beautiful, and enough,” Dugan says. “I want my subjects to feel that way when I photograph them and I want viewers to feel that way, too. At its core, my photography is a validation of life.”

Look at me like you love me is out now on MACK Books.

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram


You might like

Colourful collage of album covers and record sleeves on display in a gallery or museum setting, with glass panels on either side reflecting the vibrant arrangement.
Culture

Largest-Ever Display of UK AIDS Memorial Quilt Opens at Tate Modern

Grief Made Visible — Comprising hundreds of panels made by lovers, friends and chosen family, the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt returns in full for the first time since 1994 – a testament to grief, friendship and the ongoing fight against HIV stigma.

Written by: Ella Glossop

Rustic footbridge across a river, with people crossing it on a sunny day. Warm tones and shadows suggest an outdoor, natural setting.
Sport

In Medellín’s alleys and side streets, football’s founding spirit shines

Street Spirit — Granted two weeks of unfettered access, photographer Tom Ringsby captures the warmth and DIY essence of the Colombian city’s grassroots street football scene.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Black and white image of several people in suits, some with long hair and unconventional appearances, alongside a large ship or boat model. Text overlaid: "FREAKS AND FINANCES".
Culture

On Alexander Skarsgård’s trousers, The Rehearsal, and the importance of weirdos

Freaks and Finances — In the May edition of our monthly culture newsletter, columnist Emma Garland reflects on the Swedish actor’s Cannes look, Nathan Fielder’s wild ambition, and Jafaican.

Written by: Emma Garland

A person wearing a black cap and holding a sign that says "What made me"
Music

Tony Njoku: ‘I wanted to see Black artists living my dream’

What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s avant-garde electronic and classical music hybridist Tony Njoku.

Written by: Tony Njoku

Elaborate theatrical performance on stage with dancers in red costumes and dramatic lighting.
Music

Block9 reveals its Glastonbury Festival 2025 plans

Party and protest — The nightlife hub will feature a bigger-than-ever Saturday daytime block party across The NYC Downlow and Genosys, and a huge collaboration with artist-activist group Led By Donkeys.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Huck 79

We are all Mia Khalifa

How humour, therapy and community help Huck's latest cover star control her narrative.

Written by: Alya Mooro

Huck is supported by our readers, subscribers and Club Huck members. It is also made possible by sponsorship from:

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter to informed with the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, featuring personal takes on the state of media and pop culture from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.