Books for looks.

FROM THE GLARE OF THE FASHION RUNWAY TO THE SOFT SHADOWS OF THE BEDROOM, GAY PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS SEEN THE WORLD IN A SPECIAL WAY. THESE COLLECTIONS OF PHOTOGRAPHY--INCLUDING A CLASSIC WORK BY ADVOCATE COVER BOY DAVID LaCHAPELLE--ARE GUARANTEED TO MAKE MEMORABLE HOLIDAY GIFTS

[1] ANY OBJECTIONS? By Mario Testino (Phaidon, $39.95)

The beautiful, the bad, and even the ugly are captured in all their spontaneous Eurotrash glory in Testino's first book. Catch Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss sitting on the toilet. Espy the bountiful bulge of a Spanish bullfighter. Or just exhaust yourself with snapshots of the fast-lane freaks of high fashion.

[2] BETWEEN MEN by Hans Fahrmeyer (Universe, $40)

Book title and cover photo aside, few of the pictures in this pec-ridden collection reveal any physical contact between anyone. But for lovers of posed, flawlessly sculptured bodies, Fahrmeyer offers almost 200 duotone photos of mostly solo beauties.

[3] EMOTIONS & RELATIONS by Nan Goldin, David Armstrong, Mark Morrisroe, Jack Pierson, and Philip-Lorca DiCorcia (Taschen, $24.99)

Alienation and indomitability infuse the work of these five maverick photographers. Whether it's Goldin's transgendered denizens of the night, Morrisroe's self-portraits of succumbing to AIDS, or diCorcia's Los Angeles male prostitutes, these visual artists reveal the trials and quiet triumphs of life on the margins.

[4] FABULOUS! A PHOTOGRAPHIC DIARY OF STUDIO 54 by Bobby Miller (St. Martin's, $24.95)

Halston, Liza, Elton, and the Divine Miss M! Those are just a few of the queer icons captured in personal snapshots by club regular Bobby Miller. Better than the recent film, Miller's black-and-white pics immortalize the giddy gaiety and unjaded jubilance of New York City's premier party palace.

[5] FUN? GAME: MALE MODELS AFTER DARK by Lalli (Universe, $35)

Looking for something edgy, politically incorrect, and totally hot? Lalli encourages a bevy of mostly straight, sneering models to smolder like the trade they are. Despite limited nudity, it's one of the most erotic male photography books to come out in a while.

[6] INSIDE LIFE by Greg Gorman (Rizzoli International, $75)

Best known for his award-winning L.A. Eyeworks ads, master portraitist Gorman merges Hollywood glamour with an accessible playfulness. Indeed, this photographic retrospective beautifies the famous while making them seem like familiar friends. The 200 high-quality duotone prints include no less then ten Marky Marks, five DiCaprios, and two lusciously nude Keanus.

[7] LaCHAPELLE LAND by David LaChapelle (Simon & Schuster, $50)

A boxed collection of LaChapelle's signature eye candy. Blind yourself with kaleidoscopic colors and phantasmagorical concepts of Drew Barrymore's nipples, Tom Jones's crotch, and other celebrity body parts. A pre-Titanic Leo DiCaprio in a Christlike crown of thorns is positively prescient.

[8] LIVING PROOF: COURAGE IN THE FACE OF AIDS by Carolyn Jones (Abbeville Press, $9.98)

With all proceeds going to the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, Living Proof is the gift book that gives twice. Anything but depressing, these sassy snapshots of HIV-positive men, women, and children will bring a smile to your face. First published four years ago, it remains an inspirational tribute to life.

[9] PERSONA: PHOTOGRAPHS by Susan Brown (Rizzoli, $35)

Proving drag to be as American as the pillbox hat, Brown pays homage to 85 princely queens including performers Charles Busch, Lady Bunny, and Lypsinka. Insightful and frequently funny interviews by Steven Reinberg add color to this black-and-white photo book.

[10] SUPERMAN, THE COMPLETE HISTORY by Les Daniels and Chip Kidd (Chronicle, $29.95)

The Man of Steel gets a sumptuous 60th-birthday party from writer Les Daniels and super book designer Chip Kidd. As with his 1996 Batman Collected, Kidd crams each page full of color and pizzazz, tossing in vintage memorabilia alongside such modern sightings as Superman's 1998 American Express commercial costarring Jerry Seinfeld.

[11] VERSACE: THE NAKED AND THE DRESSED by Richard Avedon (Random House, $50)

Richard Avedon and Gianni Versace were one of fashion's most devoted couples, photographically speaking. For 20 years Avedon translated the designer's sexy vision into a raft of ads that have since become icons. Look for Elton John in drag, Prince in mesh, and Marcus Schenkenberg in nothing but sunglasses.

Bahr writes for The New York Times, Time Out New York, and New York magazine.