Ian/Freak
“I’ve not been in a barber’s chair since I ditched my beard a couple of years ago and I quite miss it. It’s such an intimate experience – I guess for some men the most intimate experience they’ll ever get with another man.
I wanted to wear something in the chair that showed I’m more than a one-trick-pony. Muir caps are generally associated with a hyper-masculine look, so why not mix it with a bit of diamanté?! The cap badge is a couple of Christmas ornaments glued together and stuck to a magnet so I can quickly switch it out if I need to look a little more butch – coz it’s good to be versatile.
I’ve known Chris for a long long time, but this is the first time I’ve been front of his camera. I actually quite enjoy being photographed, though I often find it hard to look at the results. We both settled on the same favourite, which was nice. I’m not sure it’s the most flattering of the bunch, but this is a photo of someone I’d probably like to have a conversation with, which probably makes it a good photograph.”
Ian/Freak (he/him)
Ian has moved through the fetish world for three decades, yet only in recent years has he settled fully into himself. He spent years trying to act “normal” before realising he felt stronger when he stopped chasing other people’s ideas of who he should be. That shift changed how he saw himself and how others responded to him.
For Ian, queerness is the freedom to be different, from everyday connections to a brief appearance in the audience of the Graham Norton Show that prompted messages from men who felt represented and seen when they spotted him.
He shows his identity by refusing to blend in. His style shifts from plain to bold, from kink to something in between, always based on what feels right for him. He knows he can only feel grounded when he stops trying to meet other people’s expectations.
He would tell his younger self, and any young queer person, to learn from every mistake.
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This is UNCUT — a raw, striking portrait series by award-winning photographer Chris Jepson capturing the power and pride of Queer Joy, shot in a barber’s chair. No filters, no retouching, no compromise. Just bold, beautiful people taking up space exactly as they are.