Where Nigel Barker and His Fans Shop for the Holidays

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Welcome to Party Bites, a series we've borrowed from our sister site where fancy people at glamorous parties answer our probing questions.

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Famed photographer Nigel Barker was back in San Francisco again last night (after visiting our fair city a couple week ago for a collaboration with Joyus) for an event with Emeryville-based Art.com at their pop-up in Union Square. Fans came in droves to witness his presentation on the collection he's got up for sale at Art.com. He told us he wanted to collaborate with Art.com because he believes everyone should have access to Art, not just the wealthy.

We had already confirmed he is even more handsome in person, it's clear he is ultra-charming, but we did not know he was such a humanitarian. Barker talked the (swooning) audience through images from the Arctic, where he photographed baby seals pups to raise awareness of their brutal slaughter for the Humane Society. He also photographed Haiti both before and after the earthquake. And his work in Tanzania highlighted the struggle of families in the African country. Somehow he manages to make his life in fashion (he's a former model, former American's Next Top Model judge and current The Face host) sync with his less superficial concerns—and by all accounts is sincerely passionate about all of it. His concern for the people in his images and their struggles was genuine, as was the love and respect he had for his fans. Check them all out below. Since 'tis the season, we took the opportunity to ask: "Where do you shop for unique holiday gifts?"

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