An accessible, inspirational, and engaging introductory survey of LGBTQIA+ photography, as told through the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Drawing on one of the oldest and largest photography collections in the world, Calling the Shots offers an unprecedented view of photographic history through a queer lens. It includes a broad range of global LGBTQIA+ representation from the mid-nineteenth century to now, presenting images from pioneering LGBTQIA+ photographers and subjects alongside work documenting activism and hard-won legal battles, over a century of performance, nightlife, and diverse queer communities, collectives, and subcultures.

Following an introductory essay by Zorian Clayton, images are presented in six thematic chapters: Icons, Staged, Body, Liberty, Making a Scene, and Beyond the Frame. Each chapter opens with a short introductory essay, followed by an extended plate section. Expanded captions highlight key images, and "artist in focus" inserts draw on the work of selected photographers to illuminate particularly rich moments in LGBTQIA+ history.