To describe Dutch photographer Hans Eijkelboom as the epitome of dedication is not an overstatement.
He has spent 20 years photographing individuals who dress similarly for his project titled ‘People of the Twenty-First Century’.
Eijkelboom would station himself at crowded city centers across various countries, observing individuals who pass by. After which, he would decide on the theme for that day—such as individuals in pink t-shirts, denim wear or topless individuals who rollerblade. He’ll then spend the next two hours shooting targets for his project.
He told The Guardian of his photography process, “The camera is hanging on my body, with a wire that goes into my pocket. That’s the way I make the photos. When you walk in the city and look through the viewfinder, people say, ‘What are you doing? Why this photograph?’ And so on. I don’t have time to talk about what I’m doing, I want to get it done in two hours. And when you make a photo in a normal way, you intervene in the situation: people will react to the camera, and will not be normal.”
‘People of the Twenty-First Century’ is available as a book, offering a societal look at how individuals express themselves in their unique ways despite being dressed in similar apparel. It also provides an intriguing glimpse at how these trends do not seem to differ all that much over time.
Check it out here.
[via The Guardian, images via Hans Eijkelboom, Phaidon]