British Photographer Showcases the True Beauty of Freckles
Freckles, like people, come in all shapes and sizes. (Photo: Brock Elbank)
Freckles can be fabulous. Just ask proud, prominent freckle-faces like Demi Lovato, Emma Stone, Gisele Bündchen, or Julianne Moore, whose award-winning children’s book series, Freckleface Strawberry, even tells the story of a young girl learning to love the speckled skin she’s in — a sentiment British photographer Brock Elbank couldn’t agree with more.
Elbank, an award-winning, London-based photographer perhaps best known for his #Project60 Beard exhibition dedicated to skin cancer awareness, is a little more than halfway through his latest inspiring two-year photo project, #Freckles, a stunning collection of portraits showcasing the natural beauty of people with — you guessed it — freckles on their faces. So far, Elbanks has captured closeups of 90 beautifully bespeckled individuals, and he hopes to reach 150 before the collection is exhibited by Micheal Reid galleries in Sydney and Berlin in 2017.
Elbank’s photographic fascination with freckles first began back in 2012, when he was living in Sydney and met his football teammate’s son, Eddie, at a Saturday match. “Eddie had this incredible face full of freckles like I’d never seen before,” he tells Yahoo Health. “They were very intense. He was a great looking character so I asked John if I could shoot a portrait, and that was the start of it.” Elbank had to briefly put the project on hold to focus on shooting #Project60 for Beard Season’s melanoma charity, but was able to pick it back up full time in mid-2015 after moving back to the U.K.
(Photo: Brock Elbank)
“As with all my series, I then become obsessed with the subject, searching out for the most diverse mix I can to document the subject,” Elbank explains. And this focus on showcasing a diverse representation of fabulously freckled faces has resonated positively with both his audience as well as his subjects, many of whom have admitted to being teased for their appearance in the past. “Most people I’ve been lucky enough to photograph have at sometime struggled or been bullied because of their freckly appearance,” he says. “But this is what fascinates me photographing people. What I tend to find beautiful, striking in a person is what they’ve struggled with through life.”
(Photo: Brock Elbank)
Many subjects opened up to Elbank about just how much they hated their freckles as children, recounting stories of schoolyard teasing and describing elaborate efforts to cover up said freckles with layers of makeup. “One subject I shot in September for the series spent a good three to four hours with me post-portrait talking about how they felt as a kid, bullied, rejected at school for their appearance which really shocked me, as I found this individual amazing looking,” he remembers. Though on the flip side, the photographer is also quick to note that “there are also several heavily freckles subjects that have never minded their freckles, or suffered any teasing of any kind,” to which we can only say: more of that, please.
“The feedback from the press and social media has been very positive and humbling, too,” says Elbank. “Each week I get emails or messages on Instagram [from people] saying how they’re embracing the work and appreciating a positive project of something most have loved to hate in their youth.”
(Photo: Brock Elbank)
And a quick look at Elbank’s Instagram or Facebook feeds confirms this in droves: “I have never been prouder to have freckles,” jenna.edwards_ writes in response to one of his latest Instagram images. “Finally someone who gives freckles the love they deserve!!!” posts foleyfotos. “Having been ‘blessed’ with freckles all my life, now in my seventh decade, it’s wonderful they are viewed in a positive way, even beautiful! Thank you Brock,” says Facebook user Patricia Thornton.
“The great thing for me about this series is all walks of life are getting to be documented, many different ethic mixes and backgrounds, which is what fascinates me so much,” says Elbanks. “People, they really are amazing when you study them.”
Elbanks is still seeking subjects to participate in his #Freckles photo series, which is being shot in London. If you’re interested in turning your freckles into fine art, send a recent, color photograph to studio@mrelbank.com.
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