Exactitudes

Check this out. This is a photography project from photographer Ari Versluis and Stylist Ellie Uyttenbroek. They started the Exactitudes project in the late 90's and it has turned into a huge ongoing project that they are still working on today.

"They call their series Exactitudes: a contraction of exact and attitude. By registering their subjects in an identical framework, with similar poses and a strictly observed dress code, Versluis and Uyttenbroek provide an almost scientific, anthropological record of people's attempts to distinguish themselves from others by assuming a group identity. The apparent contradiction between individuality and uniformity is, however, taken to such extremes in their arresting objective-looking photographic viewpoint and stylistic analysis that the artistic aspect clearly dominates the purely documentary element."

From what I understand is they will go into a town or city, study the people, styles, and trends for a few days. They say McDonalds is the best place to do their studying because it brings so many different walks of life together. After days of observing they figure out what kind of style or group they are going to photograph, pick a leading model, set up a studio on the street, or if they are in their home town, bring people into their studio and start shooting. They show each person a Polaroid of the leading model so the subject has an idea of what they are looking for, but are never told to pose in a specific way. They shoot about 60 shots on each subject and only shoot 12 people for each category. When they ask the subjects to come to the studio, they ask them to wear what they are wearing when they were first approached, but to bring some more of their own clothes. It is pretty interesting to think of all of the people who think they are "individuals" but just fall into some category where there are hundreds of other people how look just the same. Just picture a photo study with all of the BMX kids who wear girls pants... I shouldn't talk because I'm sure they could find a group to stick me in.

Check out their site here. It's pretty mind blowing seeing all of the photos there. Good luck getting through all of them because they rotate every time you go back to the home page, so you never know where you left off.