One South Whidbey photographer is looking to share the fruits of his labor with the community during an upcoming reception.
Over a year ago, Freeland resident Michael Holtby set out to find as many participants as possible for his Whidbey Beards Project. In his studio he captured portraits of four dozen bearded men, which will appear in a large coffee table photography book that will soon be available for sale.
“I have gotten a collection of characters, that’s for sure, and people have accused me of being one of the characters,” Holtby said with a laugh.
Men posed with power tools, musical instruments and beloved pets. One subject who dressed in drag as female pirate persona Matilda drew some controversy earlier this year when the photograph was displayed in the Oak Harbor Library.
Holtby plans to talk about his book, “Beards: Beyond the Cover,” at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8 at the Universalist Unitarian Congregation of Whidbey Island, which is located at 20103 Highway 525. He has converted the book pages to a slide presentation to show the community.
“A lot of the beard guys will be there, and I’ve encouraged them to dress in whatever they were wearing in their picture,” Holtby said.
Copies of the book, which are currently being shipped from China, will arrive on Whidbey in December or January. They will be available for purchase for $64.95 plus sales tax at Moonraker Books in Langley or from Holtby himself, who can be contacted by emailing WhidbeyPhoto@hotmail.com.
The Whidbey Beards Project has been, for the most part, a self-funded effort, with some donations here and there. Holtby opted to take the self-publishing route.
“Some very interesting people have come out of this, including some nice friendships for me,” Holtby said. During the last big windstorm on Whidbey, a subject who had posed with a chainsaw cleared a fallen tree that was blocking Holtby’s driveway.
His book is a finalist for the North Street Book Prize in the photo book category. Holtby will find out in February if he won the international contest.
For more information about the book and the Whidbey Beards Project, visit whidbeyphoto.com/whidbey-beards.
