I have long been a fan of wacky editorial fashion photography, the weirder, the better. Does it make me want to buy the clothes it purports to showcase? Rarely. But I am highly entertained imagining the shooting process. “You want me to put her hair in my what?” (calls agency crying).

21 year-old Czech photographer, Michal Pudelka, is already much in demand in the world of zany fashion photography. Not only has he been hired to shoot editorial and commercial fashion work for publications all over the world, as the industry’s newest up-and-coming wunderkind, he’s also been the subject of countless interviews and man-to-watch pieces. And all before his 22nd birthday. Good luck, kid.

Q: Do you have any favorite films?
A: I love Kodak films.

Okay, so he’s still working on his English. I can hardly fault him for that. So am I. At least his interviews are entertaining, if unintentionally so.

He has a way of blocking color and shapes (and models) that make his photos instantly recognizable. I can’t decide whether I love them or I hate them, but they are so striking and absurd and reminiscent of the eighties, I cannot look away. Normally, I would consider that a mark of success, but upon further reflection, I realized I couldn’t describe the clothes if you held a gun to my head. Nonetheless, they’re very entertaining and visually stimulating images, and definitely memorable.

Pudelka has a really interesting color sense and appears very into reds and oranges. I wonder if that will change over time. It’ll be interesting to see how his work progresses. He’s also got a thing for nurses and the elderly. Why is it that so many fashion photographers have mommy complexes?

For someone whose taste level seems so evolved, his fashion videos are hilariously immature and cringe-worthy. They scream student film, though I guess that’s understandable. He is, after all, only 21.

Anyway, hope you enjoy his work. I know I did!