Photographer Mark Leeming’s photo series, “Bearded Brutes,” explores the fun recent trend of glitter bearding, but he’s elevated it to the next level. The project started small, with Leeming just intending to make a few photos with his friends. When he posted those pictures, they instantly went viral, and, like so many of the projects I profile, the photos’ popularity inspired the series.

“There is so much pressure I think to conform these days and be so gender specific, but why?”

Hair, makeup, styling, design, and photography, Leeming does it all himself. Each portrait is really unique and is styled to incorporate the subject’s likes and fantasies. Here’s Leeming talking about the project. His accent really shocked me. Not what I expected to come out of Manchester!