Credit: Ezra Böhm
Prize-winning student photographer Ezra Böhm’s winning photo series, “The Identity of Holland,” is an intimate look at life in the Netherlands.
In the 15th annual competition, many titles were awarded to artists for their impressive photographs. This year’s Photographer of the Year went to Adam Ferguson. Other categories include Youth, Student, and Professional.
Böhm was fascinated by the culture and decided to explore it. He said he saw people wearing these costumes today even when there were worn a hundred years ago. “After a while, I came into contact with some people who are still wearing the costumes today. Once I had (established) contact with them, things went quickly. There are only a few people who wear traditional clothing, and they often know each other,” Böhm said in an email.
He often takes pictures of the people in the community who dress up as if they were from centuries ago. His subjects are unsmiling and wearing traditional outfits, but it’s not just for show — wearing the clothes is a norm in the community and helps them preserve their culture.
“The goal was to celebrate and cherish the old culture of the Netherlands,” Böhm said. “But apart from all the beauty, these communities have something valuable in common that we often miss in modern society: togetherness, security and pride.”
“Many people today have lost their cultural roots and can feel alienated in a society full of global citizens. By showing these communities to the world, I hope that people start to look at their own cultural roots again,” he said further.
Böhm spent a year researching and compiling the photographs of his subjects.
A student at the Nederlandse Academie voor Beeldcreatie in Eindhoven, Ezra Böhm, will receive 30,000 euros or $33,000 worth of Sony equipment for the school.
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