the birthday party

vee speers is a photographer whose work, i think, reflects the same type of attitude toward oddity and innocence that diane arbus did. speers' bio reads,

speers also began photographing eccentric people she met along the way, satisfying her attraction to those who dare to be different. ... her ability to blur the line between autobigraphy and fantasy, the bizarre and beautiful, is the key to these timeless portraits.

just for reference, here are some of diane arbus's photographs, also:

i see speers' work as similar to arbus's in that she focuses on the singular weirdness of certain individuals, including children. the photos above are from her series called "the birthday party," in which she casts children in oddly grown-up roles, played up with beehive hair + an astute sense of style.

i love the look of her photographs, as well as the content. speers' way with composition and color is really wonderful, and although she shares the same interest as arbus in the curious, speers portrays her subjects with a touch of delicacy and aesthetism all her own—they almost could be fashion photographs...!