Young man in a black jacket and blue t-shirt standing outdoors by a bicycle rack with an inset monochrome portrait.

Man wearing a long tan trench coat standing on a city street beside a smaller inset black and white photograph

Portrait of a curly-haired man leaning on his arms outdoors, with an inset black-and-white photo showing a shirtless man.

A young man with dark curly hair wearing a grey hoodie and baggy jeans leaning against a stone building wall next to a drainpipe.

Man in black bomber jacket and dark jeans walking across a city street, holding a small framed portrait.

Young man in a dark coat and light jeans standing beside rental bicycles on a city street, paired with a portrait inset

Young man wearing a black t-shirt and light blue jeans standing against a dark blue paneled door with an inset black and white portrait.

A young male model seated on a paved street next to an inset portrait photograph, wearing a black long-sleeve top and dark trousers.

Man seated on a street curb wearing a black sweatshirt and dark pants, with a framed portrait inset on the right.

Special Projects Monster Men Off Duty 2026

About

Monster Men Off Duty, a compelling project by Special Projects, masterfully captures the intersection of intimate identity and urban exploration. Through a series of sophisticated diptychs and composite layouts, the work documents a diverse cast of models—including Davin Benson, Elliot Belot, Joe Bottomer, and Malte Carlsson—stripping away the performative layers of high fashion to reveal a grounded, off-duty aesthetic. Photographer Emil Dietrich employs a consistent editorial language, skillfully balancing high-contrast monochromatic headshots with candid, lifestyle-oriented street photography. By layering these portraits against blurred, neutral cityscapes and architectural details, the project leans into a documentary-style sensibility that feels both immediate and timeless. The reliance on natural light throughout the series softens the edges of these urban environments, creating an inviting intimacy that emphasizes texture, from suede shearling jackets to the grit of asphalt. Produced by Jada Joyce, the project elevates the humble portrait to a narrative device, using small, inset framed images to mirror and contrast the larger, full-body movements of the subjects in their natural habitat. Ultimately, the collection reads as a meditation on the modern man, blending minimalist portraiture with the spontaneity of street life to create a cohesive visual archive of contemporary masculinity, style, and quiet, unfiltered self-expression.