The Milwaukee Beard Book

The MKE Beard Book was a photography project by Photographer Jessica Kaminski. It was photographed around the city of Milwaukee and in our studio, and commenced in a 96 page photography book titled The MKE Beard Book.

As a Portraitist Jessica is galvanized by the ability to capture a cross-section of people at the height of their cultural zeitgeist, so we started right here at home with Portraits of the many dynamic bearded men of Milwaukee(MKE).

Jessica believes that midwestern men are the inspiration for the resurgence of the beard movement. While Milwaukee has its fair share of stylish gents, we are also home to the blue collar worker, the bearded Harley Davidson rider, and to men who simply want to keep warm during our endless winter months.

The photography shoots for the book took place throughout the city of Milwaukee, while some portraits were captured in our downtown photography studio. Portraits range from rich black and whites, to colorful images that pop. Some portraits show the environment of our city, while others are purely headshots showing off the vast colors and textures of the hair.

In addition to documenting the men of her hometown, Jessica wanted to give back to the community. When the book was initially released in 2015, $5 from each sale was donated to No Shave November, a non profit organization devoted to growing cancer awareness and raising funds to support cancer prevention, research, and education.