British photographer Brock Elbank has spent much of his career creating portraits of people whose faces, bodies, and life experiences challenge the narrow ideas of appearance we are used to seeing in mainstream imagery. From freckles and vitiligo to scars, birthmarks, disabilities, and life-changing injuries, his work places individuality firmly at the center of the frame. Bored Panda has featured Elbank’s distinctive portraiture before, and his approach remains immediately recognizable. Subjects are often photographed against simple backgrounds, with little to distract from their expressions, skin, and features. Rather than smoothing away the details that make someone stand out, Elbank gives viewers an opportunity to really look at them, and, more importantly, at the person they belong to.
That interest in the person behind what we immediately see is also driving one of Elbank’s newest and most personal projects: homelessness. The idea began developing after the COVID-19 pandemic, when Elbank noticed the number of people experiencing homelessness in London. In late 2024, he began trying to better understand their everyday circumstances and challenges. He is now traveling around Britain and photographing people who have experienced many different forms of homelessness, not only sleeping on the street, but also staying on friends’ couches, living in cars, tents, or abandoned buildings, sleeping at workplaces, and finding shelter wherever they could. Elbank hopes eventually to create 101 portraits for the series and exhibit the completed work in Liverpool. His goal is both to challenge assumptions about who can become homeless and to share stories from people who have managed to rebuild their lives, offering a reminder that homelessness does not have one face, one cause, or one experience.
We also reached out to Elbank to learn more about what drives his work and how his new project fits into it. So scroll down to learn more about his past projects, read the full interview, explore a selection of his work over the years, and let us know which portraits stayed with you the most.
More info: Instagram | mrelbank.com
#24 “Oleksandr”
Photo series: Superhumans Center
Description: “Oleksandr - Serviceman, patient with a combat-related facial injury. Before the full-scale invasion, he worked in the coal industry in the Lviv region as an underground electrician. Before the war, he was a civilian and had no military experience. On 27/02/22 he voluntarily reported to the military enlistment office. He took part in battles in the following areas: Kharkiv region, Izium forest - his first combat deployment, Donetsk region - the area of New York and Avdiivka, Bakhmut direction - the village of Klishchiivka, Zaporizhzhia region - the area of Mala Tokmachka, where Oleksandr was wounded. During a reconnaissance mission (surveying the area), Oleksandr’s group was spotted by an enemy drone. As a result of the subsequent artillery shelling, he was wounded by shrapnel to the face. After the injury, he managed to run approximately one kilometre to the evacuation vehicle. He was then evacuated to a hospital in Zaporizhzhia. Due to the serious facial injury, Oleksandr was unable to eat independently for four months and was fed through a tube. He lost his sense of taste and smell, experienced significant hearing loss in his right ear, had speech difficulties, and partially lost nasal breathing function. At the Superhumans Center, he underwent five facial reconstructive surgeries, which helped restore nasal breathing and the ability to eat without assistance. Temporary dental implants were also installed, and his appearance significantly improved. Oleksandr no longer wears a mask as he did during the first year after the injury. He notes that the support of his family — especially his wife and son — has helped him cope psychologically. Several more surgeries are still ahead for Oleksandr.”
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