I don’t know about you, but I love it when I find old photos of my favorite celebrities, and it’s especially interesting if I can compare them side-by-side to the new ones. But Dutch artist Ard Gelinck took this “then and now” comparison to a whole new level. In his project, famous celebrities are photoshopped so it looks like they’re hanging out with their younger selves.
Most of Ard’s creations are really masterfully done. He tries to match lighting and tones on both images. As a result, the majority of images really look like a person is hanging out with a younger version of themselves. When I first discovered Ard’s project, I was so captivated that I kept scrolling forever. It was weird, but amazing seeing some of my favorite musicians chilling with their younger selves. It was also kinda sad to see those who are no longer among the living, such as David Bowie, Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson or Freddy Mercury.
Ard’s photos immediately reminded me of Conor Nickerson’s project, where he photoshopped himself into his childhood photos. For me, both projects have the same captivating power. Below are some of Ard’s images I particularly liked. Some of them feature my favorite musicians, and the others I simply find cool. Make sure to visit Ard’s Instagram and Tumblr for more interesting photos and photo manipulations, and the “then & now” project can be seen on a dedicated Instagram page.
