A European photographer had a funny reaction to visiting his son's fraternity for the first time
Holt's knowledge of American and fraternity culture stemmed mostly from movies. "Once you land, it just feels like being part of a big American movie set," Holt said.
He arrived early in the morning after a big house party the frat had hosted. "Everyone was still sleeping, so my son gave me the grand tour," he said.
The scene was classic: "[There were] interesting odors going from room to room. The basement, where they had held their party, was damp with a sticky carpet of beer, overfull ashtrays, and empty beer cans scattered around the room," he said.
![The scene was classic: "[There were] interesting odors going from room to room. The basement, where they had held their party, was damp with a sticky carpet of beer, overfull ashtrays, and empty beer cans scattered around the room," he said.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-53530158,width-700,height-525,imgsize-1193031/the-scene-was-classic-there-were-interesting-odors-going-from-room-to-room-the-basement-where-they-had-held-their-party-was-damp-with-a-sticky-carpet-of-beer-overfull-ashtrays-and-empty-beer-cans-scattered-around-the-room-he-said-.jpg)
Holt decided to photograph the rooms first, while everyone was still asleep. "I found the rooms fascinating, I couldn't have propped them better," he said.
"As the morning turned into afternoon, the girls started leaving, and soon after I started meeting boys — [they] were having a hard time adjusting to the bright daylight," he said.
!["As the morning turned into afternoon, the girls started leaving, and soon after I started meeting boys — [they] were having a hard time adjusting to the bright daylight," he said.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-53530163,width-700,height-525,imgsize-1089076/as-the-morning-turned-into-afternoon-the-girls-started-leaving-and-soon-after-i-started-meeting-boys-they-were-having-a-hard-time-adjusting-to-the-bright-daylight-he-said-.jpg)
The next few nights, Holt photographed the men in front of a white backdrop, superimposing them onto his images of the empty rooms.
[During the shoot] we had music and drinks — I wanted to create a party atmosphere for them to feel comfortable making fun of themselves," Holt said. "They organized a barbecue for me. I'm over fifty and yet when I was with them they made me feel so comfortable that I would forget my age. I did draw the line when they offered to [help me] drink from a beer funnel.
![[During the shoot] we had music and drinks — I wanted to create a party atmosphere for them to feel comfortable making fun of themselves," Holt said. "They organized a barbecue for me. I](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-53530166,width-700,height-525,imgsize-942941/during-the-shoot-we-had-music-and-drinks-i-wanted-to-create-a-party-atmosphere-for-them-to-feel-comfortable-making-fun-of-themselves-holt-said-they-organized-a-barbecue-for-me-im-over-fifty-and-yet-when-i-was-with-them-they-made-me-feel-so-comfortable-that-i-would-forget-my-age-i-did-draw-the-line-when-they-offered-to-help-me-drink-from-a-beer-funnel-.jpg)
"[The boys] egged each other on during the course of the evening to see who would have the best poses," he said.
!["[The boys] egged each other on during the course of the evening to see who would have the best poses," he said.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-53530167,width-700,height-525,imgsize-767420/the-boys-egged-each-other-on-during-the-course-of-the-evening-to-see-who-would-have-the-best-poses-he-said-.jpg)
What struck Holt the most was the apparent bond the men had already formed with each other. "I felt they had a common goal and purpose in their life. They were there for each other," he said.
"In my son's case, the fraternity was a home for a group of young men to support each other on a large campus. A common struggle and their first taste of self management and freedom," he said.
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