There are beards, and then there are beards. To create this series of hair-heavy portraits, Austin-based photographer Matt Rainwaters traveled to the World Beard and Moustache Championships in Anchorage, where he captured contestants in their hirsute glory. "It was an event I had been interested in for quite some time and it is only held once every two years internationally," he explained. "Seemed like a great place to meet some real characters." As you'll see in these excerpts from his "Beardfolio," he definitely did just that.
