Alberto Tandoi walked 400 km across London and photographed everyone who caught his eye

If you’ve ever been particularly proud of your step count, prepare to be overwhelmed. Alberto Tandoi’s recent photo book, 400 kmtakes its name from the distance the photographer walked across London to take the portraits featured in its pages (not all at once, of course). The project, which the photographer describes as both a “chronicle of encounters” and a “collection of characters,” simply involved seeking out people whose style or aura caught his eye and asking if he could take their photo. “I simply approached people who piqued my interest, without any plan or goal; as they say, every portrait is really a self-portrait.”

The project is rooted in the Italian photographer’s long-standing fascination with London and the freedom of stylistic expression to be found on its streets. If you had any doubts about this, a few portraits in the series are enough to put them to rest; the sheer range of styles on display is truly something to behold. Whether it’s a particularly avant-garde pair of glasses, an arm full of tattoos, a shaved head spray-dyed to look like leopard print, a goth outfit complete with white makeup and latex – or even a live snake wrapped around a model’s neck – it’s interesting to note how one feels as if one has already assessed a person’s sense of purpose, tastes and interests, from a single photo. Alberto sees each image as a “silent” story, “told by the faces of unconventional conventionalists.”