Other projects
Photography is my profession. But anyone who knows me even a little bit knows that I have a hard time sitting still. Before becoming a photographer, I was COO, senior SEO consultant, and co-owner of Yoast, the company behind the well-known SEO plugin for WordPress. There, I learned everything about websites, online visibility, and building products that truly benefit people. In addition, as a freelancer through Studio Foppe, I help entrepreneurs build websites and provide internet consulting.
Those two worlds—photography and the internet—are converging more and more. Especially now that AI makes so much possible. Whereas I used to spend weeks building a tool, I can now have something up and running online in just a few days. That opens doors—for photographers, too. Ideas that sat on the back burner for years because they took too long to implement, I can now actually bring to life. And that’s exactly what I’m doing.
On this page, you'll find the projects that came out of that. Three very different sites, with one thing in common: I built them because I felt they were missing.
Fotoapps.nl
As a photographer, you do more calculations than you realize. What’s my depth of field at this aperture? What shutter speed do I need with an ND filter? How much should I actually charge for a shoot? There used to be separate apps and complicated websites for all those questions, but never a single place where everything was gathered in one spot.
That’s why I built Fotoapps.nl—a collection of dozens of tools for photographers: calculators for exposure and depth of field, planners for the golden hour, checklists for shoots, and business tools like a pricing calculator and a model contract generator. Everything works right in your browser. No downloads, no installations. Most of the tools are free; for the more advanced ones, there’s a small subscription fee.
I use the tools myself during my shoots and workshops. That’s the best quality control there is: if something doesn’t work well in practice, I adjust it.
Photography Presets
Post-processing is a stumbling block for many photographers. You’ve taken beautiful photos, but once you’re in Lightroom, you don’t know where to start. Sound familiar? That’s why I created Photography Presets: ready-to-use editing styles for Lightroom and Capture One.
There are now hundreds of them, organized into packs, each with its own distinct mood. From cinematic colors to documentary-style black-and-white, from street photography to portraits. The idea behind it is simple: you choose a mood, not a slider. I created and tested every preset on real shoots, not on perfect stock photos. That way, you know it will work on your photos, with your lighting and your conditions.
Would you like to try it out first? There’s a free pack on the site so you can see if my style suits your work—with no risk.
In Wijchen
The third project is closer to home—literally. I live in Wijchen and noticed that there wasn’t a good place where all the information about our municipality comes together. What’s happening this weekend? Which businesses are in the village? What’s going on in the seven neighborhoods?
Wijchen has the answers to those questions. It’s a business directory, events calendar, and news roundup for the municipality of Wijchen, created by residents of Wijchen. Business owners can sign up for the directory for free, and residents can submit events, stories, and photos. This way, the site grows a little bit every week, along with the village.
For me, this is where it all comes together: my love for Wijchen, my background in building websites, and my photography. Because, of course, there are photos on there, too.
Why I Do This
These projects aren’t a distraction from my photography—they’re an integral part of it. Everything I’ve learned at Yoast and with Studio Foppe about websites and online visibility, I’m now putting into tools that are useful to photographers (and residents of Wijchen). And thanks to AI, I can bring those ideas to life faster than ever. I see it as an extension of what I do with my workshops and Pause : sharing knowledge and helping people move forward.
It's also my way of not treating AI as something scary, but rather embracing it and seeing what it can offer me.
Want to learn more about these projects?
Are you curious about one of these projects, do you have a question, or do you have a great idea? Email me at mail@michielheijmans.com. I'd be happy to brainstorm with you.