A woman walking across a car park in a modern building with striking shadow and line patterns, shown in black and white.

Street photography composition: layers, lines and the right moment

A good street photo often starts with a setting and a little patience. On lines, frames, layers, empty space and the moment everything comes together.

Black and white street photograph in London of a man in a long coat crossing the road, with a double-decker bus in the background.

Which camera and lens for street photography? 28, 35 or 50mm

Which camera and lens do you need for street photography? Less than you think. On 28, 35 and 50mm, compact cameras, your phone and what to leave at home.

A woman with brown hair, wearing a mask and glasses, in a busy outdoor market.

Nervous about taking photos in the street? Here's how to get past it

You see the moment, raise your camera and lower it again. That hesitation is normal. Here's how to work through it, step by step.

Five people on the street, four police officers in uniform and a man in a long coat and hat speaking with them, in an urban setting with cars and trees.

Photographing people in public: what is allowed?

In the Netherlands, you're generally allowed to take photographs in public. What you do with the photo afterwards is another matter. On portrait rights, GDPR and how Belgium differs.

Street photography during a photo walk in Amsterdam

The best street photography settings (and when I use zone focusing)

Which settings should you use for street photography? Shutter speed, aperture, ISO and zone focusing explained, with a cheat sheet for sunshine, shade and cloudy weather.

Black and white photo of a busy shopping street, with gulls and pigeons around overflowing bins and people walking past the shop fronts.

Street photography tips: 15 lessons I took years to learn

Fifteen street photography tips that barely mention settings. On walking more slowly, waiting, returning, being selective and knowing your own boundaries.

A woman with glasses looks out through a window.

It is not you, it is the situation

Nearly everyone feels awkward in front of a camera. But it is not down to you.

A black-and-white photo of a woman sitting on a staircase. The steps have various words in German such as 'Bildung', 'Schule', 'Lehre', 'Kooperation', 'Reflexion', 'Forderung', and 'Wissen' on the treads.

Grant funding for a photography workshop, what's possible?

"Can I get this reimbursed somewhere?" I hear that question more and more. For some of my participants there really is money available, and they often don't know it themselves. In this article I honestly lay out what's on offer, for whom, and what you need to do for it. Including the things I can arrange for you.

On a wet crossing a woman wrestles with her blown-out umbrella, while a man walks away with a shopping bag.

9 tips for street photography in the rain

Rain is a faff, but on the street everything suddenly starts happening. Nine tips for wet shoes and better photos.

Nude photography: what I learned during a masterclass outside my comfort zone

I took a masterclass in Nude Photography at Photofacts Academy. Exciting, and of course I talked it over at home first. The biggest insight? You forget that a nude model is standing in front of you, because you're busy with light, shape and trust. Just like with any portrait. In this article I share what I learned and whether it's something for me. With seven concrete tips for if you want to try it yourself.

Black and white side portrait of a woman with curly hair and a bare shoulder.

Why almost everyone hates having their photo taken

You are not stiff, the situation is. People are not made to stand still while someone looks at them and presses a button.

Black and white street photograph of a man walking past a shopfront with a large white bundle under his arm.

Why I am sometimes afraid I have photographed everything already

Every street corner looks familiar, every scene feels like a repeat. And then that small voice starts whispering.

Black and white side view of a woman with long hair and her eyes closed.

Photography as therapy: see with your own eyes what your process is doing to you

You look in the same mirror every day, so the change happens too slowly to notice. Two series, months apart, show it.

A fairground or flea market with stalls and children in colourful clothes.

Ode to the holiday snapshot

Our holiday snaps are the most sincere photos we can make. Less considered, less staged, more spontaneous.

A woman in a checked dress looks at her phone while sitting on the metro.

Photos are the perfume of life

A photographer makes images, but it is never really about the images themselves.

Aerial photograph of two cargo ships at sea, with a beach and a pier in frame.

9 tips for photographing in hot weather

Your camera protests, your battery gives up sooner and you stand there sweating in an outfit you did not want to wear.

Black and white portrait of a woman making a gesture with her hand alongside her face.

Portrait photography, so many possibilities

Photography invites you to lose track of time. For me that happens with portraits, and the need to really listen to people keeps growing.

Black and white reflection of two men photographing themselves with a camera.

Paris was full of photos again!

Four people beside me, all with cameras round their necks. And before we had taken a single photo, the mood was already good.

Black and white selfie of a man in a cap giving a thumbs-up in an empty cinema.

Burnout and photography: how a crisis made me a better photographer

At the end of 2020 I hit a wall. What the burnout gave me, besides a couple of years off my life, was a different way of looking.

Nine black and white street photographs of Orthodox Jewish residents in Antwerp, among them by a bridge, a bus and bicycles.

Making series

Take a series with you in your rucksack and you get those small moments of luck every time you can add a photo to it.

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