About Michiel

Esther, Puck & Linde • Wijchen (NL) • 30 Minuten Sluitertijd • 35mm • City Trips

My passions are portraits and street photography. I love emotion and tranquility in both disciplines. I reveal what often remains invisible—in portraits, on the street, or during encounters where attention and authenticity are paramount.

Photography is fantastic, and taking photographs is part of that. In addition to photography, which always focuses on people, I have written several books on street photography:

De Wet van de Straat (2025), e-book with Charlotte Meindersma
The Observer (2024), published by KOMMA Publishing
The Street Photography Bible (2023), published by Photofacts Publishing

Whereas the Straatfotobijbel is primarily a textbook, The Observer is much more of an art book, presenting my vision of the street, of the NOW. The Wet van de Straat is an e-book containing all the rules, discussed in practical terms with examples by lawyer Charlotte Meindersma.

Since 2024, my friend Niels de Kemp and I have been happily producing the Dutch photography podcast 30 Minuten Sluitertijd, in which we discuss a wide range of photography topics in a lighthearted manner (YouTube, Spotify).

Guest appearance on Het Perfecte Plaatje

On June 18, 2025, I appeared as an expert on the RTL 4 program Het Perfecte Plaatje op Reis(The Perfect Picture on Travel). The episode was set in Naples, where the contestants were given the assignment to take a spontaneous street photo related to Italian coffee culture. From the ITV Studios in Hilversum, I gave tips in a video clip on how to take photos on the street without interfering with the moment.

It was an honor to be asked, on the recommendation of photographer Evely Duis, and wonderful to see how much attention and care the team at Het Perfecte Plaatje has for photography and for the people who contribute to it. For me, it was a special experience that fits seamlessly with what I love to do: observing, sharing knowledge, and encouraging others to take their cameras out onto the streets.

Watch the broadcast here.

Because I prefer to accompany images with text and a coherent narrative, I was also a regular columnist for the renowned photography magazine Focus Magazine. Since 2025, I have been writing monthly columns for the online course platform Photofacts.nl.

My studio

My studio is located in Wijchen, next to Nijmegen. I jokingly refer to my studio as my treehouse, because I look out over the meadows from two stories up. It's a place for coffee and cameras, a space that feels cozy but is large enough for all my portrait shoots. Everything is there: from different fabric backdrops to a steamer and, of course, all the lighting you would expect—both daylight and various continuous and flash lights. A cozy and relaxed atmosphere is my top priority!

My photo studio with a gray background, a wooden chair, a small round stool, and a few photos on the floor in the corner. Flash and softbox lighting on a tripod visible.

Portrait of Michiel, a man with glasses, a short beard, and short hair, sitting at a table, in black and white, with a slight shadow on the wall behind him.

As a photographer and visual storyteller, I focus on people—on how we present ourselves, how we move through the world, and what becomes visible when the noise fades away. My work straddles the boundary between street and portrait photography, with an intuitive eye for the real, the small, the quiet.
In my street photography, the human presence in public spaces is the starting point. I work with a fixed 35mm lens and move with the rhythm of the street. Small gestures, chance compositions, a light that evokes something—I collect moments that present themselves without warning. The street is my stage, the passerby my protagonist. I consider this form of photography to be visual poetry: brief, poignant, and honest.
I apply the same approach to my portrait work. Whether I'm photographing in my studio, at someone's home, or at a location that says something about who they are, for me it's always about the encounter. A good portrait starts with listening. Paying attention to someone's story, body language, and the energy of the moment. I take the time to observe and make real contact, so that someone can show themselves—without haste, without embellishment.
My portraits are allowed to whisper. They are allowed to leave something open. It is precisely in that space that something real emerges: an image that not only shows what someone looks like, but also who they are. I see it as my role to guide people in this process. Not by directing, but by slowing down, mirroring, and providing a safe setting in which someone feels seen. I often hear: "I don't like having my picture taken, but this felt different." That's exactly what I want. To create portraits that linger—not only because of the image, but also because of the process that led to it.
In addition to my independent work, I give workshops and offer mentoring to photographers who want to develop their own voice. I don't believe in tricks or rules, but in looking with attention. Those who learn to see with wonder not only discover better images—they also discover themselves.
I believe that genuine attention makes all the difference—in photography, in collaboration, in how you view people. Whether I'm taking a portrait, teaching a workshop, or wandering through an unfamiliar city with my camera, I'm always searching for authenticity. For what's really happening, without embellishment.
My work revolves around slowing down and wonder. I want to reveal what is often overlooked: a gesture, a glance, an encounter that could have easily disappeared. For me, photography is not an end product, but a way of seeing—and I like to pass that way of seeing on to others.
I am not a director, but an observer. Not a distant professional, but a committed creator. I work with people, not models. With stories, not formats. And I believe that those who dare to look will always find something special.

My photo studio with background, softbox lighting, photographic accessories, and plants, set up for photo shoots.

Room for creativity

In addition to photography and writing, I regularly give lectures and workshops, often on the subject of street photography. Here you will find my schedule for the coming period.

Above all, I am the father of my daughters Puck and Linde and married to Esther, who still gives me the space to delve deeper into photography, even when I am away for a few days for a workshop abroad (this year Zurich, Paris, Prague and London).

In a previous life, I worked with websites and search engine marketing, including as COO and co-owner of Yoast, the WordPress plugins company (120 employees at the time I left). I am glad that in 2021 I decided to get out of my office chair and start taking photographs. It is a particularly rich and varied world that I have not yet seen enough of.

I now choose my assignments based on challenge and job satisfaction.

Please let me know how I can be of service to you!

Please contact me

My photo studio with large windows offering a view of the outside world. In the middle are two red chairs, a small table with decorations, and a small red stool.

A trainer from De Baak once said to me: if you don't do anything with people, it's a waste for those people. The best compliment, and one that I have always kept in mind.