With a regular photo shoot, you come in, pose a bit and go home with photos. With PAUSE, we start with a conversation. Sometimes an hour, sometimes longer. I ask questions, you talk, and somewhere in that conversation you find your feet. Only when I can tell you are ready do I pick up my camera. The photos that come out of it are different from what you are used to. More real.
PAUSE · Studio Wijchen / Nijmegen
Pause
A half day for yourself, and a portrait you actually recognise yourself in
There are very few moments when you truly stop and take stock of yourself. Something else always comes first.
PAUSE is a half day where that changes. Coffee, a conversation, no rush. And somewhere along the way, a portrait where you see yourself looking back.
Half a day · 10 black and white photos · VAT included
In the rush of everyday life we sometimes forget to press it: the pause button.
A moment that belongs to you alone. Room to think, or to do absolutely nothing for a while. To clear your head, to listen to stories or to tell your own. To put your thoughts in order. To be yourself.
What happens when you set aside half a day for yourself and step out of your rhythm? When you notice that someone is listening, that your head slowly quietens, and only then you sit down in front of my camera?
That produces an honest smile, or a calm, settled look. You are brought back to your core, to who you are when you stop thinking. Your eyes become softer and clearer.
In about four hours we look for that PAUSE together. That can happen by talking about your plans and your doubts, by getting something off your chest before it is fully formed, or by thinking out loud about a question you have carried around for far too long.
When I notice you are in the right place, I invite you to sit down in front of my camera.
What is a PAUSE portrait session?
PAUSEHalf a day · Studio Wijchen · € 495 incl. VAT
An extended session where we take our time. Coffee, tea, a good conversation and no pressure at all. At the end, you will have a photo in which you recognise yourself.
If you feel this is the moment to slow down, reserve your place.
Above all, the photos from this session are the summary of our conversation.
You will see that the first photos we take are completely different from the last ones, while the ingredients are the same: the same room, the same things, the same person.
The end result is the photo on the back cover of your (un)written book, the sleeve of your next record, or the portrait that announces your exhibition. Maybe it simply becomes your new profile picture. Whatever it turns out to be, it is a photo you recognise yourself in and can be proud of.
“A unique concept that is so much more than ‘just getting your picture taken’. First good conversations, from serious to laughing out loud, and only then did the camera appear.”Nicky
Who is PAUSE for?
Most people who take PAUSE are women at a turning point. A business that is starting, or ending. Going back to work. Turning forty or fifty. A relationship that ends, or begins again. Children leaving home. Sometimes there is no clear reason and it is simply time.
What they have in common: they are used to being there for others, and not used to setting aside four hours for themselves. They are often not looking for a nice photo. They want to be seen.
Men are just as welcome. There are a few in my portfolio and those were equally good sessions. But looking honestly at who has sat across from me these past years, and at the portraits I am most proud of, more often than not they are women.
Out of an above average passion for photography, plenty of experience in business and a genuine interest in people, I ask the questions nobody has asked you yet. Or that one question that has been sitting at the back of your mind for far too long. And I capture that for you in a portrait.
“From discomfort to serenity. The time he takes gives you all the space you need to shed the masks and the standard poses. The end result is a genuine reflection of who you are.”Denise
Why I do this
I am not a therapist. I will not cure your trauma. What I can give you is the space and the quiet to stop thinking about it for a while. Or to feel that it belongs to you and is allowed to be there, whatever it is that keeps you up.
At the end of 2020 I ran into the limits of what I could carry. My burnout introduced itself and walked beside me for eighteen months. Now and then it still drops by for coffee.
In that period I had to sell my share in my own company and change course completely. First of all for my own mental health, and for the people around me.
As chief operating officer I assessed people every week. That may well have been the biggest change. In my other passion, street photography, judging is impossible. I photograph people I do not know. I have no idea what happens behind their front door, what occupies them, or what is in their backpack. I bring that same absence of judgement into my portrait sessions.
You show what you want to show and tell what you want to tell. Nothing is required of you and you do not have to try hard. You only have to be yourself, and take a pause.
I am convinced you will get a different photo from me.
See you soon?
“I have done a lot of shoots, but Michiel’s photos really are different, purer and more personal. I had never seen myself like this before.”Charissa
Cost of a PAUSE portrait in Wijchen
Ready to press pause?
Ready to set aside a few hours just for yourself? Then I would love to welcome you to my tree house in Wijchen.
A half day of conversation and photography, including ten black-and-white photos with minimal editing, costs € 495 incl. VAT.
Frequently asked questions about PAUSE
What is the difference between a PAUSE session and a regular photo shoot?
Can I give PAUSE as a gift?
Absolutely. Get in touch and we will sort it out. PAUSE works beautifully as a gift for someone who never does anything just for themselves.
How long does a PAUSE session take?
Allow for a half day, around four hours. That sounds like a lot, but the time passes quickly. We have coffee or tea, we talk and we take photos. There is no schedule and no time pressure.
How many photos do I get?
You receive at least ten black-and-white photos, lightly edited. I keep them as pure as possible. No filters, no heavy retouching. What you see is you.
I don't like having my photo taken. Is PAUSE still for me?
Especially then. PAUSE is for people who would rather stay behind the camera, or who never like how they look in photos. The conversation beforehand does the work. When you are sitting across from me feeling relaxed, you look different from how you imagine you do.
Do I need to prepare for the conversation?
No. Come as you are. There is no agenda and no expectation. If you want to talk, great. If you prefer to be quiet, that is fine too. I will ask questions along the way.
The same goes for your clothes and make-up. Get a good night's sleep and keep the rest simple. Wear whatever feels comfortable and feel free to bring a few extra items to change into. Do not spend hours standing in front of your wardrobe. When something feels right, you look your best.
Where does the session take place?
In my studio in Wijchen. I call it my treehouse, because in a way that is what it is. A quiet spot just outside the everyday, on the Bijsterhuizen business park, with a view over the meadows. You can park right at the door.
