A whole year of photography
PHOC Jaartraject Nijmegen 2027
With Roy Soetekouw and Michiel Heijmans
Your camera holds no secrets for you anymore. You've taken workshops, watched videos and made enough photos to know when an image is technically right. Yet it doesn't always feel like your work.
In this year-long programme we don't work from one separate assignment to the next. Nine lessons, two peer review rounds and a joint exhibition form a single line, in which you learn to see what you want to say, and why you photograph it the way you do.
More than just pressing a button
You don't learn photography in an afternoon. You learn it by doing, reflecting, doing it again, and then once more. By asking yourself what you want to show, not just how. By looking at your own work with honest eyes, and hearing what others see in it.
In this year-long programme in Nijmegen, we work together for a full year: nine lessons, two peer review rounds and a joint exhibition. Not a series of separate workshops where you start from scratch each time. A continuous programme, in which you slowly but surely build something that's truly yours.
We focus on photographers who want to take the next step. Who find context important. Who don't just want to make beautiful images, but also understand what those images say, and why.
What makes this programme different?
There are plenty of photography courses. In Nijmegen, in the region, online. But this isn't a course. This is a programme.
The difference? You work on your own project for the whole year. Not on separate assignments you forget after the lesson, but on a personal body of photographic work you can be proud of at the end of the year. You develop an Artist Statement, a text that explains who you are as a photographer and what you want to say. And you close the year with a real exhibition.
In addition:
Two guest lecturers. We invite interesting photographers who can offer depth and inspiration at the right moment in the programme. Someone from outside who sharpens your view.
Work discussions based on printed work. Not on a screen, but on paper. Printed. That's different. It forces you to make conscious choices.
Optional feedback sessions. Twice a year you can sign up for a personal conversation with Roy and/or Michiel about your progress. Not mandatory, but valuable.
Peer review in small groups. Twice a year, you discuss your own work in a small group (without our guidance, using a checklist). It might sound daunting, but it delivers more than you'd expect. You learn to look, and to put it into words.
Roy Soetekouw and Michiel Heijmans
Roy Soetekouw trained at the Fotoacademie Amsterdam and is a well-known name in Nijmegen's photography scene. He founded PHOC and has guided more than 1,000 photographers on their photographic journey. Roy is a portrait photographer who works in a posed style, every photo is made with care. His conviction: everything is interesting enough to photograph, it's about the context you place it in.
Michiel Heijmans guides photographers through workshops, talks and mentoring programmes, and has written three books on photography. He works conceptually: starting from a key word, an idea, a question. Technique is a means. Context is the goal.
Together they bring two perspectives and two ways of looking. Between them, there's all the room to find your own way.
The programme
Lesson 1 - The start
We begin with the question most photographers aren't used to asking themselves: what do I actually want to learn? Not what do I want to photograph, but what do I want to learn. That's a different question.
In the first session we sharpen expectations. You formulate concrete learning goals for yourself, things you want to be better at or understand better by the end of the year. We introduce the work discussion checklist, a tool that stays with you throughout the year and helps you look at and discuss your own work and that of others in a structured way.
Lesson 2 - Focus and speed
You can focus on a single variable. Easier said than done. In this session we get hands on with it: making images around a single theme or element within ten minutes. Not perfect, but focused.
We also form small groups of three people. Those groups play a role throughout the year, for peer review, feedback, and support.
You learn to build on what you have, rather than starting over each time. That's a skill in itself.
First peer review
No lesson this time, but a peer review round. In your small group, you discuss your work so far. What are you working on? What's working? What isn't? Together you go through the checklist. This can take place at a location of your choice, or online.
Peer review without a tutor teaches you two things: discussing work, and listening to how others look at things. Both essential.
Lesson 3 - Camera obscura and personal feedback
One of the most special lessons of the year. We dive into camera obscura and pinhole photography, the most basic form of photography there is. No autofocus, no histogram, no settings. Light and time.
Why? Because it brings you back to the essence. To what a photo actually is.
In this lesson there's also the option to sign up for a personal ten-minute conversation with Roy and/or Michiel to discuss your work and progress.
Lesson 4 - The cinematic portrait
Portrait photography from a cinematic perspective. How do you tell a story with a portrait? How do you use background, light and composition to give context to the person in front of your lens?
We build further on what you have. Your ongoing project grows. And as homework: you start on your Artist Statement. A first version, however rough.
Lesson 5 - Guest lecturer and work discussion on print
The first guest lecturer joins us. Someone from outside, with their own practice and a sharp eye. We discuss work based on prints. No screen. Print.
Looking at printed work is different from looking at a screen. You see different things. You make different choices. And you learn what it really means to present your work.
Second peer review
The second peer review round. Again in your small group, at a location of your choice or online. The central question: what do I still need to finish my project? What's still missing? What's already done?
Lesson 6 - Illustrative imagery
Photography in service of text. How do you make a photo that fits a headline, a social media post, a story? Illustrative photography is a skill in its own right, one that many photographers overlook, but one that teaches a great deal about intention.
Lesson 7 - The exhibition in sight
We discuss how and what for the exhibition. Which work will you present? How will you hang it? What will you tell alongside it?
We also discuss your Artist Statement. Homework: revise and sharpen it. And there's room for a conversation about what you'll do after the programme. Do you want to continue? In a different way? We're happy to think along with you.
Lesson 8 - Guest lecturer 2 and wrapping up
The second guest lecturer. Again a work discussion on print, again a fresh outside perspective. And your Artist Statement is finalised.
Here too there's the option to sign up for a personal ten-minute conversation.
Lesson 9 - Closing the year
The final session before the exhibition. We make sure it's a fitting close to the year you've been through together. Open in setup, tailored to the group. Because what a group needs after a year of working together can't be decided in advance.
Exhibition
The year ends with a joint exhibition. How much work you show depends on your project and budget. We work towards something solid. Something that sums up your year!
What you'll have at the end of the year
An ongoing photographic project, guided from start to finish
An Artist Statement: a text that explains who you are as a photographer
Work that's ready for presentation
Participation in a joint exhibition
A year of feedback, reflection and guidance from two experienced photographers
A network of like-minded photographers in the Nijmegen region
Who is this programme for?
This programme is for photographers who already have a foundation. You don't need to be a professional, but you know how your camera works and you're ready to take the next step.
You're in the right place if you:
Want to work on your own project, from start to finish
Want to understand more about what your photography says, not just how it looks
Are open to critical feedback and honest conversations
Are ready to commit consistently for a whole year
Live in or around Nijmegen, or are willing to travel regularly
This programme isn't for you if you're still right at the beginning with photography, or if you're looking for a single workshop to learn a technique. In that case, take a look at phoc.nl for the basic course.
Practical information
Sessions: nine lessons, two peer review rounds and an exhibition
Dates 2027:
Friday morning 22 January 2027
Friday morning 26 February 2027
Friday morning 23 April 2027
Friday morning 21 May 2027
Friday morning 18 June 2027
Friday morning 16 July 2027 (photo walk in Nijmegen)
Friday morning 10 September 2027
Friday morning 8 October 2027
Friday morning 12 November 2027
Final exhibition: Saturday 11 December 2027, 9.00 am to 4.00 pm
The lessons take place on Friday mornings from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm.
Location: Nijmegen, the Splendorfabriek (Gorterplaats 20)
Cost: € 1,750 per person (including VAT)
Discount: Already taken a basic course at PHOC? Ask PHOC about the scheme for former students.
Sign up: via phoc.nl.
Still not sure if this programme is right for you? Feel free to send me an email and we'll go through it together. Be quick, places are limited.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a particular type of camera? No. You work with what you have. It's not about equipment.
Can I join if I have no experience with work discussions? Yes. We start with the basics. The checklist helps you with that.
What if I miss a lesson? That can happen. We'll discuss how to keep you as up to speed as possible. If you structurally miss lessons, the programme becomes less worthwhile, we'll be honest with you about that.
Is the exhibition mandatory? We expect everyone to take part in the exhibition. It's the finale of the year. How big your contribution is, we'll agree on together.
What exactly is an Artist Statement? An Artist Statement is a short text, a paragraph or half a page, in which you explain what drives you as a photographer and what you want to say with your work. It's not a CV, not a biography. It's a point of view. We guide you step by step in writing it.
Nijmegen is a city with character. One of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, with a lively centre, a diverse street scene and a rich cultural scene. For street photography, portrait photography, documentary photography, there's something here for everyone.
The surrounding area offers space too: the river landscape, the Waalbrug, the Ooijpolder nearby. For photographers who want to work with context, this is an excellent base.
Ready for a year?
This programme asks something of you. Time, attention, a willingness to look critically at your own work. But it gives something back too: direction, growth, a working project and a group of people who understand what you're working on.
If you're ready to take that step, we'd love to hear from you.