Cooking together, eating together, chilling out together. The communal spaces in student houses tell the best stories. Sometimes messy, sometimes chaotic, but always lively and full of character. With my project 100 Common Rooms in Student Houses I want to capture those places. Honest and pure. As they are.
I am looking for students who enjoy having their common room, living room or kitchen photographed - along with a few housemates. Think: no cleaning up, no posing. Just the way it is. You don't have to pre-build anything.
I'd like to collect a total of 100 photos of these unique places and their residents. An ode to student life as I once experienced it myself: friendships for life, cooking together, watching football, ballotage evenings for new residents, exchanging experiences and growing up step by step.
Why these pictures?
Student houses are places full of life, memories and friendship. I want to capture that atmosphere in a series of documentary photos. Not perfect pictures, but real moments. The piles of dishes, the empty beer crates, the board game that has been on the table for three weeks: that is what makes it beautiful.
With this series, I want to show how special these years are. And how each common space tells its own story.
Each photo is accompanied by a short paragraph of text, which we compose over a cup of coffee after the photo shoot. A spontaneous quote or beautiful statement, not made up, but truly taken from life. In this way, each house becomes a unique chapter in the larger story.
What I am looking for
- Student houses with a common room (living room, kitchen or something in between)
- At least 2-3 students who want their picture taken
- No pre-clearance - how it is is good!
- Houses within one hour travel time from Nijmegen (think cities like Arnhem, Wageningen, Den Bosch, Eindhoven)
Are you a student and would you like to join? Fill in the form at the bottom of this page!
What do you get in return?
Every house that participates receives:
- A beautiful framed print for the kitchen
- The photo digitally for your own use
In addition, your house might be in my final exhibition as well as in a possible book about this project. How cool is that?
Together, we thus create a time document. An ode to the years when anything goes.
Just being practical
In order to arrange everything neatly, I ask each student who will be in the picture to sign a so-called quitclaim to sign. This states that I may use the photos for my portfolio, social media, a possible exhibition and publications such as a book. Simple, clear and without fine print.
Do you have questions about the quitclaim or want to check what exactly it entails first? Feel free to send me a message.
About me
My name is Michiel Heijmans and I am a photographer with a love for real stories. My documentary photography focuses on life as it is. Previously, I worked on projects about street photography and daily life in Dutch cities. Feel free to look around this website for more information, or visit my instagram: @michielheijmans.
Will you join the project?
Would you like your student house to be included in this special project? Then sign up using the form below. I will contact you as soon as possible to arrange a time!
Yes, I'm in!
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