Photography workshops and masterclasses

Conceptual street photography is, to me, the next step after classic street photography. Where traditional street photography is about catching the decisive moment, conceptual street photography goes a layer deeper. You do not only photograph what happens, you add an idea, a thought, a direction to it. You do not only look, you steer, subtly. Not by directing scenes as if you were on a film set, but by going out into the street with intent.

What exactly is conceptual street photography?

Conceptual street photography is street photography with a plan. You work from a theme, a question or a visual idea. Think of a series about loneliness in a busy city. Or about the contrast in colour between tourists and locals. Or about repetition, shadow, mirrors, silhouettes, power, silence. You choose a frame in advance and then actively look for it in public space. The street remains the setting. The people remain real. But the way you look becomes sharper, more focused, more deliberate.

It asks something different of you than wandering around with a camera. It asks for concentration. Patience. The ability to say no to good photographs that do not fit your concept. That is exciting. Because you see all sorts of things. But you choose. And it is precisely in that choosing that your work grows.

Who is conceptual street photography for?

For photographers who feel they want more than individual strong images. For people who want to make a series that hangs together. For photographers who may have been shooting in the street for a while, but notice they are looking for depth. Who want to develop a signature of their own. Or who are working towards a book, an exhibition or a portfolio.

It is also for photographers who take themselves seriously. Not necessarily professionally, but in terms of substance. You want to grow. You want to understand why an image works. You want to learn how to translate an idea into something visual. And you want feedback that goes further than “nice photo”. You are looking for someone to think with.

Why with me?

Because I have walked that road myself. I started out observing. Recording. Responding to whatever presented itself. But over the years I noticed that my work got stronger when I went out into the street with a thought in mind. When I started making series. When I dared to cut. When I started asking myself questions like: what do I actually want to say here?

In my workshops and mentoring I combine my experience as a street photographer with my background as an entrepreneur and mentor. I do not only help you look better, I also help you make choices. I ask questions. Uncomfortable ones, sometimes. What is your subject? Why does this move you? What are you leaving out? What are you afraid of?

We work concretely. With assignments. With themes. With feedback. We analyse your images. We look at the rhythm in a series. At repetition. At contrast. At the tension between images. And above all: at coherence.

More honest street photography

I believe conceptual street photography forces you to be more honest. You can hide behind chance less. You take responsibility for your work. And that is exactly where the growth is.

If you work with me, you will not get a list of tricks. You get direction. Attention. And a safe but honest space to experiment in. I am direct. But always with the aim of getting you further. I see quickly where the potential is. And where you are still holding yourself back.

Conceptual street photography is not a loose idea, quite the opposite. It is a way of working that helps you move from a collection of separate images to a story, a series, a project. From photographer to maker. From recording to creating.

And if you feel you are ready for that, I would be glad to walk part of the way with you.

Show me the options

Portrait photography, to me, is not a trick with a lamp and a good-looking face. It is a conversation, but in images. You want to show someone as they feel, not only as they look. And that is exactly where the strength of a one-to-one workshop lies: all the attention goes to your questions, your taste, your pace. We make it concrete. We make it something you can actually do.

We start however suits you

Sometimes you come with a model, someone you already have an idea with or someone you trust. Sometimes I arrange a model, so that you can focus entirely on light, direction and building an image. Either works. The advantage of one-to-one is that we do not have to compromise. We choose whatever works best for what you want to learn.

After that we start with a blank canvas or with a Pinterest board. A blank canvas is wonderful when you feel: I want something new, but I do not yet know quite what. Then we build the idea up step by step, from your taste and from what is in your head but not yet within reach. A Pinterest board is perfect when you already have references. Then we look at what it is that draws you in here. Is it the contrast? The shadow? The softness? The pose? The distance to your subject? We take it apart until it makes sense.

We analyse light

Next we analyse light. Not vaguely, but precisely. Where does it come from, how big is the light source, how hard or soft is it, what does it do to skin, eyes and texture? We look at catchlights, at the edges of shadows, at the ratio between key light and fill. And we put words to what you see, so that you can recognise it later in photographs that inspire you.

Then we rebuild it. We take the light shapers we have, we look at what is possible in my studio, and we translate that analysis into a set-up that works. Sometimes that is one lamp and a reflector. Sometimes it is an extra accent or a background light. But always for a reason. You do not only learn what to do, above all you learn why.

Thinking about portrait photography

The result is that you are no longer dependent on chance. You learn to think about what you want to make and how to get there. You walk out of my studio with a clearer sense of your own taste, more control over light, and a plan for your next portraits. Not working harder, working with more purpose. That is the gain.

This is what I am looking for. I want to book!