Photography: From Passion to Profession

Where it all began

Observing and capturing beauty are things I have enjoyed from a young age. During my childhood, I often drew things that made an impression on me, or that I imagined. Nowadays, I mostly use a camera to do the same. Interestingly, I discovered my passion for photography through another interest: dressing up, haha. When I was about fifteen years old, my best friend and I would put together outfits, do our hair, and then head into the neighbourhood, a park, or the forest to photograph one another.

At the time, I didn’t own a camera myself, but I was allowed to borrow my parents’. Because I couldn’t capture things instantly or whenever I wanted, these photo shoots felt special and defining. Although photography itself was still more of a by-product of dressing up and having fun together, it quietly trained my eye and made me grow fond of working with a camera. The camera as a medium - and its depth - were still somewhat invisible to me, but interacting with it planted a seed.

Growing a love for atmosphere and the craft of photography

When I got my first smartphone at seventeen, around the time Instagram was founded, I - like many others - started photographing everything I thought was pretty. From flowers to friends, and from pets to meals, haha...It was the first time I began looking at my surroundings through the eyes of a photographer, albeit an untrained one. At the same time, Instagram allowed me to discover how much I enjoyed editing photos and creating a visually cohesive page, where colours and shapes worked together harmoniously.

What's most important though, is that I grew increasingly fond of the process of making photographs. The subject mattered, but the act of capturing itself became just as important. I also realised that, for me, photography and Instagram were not so much about showing myself, but about showing the world around me. While I still enjoyed the occasional photoshoot with friends, or taking a self-portrait from time to time, my surroundings soon became my favourite subject.

The first camera, and a sense of belonging

As the limitations of my iPhone 4’s camera became evident and my curiosity for photography grew, I decided to save up for my first 'real' camera. On my birthday, my father and I went to an electronics store, where I bought the Nikon D3100 with a zoom lens. Using an SLR camera for the first time and learning about its functions felt incredibly special. From that moment on, I took it everywhere with me.

The Nikon served me well for a long time, and during my first five months in South Africa, I deeply regretted not bringing it with me. I had only brought a fairly small suitcase, and it simply didn't fit. Being without a proper camera in a country as beautiful as South Africa made me realise how essential photography had become to me: it was more of an extension of myself than I had ever consciously noticed.

Falling in love with film

As I delved deeper into photography as a medium, I found myself increasingly drawn to film photography. One of the main reasons for this growing interest was the discovery of analogue quality. Knowing that my then-boyfriend shared this appreciation, I decided to buy him a beautiful Pentax ME for his birthday. After receiving the gift, we went on long walks through Amsterdam, photographing its streets, buildings and canals. Through this process, I got my first real taste of film photography myself, and I was instantly in love.

When the images from the Pentax came back from development, I was happily surprised by their beauty. I realised I had been searching for a certain level of authenticity, and film photography brought me closer to what felt like my own visual language. It took another two years before I decided to buy my own analogue camera, as well as a proper digital one, but once I did, we became inseparable.

Balancing analogue soul and digital freedom

Over the past few years, I have worked extensively with both film and digital photography. The digital camera I chose, the Fujifilm X-T4, has the body and tactile experience of an analogue camera, complete with external dials. In addition, it offers settings that allow its images to echo the look and feel of film.

While I love the precision, unpredictability and true analogue quality of film cameras, the Fujifilm gives me spontaneity, speed and reliability.

Finding my subjects, shaping my style

Taking my cameras with me almost everywhere soon became second nature. Through this habit, I discovered how deeply I love photographing nature, architecture and street life. At the same time, organising shoots with friends and taking on photography assignments for events and weddings allowed me to further develop my portrait work.

As with most things in life, I am drawn to variety. Rather than limiting myself to a single genre, I envision building a career that allows for creative freedom. More than focusing on a specific type of photography, I dedicate myself to capturing what I see through a distinctly personal lens, aiming for images that feel refined, timeless and imbued with a vintage, cinematic atmosphere.

On my page Fujifilm X-T4, I share more about my journey with both film and digital photography. Additionally, you can read more about my event photography here (use the Google Translate browser extension to read it in English), or explore my shoots via the ‘magazine’ section in the navigation.