For many, photography is a technique to capture reality. To me, it’s a technology to create illusions rooted in reality. Scenes that appear strange and sometimes challenge what’s considered acceptable in photography, yet stay on the right side of weird.
I mainly photograph in public spaces, in an environment designed by people. A large piece of my work categorizes as street photography, though purists may disagree since my work is not about documenting human activities despite that people frequently appear in my images, nor is it about social issues, despite my preference for shots that do not directly paint the most touristy picture of Belgium.
Street Photography Magazine quite accurately described my street photos as glimpses. They’re tiny fragments of what’s around us, taken out of context. Scenes or objects that we usually miss or ignore, and that are able to convey some sort of emotion when isolated by the eye of the photographer.
I also shoot images in parks and nature in a dark, romantic style that reminds of the pictorialist era, and experiment with techniques such as reflections, oily filters and double exposure. Photos that at first glance look different from my street work, but presumably express a similar sensibility.
Abstraction plays an important role in my work. It is achieved in a variety of ways, though almost exclusively when shooting. I keep post-processing limited to minor adjustments to – when needed – exposure, color and contrast.
Coincidence steers my output. Nothing of what I do is staged. I love the creative process, the limitations of working on the street and what I’m able to do with what crosses my path. I hope my photos manage to intrigue, move, fascinate, question and make you feel that the mundane is an interesting place.
Besides, it’s plain fun to shoot. In fact, that’s what keeps me going in the first place.