My photography in 2024 and plans for 2025

The end of the year is a time for wrapping things up and making plans for the next 12 months. For my own sake, so I don’t forget where I am coming from and where I’m going to, here’s a quick recap of my favorite and most important moments from 2024.

When it comes to photography, 2024 was both busy… and not. On one hand, I feel like the year slipped through my fingers - it flew by so quickly. But when I look at all the trips I took and the photos I shot, it’s clear a lot actually happened.

I spent most of the year exploring the coastline and taking photos for my The North Sea project.
The initial plan to fly a drone over the Dutch coast and snap landscape photos from above didn’t quite work out. What started as an Instagram profile with pretty beach pictures suddenly began shifting toward a documentary vibe.
It turned out that semi-documentary shots of the coast, the sea, and the people connected to it bring me the most joy and satisfaction.

Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to stick to my initial and very optimistic goal of covering the entire coastline and exploring Dutch islands, but I hope there’ll be time and space for that in 2025.

In 2024, I traveled relatively a lot. My goal was to visit at least three new countries but this didn’t work out. After Norway and Scotland, I booked tickets to Ireland, but sadly, I had to cancel the trip.
Good news: I’m giving Ireland another shot in March, and I’m hopeful it’ll happen this time!

Aside from that, I visited Poland and Germany several times, spent two weeks in Sweden (with a quick check-in in Denmark, that technically, could count as one of the three new countries), and made it to Portugal.

Almost every summer weekend was spent outdoors with my wife and our dog, hitting up local, basic campsites in the woods and sleeping in the car. Such a great time.

Meanwhile, I took loads of photos on these trips, plus some street photography at home and around.

Personal brand-wise, quite a lot happened as well. I had a few solid assignments, sold a good number of prints and posters (which I released during the We Make The Hague exhibition I participated in back in September), and added the posters to my online store.
The store, along with a new portfolio and blog, all launched mid-year.

Along the way, I realized that marketing and selling my work isn’t something I have the time or energy for. So, it worked out perfectly that toward the end of the year, I started collaborating with the Kunst in Kaart platform, where my cityscapes are now available as prints.

In 2025, I’d like to focus more on the blog. Writing has always been something I really enjoy, and I see it as a kind of practice to lift up my skills. Hopefully, I won’t run out of topics in the months ahead!

Creative portrait

One of the things I unexpectedly returned to this year was portrait photography. Around mid-year, I revisited my approach to portraits and the direction I wanted to explore - creative portraiture.
I started by writing down the ideas and planning shoots. That conceptual work quickly turned into real projects.
I photographed, among others, Dutch pianist Xavier Boot (XA4), as well as a few personal creative shoots has been done that will soon make it into my portfolio.

It turns out it really resonates with me, and it’s a type of photography I’d love to pursue in my commercial work, exclusively.

My photography in 2025

I don’t have any big goals and ambitions for the next year. My main resolution is to slow down and ease up. At some point this year, I felt an uncomfortable pressure I’d put on myself - the pressure to be super productive, to succeed and to create at the highest possible level.
It wore me out slightly.

Fortunately, I realized on time I’m in a privileged position where, when it comes to photography, I don’t have to do anything. I have complete freedom of choice, and I’d like to keep it that way.

In the new year, I’d like to have enough time and energy to balance family life, work, travel, and creative projects - in a healthy and enjoyable way.

I won’t mind if time flies by again, as long as it’s a sign that the kids are having fun.

I created a free guide (well, a mini-course is a better word), which will help you make more compelling, clean pictures.
It includes a little bit of theory, example images and practical tips/exercises.
Do you want to start making minimalistic, clean images that stand out? That guide is for you.

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