The Editorial Portrait: Seeing the Subject, Seeing the Story
An editorial portrait isn't just about capturing a person. It's about capturing their presence in the world. It goes beyond the image and speaks to why they matter, right now.
Daphne de Bruin photographed in an editorial portrait for De Volkskrant
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
An intense black-and-white editorial portrait of Renee van Bavel featured in the editorial publications of De Volkskrant
Editorial portrait of twins the editorial publications of the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant.
Johan Simons . Dutch theatre director.
Barry Atsma. Dutch actor. In lingerie and thigh-high stockings sitting on a dressing room counter, with a mirror, flowers, clothing, and shoes around him.
Black-and-white portrait of a man with light hair, sitting on a wooden ladder, resting his face on his hand, wearing a dark blazer, jeans, and a button-down shirt, against a plain background.
A large group of elderly men standing together, some holding music sheets, in a room with curtains, all singing or preparing to sing.
A group of men watching a chess game with an official note-taking sheet on the table.
Group of six men gathered around a table reviewing documents, with a model airplane on a stand and various books and papers.
Silvana Hildegard "Sylvana" Simons
More than a face beside a headline, the editorial portrait becomes a sentence in the ongoing conversation.
It's a moment where the subject doesn't just look out but speaks. This is visual storytelling at its most intentional, where truth meets interpretation. Editorial portraiture doesn't float in neutrality. It gets framed with meaning, created to be understood. It's photography with a point of view.
Looking at such a portrait means entering a space charged with recognition. We scan for clues, test our instincts, question what we think we know. Like real encounters, portraits can soothe, confront, or mobilize. Some get elevated, others buried. They sit close to the pulse of public feeling.
What's your story?
Fine Art & Editorial Portrait Photographer | The Hague, Netherlands
Cinematic portraiture rooted in classical aesthetics and contemporary storytelling. Available for commissioned portraits, editorial assignments, and collaborative projects in The Hague, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and beyond.