About.
THE PERSON BEHIND THE LENS
Mell
My company name is my last name, as photography has always been a family thing.
My grandfather was one of the first in their street to own a camera and he might be the one to invent the “selfie”: With the camera on a tripod and my grandpa posing with the family, while my grandma, uncle, aunt and dad were laughing there hearts out because of the ridiculously posed scene. Let’s say he was a man before his time 😉
My dad inherited the gene and is also a fanatic amateur photographer and my sister has a passion for analogue photography.
I’m the first to actually make it my job.
I “grew up” in events, I started as a Graphic Design intern and worked for the same company for 15 years. The company grew and changed and with it I grew and changed too.
In the weekends I took up a hobby, photographing the Amsterdam Nightlife. Little did I know this would change my life.
Photographing in Nightlife are some of the hardest conditions, it’s fast changing, very dark, always moving. But it’s so full of energy!
It was a small step to start photographing the events we organised, this gave me a unique inside in what clients want to see in the pictures, since I was also the one using them on websites and in sales pitches.
After 15 years at this company it was time to ask myself some hard questions, was I going to do this for another 15 years? Or was it time to follow a dream?
I chose the dream.
It was a year before the pandemic when I choose to freelance in events, what a timing right? But surviving this time and branching out to other types of photography, it made me stronger. Adding Portraits and Content Photography to my work.
For portraits I find that I’m a very social person, I can easily talk to almost anyone. Setting the right relaxed atmosphere is so important to a good portrait shoot. Off course you need to understand the equipment, but for me this is where the social aspect of the job is most important.
And then content, for someone who studied Concept & Branding (AMFI Amsterdam) and always thought I chose the wrong study because “I wasn’t fashion”. Well this study prepared me perfectly for photographing content for different companies. Brand values feel natural to me. Telling the stories of these brands through pictures.
With all of this together, every day is different from the day before (well except for the editing days off course). And that is why I love this way of life!