School Projectweek
IFFR x Nederlands Fotomuseum x GLR
As part of a school project at the Grafisch Lyceum Rotterdam—organized in collaboration with the Nederlands Fotomuseum and the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR)—we were challenged to work in teams of five to produce a photograph in the style of American photographer Gregory Crewdson, all within five days.
From pre-production to post-production, everything had to be handled by us. It was an intense five days, but we pulled it off. Our photo was awarded second place, which meant it was displayed extra-large in the museum.
"What You Left Behind..."
Our theme was loneliness.
The concept: a broken family, captured in a single moment.
The viewer looks through the window of a house into the living room, where a mother and daughter sit facing each other. Outside, the father stands, looking in. He has just brought his daughter back home. Now separated from the family, he watches them from a distance — disconnected, longing, and alone.
He doesn't just look through the window; he looks at what he has left behind
For this production I worked with:
Rianne Akihary, Anouk van Rijn, Talha Yazici, Puck Brussel, Sem van Schie
Gregory Crewdson is best known for his large productions, sets, and cinematic style.
His photographs resemble film stills: carefully staged, dramatically lit, and thought out in great detail. Crewdson often works with large production teams and uses techniques from the film world to create an almost surreal, yet realistic atmosphere. His photographs often narrate social themes and issues, offering a visual commentary on human experience.
Even though it is not reportage photography, I did learn a lot. Among other things, performing under pressure and using a medium-format Fujifilm. But also about light, and how to use (artificial) light in the best possible way.
