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eJournal Issue 8 Summer 2025

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Issue 8 Summer 2025

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Editor & Designer eJournal Katherine Maguire ARPS Proof reading Sue Goldberg LRPS Treasurer

Organiser Carol Olerud FRPS Webmaster Katherine Maguire ARPS

The Royal Photographic Society Benelux Chapter

Copyright The copyright of photographs and text in this eJournal belong to the author of the article of which they form part, unless otherwise indicated. Liability Disclaimer The author of an article is responsible and liable for all content, text and images provided by them. Neither the RPS Benelux Chapter nor the editor is responsible or liable for any content therein. Cover photo Katherine Maguire ARPS

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Introduction

Views from the Benelux Chapter Organiser – eJournal Issue 8 Summer 2025 There are many interesting and very different articles to read in this new Summer Edition of our eJournal. This is so nice to see. Thank you to our contributors; without you doing so, this eJournal for the members by the members wouldn’t exist. 2025 has a lot of photographic activities for us, namely the year of the Pelt International Fotofestival in Belgium! We are so happy to be a supporter again in this edition with “Human Vulnerability” as the subtheme. The main theme of this photo festival ‘Lens op de Mens’ is the focus on people, making for an interesting and grand exposition. Photos on pillars on the streets of Pelt, as well as many activities and indoor photo expositions can be seen. The opening is on 8 June, and it runs until 28 September 2025. Please look at their programme on the website! https://fotofestivalpelt.be/en/ programme-2025-2/ Our very own Personal Stories Photography Workshop by Carla Kogelman will be on 21st of September – be sure to sign up for it. See inside eJournal for all the details. We have our own Members’ Print Exposition on our “Wall” with 25 photos also on the theme of “Human Vulnerability”. We held our Spring Photo Challenge for this and jury members Armando Jongejan FRPS and Jan Ros ARPS did an excellent job of selecting our images. Thank you both. Also, thanks to all 15 members for submitting your photos. Please look inside for the selected photos and then go to our webpages to see all the photos submitted. On 30th of April, eight of us met up at the Utrecht University Botanic Gardens for our first ever participation of the T-W-T (Talk-Walk-Talk) organised jointly by the SIGs Landscape and Digital. Many photographers in the UK and elsewhere have done/are doing photo walks on the theme of ‘Parks and Gardens’ this Spring. An excellent initiative to get folks out there with their cameras together. We had a lovely day of it, an unusually hot day, with blue skies giving us a great feeling of Summer! We will discuss our results in a Zoom session on 20th of May. More about this in our Autumn eJournal! On a personal note, I have been very busy: my son married his lovely Mexican wife in April, in The Netherlands. We had a lot of Mexicans here for it! Then my youngest daughter will be finishing off her Research Masters in June in Sweden, so that is exciting. My eldest daughter will be giving birth to her second child in early August – so many great photo opportunities for this Mother! Life is in full swing! I hope everyone is happy and healthy and enjoying themselves. While the world is in a lot of chaos, it’s the little things that will keep you going. Stay positive, for this too shall pass. History is in the making and the best thing we can do is take photos to record the time we are now in so future generations can study us. We continue with our Zoom sessions and Study Group meet ups every month, our Benelux Chapter is growing, and we welcome all interested photographers to come and be part of this nice community we have. Carol Olerud FRPS Benelux Chapter Organiser May 2025

Issue 8 Summer 2025

IN THIS ISSUE

6 RPS Benelux Chapter

Bajeskwartier Amsterdam

Pelt Weekend

Katherine Maguire ARPS

38 12 RPS Benelux Chapter Members’ Print Exhibition

THAILAND WITH A SMILE Armando Jongejan FRPS

68 Shark Bay Jana Teneva

Issue 8 Summer 2025

In this Issue

98 Upcoming Events

Dark rooms of …

96 90 Members’ Photos

Facts about the Chapter

100 About the eJournal

Issue 8 Summer 2025

RPS Benelux Chapter Pelt Weekend

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Pelt Weekend 2025

RPS Benelux Chapter Programme 2025 – International Dinner on Saturday 20 September Sunday 21 September WORKSHOP DAY (location to be confirmed) 10:30 - 12:30 12:30 - 13:00 13:00 - 15:00 16:00 - 17:30

Personal Stories Photography Workshop with Carla Kogelman Lunch (own costs) Photographing in the streets of Pelt as part of the workshop Discussion of results (exact planning subject to change on the day) 18:00 - 19:00 Drinks (own costs)

(19:00 - 22:30 Dinner together (own costs) option)

The costs for the Workshop:

RPS Members: €45,00 Non-Members: €48,00 to be paid in advance to our bank account with: J Dorrestein - NL73 ABNA 0131 3571 31 (BIC ABNANL2A) referring to Pelt and your name Please register your attendance with an email (beneluxnl@rps.org) and make your payment for the event. If you wish to stay overnight, you must arrange your own hotel or B&B reservation. Car-pooling can be organised from NL

www.rps.org https://fotofestivalpelt.be/en/programme-2025-2/

The photo festival is on from 8th June – 28th September 2025 Official opening on 8th June – winners announced See also our event page

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Pelt Weekend 2025

Personal Stories Photography Workshop With Carla Kogelman on 21 September 2025 International Photo Festival Pelt, Belgium & RPS Benelux Chapter

10:30am – 5:30pm in Pelt (location to be confirmed) A one-day workshop about finding/making/creating your own personal stories. • • • •

Tell a story with your photographs Capture the moment and improve your photos Use natural light and movement Find your style and signature

> Personal, intimate, individual, visual, close by > Find something which intrigues you: a movement, a character, a human, an attitude, a gesture, an emotion

Morning session > introduction + portfolio Afternoon session > photography + discussing photos Material> please bring > • • • •

Digital camera Laptop Printed personal portfolio (5-12 photos) Language > English

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Pelt Weekend 2025

About Carla Kogelman

© Sonja Liebhart As an artist, I focus on telling personal stories, with the goal of giving these stories a place in our collective memory. As a photographer, I try not to be judgmental, but rather to provide space for different perspectives. The goal of my work is not only to remember, but also to create awareness and contribute to critical thinking about how we are shaped by our environment. How we are in life and what this means. My photographs are not exact reconstructions of what is apparently visible, but rather a result of encounters and interpretations interwoven with my own memories, emotions and experiences. It is my commentary on that which I encounter. In this way, I try to create a dialogue between the environment and the viewer. I try to invite the viewer to look further and think about how these stories can become and remain relevant in our contemporary society. Leading themes in my work are resilience, engagement and poignancy. There are often multiple photographs that form a group. A credible and cinematic narrative. My projects arise from thorough preparation, thorough study of literature, internet consultation and

Pelt Weekend 2025

Issue 8 Summer 2025

on-site encounters. They often take place from the confluence of circumstances. In recent years I have noticed that my projects are gaining more depth of content. Results arise only at the moment of shooting, allowing me to experience much more freedom. In this way they grow into something beautiful. And so, my oeuvre grows steadily and my visual language develops. My work often consists of series in which increasingly numerous images lead an autonomous life. In a world where cultures are increasingly intertwined, I want to not only tell personal stories, but also raise universal questions about who we are and how we relate to different cultures. This is more relevant than ever in the current era, as we are in a time of increasing migration and diversity.

Carla Kogelman (1961) is an acclaimed Dutch photographer known for her intimate, poignant black-and-white reports that tell deep human stories. Before focusing on photography, Kogelman worked in the theatre, where she developed a keen eye for the complexity and emotion of human interactions. This background forms the foundation of her unique style and her ability to capture the unseen, everyday life in a remarkable way. Kogelman gained recognition with her series Ich Bin Waldviertel, which documents the upbringing of two young girls in rural Austria. This series won

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Pelt Weekend 2025

first prize in the ‘Observed Portraits’ category at the World Press Photo 2014, and 1st prize long term project World Press Photo 2018, showcasing the raw and free lives of children in an isolated community. Her work is notable for the intensity and vulnerability it radiates, providing insight into the purity of childhood expressions and the security found in simple surroundings. Her projects often focus on the experiences of children and young people and how they perceive the world, frequently in environments subject to change. She predominantly photographs in black and white, which gives her images a timeless and universal quality. Through her work, Kogelman finds beauty in the ordinary, capturing subtle moments of intimacy and emotion that often go unnoticed. Kogelman’s work has been exhibited internationally and has received various awards and nominations. Her projects have significant social impact, illustrating a world where the small, daily moments of life carry as much weight as major events. Her photography invites reflection on the human experience, reminding us that every story, no matter how small, holds value.

www.carlakogelman.nl www.rps.org

Issue 8 Summer 2025

RPS Benelux Chapter and International Photo Festival Pelt 2025

RPS Members Print Exhibition Spring Challenge - “Human Vulnerability”

Photo Festival theme is ‘Lens op de Mens’ -’Focus on Man’ With sub-theme - Human Vulnerability’

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Members' Print Exhibition

For our 2025 Spring Challenge, we called for three photos each from our members to be about Human Vulnerability, as this is the theme in the International Photo Festival in Pelt this year. The photos must be about people.

Members' Print Exhibition

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We had 15 members submit 39 photos for our jury members to select from. The jury this year was Armando Jongejan FRPS and Jan Ros ARPS. They kindly and rapidly selected the best photos. We now have 25 for our Members’ Print Exposition which will be on show in Pelt during the entire photo festival. “Our Wall”, at the same place as in 2023, is where our photos will be located and has photos from every member who submitted. Congratulations to the selected photos! All 39 photos can be seen on our website.

The International Photo Festival will be on from 8 June to 28 September 2025. Pelt is just 35 km across the border from Eindhoven in The Netherlands and about one hour and a half drive from Brussels, Belgium.

For more information about our Programme, please see other pages.

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Gerry Phillipson ARPS

Members' Print Exhibition

Armando Jongejan FRPS

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Members' Print Exhibition

Carol Olerud FRPS

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Members' Print Exhibition

Cobi Neeft ARPS

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Members' Print Exhibition

Jan Ros ARPS

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Members' Print Exhibition

Katherine Maguire ARPS

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Members' Print Exhibition

Kim Bybjerg LRPS

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Members' Print Exhibition

Minke Groenewoud-Beerda LRPS

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Members' Print Exhibition

Sue Goldberg LRPS

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Ton van der Laan LRPS

Members' Print Exhibition

Joaquim Capitao

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Members' Print Exhibition

Annemarie Jung

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Astrid Preisz

Members' Print Exhibition

Felicity Handford

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Madeleine Lenagh

Members' Print Exhibition

Issue 8 Summer 2025

THAILAND WITH A SMILE Armando Jongejan FRPS

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Thailand with a smile

In the fall of 2024, I visited Thailand. Of course I started in Bangkok, but then I travelled to the northwest to meet some people from a few of the mountain tribes. Once again, I have made the results of my trip tangible. This time in the form of a photo book with 110 black and white photos in the same layout and atmosphere as my books MADE IN CHINA and VIETNAM AT WORK. This new book was published in a small edition last February. For me, a book is a fitting result. After all, you can open a book much more easily than you can look at the photos on a computer screen.

Thailand with a smile

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Thailand is also called the land of smiles. The people seem friendly and indeed they smile a lot. In Thai culture, the smile stands for respect and hospitality, among other things.

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Thailand with a smile

The Kingdom of Thailand borders Myanmar to the north and northwest, Laos and Cambodia to the east and Malaysia to the south. The southwest coast is on the Andaman Sea and the Strait of Malacca. The east coast, with the towns

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Thailand with a smile

of Hua Hin, Bang Pu and Sam Roi Yot, is on the Gulf of Thailand.

The country has approximately 71 million inhabitants, of which more than 10 million live in Bangkok, a city with

many

high-rise

buildings,

temples and the royal palace.

In the northwest there are villages with a few hundred inhabitants, such as Huay Pu Keng, a mountain village that can only be reached by river. The village is best known for the women of the Long-Neck tribe, a mountain tribe that is part of the Karen.

The women who wear the heavy copper rings around their necks do not have a long neck; the chest and shoulders are pressed down by the weight, which is how it appears. It looks special and uncomfortable but

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Thailand with a smile

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Thailand with a smile

is locally seen as a form of beauty. Girls get their first ring around their necks around the age of five. Over the years, the rings increase in size and weight.

In recent years, the inhabitants of Huay Pu Keng have been involved in a form of community tourism, which also benefits the villagers. Locally made wood carvings, scarves and other items are offered for sale in simple stalls.

Since the arrival of solar panels, they also have electricity, satellite TV and mobile phones. There is a primary school in the village. The secondary school is in Mae Hong Son.

The

secondary

school

students live on campus and only go home during the weekends.

Thailand with a smile

Issue 8 Summer 2025

The Lahu Mountain people live in Bo Khrai. The village is quite remote and can be reached by an unpaved road. The houses, often built of wood and bamboo, are also on stilts in this mountain village, which has the advantage that stored materials are placed under the living area. Work can therefore be carried out in the shade, and during the rainy season the rainwater can easily flow away to lower areas.

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Thailand with a smile

You can explore large parts of Thailand by bike. From a bike you get a good impression of a city like Bangkok. Sometimes it is impossible to pass oncoming traffic in the narrow streets. It is striking how patiently oncoming traffic waits for you. Usually, you see a friendly smile instead of hearing honking, ringing or grumbling.

Thailand with a smile

Issue 8 Summer 2025

In a few hours you can cover quite a distance and visit different locations, such as a market with a stall, where the fish are still swimming in a tub. Sometimes you are surprised with a large pig's head on a counter. It is different from the markets in the Netherlands.

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Thailand with a smile

The bicycle is also a pleasant type of transport in the countryside. You can easily get closer to the people who live and work there such as the farm workers at Sam Klang, west of Chiang Mai. Wooden temples are built in the village that are used for cremation ceremonies. The wood is covered with paper. Here too, the rule is: 'the richer the deceased, the bigger the temple'.

Thailand with a smile

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Unlike in the Netherlands, you can cycle on the highway here, even on the wrong side of the road. Admittedly on the hard shoulder, but still. If you want to cross the highway, it is a matter of paying close attention and crossing at the right time. Motorcycles with sidecars, called salengs in Thailand, are common in the country. They are not only used to transport people, but also as a complete market stall. Salengs and motorcycles with trailers are mainly seen in the

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Thailand with a smile

countryside. In Nam Bo Luang, local vegetables, fruits and even drinks are sold in plastic bags hanging from the metal frame of the saleng.

Buddhism is the most important religion in Thailand, comprising 90% of the population. There are more than 41,000 Buddhist temples in the country. Some have fallen into disrepair over the centuries; others, such as the Wat Arun on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok and the Wat Tham Seua in Kanchanaburi, are still very impressive.

Thailand with a smile

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When you enter a temple you show respect. You take off your shoes, cover your shoulders, women also cover their legs and when you sit down in a temple your feet do not point towards Buddha. In the temples respect is also shown to the king. There is usually an image of King Rama X, such as in the Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai.

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Thailand with a smile

Every Thai Buddhist man has been a monk at least once in his life. This can be at a young age or later in life and can vary from a week, a few months to a lifetime. King Rama X was also a monk for a short time in 1978. At the Wat Jong Klang, a temple in Mae Hong Son, I met a number of young monks. They were between 9 and 11 years old and were sitting in the temple in orange robes. A little later I saw one of them outside the temple. He slid down a banister. It was a beautiful sight to see the child in the monk.

Older Thai monks live a sober life, just like Dutch monks do. Early in the morning they go out with a tray to get food from the people. The monks do not thank the donors. It happens the other way around. A donor shows respect and thanks the monk by making a slight bow with the palms of his hands under his chin. Thailand with a smile.

More information about the book, contact armandojongejan@hotmail.com Hardcover 30x30cm, 122 pages, 110 black & white photos printed in full colour.

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Bajeskwartier Amsterdam Katherine Maguire ARPS

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Bajeskwartier

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When a new bike and foot bridge over the Weepertrekvaart canal opened, I was able to access an area which in the past I had little reason to walk around, an area of Amsterdam that used to be dominated by a Prison. Its official name was “Penitentiaire Inrichting Amsterdam Over-Amstel” (Penitentiary Institution) but was better known as “Bijlmerbajes”, that was located in Overamstel Amsterdam and not in the Bijlmer in the Southeast of Amsterdam. It operated as prison from 1978 to 2016 and then as an Asylum Seekers Centre until 2018. It had 6 tower blocks surrounded by a 4-meter wall and water; 5 of the towers have now been demolished.

Solitudobrug

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Bajeskwartier

The wall

The redevelopment of the area began in 2021 as a new neighbourhood of Amsterdam, with the chosen name being “Bajeskwartier” reflecting its historical use as a prison. “Bajes” is a Dutch word for prison. When the new bridge was opened in 2024, I started walking about this new developing neighbourhood; it was then that I realised that some of the old prison wall was going to be integrated into the neighbourhood. It fascinated me that the people living here will have a constant reminder that a prison once stood on this location.

Bajeskwartier

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The Jay

The BajesKwartier is divided into 4 districts; Learning, Design, Central and Amstel. The Jay was the first apartment block to be delivered in the last quarter of 2024, located in the Amstel district, De Vrijheid and The Robin in the Central district being delivered last month. The Learning district was delivered in 2023, where a school and a hotel are located.

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De Vrijheid

Bajeskwartier

The Robin

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The Martin and The Starling

Bajeskwartier

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The Starling with a cutout in the old prison wall

The apartment blocks, -The Starling and The Martin- are currently under construction to be delivered in third quarter of 2025 and 2026 respectfully.

Issue 8 Summer 2025

The prison wall and canal

Bajeskwartier

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As well the apartment blocks, there will be a number of gardens created, making it a green oasis in the middle of Amsterdam. As the area is still under

The Jay and canal

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Bajeskwartier

construction there is little sign of this oasis at the moment. The goal is to make the area energy neutral, with solar panels and other types of renewable energy. This will be a gas free neighbourhood.

The underpass

With the development of this new neighbourhood, new infrastructure was needed, requiring a new underpass to be built under the metro and railway lines. This was opened when the apartment block “De Vrijheid” was delivered, meaning that I could walk past the old prison walls and through the recently opened underpass.

Bajeskwartier

The old women’s wing

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Bajeskwartier

The remaining tower of the old prison, which was formally the women’s wing, will be refurbished into the Green Tower and will become an icon of sustainability. The construction of the neighbourhood is expected to be complete in 2028. I will be taking regular walks in the area and documenting the changes that will occur.

Under construction

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Shark Bay Flying with an open door above a World Heritage area Text by

Jana Teneva Pictures by

Jana Teneva &

Nicolas Plontz

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Shark Bay

While heading to the very scenic (West)Australian spot, a place called Shark Bay, I decided to plan something different. “A flight for photographers” sounded perfect to me, while reading the homepage of the aviation company. So, I booked a flight with an open door to enjoy the diverse landscapes and tons of colours from up in the air without an annoying window in between. On arrival we discovered it was a small Cessna with no door at all

Shark Bay

Issue 8 Summer 2025

on the one side. Behind the pilot there were 2 seats -one behind each otherand on our right was a huge opening of a missing door. Hmmmm, it kind of did look scary. The really young pilot, definitely around 22-23 years old, explained us about the extra security of a special body harness on each passenger and a hook attaching it to each chair. Good tip was to have all gear

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Shark Bay

ready as you won’t really be able to change lenses with the wind blowing in from the big opening next to you while the plane is tilting on the side for better views. Once ready and with cameras on our necks, we took off and started cruising above Shark Bay.

Shark Bay

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Colourful land- and seascapes were changing and flowing into one another. Red and white cliffs, salty gypsum lakes (known as “birridas” there), green-

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Shark Bay

blue-turquoise bays, sand dunes, salt ponds and more. There were tons of shapes, patterns and shades passing below our eyes every 5 seconds. The shoreline of Shark Bay has a ‘W’ shape formed by the two peninsulas (Edel

Shark Bay

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Land and Peron Peninsulas) and the eastern coastal strip. Shark Bay was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1991. World Heritage places represent the best Earth has to offer and Shark Bay is listed because of its exceptional beauty and abundance and because of its a wildlife refuge.

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Shark Bay

In my eyes Shark Bay is an incredible mix of protected areas (such as Perron National Park and Dirk Hartog Island Parks) and man-made creations such as the salt ponds in Useless Loop (on the left peninsula of the bay). Useless Loop is renowned for producing the highest-grade salt in the world using one of the most remote and visually most appealing solar salt evaporation sites. Due to the marine ecosystem, heat and dry winds, salinity in the water is about fifty percent higher than in the world’s oceans. Therefore, is an excellent place for sea salt production and of course some aerial photography too.

Shark Bay

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Sun and wind evaporate the seawater and let the salt crystals grow to a layer of about 250 millimetres. Each crystallizer pond is harvested once a year by breaking the crust of salt into loose chunks and loading it onto trailers. The

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Shark Bay

salt is then washed with seawater and stacked in white piles. Finally, the salt gets shipped to overseas markets in Japan, Indonesia, Korea, and China. Of course, the waters of Shark Bay are not only famous for salt making. Shark Bay

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Shark Bay

is home to more than 100 species of reptiles and amphibians, 240 species of bird, 320 species of fish (of which 28 different shark species) and more than 80 coral species. A must-do activity is going on a boat for marinelife-spotting to meet close some more or less curious dolphins and even dugongs. With about 4000 square

kilometres

sea

floor

colonised by seagrass, the seagrass banks of Shark Bay are the biggest in the world. The seagrass also offers lots of food to all the abovementioned marine mammals.

After 75 minutes enjoying aerial views and taking lots of pictures, we were back on the ground. The feelings that came up in my stomach told me that there were too many sharp turns for good pictures It took us sometime after getting out of the plane to “digest” the magical rainbow of images we saw… Nature is such an artist in painting mesmerising canvas, even better than Van Gogh and Claude Monet put together.

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Shark Bay

Issue 8 Summer 2025

The Dark Rooms of... Marc Wilson An interview series By Marcel Borgstijn “The Dark Rooms of... is an interview series in which a photographer talks about his or her darkrooms, the digital and the mental, or technical and inspirational. What makes you click?”

Marcel Borgstijn

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The Dark Rooms of ...

This interview has been previously published on Marcel’s site Darkrooms and is with British photographer Marc Wilson.

See the original interview on Darkrooms

Marcel has given his permission for it to be republished in the RPS Benelux eJournal

By the way, if you haven’t read the previous interviews in the Darkrooms series, you can find them here.

The Dark Rooms of ...

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Who are you?

Hello. I am Marc Wilson, a photographer working out of the UK.

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The Dark Rooms of ...

I work on long term documentary projects based around memory, history and landscape, based around subjects including The Holocaust, the Second World War and the current war in Ukraine. Over the last 15 years I have made 6 bodies of work (and published as 6 photo books) and have had numerous exhibitions both here in the UK and beyond, including Greece, India, Israel, France and Belgium. As well as books and exhibitions I also give talks about my work and see them as a natural extension of the book and exhibition formats for sharing work with a wide audience.

Technical Do you think technique is important?

Very much but simply to allow you to show the subject you are photographing in the way you want to, without limitations. So for me the point of technique is very important, but not in an empty way. Not style for styles sake, but for the purpose of the visual language you choose to use as a photographer. What you see does not rely on technique but empathy, listening and research.

What equipment do you use?

35mm, medium format and large format - Leica, Hasselblad, Arca Swiss.

The Dark Rooms of ...

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I’ve always chosen the format that fits each project best, both in terms of the technical aspects of the camera but more whether it feels right for me, bearing in mind the subject matter and practicalities.

And what software?

Photo Mechanic, Lightroom, Photoshop, Affinity Publisher.

How do you edit your photos?

For me editing means choosing and sequencing images for a book. I work on screen only initially to choose 100-150 images from those made and then make small 6x4 inch prints of these that I then layout on a table / floor to edit and sequence from. Is that what you meant by editing :) If you mean processing (of my digital images / scans) then I do as little as possible, simply aiming to show what I saw / felt at the time I made the photograph.

Inspirational Where lies your heart?

I try to make work in the way I live my life. Sharing stories about subjects

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The Dark Rooms of ...

that I feel are important, in a subtle and sensitive way. I love the process of making work. The thought, research, travel, walking in the landscape / cities and meeting with people and the conversations it leads to. The very act of making the picture can be so calming and overpowering all at once, as I like to give it all my concentration, to focus completely on what I have seen and then frame through the viewfinder.

Do you have your own style?

Not by design necessarily, but one that initially came out of my way of working with the choice of subject matter, and that has led into all my other work.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

The world around me but also through conversation and looking at other work. But once on location I also like to let the location ‘talk to me’. I know that sounds a bit odd but it’s the idea of spending time in a space before I make any photographs. Getting to try to understand and feel the locations, what parts of it speak to me about the subject I am dealing with. Which composition, what details helps tell that story. That ‘time’ varies from each location to location and project but even with a limited time you can still make it work for you, by looking before you even take your camera out of it’s bag. That is a really important part of the process of making work for me.

The Dark Rooms of ...

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Does your project start with an idea or with a loose image?

Always an idea or a feeling, every single time. The idea, followed by research and discussion and then the initial photographs to see if the images will work in the way I want them to…and if they do not , more work to find the way in that they do. I will then continue with further research as I start to make work on location, building up the body of work as I go along.

When is your project finished?

A variety of reasons. Sometimes the content, sometimes it is time related, but always when I feel it is right in the way that the images I have are enough to talk about the subject matter in the way it needs.

During your project, do you already know how it ends?

Not always, as I am finding new locations and stories as I go along. In my more recent work on Ukraine I have made there are certainly ways in which I would hope it to end, but they have not yet. But I always know what the work is about at the very start.

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The Dark Rooms of ...

What is your favourite photo and why?

I have never really liked choosing one photograph over another as I don’t want it place more important in one location / story over others.

But it is a question I am always asked.

The Dark Rooms of ...

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Early on the in the 6 years of making 'A Wounded Landscape - bearing witness to the Holocaust’ I visited a location in Poland to make work. The Chelmno death camp and the connected Rzuchow forest area. This is the area where the prisoners were taken in vans from the village to the forest - and murdered through gassing along the route. In this cleared forest area, as well as areas marked out as the mass graves / pits, along the edge of the footpaths, you also see bone fragments seeping up out of the sandy soil. The bodies of the prisoners whom had been murdered were then exhumed, burnt, crushed (with specially created machines) and their ashes dumped in the local river in an attempt by the Nazi’s to destroy any evidence of what they had done. But some of these bone fragments now seep up out of the ground. Making this and other more detailed images of the bodies, I cried. These were, up until that moment, the hardest images I had photographed. But what I was looking at forced me only more to continue and make this work. It is an image, and a body of work I can speak about for hours.

Future What do you want to achieve?

Happiness and knowledge. I want to live a life that brings joy and security to my family. I want to change the hurt and stop the wars but I can’t do that. What I can do is my bit. Using the skills I possess to open eyes, share stories, try to make a little difference and in doing that bring hope and comfort to my family, my

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The Dark Rooms of ...

friends and others. And if we all do that…

What would you like to know from others? You may ask one photographer one question. What would that be?

So many photographers I’d love to ask. So I’ll say one that is not possible. Robert Frank, as his book The Lines of my hand, was one of my first and still favourite photo books. How did he feel making his work, what did he hope to achieve with it, did he ever feel he was good enough?

Where can we see more?

All my projects and photobooks can be seen on my website at www. marcwilson.co.uk A website really is the best place to see it all…and you can buy my books from there also :)

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Members’ Photos In this section, you can see photos from our members,

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Members' Photos

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Members' Photos

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Members' Photos

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Members' Photos

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Facts about the Benelux Chapter Here you can find the break down of chapter membership, the number of distinctions obtained, the special interest groups joined and the various countries the members are located in.

45 Members

6 Countries

Members

Countries

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Facts about the Benelux Chapter

Distinctions

Special Interest Groups

Issue 8 Summer 2025

Upcoming Events

3 June 2025

1 July 2025

Study Group Meeting

Online Study Group Meeting

An opportunity to share your work and get feedback from a friendly group of people. Everyone is welcome

An opportunity to share your work and get feedback from a friendly group of people. Everyone is welcome - members and non-members, this is a free online event. Zoom link will be sent out before the event. For further details please see the event page.

- members and non-members. It costs €5 per evening, which includes a drink and biscuit. For further details please see the event page. Time: 19:30 until 22:00 Location: Het Palet, Duikerstraat 29, Rotterdam.

Time: 20:00 until 22:00 Location: Online Zoom Meeting

Issue 8 Summer 2025 2 September 2025 Study Group Meeting An opportunity to share your work and get feedback from a friendly group of people. Everyone is welcome - members and non-members. It costs €5 per evening, which includes a drink and

Upcoming Events

Location: Online Zoom Meeting

4 November 2025 Study Group Meeting

Time: 19:30 until 22:00

An opportunity to share your work and get feedback from a friendly group of people. Everyone is welcome - members and non-members. It costs €5 per evening, which includes a drink and biscuit. For further details please the event page.

Location: Het Palet,

Time: 19:30 until 22:00

biscuit. For further details please see the event page.

Duikerstraat 29, Rotterdam.

21 September 2025 Pelt Workshop Workshop with Carla Kogelman For further details please see the event page. Location: Pelt Belgium

7 October 2025 Online Study Group Meeting An opportunity to share your work and get feedback from a friendly group of people. Everyone is welcome - members and non-members, this is a free online event. Zoom link will be sent out before the event. For further details please see the event page. Time: 20:00 until 22:00

Location: Het Palet, Duikerstraat 29, Rotterdam.

2 December 2025 Online Study Group Meeting An opportunity to share your work and get feedback from a friendly group of people. Everyone is welcome - members and non-members, this is a free online event. Zoom link will be sent out before the event. For further details please see the event page. Time: 20:00 until 22:00 Location: Online Zoom Meeting

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Issue 8 Summer 2025

About the eJournal

We plan to produce an eJournal on a regular basis. The current release dates 2025 and 2026 are:

15 August for Autumn 2025 15 November for Winter 2025 13 February for Spring 2026 14 May for Summer 2026 Deadline for contributions Is last day of the month before the release date.

Issue 8 Summer 2025

About the eJournal

101

Contributions Articles Contributions from the members and friends of the Benelux chapter are welcome, whether that be an article or details of the current photo project that they are working on. • Up to 12 photos • maximum 1000 words

Member photos We also wish to encourage members and friends to submit individual photos for the Members’ photos section

New Members The eJournal can also be a place that gives our new members an opportunity to introduce themselves to the chapter. • 2 - 3 photos • maximum 300 words for Bio.

Cover Photos Individual photos are also welcome for the cover page.

Photo Submission Requirements Please send images with the following specifications: • 3000 pix long side • Image quality 8 • no watermark or text in the image • no borders around the image. When naming your photos please use the following convention.

FirstName_LastName_For_eJournal_Title.JPG The submitter of the article(s) or photo(s) is responsible for compliance with Data Protection and Copyright Acts. The author of an article is responsible and liable for all content, text and images provided by them. Neither the RPS Benelux Chapter nor the editor is responsible or liable for any content therein. Please send your photos via WeTransfer.com to the following email address beneluxweb@rps.org For articles, please send an email to beneluxweb@rps.org Remember to include “for eJournal” in the subject line.

eJournal Issue 8 Summer 2025