Kristof, NINJA-style documentary photographer…
Libya, November 2006. Some of Colonel Kadhafi’s zealous soldiers held me for a week at the border with Niger. What I was doing there is a different story, but I saw human smugglers crossing the border with about 50 fortune seekers on top of a truck. With a few simple taps on his Kalashnikov, a soldier made it clear that taking images was prohibited. But it was stronger than me, I secretly took some pictures…
After 6 days of being stuck in this horrible place, I started thinking about what I wanted to do with my life as a 27 year old. But the human smugglers didn’t let me go either. Where do these people come from and what will be their fate? While I was musing and enjoying a beautiful starry sky in the heart of the Sahara, all the pieces of the puzzle fell together. As a child I always wanted to be a photographer and because of that absurd situation between the human smugglers, everything became clear. As soon as I returned home to Belgium, I was going to give my life a different direction by making my childhood dream come true…
I first wrote ‘C’est l’Afrique, Monsieur!’; a 500-page travelogue about my African adventure. Then I hung up my football boots and signed up for an evening photography course, because I had to start from scratch. After 5 years of evening school, I was going to make it – in my head anyway – as a photographer. I was willing to take on any assignment, except wedding photography. Who wanted to do this? Boring, posed stuff. This isn’t photography, is it?
Until I discovered a way to not make it boring! What if I were to approach a wedding reportage as a documentary; just as in Libya I did not have the opportunity to give guidelines, make them smile at the lens or stand in the nice light. What if I just let people be themselves and I had to create beautiful compositions myself. From this moment on, I became Kristof, the NINJA-style documentary photographer…
Driven by the ambition to be the best possible photographer for my clients, I wanted to learn from the best in the business. It took me to workshops in Italy, Texas, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. Until I was completely ready at the end of 2018. I had developed a unique style and approach. I was now going to make my childhood dream come true! At the age of 39 I became a full-time photographer…
Basecamp is Maldegem in East Flanders, but I have made reports in every Belgian province. I have experience abroad with about 10 reports for Dutch couples and more exotic destinations such as Spain, Italy and South Africa. But above all, always ready to rock ’n roll!
Kristof Claeys Photography
Deisterweg 7, 9991 Adegem