ArtsVisual Arts

De Donkere Kamer (English)

Kaat Celis

De Donkere Kamer is the podcast for photographers who want to grow, behind the camera and in their business. Twice a week, host and photographer Kaat Celis shares a new episode: one solo conversation with her own reflections on creativity and craft, and one in-depth interview with respected names in international photography, including Anton Corbijn, Christopher Anderson, David Campany, and Harry Gruyaert. Together, these conversations explore what it takes to keep growing as a photographer, creatively and in business. New episodes every week. donkerekamer.com

Play

Open in

32 episodes
Avg 42 min
English

Episodes 32

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

Tuesday · 13 min
#72 - Being present as a photographer: how to find calm in a busy photography practice
For years Kaat was a pro at racing ahead: after a successful show, her head was already at the next one. During her conversation with photographer Eva Verbeeck she heard a sentence that stuck with her: "We're here now." In this short episode she shares why that sentence brings so much calm, even in a busy photography practice. What you'll learn in this episode Why good planning can actually give you freedom, even when freedom is your biggest core value The sentence Eva Verbeeck says to herself, and why so many ambitious photographers will recognize themselves in it How to feel in your body what it does when you say "we're here now" out loud Why always being busy with the next thing can take away your sense of pride How to apply this in challenging times, when your photography practice keeps asking for new solutions CTA: show October 16th On October 16th, De Donkere Kamer is at Pakhuis de Zwijger in Amsterdam with a full evening about photography, by photographers. With Nadav Kander (The Edge of Things), Bieke Depoorter (The Beds I Slept In), Wilfried de Jong, Robin de Puy, Iris Sikking on the exhibition of Eva Besnyö, a visual column by Marieke van der Velden, and pitches by promising photographers. Tickets at donkerekamer.com/tickets. Partner of this episode Cameranu As a photographer you need more than creativity. You also need the right tools, whether that's a new lens or a camera you can rely on during a client shoot. The specialists at Cameranu think along with you and give you honest advice. As a listener of De Donkere Kamer, you get 10% off your next purchase with code DDK10 at cameranu.be.
October 6 · 21 min
#71 - Staying flexible as a photographer: how to adapt your photography business to a changing market
Photography has always been a medium in flux, from digital cameras to the smartphone and now AI. In this episode, Kaat talks about an established photographer who sees his print sales declining and still doesn't freeze up. She also shares the question she asks herself after every setback: what is possible? What you'll learn in this episode Why the question "what is possible?" changes your energy, and how to learn to switch within six seconds after a no Why you need to know your numbers, so you can adjust before declining sales become dramatic How you can use AI to free up time for your creativity, with the necessary caution around copyright and images Why clinging to what worked five years ago can cost you your grip, your revenue and your clients The attitude Kaat sees in photographers who last: willingness, commitment and consistency VIP review session Do you notice your photography business is changing, and do you want to adjust course before it gets dramatic? In a VIP review session you spend 180 minutes online with Kaat. Together you dig into your work and your business model, and you leave with a concrete plan. More info here Show October 16th, Amsterdam On October 16th, De Donkere Kamer comes to Pakhuis de Zwijger in Amsterdam, with Nadav Kander (exhibition The Edge of Things at Foam), Bieke Depoorter (new book The Beds I Slept In), Robin de Puy and Wilfried de Jong (first photobook Polaroid Man). Three promising photographers pitch their project live, Marieke van de Velde presents the image column, and Iris Sikking from the Fotomuseum Den Haag talks about the Eva Besnyö exhibition. ⁠Get your here Partner of this episode Cameranu As a photographer you need more than creativity. You also need the right tools, whether that's a new lens or a camera you can rely on during a client shoot. The specialists at Cameranu think along with you and give you honest advice. As a listener of De Donkere Kamer, you get 10% off your next purchase with code DDK10 at ⁠cameranu.be⁠.
October 3 · 22 min
#70 - What if it's already good enough?
How much of your energy do you give away to what others think of you? In this episode, Kaat shares why she started taking her own stage, why copying slows down your growth, and what a mentoring client with a corporate background taught her about the fear of not being good enough. Plus an exercise you can start today. What you'll learn in this episode Why Kaat stopped giving away her stage and became the face of De Donkere Kamer herself, and what it takes to show your true colours Why being yourself in your photography feels so much scarier than leading a company: criticism of your work feels like criticism of who you are The difference between modelling and copying, and why what works for someone else doesn't have to work for you How to stop giving your power away to other people's opinions, and why it has to be good enough for you first A concrete exercise for photographers short on time: a daily walk with your camera as a fixed, non-negotiable moment One-on-one mentoring Do you recognise yourself in the photographer from this episode, who wants to be himself in his work but is afraid of not being found good enough? In Kaat's one-on-one mentoring, you work on your photography and your practice for six months, with someone who looks along with you, is honest, and helps you dare to show your own visual language. You start with a personal kick-off in Antwerp or Amsterdam. More info here. Show October 16th, Amsterdam On October 16th, De Donkere Kamer comes to Pakhuis de Zwijger in Amsterdam, with Nadav Kander (exhibition The Edge of Things at Foam), Bieke Depoorter (new book The Beds I Slept In), Robin de Puy and Wilfried de Jong (first photobook Polaroid Man). Three promising photographers pitch their project live, Marieke van de Velde presents the image column, and Iris Sikking from the Fotomuseum Den Haag talks about the Eva Besnyö exhibition. Get your here
September 26 · 1 hr 3 min
#69 - From Belgium to 28 American States: Eva Verbeeck on the dream behind America's Girls
What happens when a girl from a small Belgian village chases her American dream, and then spends six years listening to the dreams of American girls? My guest today is Belgian photographer and filmmaker Eva Verbeeck. She had visited more than 45 countries before she turned 25, lived in the US for many years and now works from Amsterdam. Her portraits have appeared in Le Monde, National Geographic, The Washington Post, Der Spiegel and The Telegraph. We recorded this conversation at CC De Factorij in Zaventem, days before her exhibition America's Girls opened there. Eva photographed close to 400 girls and young women aged 6 to 18 in 28 states, always with a large format camera and never more than two negatives per girl. We talk about the claustrophobic feeling of growing up in a small town, why a war photographer's advice made her turn to a story of her own, why she chose not to publish the girls' personal stories next to their portraits, and why she cried at the printing press in Italy. She also shares how she deals with the loneliness of photography, why she chooses film over photography (or the other way around), and why she stays hopeful about the medium in times of AI. What you'll learn in this episode How a teenage dream in Tessenderlo, fed by magazine collages and pop culture, grew into a six-year project in the United States Why the advice "tell a story that is of yours" made Eva step away from heavy photojournalistic assignments and turn to her own fascination How she worked with a large format camera: self-selected participants, no Polaroids, and a strict rule of two negatives per girl Why she chose to keep the girls' written and spoken stories private, and how that choice created a safe space for them to speak openly What photography can do that film cannot, and why she still chooses to be hopeful about the medium in a time of AI Free webinar Want to know what the photographers who keep growing actually do differently? In a free webinar, I walk you through the five patterns I see again and again, in this podcast, in masterclasses and in my one-on-one mentoring, and how you can apply them in your own way. Sign up for free here: donkerekamer.com/five Live show: De Donkere Kamer on stage in Amsterdam On October 16, De Donkere Kamer goes on stage at Pakhuis de Zwijger in Amsterdam. We'll talk with Nadav Kander, who just opened his new show at Foam, Magnum photographer Bieke Depoorter and portrait photographer Robin de Puy, who has been photographing the US for many years. Wilfried de Jong stops by to talk about his Polaroid book, and as always, three promising photographers pitch their projects to the audience (in English too). Get your tickets here. Partner of this episode Cameranu As a photographer you need more than creativity. You also need the right tools, whether that's a new lens or a camera you can rely on during a client shoot. The specialists at Cameranu think along with you and give you honest advice. As a listener of De Donkere Kamer, you get 10% off your next purchase with code DDK10 at cameranu.be. Links and resources Free webinar (5 patterns of photographers who keep growing): donkerekamer.com/five Live show, October 16, Pakhuis de Zwijger Amsterdam: donkerekamer.com/shows Mentoring, masterclasses and workshops: donkerekamer.com Cameranu: cameranu.be (code DDK10) Eva Verbeeck: evaverbeeck.com Book: America's Girls, On the Edge of a Dream (GOST Books): gostbooks.com Exhibition at CC De Factorij, Zaventem
September 23 · 32 min
#68 - Intuition in photography: lessons from Peter van Agtmael and Bastiaan Woudt
If intuition is so central to photography, why do we give it so little room? That question stayed with me after my masterclass with Magnum photographer Peter van Agtmael, in which he called intuition the core of his work. In this episode I look at what intuition is for a photographer, what drowns it out, and how you can call it up. I talk honestly about how I slip into autopilot during podcast interviews myself, and what happens when I let go of my preparation. I share what a photographer from Antwerp told me during a review: things are going well, the assignments keep coming in, and yet so much of it is autopilot. From there I take you to Estancia El Condor in Patagonia, a five-hour drive from civilization, where I've been twice and came home different each time. I talk about the gauchos, about seven condors circling above our heads, and about Bastiaan Woudt, who, just like Peter, works from looking, feeling and letting it happen. Workshop in Patagonia with Bastiaan Woudt (February 13 to 20, 2027): more infoQuestions, or want to spar about it? Send me a DM or email info@donkerekamer.com Replay of the Peter van Agtmael masterclass: sign up hereMy episode with Bastiaan Woudt (in Dutch): listen here Partner of this episodeCameranuBesides creativity, as a photographer you also simply need the right tools, whether that's a new lens or a camera you can rely on during a client shoot. The specialists at Cameranu think along with you and give honest advice. Go to cameranu.be and use code DDK10 for 10% off. More on mentoring, masterclasses and workshops, go to What you'll learn in this episode What intuition really is: accumulated experience that works faster than your thinking, which is why you can only explain afterwards why an image works What drowns out intuition, from your smartphone and inbox to other people's feeds, and why you then mostly end up making what you already know What autopilot looks like in Kaat's own interviews, and why the conversations in which she lets go of her preparation are the best ones Why you have to install silence in your head yourself, because society won't hand it to you What Peter van Agtmael and Bastiaan Woudt, from two very different worlds, have in common in the way they work Why intuitive photography matters more now that a growing share of images were never actually photographed A reflection question to work with yourself: where in your life can you tap into your intuition more easily?
September 17 · 55 min
#67 - Live from Arles: Harry Gruyaert on the love affair with photography that never ends
My guest today is one of the first photographers in Europe to work entirely in color, and the first guest to return to this podcast for a second time. Harry Gruyaert once dreamed of becoming a film director, until pop art and a trip to Morocco in the late 1970s pulled him toward photography instead. He has been a member of Magnum Photos since 1982 and has photographed the United States, Morocco, Europe, India and his own country, Belgium, in books including Made in Belgium and Roots. We recorded this conversation at Hotel du Forum in Arles, where he has been coming for more than forty years, with his daughters and his seven-year-old grandson Elio close by. Harry is currently showing Sense of Place at Les Rencontres d'Arles, alongside a new book, and a second, more retrospective exhibition is running at Camera in Turin. We talk about what it means to stay excited about a place you already know, why he calls photography a love affair with its own ups and downs, and why the pictures he missed, a scene he saw without a camera, a roll he shot with no film in it, still stay with him decades later. He tells me about the printing process he shares with his assistant Albin, why he moved from Kodachrome to digital, discovering jazz at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair, and why he still calls himself a professional rather than an artist. We also talk about the coincidences that keep finding him, from Bieke Depoorter to Saul Leiter, and about the trust he puts in instinct over words. What you'll learn in this episode Why Harry finds it harder to stay excited about a place the longer he knows it, and how he keeps rediscovering Morocco, India, New York and Belgium after decades of returning Why he insists he is a professional and a craftsman, not an artist, even after more than forty years as a Magnum member How the printing process with his assistant Albin, and the recent switch from Canson to Hahnemühle paper, is as much a part of the work as taking the picture Why the photographs he missed, one because he had no camera, one because there was no film in it, still matter more to him than most of the ones he actually got Why he calls himself "a kind of pickpocket" who works entirely on instinct, and how that shapes the way he moves through a city or a crowd What "sense of place" actually means to him, and why he keeps coming back to the idea that a photograph should say as much about a place and a time as it does about composition Why he believes being European, rather than American or exclusively French, has shaped the way he sees and travels Free webinarWant to know what the photographers who keep growing actually do differently? In a free webinar, I walk you through the five patterns I see consistently in this podcast, in masterclasses and in my one-on-one mentoring, and how you can apply them yourself. Sign up here Live show: De Donkere Kamer on stage in Amsterdam On October 16, De Donkere Kamer goes on stage at Pakhuis de Zwijger in Amsterdam, in conversation with, among others, portrait photographer Nadav Kander. Tickets are 20 euros, so cost shouldn't be what holds you back. Get yours here. Partner of this episodeAlongside creativity, photographers simply need the right tools, whether that's a new lens or a camera you can rely on during a client shoot. The specialists at Camera Nu think along with you and give honest advice. Head over to cameranu.be and use code DDK10 for 10% off your next purchase. Links and resources Free webinar (5 patterns of photographers who keep growing): donkerekamer.com/webinar Live show, October 16, Pakhuis de Zwijger Amsterdam, with Nadav Kander: donkerekamer.com/shows All info on mentoring, masterclasses and workshops: donkerekamer.com Cameranu: cameranu.be (code DDK10) Harry Gruyaert's first appearance on the podcast, episode #177: here Sense of Place at Les Rencontres d'Arles: Harry Gruyaert retrospective at Camera, Turin: Harry Gruyaert at Gallery FIFTY ONE.
September 15 · 27 min
#66 - Pattern recognition for photographers: how to spot your stuck patterns and flip them (part 2 with Tony Robbins)
Last episode I took you through five insights from Tony Robbins' seminar Unleash the Power Within. By popular demand, here's part two, because there's one insight I wanted to unpack much further: pattern recognition. In this episode I zoom in on two patterns I recognize in myself, patterns I also see constantly in the photographers I work with. The first is about control and safety, and how I build up resistance before I've even had the chance to feel anything. The second is about how hard I find it to truly close something off before starting something new, from an exhibition to a shoot to an entire season of my life. Patterns aren't always big, but once you learn to recognize and flip them, they can have huge consequences, for your life, your business and your photography. What you'll learn in this episode Why pattern recognition is, according to Tony Robbins, the foundation of every major transformation, and how that applies just as much to your photography practice as to your life How Kaat recognizes her own pattern of control and a strong need for safety, and how she learned to feel first and judge later Why Kaat finds it so hard to truly close something off before starting something new, from an exhibition to a goodbye to a new season of shows How to build in a moment, as a photographer, to consciously close off a project or a shoot, and why that shows up in your photos if you skip it Why small patterns can have the biggest consequences once you learn to recognize and flip them Free webinar, five patterns of top photographersWhich patterns keep showing up in successful photographers? Kaat bundled five of them into a free webinar (just refreshed, with new examples), based on conversations with internationally renowned photographers. Sign up here for free Show October 16th, Amsterdam On October 16th, De Donkere Kamer lands at Pakhuis de Zwijger in Amsterdam, with Nadav Kander, Bieke Depoorter, Robin de Puy and Wilfried de Jong. Three up-and-coming photographers pitch their project live to the audience for a support package. Sign up to pitch at donkerekamer.com/pitch, or grab a ticket at donkerekamer.com/tickets. Partners of this episodeAlongside creativity, you also just need the right tools as a photographer, whether that's a new lens or a camera you can rely on during a client shoot. Cameranu's specialists think along with you and give you honest advice. Go to cameranu.be and use code DDK10 for 10% off.
September 10 · 45 min
#65 - Carolina Arantes, National Geographic Explorer, on First Generation, post-colonial identity and photographing women in France
My guest today is a Brazilian visual storyteller who lives between France and Brazil. Carolina Arantes grew up in São Paulo, studied photography and journalism, and later earned a master's degree in cultural project development. Questions of gender identity and the lasting effects of colonial history run through her work, which she develops in personal projects alongside the communities she photographs. She has received the Firecracker Grant and the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation Grant, was invited by the Centre Pompidou for the thematic year Elles Font l'Art in 2020, and has been a National Geographic Explorer since that same year. Her work is part of the BNF collection and has appeared in the New York Times and National Geographic. Her book First Generation was shortlisted by LensCulture for best photobook in 2023, and her project Tombamento won the Human Rights Grant from Fundo Brasil. We recorded this conversation live at Les Rencontres d'Arles, where her exhibition First Generation was on show for the first time in its complete form: eight years of portraits, interviews and found family archives, built around the daughters of African immigrants in France. Carolina tells me how she only allowed herself to call herself a photographer at 27, how a workshop with photographer Christopher Morris changed the course of her career, and why she built the project around listening before shooting. We talk about growing up between an artist mother and a business-minded father, what it means to belong to a country that doesn't always recognize you as part of it, and why editing, not shooting, is the hardest part of her process. She's also honest about the financial reality of staying in documentary photography, and what she still hopes to have contributed in five years. What you'll learn in this episode Why it took Carolina until she was 27 to call herself a photographer, even though she'd been shooting since her teens, and what changed when she moved to France How a chance workshop with photographer Christopher Morris turned into years of assisting him on fashion and political assignments, and what that taught her about light and trust Why First Generation took eight years to build, and how it grew out of watching African nannies raise children in a country that doesn't always recognize those children as fully French How she combined her own portraits with found family archives to show the culture and traditions her subjects grew up with at home Why she calls editing, not shooting, the hardest part of the process, and how she learned to "choose her diamonds" instead of holding on to every image Why she's honestly still questioning whether she can keep making a living from photography, and what that says about the state of the medium today Free webinar Want to know what the photographers who keep growing actually do differently? In a free webinar, I walk you through the five patterns I see consistently, in this podcast, in masterclasses and in my one-on-one mentoring, and how you can apply them yourself. Sign up here: donkerekamer.com/webinar. Live show: De Donkere Kamer on stage in Amsterdam On October 16, De Donkere Kamer goes on stage at Pakhuis de Zwijger in Amsterdam, in conversation with, among others, portrait photographer Nadav Kander. Tickets are 20 euros, so cost shouldn't be what holds you back. Get yours at donkerekamer.com/shows. Partner of this episode Cameranu: Alongside creativity, photographers simply need the right tools, whether that's a new lens or a camera you can rely on during a client shoot. The specialists at Cameranu think along with you and give honest advice. Head over to cameranu.be and use code DDK10 for 10% off your next purchase.
September 8 · 56 min
#64 - 5 insights from Tony Robbins' UPW seminar for photographers and entrepreneurs
Last week I sat in an arena in Cologne with 15,000 people, at Tony Robbins' seminar Unleash the Power Within. Four days, from early morning until late at night, together with five other entrepreneurial women from my Female Leaders club. In this episode I take you through five insights I brought home from there, and they apply just as much to your photography practice as to your life. Pattern recognition, and how a pattern of carelessness once got me stuck in a long insurance case. Repetition is the mother of all mastery, and why talent matters far less than the reps you put in. Proximity is power, and why the people around you help decide how far you get. Where focus goes, energy flows, something I even feel when I take a bend on my bike in the Alps. And peak state, and how you can shift it in a snap. Do you find this kind of insight useful? Let me know, because there might be a part two coming. What you'll learn in this episode What pattern recognition is, and how a pattern of carelessness once got Kaat stuck in a long insurance case around the Edward Bertels exhibition Why "repetition is the mother of all mastery" and how reps, not talent, make the difference between photographers who keep growing and photographers who get stuck What "complexity is the enemy of execution" means, and why you need to break big goals into pieces to actually get them done Why "proximity is power" and how the people around you, personally and professionally, help decide how far you get How "where focus goes, energy flows" works, with a concrete example from cycling about taking a bend downhill What a "peak state" is and how you can train it with a simple ten-minute morning exercise Free masterclass, five patterns of successful photographers Which patterns keep showing up in successful photographers? Kaat bundled them into a free online masterclass, based on conversations with dozens of international photographers. Sign up for free. Patagonia workshop In February, Kaat is heading to a remote estancia in Argentinian Patagonia with Dutch photographer Bastiaan Woudt, for a week of photographing, deepening your practice and learning from each other. Eight spots, an intimate group, some are already taken. Full details here. Partner of this episode Cameranu Alongside creativity, you also just need the right tools as a photographer, whether that's a new lens or a camera you can rely on during a client shoot. Camera Nu's specialists think along with you and give you honest advice. Go to cameranu.be and use code DDK10 for 10% off.
September 2 · 27 min
#63 - How to Build a Personal Brand as a Photographer, Step by Step (2026)
Last time I told you why personal branding matters more than ever. Today I'll show you how to actually approach that, as a photographer, in 2026. I take you through my own path: starting a podcast as long form content, showing myself on my website, writing an about page (without AI, please), and figuring out what truly sets me apart from other photographers. I talk about a photographer I coach one-on-one who has the gift of putting people at ease, and about another who is a storyteller and suppressed that for a long time. I explain why I believe there are too many photographers who don't position themselves, and why a personal brand doesn't need to appeal to everyone to work. And I announce my strategy day: normally 1,500 euros, this week still at 799 euros, with code strategie. What you'll learn in this episode Why long form content, like a podcast or a blog, is the best first step to build your personal brand, and why Insta stories are the opposite of that Why an about page on your website builds so much trust with a client, and why you write it yourself instead of letting AI generate it How to discover what makes you unique, in your image choices, your editing, your client contact, or a gift like putting people at ease Why photographers who don't know what sets them apart will never reach the right clients, no matter how good their photos are Why Kaat believes there are too many photographers, and why that's exactly why a personal brand matters so much How, like Stefan Vanfleteren and Rinus Van de Velde, you build an entire universe around your work instead of just a webshop, an exhibition or a book Why a personal brand doesn't need to appeal to everyone, and why that's exactly the point strategy day This week I'm putting my strategy day in the window, just once: a full day, one-on-one, in Antwerp or Amsterdam, lunch included. You choose the themes we dig into together, from personal branding to your portfolio, your website or your book project. Normally 1,500 euros, through Sunday midnight on September 6th at 799 euros (more than 700 euros off) with code strategie. Link here. partner of the episode Cameranu Alongside creativity, photographers simply need the right tools, whether that's a new lens or a camera you can rely on during a client shoot. The specialists at Camera Nu think along with you and give honest advice. Head over to cameranu.be and use code DDK10 for 10% off your next purchase.
September 1 · 26 min
#62 - Personal branding for photographers: Why It Will Matter More Than Ever in 2026
I’m going to tell you something you might not expect from someone who’s been sharing her personal story in her content for years: I wasn’t really into personal branding myself. For years, I built De Donkere Kamer without ever putting a face to it. In this episode—part 1 of a two-part series—I’ll explain what made me change my mind and why personal branding matters more today than ever before. There’s never been so much content, never so much AI-generated clutter, and an audience that’s both more critical and harder to engage than ever before. I’ll talk about my own boundaries—what I do share and what I never will—about the conversation with my husband Rik that revealed just how much the platform has come to define “me,” and about the photographer who contacted me to travel to Patagonia with him, based purely on a single personal episode. Personal branding doesn’t mean showing off your home or your family. It means making your perspective, your choices, and your taste visible—because that’s the only thing no one can take away from you. What You’ll Learn in This Episode - Why Kaat resisted personal branding for years, and what ultimately changed her mind - Why people today seek trust in a face and a name before they buy, and what that means for you as a photographer - What personal branding is—and isn’t: not a selfie culture, not oversharing, but making your perspective, your choices, and your taste visible - Why photographers so often think their photos should speak for themselves, and why that’s no longer enough today - How Kaat sets her own boundaries in what she shares, and why those boundaries actually provide peace of mind rather than limitation - Why photography, as a medium in crisis, offers so much room to stand out precisely because of that My strategy day This week, I’m offering a one-time special on my strategy day: a full day of one-on-one work where we’ll tackle the topics you want to address, from positioning and personal branding to your portfolio or book concept. Normally 1,500 euros, but this week through Sunday at midnight, it’s 799 euros with the code “strategy.” All info here. Partner of the episode As a photographer, in addition to creativity, you also simply need the right tools—whether that’s a new lens or a camera you can rely on during a client shoot. The specialists at Cameranu work with you to find the best solution and provide honest advice. Visit their site and use code DDK10 for a 10% discount.
August 27 · 37 min
#61 - What a trip to Alpe d'Huez taught me about letting go (and why I didn't quit)
This summer I set off on my bike from our house in the Auvergne, with Alpe d'Huez as the finish line. Four days, 500 kilometers and roughly 7,500 meters of elevation gain, on my own, from one chambre d'hôte to the next. I did it to cheer on my husband Rik, who climbed the col together with thirty colleagues from Mediafin for Climbing for Life, in support of the Diabetes Liga. In this episode, I take you along. Not as a travel report, but as a mirror. Because everything I ran into along the way, nerve pain in my foot that slowed me down from day one, an Oura ring flagging overtraining, a route I'd misjudged, a thunderstorm on the final climb, is something I recognize one-to-one in what I see every day with the photographers I coach. And in myself, as an entrepreneur. I'll tell you how I dealt with a body that wasn't cooperating, why pushing through is not the same as forcing yourself, how you let go of control without giving up, and why pausing to acknowledge a win matters just as much as the win itself. And I land on my biggest core value: freedom. Do you recognize something of yourself in pushing through when things get hard? Then this episode is for you. Highlights from this episode The starting point: why Kaat cycled to Alpe d'Huez, for Rik and Mediafin's Climbing for Life Day one: 155 kilometers and over 2,000 meters of elevation gain, nerve pain in her foot, and an Oura ring flagging overtraining The decision not to stop, and why "ten kilometers at a time" worked Why photographers stop too soon, right before the momentum arrives: "reculer pour mieux sauter" A misjudged route to the chambre d'hôte in the Vercors, and why letting go was the only option The final climb to Alpe d'Huez, in a thunderstorm, crossing the finish alone What the trip confirmed about freedom as her biggest core value, and why that's the reason Kaat became an entrepreneur Coming to Patagonia? Want to experience that combination of travel, challenge and depth yourself, camera in hand, alongside one of today's most renowned portrait photographers? In February 2027 I'm heading to a remote estancia near El Calafate, Patagonia, together with Bastiaan Woudt. Eight spots, a group that's well matched, and an experience that sends you home different than you arrived. All info at donkerekamer.com/patagonia. Not sure it's for you? Feel free to book a call with Kaat. Partner of this episode CameranuAlongside creativity, photographers simply need the right tools, whether that's a new lens or a camera you can rely on during a client shoot. The specialists at Camera Nu think along with you and give honest advice. Head over here and use code DDK10 for 10% off.
August 25 · 58 min
#60 - Paolo Woods on photography, research and building long-term projects | De Donkere Kamer Podcast
What do you do when a subject simply isn't photogenic? Paolo Woods, born in The Hague and raised in Florence, built his entire career around that question. From an investigation into the oil industry to a book on tax havens and the five-year project Happy Pills on the pharmaceutical industry, he keeps choosing subjects where his first reaction is "oh no, what am I actually going to photograph here." In this episode, recorded during Les Rencontres d'Arles, Paolo talks about why research is his most important tool, how his mother unknowingly shaped his obsession with text and image, and why he spent four years as artistic director of the photography festival Cortona On The Move. Intro I recorded this episode during Les Rencontres d'Arles, with Paolo Woods: photographer, researcher, and artistic director of Cortona On The Move since 2022. His projects never take the obvious subject. He seeks out exactly the things he first thinks are impossible to photograph. From oil to tax havens to the pharmaceutical industry, he keeps finding a language to make the invisible visible. What you'll learn in this episode Why research is Paolo's most important tool for turning non-photogenic subjects into photographable ones. How he led Cortona On The Move for four years, and why he chose one strong yearly theme instead of "the best of photography." Why a lack of access, as with Federico Vespignani's work on Gaza, can actually produce stronger work. What the five-year project Happy Pills reveals about our obsession with control and happiness. Why, after years of collaboration, he's now working on his first fully personal, solo project. About the guest Paolo Woods was born in The Hague in 1970 to Dutch and Canadian parents, raised in Florence, and later lived in London, Paris, Haiti and Ivory Coast. He started out running a photography gallery in Florence and then built a career around long-term, research-driven projects: from Un Monde de Brutes (2003, on the oil industry) and American Chaos (2004, on the Western intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq), to Chinafrica on China's expansion into Africa, translated into eleven languages and sold more than 40,000 copies. That was followed by Veil On My Eyes on Iran, The Havens on tax havens (named one of the best photo books of 2015), and Happy Pills, a five-year project on the pharmaceutical industry that grew into a book, a touring exhibition and his first film. Since 2022 he has been artistic director of Cortona On The Move. His work has appeared in eight books and in The New York Times, Le Monde and The Guardian, with exhibitions from the US to China, and he has won two World Press Photo awards. Links and resources Paolo Woods, website Cortona On The Move Les Rencontres d'Arles Previous episode with Kira Pollack (on AI and photojournalism): #267 on De Donkere Kamer Our partner: Cameranu This episode is brought to you in part by Cameranu. For your own photography gear, whether it's a new lens or a camera you can rely on during a client shoot, their specialists think along with you and give honest advice. As a listener of De Donkere Kamer, you get 10% off your next purchase with code DDK10 Free webinar What growing photographers consistently do differently from everyone else: that's the subject of a free webinar, based on patterns Kaat has seen over the years in top photographers through this podcast, in masterclasses and in 1:1 mentoring. Five things, and how to apply them in your own way. Sign up here Masterclasses Every month, De Donkere Kamer organizes an online masterclass with an international top photographer. August 27, 4:00 PM – Ebrahim Alipour (Iranian documentary photographer and World Press Photo winner) on how to build a project without budget, without access, and without a network. Coming up – Magnum photographer Peter van Agtmael, topic to be announced. You can join live or buy the replay for a small additional fee. All the info here
August 20 · 35 min
#59 - Why that restlessness during your holiday has nothing to do with summer
Do you feel restless the moment you go on holiday, while your business simply quiets down? In this solo episode, Kaat walks you through the difference between taking rest and actually experiencing it, and explains why a summer income gap is rarely a coincidence. She shares how she finds rest herself, not by sitting still, but by staying in motion, why the classic work-life balance doesn't work for her, and which questions you can ask yourself to figure out what your ideal holiday actually looks like. From there, she dives into revenue planning: how to calculate in advance what buffer you need for your holiday weeks, how to make your photography practice scalable, and why entrepreneurship runs in seasons. She closes with a personal message about belief: what you believe about yourself and your craft eventually becomes your reality. An episode for every photographer who wants more rest this summer, and no more surprise income gaps next year. What you'll learn in this episode What rest means to Kaat personally, and why she doesn't believe in a classic work-life balance Which questions you can ask yourself to figure out what your ideal holiday looks like How to build a revenue plan so holiday weeks stop causing panic The difference between an action plan and loose actions like "posting more on Instagram" How to make your photography practice scalable through recurring revenue Why your beliefs help shape what you actually achieve in your business The Daily Frame – Kaat's summer podcast series, 28 days with 21 short episodes, made to keep photographers moving and creative throughout the summer. €10. Link in the show notes. Our podcast partner! CameranuFor honest advice on lenses and cameras you can rely on during a client shoot. Go to cameranu.be and use code DDK10 for 10% off. Ready to work on your photography or your business? At donkerekamer.com you'll find everything about mentoring, masterclasses and workshops. 1:1 mentoring: donkerekamer.com/mentor Masterclasses: donkerekamer.com/masterclasses
August 18 · 50 min
#58 - From Magnum Photos to the Banlieue: William Keo on building bridges through photography
Recorded live at Les Rencontres d'Arles, this episode brings you into conversation with World Press Photo winner William Keo, a French photographer born into a family of Cambodian refugees. His work has taken him from NGO assignments in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon and the Syrian refugee crisis, to conflict zones in Iraq, Syria, Ukraine and Israel/Palestine, and eventually into Magnum Photos, where he was represented from 2021 to 2024. William talks openly about being an introvert in an industry that rewards extroversion, about the years he spent testing his own limits as a young photojournalist, and about the project closest to his heart: Extra Muros, a deeply personal document of the French banlieue where he grew up. For this project, he received this year's World Press Photo Award. Together, Kaat and William talk about resilience, why photographers are terrible at editing their own work, why he believes a photo book outlasts everything else, and what it takes to build bridges between your images and the people who will never walk into a gallery. What you'll learn in this episode How William turned a low social battery and years of shyness into a way of connecting quickly and honestly with the people he photographs. Why he believes photographers are among the worst editors of their own work, and how an outside eye (Peter van Agtmael among others) reshaped the edit of his portfolio. What three years inside Magnum Photos taught him about identity as a photographer, and why he chose not to pursue full membership. How Extra Muros grew from small chapters shot among friends and neighbours into a World Press Photo-winning body of work about the French banlieue. Why he's convinced a photo book, not an exhibition or a magazine cover, is what actually resists through time. About the guest William Keo (b. 1996, Paris) is a French photographer born into a family of Cambodian refugees. His work explores migration, social exclusion and intercommunity intolerance. He began his career working for NGOs, covering the Syrian refugee crisis, the conflict in Darfur, migration in Europe and the Rohingya humanitarian crisis, before turning to the cycles of violence following the fall of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and international news including the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Israel and Palestine. He was represented by Magnum Photos from 2021 to 2024. His work has been published in The New York Times, National Geographic, Le Monde, Libération, Vogue and New York Magazine. For his ongoing personal project Extra Muros, documenting the lives of marginalised descendants of post-colonial immigrants in the French banlieue, he received a World Press Photo Award this year. William Keo, website World Press Photo, website MasterclassesWant more input like this? Join our online masterclasses with international top photographers. Next up: Iranian documentary photographer Ebrahim Alipoor on August 27 at 4 PM, on how to plan a project without budget, access or a network. After that, an in-depth class with Pieter van Agtmael. Join live or get the replay for a small additional fee. All info at here Free webinarAfter years of working with top photographers through this podcast, in masterclasses and in 1:1 mentoring, Kaat noticed a clear pattern: the photographers who keep growing all do a handful of things remarkably consistently. In a free webinar, she walks you through those five things and shows you how to apply them in your own way. It's free, and full of insight. Sign up Partner: CameraNUThis episode is supported by CameraNU. Need honest advice on your next lens, or a camera you can rely on during a client shoot? Their specialists think along with you. As a De Donkere Kamer listener, you get 10% off your next purchase with code DDK10 at cameranu.be. If you want to work on your own photography or your business, check out donkerekamer.com. That is where you'll find everything about mentoring, masterclasses and workshops.
August 13 · 32 min
#57 - What a week at the end of the world does to your photography, your business and the way you see
What happens when a photographer who's never taught before finally says yes? In this episode, Kaat takes you to Estancia El Condor, 40,000 hectares of untouched land at the foot of the Andes, where in February 2027 she's hosting, together with Dutch photographer Bastiaan Woudt, his very first workshop. Eight spots, one estancia, no phone signal, and a photographer whose work hangs in the Rijksmuseum and the Getty Museum. Kaat talks about the two trips she's already made to this place herself, about the condors with a four-meter wingspan, about why it took her years to convince Bastiaan, and about what happens to the way you see when you're cut off from the world for a week. She also shares what this means for your photography at a time when more images are generated than could ever actually be photographed. An episode for anyone wondering if this is the year to go somewhere almost nobody goes. Bastiaan Woudt has never taught a workshop before. Until now. In this episode, Kaat talks about the very first workshop by this renowned black-and-white photographer, held at an estancia in Patagonia so remote there's no phone signal. Eight spots, a week without distraction, and everything that does to your photography and the way you see. This episode is a personal update on the brand-new photography workshop to Argentine Patagonia that Kaat is hosting in February 2027, together with photographer Bastiaan Woudt. It's the first time Bastiaan has ever opened up his process to a group, and Kaat explains why this place, this photographer, and this moment come together. Why Bastiaan Woudt said no for years, and what finally changed his mind. What makes Estancia El Condor so special: 40,000 hectares, condors with a four-meter wingspan, and zero phone signal. How a week without distraction changes your photography and the way you see. What to actually expect from the workshop, from the daily reviews to the day on horseback. How admission works, what it costs, and how to apply. Bastiaan Woudt is a self-taught Dutch photographer known for his distinctive black-and-white portraits. He shoots for, among others, British Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, and his work is held in the collections of the Rijksmuseum and the J. Paul Getty Museum. You can hear more about him and how he works in episode #248 of the De Donkere Kamer Podcast (Dutch-language). Apply for the workshop (portfolio required) Episode #248, the full conversation with Bastiaan Woudt in Dutch Bastiaan Woudt, website/portfolio Follow Kaat on Instagram for updates from the estancia: @dedonkerekamer.com_be The Daily Frame, summer series Questions about the workshop: info@donkerekamer.com Cameranu: supplies the gear for the video and visual side of the podcast with the code DDK10 10 off
August 11 · 59 min
#56 - "It's not my voice, it's ours": Shirley den Hartog on carrying Erwin Olaf's legacy forward
For 25 years, Shirley den Hartog was photographer Erwin Olaf's manager, and today she leads the Estate Erwin Olaf as its director. In this episode, she looks back on his lifelong dream to be exhibited at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, a wish that came true two years after his death with the exhibition Freedom. Shirley talks about the arrangement that defined their partnership for almost three decades: she took care of the business, he took care of the art. She shares how that trust shaped his work, why she chose not to hire someone else to run his legacy, and what it means to make decisions for an artist who is no longer here. We also talk about the Catalogue she's now building, the ethical questions that come with archiving decades of work, and how she thinks about AI, sustainability and the future of photography. A conversation about trust, freedom and what it means to carry someone's life's work forward, not as a duty, but as a shared voice. What you'll learn in this episode How Erwin Olaf's lifelong dream of a Stedelijk Museum exhibition came true, two years after his death Why Shirley never knew what his artworks cost, and how that protected him as an artist What changes when you have to make decisions for someone who's no longer there to ask Why she chose to become the visible director of his estate, instead of hiring someone else How she thinks about AI, the ethics of archiving and the future of photography "It's not my voice. Our voice was together always. So I think if I talk, it's us always. It's not me. It's not him. It's us." About the guest Shirley den Hartog met Erwin Olaf in 1997 as an intern and became his manager and close friend for 25 years. Since his passing, she has led the Estate Erwin Olaf as director, responsible for his legacy, his foundation and his artistic archive. Free webinarWant to know what the photographers who keep growing all have in common? Join Kaat's free webinar and learn the five things they do remarkably consistently, and how to apply them yourself. Sign up here Masterclass with Ebrahim AlipourWant more? Join our next online masterclass with Iranian documentary photographer Ebrahim Alipour, World Press Photo winner. He'll share how to build a project without budget, access or a network. August 27, 4 PM. Live or replay. donkerekamer.com/masterclasses Partner: CameranuThis episode is brought to you by Camera Nu. Whatever gear you need, their specialists think along with you and give you honest advice. Get 10% off your next purchase with code DDK10 at cameranu.be.
August 6 · 1 hr 10 min
#55 - Nadav Kander: The electricity between two pictures
My guest today grew up in Johannesburg and has lived and worked in London since the 1980s. He started photographing at thirteen and learned part of the craft in the darkroom of the South African Air Force. He won the Prix Pictet in 2009 for Yangtze: The Long River, and that same year The New York Times Magazine dedicated an entire issue to his series Obama's People. In 2019, Steidl published The Meeting, his first book devoted entirely to portraiture. This September, a new exhibition called The Edge of Things opens at FOAM in Amsterdam. We recorded this conversation in his home on Ibiza, and it took a direction I hadn't expected. Nadav Kander talks about the years he spent going back through his archive with curator David Campany, and what it means to let images from different decades speak to each other rather than treating each project as a closed chapter. He explains why he never sets out to tell a story, he makes one, and why a picture is only ever completed once a viewer brings their own history to it. What you'll learn in this episode Why Nadav spent the last few years revisiting his entire archive with David Campany, and what he found there that he had missed twenty years earlier Why he says "I don't tell stories, I make stories," and what that means for how he shows his work What eight minutes with President Obama actually looks like when three hours of preparation come before it Why stillness and a kind of quiet tension are what make a photograph work for him What a childhood memory of being afraid of dark water has to do with his Color Fields work today How his wife Nicole's focus on climate science is starting to press on what he photographs next, and why he's struggling to bring that into his work without turning it into documentary We also hear about his upcoming trips to Greenland and back to the South Africa he grew up in. About Nadav Kander Nadav Kander (born 1961, Tel Aviv) is a photographer based in London since the 1980s. He won the Prix Pictet in 2009 for Yangtze: The Long River, and his portraits of Barack Obama's first administration were the subject of a dedicated New York Times Magazine issue. His first book of portraiture, The Meeting, was published by Steidl in 2019. His work sits between the visible and the invisible, presence and disappearance. Links and resources Nadav Kander's website The Edge of Things, FOAM Amsterdam, opening 18 September through February, info The Edge of Things (book, Thames & Hudson) Dark Line: The Thames Estuary (book, Ghost) This summer: The Daily Frame Growth matters for you too, so this summer I've put together The Daily Frame, a series of short audio clips, up to 15 minutes, sent to you every workday for four weeks, with tips on creativity, mindset and business. Listen from your beach chair or on a walk and stay in your flow all summer long. It's 10 euros, so don't let the price hold you back. Register here. Free webinar: The 5 things top photographers constantly do to grow Want to know the real patterns behind how top photographers create, showcase and sustain their projects? Join my free 120-minute live webinar, where I share the recurring patterns top photographers worldwide use to stay confident, focused, unique and visible, drawn from hundreds of interviews, mentoring sessions and international experience. Reserve your spot
August 4 · 36 min
#54 - Back from summer break, with news from the end of the world
After a full month of summer break, De Donkere Kamer is back. I'm taking you through my summer between France and Belgium, from Les Rencontres d'Arles to a conversation with photographer Nadav Kander in Ibiza, and sharing my big news along the way: a photography workshop in Patagonia and a new season of live shows. At Les Rencontres d'Arles, I felt a photography world wrestling with uncertainty and change, partly because of the heat and the wildfires in the region. From now on, I'm also splitting De Donkere Kamer into two channels: my English interviews, like the one with Nadav Kander, will move to the English podcast channel, while this channel stays Dutch-language. From February 13 to 20, 2027, I'm organizing a multi-day workshop with photographer Bastiaan Woudt at Estancia El Condor in Patagonia, a remote 40,000-hectare ranch on the Chilean border. With a small, international group of eight photographers, I'll combine photography, hiking and horseback riding with sessions on both the creative and the business side of your practice. My autumn and winter are taking shape too. My live shows return on October 16 at Pakhuis de Zwijger in Amsterdam, with among others Nadav Kander, Robin de Puy, Bieke Depoorter and Wilfried de Jong, followed by shows on November 28 at C-Mine in Genk, February 7 at the Minard Schouwburg in Ghent, and April 14 at CC De Factorij in Zaventem. I'm also opening registration for my free webinar: The 5 things top photographers constantly do to grow. In this live, 120-minute session I walk you through the recurring patterns I see in top photographers worldwide, drawn from hundreds of interviews and mentoring sessions, and how you can turn that insight into action in your own work. You can save your spot here This episode comes to you with support from Cameranu. I go to Cameranu for my own gear. They think along with me, from a new lens to a camera I can rely on during a client shoot. As a De Donkere Kamer listener, you get 10% off with code DDK10 Patagonia workshop (February 13-20, 2027) Tickets for the shows Cameranu, 10% off with code DDK10
Aug 1, 2025 · 43 min
#12 - Clément Chéroux, Director of Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson: On curating, archives and keeping a legacy alive
My guest today is the director of the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris. Clément Chéroux is a French photography historian and curator who previously held senior curatorial positions at the Centre Pompidou, SFMOMA and MoMA in New York. We recorded this conversation live at Les Rencontres d'Arles, the photo festival that first mesmerized him decades ago, and where he studied photography himself before turning to research and curating. We talk about what a curator actually does, and why Clément insists he is not an artist even though he trained as a photographer. He tells me how a chance encounter on a train at sixteen, a photo exhibition installed inside the carriage, pulled him into this world, and why he chose quantity and research over making a single image at a time. We go into what it means to inherit the archive and the legacy of Henri Cartier-Bresson and Martine Franck, why he left a chief curator position at MoMA to take on that responsibility, and how the decisive moment still matters in the age of AI and smartphones. He also shares the small archival find, a family photograph, that changed how he understood an entire body of work. If you're curious how the person behind some of photography's most important exhibitions actually thinks, this one is for you. What you'll learn in this episode What a curator's actual role is between the artist and the audience, and why Clément believes a curator should never think of himself as an artist How he decides when to push a photographer toward an idea and when to step back, and why trust takes time to build The story of the small family photograph in an archive that revealed a photographer's twin brother, and how it changed the reading of his entire body of work Why he chose researching, collecting and curating over photographing himself, and how that choice was really about quantity versus a single image Why he isn't afraid of the sheer quantity of images we're overwhelmed with today, and what that has to do with malleability as the true nature of the medium What it means to be the director of the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, why he calls it "keeping a language alive," and why he left a position as chief curator at MoMA to take it on Why the decisive moment still matters in the age of AI and smartphones, and the one element of photography that attracts him most About the guest Clément Chéroux is the director of the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris, a French photography historian and curator born in Paris in 1970. Before joining the foundation, he held senior curatorial positions at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He earned a degree from the École Nationale Supérieure de la Photographie in Arles and a PhD in art history from the Sorbonne, and has been awarded the Prix Nadar and the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit. He has curated numerous exhibitions and books on photography, including the first Henri Cartier-Bresson retrospective after the photographer's death, at Centre Pompidou in 2014. Free webinar Want to know what the photographers who keep growing actually do differently? In a free webinar, I walk you through the five patterns I see consistently in this podcast, in masterclasses and in my one-on-one mentoring, and how you can apply them yourself. Sign up here. Partner of this episode Cameranu Alongside creativity, photographers simply need the right tools, whether that's a new lens or a camera you can rely on during a client shoot. The specialists at Cameranu think along with you and give honest advice. Head over to cameranu.be and use code DDK10 for 10% off your next purchase. If this conversation gave you something, share it with another photographer who might need it too. And if you want to work on your own photography or your business, check out donkerekamer.com, that's where you'll find everything about mentoring, masterclasses and workshops.

Showing 1–20 of 32 episodes