Trip down memory lane.

2025. Fifteen years after the portrait of Ryota Niitsuma, photography had become something entirely different for me. Not just a tool for documenting people, but a way of capturing stories as they unfold.

And you can see it.

This image was taken during a campaign event for Partij voor de Dieren. Rather than aiming for a simple portrait, my attention was drawn to the interaction: a campaign leader offering apples, a passerby reaching out to take one. In that small exchange, there was something real—shared warmth, curiosity, and a quiet sincerity.

That is what I wanted to capture.

The journalistic eye had changed. Once, I photographed “who was there.” Now, I was trying to photograph “what happened.” The story between people. The gesture. The emotion that only exists for a second before it disappears.

Taken with my Canon 5D Mark III and Sigma 100–400mm, the longer focal length helped isolate the moment, compressing the scene and letting the expressions speak for themselves. Light, composition, and timing aligned in a way that gave the frame its own voice.

My former company, Nisute Europe, was gone by then. That chapter had closed.

And quietly, another was beginning.

The Wondering Lens was taking shape—not as a business plan, but as a way of seeing the world. One moment at a time.

#PhotographyJourney #PartijvoordeDieren #DocumentaryPhotography #StreetPhotography #Photojournalism #Canon5DMarkIII #Sigma100400 #Storytelling #HumanMoments #CandidPhotography #VisualNarrative #DutchPolitics #CampaignPhotography #EmotionInPhotography #StreetMoments #PortraitBeyondPortrait #PhotographyGrowth #ThenAndNow #CreativeEvolution #WonderingLens #NatureOfPeople #SocialPhotography #FieldWork #Observation #MeaningfulMoments #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #ThroughTheLens #MemoryLane #VisualStorytelling
The Art of Aliveness. Unleash. 3/10
Creativity and Innovation: see where the world is going and meet it there. Stay connected, stay awake, stay adaptable. ✨
#CreativeEvolution #InnovationFlow #StayConnected #EmberhartJourney

For those of you reading this, I encourage you to take a moment and reflect on your own approach. Could stepping outside your comfort zone spark new growth in your career? You might be surprised by the value in embracing the unknown.

Have you experienced a similar evolution in your design career? I’d love to hear your thoughts and insights on the journey.

#DesignGrowth #CreativeEvolution #UXDesign #GrowthMindset #Innovation

Interview with Mark Amerika
and his new project, Posthuman Cinema

Language artists are pioneering a new era in art by training AIs to think creatively. This moment in art history marks the evolution of AI from a tool to an independent artist, reshaping creative practices. #AIArt #CreativeEvolution

https://aifutures.substack.com/p/interview-with-mark-amerika

Interview with Mark Amerika

and his new project, Posthuman Cinema

AI Futures for Art and Design