Maikel de BakkerMay 12
Portrait photography. Linda.

Taken with the Canon 5DSR and Sigma 24–70mm Art, this portrait was never just about capturing a face. It was about capturing something quieter: personality.

A camera can make people tense. Many don’t quite know what to do with their hands, how to smile naturally, or even where to look. That’s normal. Being photographed can make someone suddenly aware of themselves in a way they usually are not.

That is why portrait photography is as much psychology as it is technique.

Before this image, I took several other shots. Not because those were meant to be the final portrait, but because they served another purpose: helping Linda relax. Letting the camera become less important. Letting the moment become real instead of staged.

As a photographer, your role is not simply to point and shoot. It is to create a space where someone feels safe enough to lower their guard. Comfortable enough to forget they are being observed.

Only then does the genuine expression appear.

The slight smile, the softness in the eyes, the posture that no longer feels rehearsed—that is the moment worth waiting for. And technically, the 5DSR paired with the Sigma Art renders every subtle detail beautifully. But equipment alone does not make a portrait.

Trust does.

#PortraitPhotography #Canon5DSR #Sigma2470Art #Portrait #NaturalPortrait #PeoplePhotography #PhotographyTips #PortraitSession #HumanConnection #PhotographyJourney #AuthenticSmile #CandidPortrait #PhotographerLife #VisualStorytelling #EmotionInPhotography #LensAndLight #CreativePortrait #PhotographyMentor #NaturalLightPortrait #BehindTheLens #PortraitArt #ThroughTheLens #PersonalityPortrait #StoryInFaces #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #WonderingLens #LindaPortrait #PhotographyThoughts #HumanMoments
Maikel de BakkerMay 11
Linda, her very first time seriously holding a camera—one of mine. Knowing how much she loves animals, I took her to a park known for its squirrels. First the birds arrived, giving her time to learn the basics: point, focus, shoot. Step by step. An hour later, after spotting her first squirrel, I handed her a better lens. And there she was, smiling behind the camera. Lesson one: have fun.

#Photography #LearningPhotography #WildlifePhotography #Squirrels #BirdPhotography #NaturePhotography #PhotographyMentor #CanonPhotography #Telephoto #BeginnerPhotographer #CreativeJourney #NatureLovers #InTheField #OutdoorPhotography #AnimalLovers #TeachingPhotography #FirstSteps #PhotographyLife #PointAndShoot #NatureObservation #FieldMoments #BehindTheScenes #HappyPhotographer #WildlifeMoments #CreativeGrowth #ThroughTheLens #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #WonderingLens
Maikel de BakkerMay 11
Another protégé. Another lesson.

This time high above the Spoorpark in Tilburg, standing on a viewing tower swaying gently in the wind. Kevin is already a capable street photographer, comfortable in the rhythm of the streets below. But this lesson was about something different: perspective.

As we looked out over the city, I told him something unexpected.

“Look down.”

You could almost see the question marks appear above his head.

From a bird’s-eye view, the city changes completely. Streets become lines, people become patterns, cars become movement through geometry and light. A perspective many street photographers rarely explore, because we naturally see the world from eye level.

And that’s exactly why it matters.

Photographing from that height wasn’t easy. The tower moved with every gust of wind, making stability a challenge—especially with longer focal lengths. While I prepared a camera with a telelens for Kevin to use, he started experimenting on his own. That moment—his curiosity, his concentration—is when I took this shot.

When I handed him the camera, I showed him some of the compositions I had seen from above. And almost immediately, he understood the lesson.

Not just how to photograph a city.

But how changing your position changes the story entirely.

Sometimes growth in photography is not about better gear or settings.

Sometimes it’s simply about standing somewhere different.

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Maikel de BakkerMay 11
My protégé Dennis, standing on a beach near Donegal, Ireland.

A few years ago, I traveled there with a beginning photographer eager to learn the craft beyond simply pressing the shutter. Together, we focused on landscapes, perspective, and perhaps most importantly: learning where to stand, where to look, and why.

Photography often appears instinctive from the outside. Some people naturally stumble upon strong compositions through trial and error. But turning those lucky moments into consistent results—that takes awareness, patience, and practice.

And Ireland is a good teacher.

With coastlines shaped by Atlantic storms, shifting light, and dramatic geology carved by ancient glaciers, the landscape constantly challenges you to adapt. Light changes by the minute. One step left or right can completely alter the balance of a scene.

Watching someone slowly understand that is incredibly rewarding.

Over time, his images evolved from average snapshots into thoughtful compositions. After several courses, he now photographs for a local rock band. Seeing that growth—that confidence—makes me genuinely proud.

You don’t need exotic locations to learn photography. These lessons can be found anywhere. But traveling together, exploring unfamiliar places, and standing in landscapes like this… it sharpens both teacher and student alike.

And sometimes, with the sea wind in your face and the Irish coast stretching into the distance, everything simply feels right again.

#Ireland #Donegal #BeachPhotography #LandscapePhotography #PhotographyMentor #LearningPhotography #CanonPhotography #NaturePhotography #TravelPhotography #IrishCoast #AtlanticOcean #Perspective #Composition #OutdoorPhotography #PhotographyJourney #CreativeGrowth #NatureLovers #ExploreIreland #VisualStorytelling #EarthFocus #CoastalLandscape #AdventurePhotography #TeachingPhotography #FieldWork #WanderingPhotographer #ScenicViews #ThroughTheLens #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #WonderingLens
DanivalenciafotografoApr 28

Actualización de tendencias para fotógrafos de stock: Junio 2026. Analizamos la demanda de Shutterstock enfocada en negocios híbridos y la importancia de la licencia de datos para IA. Todo el flujo de trabajo detallado en nuestra plataforma de formación.
https://www.patreon.com/posts/156773370?utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=android_share

​#StockPhotography #Shutterstock #OpenWeb #PhotographyMentor #Junio2026

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