Dutch Eyes Hellen van Meene A Coversation Photography

A Conversation with Portraitist Hellen Van Meene by Joerg Colberg May 2008

Portraiture might be the most challenging photographic endeavor. It is a complex interaction between the photographer's intent, the subject's preconceptions and ideas, and the viewer's background. So how do photographers manage to make great portraits?

I have long been a fan of Dutch photographer Hellen van Meene. Her portraits of adolescents possess an extremely quiet and forceful beauty. I've often wondered how she manages to create work that is so beautiful, while always avoiding the trap of producing mere clichés. Deciding to approach Hellen to talk to her about her images, I was particularly happy to not only get a glimpse of her ideas about her work, but to also to see some of her very new photos that have not yet been seen publicly. Read more ...