Meet Zandee, a photographer who makes images inspired by 16th-century painters, before cameras were ever invented.

So when I saw Wim's work in our Photologo Community Page, I just knew we had to get him in for an interview. Luckily, he agreed. So, we met on a sunny afternoon in Rome last summer to have a fun chat about him and his Photography.

The inspiration behind his inspiring work

I began by asking this dutch portrait photographer how he got started with photography. He quickly tells me a fond childhood memory of his: "I first picked up a camera when I was seven years old, and it was only a medium format camera." Upon hearing his story, it's clear that even from his humble beginnings, photography always been his passion. 

He went on and shared how several years later, he would go on to buy his first DSLR. Little did he know that it would be the beginning of his photographic future — and eventually, evolve into the style he is known for today.

The master revealing some of his secrets 

After buying his DSLR, Wim shared all about how he wanted to break the spell of the typical photographer. You could see the enthusiasm in his face as he shared inspiring stories putting in the extra time to learn the ways of the trade. 

You see, he spent all his weekends for years to finish a photography school in Rotterdam. It was there where he discovered the kind of Photography that excited him the most; portraiture. In regards to his aesthetic, Wim shares some great advice, "...experiment with lights and shadows. Don't be scared of the shadows."

When he said this, I became curious as to how he incorporated this unique style into his images. He reveals that the trick is to use low-key lighting set up and building a picture out of the darker aspects of the scene. His approach is clearly working for him, as all his clients love his work. 

We went on and discussed where he finds inspiration for his work. Wim considers that finding inspiration is a continuous process for a photographer and he personally uses not one but many platforms to stay creative. So he assures me that like most of us, creative ruts happen for him, and to be at his best, he is unafraid to source inspiration from as many avenues as possible.

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For Wim, his go-to inspiration source is his local museum. While there, he studies the work of Dutch painters. He got excited sharing all about how these painters add lighting to their paintings and how they bring the most out of their subjects. The energy he gets from spending time at the museum reflects on his work. 

The Transition From Local Name To World-Renowned Brand

After discovering his unique photography techniques, Wim and I found our conversation develop into a lengthy discussion about business aspects of his work. 

He shared to me that the more aware he became about his brand and public profile, the more he realized that it's not enough to have 'good' photos in a competitive market. 

Now, Wim didn't always have a beautiful signature logo; instead, he used to add a generic font on his images. Wim says, "...when I first saw Photologo, I knew it was what I needed to take my work and brand to the next level." 

I became super proud when he told me all about the time he finally found a logo (Photologo!) that would match the same quality as the work he was creating. 

Once Wim had taken the first step and requested his order, our team began creating something that had the same level of sophistication as his portrait photography. 

...and of course, Wim absolutely loved the result, even telling us that no further revisions are needed. I was so delighted to hear when he said: "I tell all my friends and colleagues to get a Photologo."

Wim's Experience with Photologo

Wim's logo positioning of choice is to place it in the bottom corner of his work. He feels that it makes his logo large enough to be impactful without ever overpowering his main subject.

As with most of our customers, Wim wanted to share his passion with like-minded peers. So, he turned to the best possible platform, the Photologo Community. 

When I ask him what he thinks about the Photologo community, his face lights up, and he shares how much he loves how diverse the people are in the group. He mentioned that he loves how it brings together different genres and ideas. 

Wim learns a lot from listening to other photographers and enjoys getting feedback on the images that he shares. He also likes contributing to the development of others. He shares his knowledge and offers his perspective to the community. It's because of this feedback culture that he loves the Photologo community so much.

In closing, Wim told me about the reaction his customers have with his Photologo, and he said: "they say it looks great on their pictures — they like it a lot!". He revealed that they often ask him to leave the Photologo on their prints because of the love it and say it enhances the photo itself.

Wim's success story is one of the hundreds we hear every day at Photologo. We're confident that his level of achievement is possible with a great logo to kick off your brand. So, start your process and make an order for your brand new Photologo today!

My Photologo signature completes the picture perfectly
and looks much more professional than my own.

Markus Van Hauten - Sony Award Photography winner