Would you please tell us about yourself?

I am a self taught Dutch fine art photographer based in London. Blending fine art with portraiture, my work often incorporates elements of Surrealism. Inspired by my background in Design, I embrace light and contrast as devices to sculpt graphic compositions.

Who has had an influence on your creative process?

Being self-taught fostered a unique creative process, forcing me to develop my own methods through experimentation and trial and error. I would say that I look at photography through the lens of a designer. This influence gradually became more visually prominent as I developed a more distinct style over the last few years.

Please tell us about an image (not your own) that has inspired you.

The enigmatic quality of Erwin Blumenfeld photographs immediately draws me in. As a true innovator who pushed the boundaries of photography, Blumenfeld achieves  powerful and elegant composition with minimal elements. The removal of excess strips photography down to its bare essence, visually rich enough to be a photograph and mysterious enough to create visual intrigue.

Why choose to work in three dimensions?

At its core, a photograph is a two-dimensional window onto a three-dimensional world. This ability of a flat image to trick our brains into perceiving depth is fascinating. Through collage and unconventional manipulation of depth within the image, I aim to disrupt this established perception and challenge viewers to question the boundaries of the medium.

In Between the Shadows 9 © Sander Vos.

How do you work through times when nothing seems to work?

I aim to have multiple projects on the go, this way when I get stuck on one project I can switch to another.

What part of image-making do you find the most rewarding?

I find it most rewarding when an initial vague idea or captured moment is after many hours of shooting, editing and image manipulation finally turned into something tangible when printed and framed. In some way this is magic.

What tools have you found essential in the making of your work?

In a literal sense my camera and editing software, predominantly Photoshop and Capture One. However a more unlikely tool is my intuition, as an artist it is essential to trust it and learn how to follow it.

In Between the Shadows 4 © Sander Vos

In Between the Shadows 10 © Sander Vos

Is there something in photography that you would like to try in the future?

I would like to turn my photography into installations, both big and small. Furthermore I’m already exploring the use of animation to further break down the boundaries between 2d and 3d.

How does your art affect the way you see the world?

The way light and shadow dance on a brick wall, suddenly forming a captivating composition, reminds me of photographyand its power to cultivate mindfulness. From the mesmerising interplay of light with objects and textures to the spontaneous formation of a captivating composition before my lens, photography allows me to truly see the world around us. Its a powerful medium that captures not only reality but also the unique filter of our imagination.

What is on the horizon?

I’m currently working on two new projects, one called ‘Interpolation’ and one called ‘Hidden Depths’ for which I combine paper cutting techniques with digital and physical collage.

Thank you Sander.

To learn more about the work of Sander Vos please click on his name.