AT THE BEACH / A STORY ABOUT TWO HALF SISTERS / PHOTOGRAPHY
What can I say about this shoot. I guess you have to feel it. This afternoon with Puck and Eefje was beautiful. The shoot absolutely magic. On a regular Thursday afternoon we came together at the beach in Zandvoort, The Netherlands. The circumstances weren't regular at all. It was an afternoon with a laugh and a tear. It was real and vulnerable with the sweetest people. Puck all the way from Bali and Eefje from Germany. It's the story of two half sisters who had to touch base in The Netherlands for a sad moment last summer.
A little while ago, Puck reached out to me on Instagram, and after a lovely chat over the phone, we decided to meet in person for coffee in Amsterdam. Puck, who owns a sustainable fashion label, store and getaway in Bali, has a deep love for dance, which we connected over immediately. During our long conversation, she opened up to me about the emotional and spiritual journey she was experiencing with her gravely ill father. Through this time, they developed a deeper and closer connection, not only with each other but also with his family. This included her half sister, Eefje, a professional dancer, whom she had only met once before.
Although Puck and Eefje barely knew each other, Puck was deeply touched by the openness and movements of life. They all were experiencing powerful emotions—grief, love, and the complex spaces in between. As someone who had used movement and dance improvisation as a form of healing and expression, Puck envisioned capturing the essence of this newfound bond with Eefje and the raw present moment through the shared language of dance.
A week later, after a stretch of rainy days, the sun finally broke through, and we met in Zandvoort for the shoot, surrounded by precious family moments and the warmth of that rare, perfect day.
Love, pain, grief and joy can coexist, it's beautiful to witness this kind of openness. The way they emerged during the shoot was absolutely impressive and special to feel, watch and capture. You two made me still and touched my heart. Thank you for letting me capture your presence. Unfortunately the father of Puck and Eefje passed away a couple of weeks later.
