ilja keizer photography

Hey shows a selection of personal works, shot over the past five years in Amsterdam,

Antwerp and Berlin.

It is a study and observation of what a person is willing to show to a stranger

in the totally artificial setting of a photoshoot.

An event where two people that most often don’t know each other start to wander around in a space,

they’ll talk, question, expect, direct, get annoyed, surprised.

They’ll be emotionally moved, drink some coffee, fall in love, non-stop laugh, or maybe something else,

maybe something more, maybe some music on.

On most pages in this book you’ll find portraits of beautiful and powerful women.

Women with a passion. Women that create, explore, perform.

Women that have conquered life’s difficulties. Women that dare to show their inner selves,

women that dare to be vulnerable.

Women with confidence, women with a certain realness. Women that dare to dance.

Women that matter. Hardcore.

Some of them came in euforia. Some of them had to find their way, wondering what the hell.

Some of them instantly handed over the most intimate parts of their minds.

Some of them became heroes, forever inspirations. Some of them became friends.

Some of them wanted to hit me, and then became friends.

Some of them brought their doggie in. Some of them stayed for Indian takeaways.

Some of them just came in, sat down, stayed for a while and said goodbye.