Our Old Street (2024)

A classic, high-angle monochrome image of a popular Amsterdam scene. A bakfiets (cargo bike) rounds the corner in a blur of speed, hinting at the driver and passengers piled into the front container. In striking contrast, a line of locked, still bikes draws a sharp, graphic line through the composition. It’s a perfect snapshot of a resounding cultural marker of the city: the many, many bikes, fast and slow, that are everywhere.

I shot this with a 1980s Pentax 35mm film camera and processed the film myself at home. Due to the film's physical limitations, the sharpness and fidelity only go so far. You'll also see small hairs and slight scratches, a result of my hand-processing.

In the modern age of AI-generated, hyper-sharp images, I could easily photoshop these elements out, but I choose to embrace them. They aren't flaws; they are a deliberate part of my artistic process, adding a warmth, realism, and authenticity that I feel is lost in digital perfection or AI generation. They were all part of my journey to reach this final image and are as much a part of it as the bicycles and street lamp.