Sascha van der Werf

THE ART OF SEEING BEYOND THE OBVIOUS

My head is a carousel of pictures, and the spinning never stops.

A photograph is more than a moment captured—it’s a reflection of everything that led up to it. The way light falls, the energy in the air, the unspoken emotions beneath the surface. My work is not about freezing time but about revealing presence—the essence of a person, a place, a feeling. Each image I create is driven by intuition, experience, and a deep fascination with the human story.

It’s not just about what we see, but what we sense—
because the most powerful photographs are the ones that make us feel.

“You don’t make a photo with the camera or any other equipment. When we press the shutter, the whole bundle that life gives us is always with us:  The experiences we made, the inspirations we inhaled, our imagination mixed with our feelings in the present moment create the image.”

-Mag. (FH) Sascha van der Werf

A RARE VISION, A SINGULAR APPROACH

I didn’t come to photography through tradition—I arrived through instinct, curiosity, and an insatiable drive to distill life’s intricate essence into timeless, singular moments.

With an exclusive focus on monochrome storytelling, I craft images that are not just seen but felt, where light and shadow carve out emotions words cannot reach.

CAPTURING PRESENCE, NOT JUST IMAGES

My work is not for everyone. It’s for those who seek more than a photograph—for those who understand that true impact lies in subtlety, nuance, and depth. I don’t chase trends, nor do I cater to the ordinary. Each portrait I create is a dialogue, a carefully honed experience where the subject is seen, not just captured.

Through an uncompromising commitment to authenticity, artistry, and connection, I ensure that every frame reflects not just an external image, but the essence of the person within.

Why Photography is My Language

My photography is an invitation to pause, to rethink, to feel.

In a world that moves too fast, I use photography to slow things down. I create a space where presence matters, where emotions surface, and where details whisper their own truths. My images are not just snapshots—they are moments of introspection, an opportunity to see beyond what is obvious.

Photography is my way of being fully present.

It started on the streets—an adrenaline rush, a moment of pure awareness, the world unfolding in front of me, frame by frame. That feeling never left. No matter what I capture—street, portrait, or an unguarded human moment—photography pulls me into the now, where nothing else matters. It is the closest I have ever come to experiencing time as it truly is: fluid, fleeting, yet deeply significant.

I seek the profound in the ordinary.

I challenge perspectives—both visible and invisible. I defy norms, question reality, and invite contemplation. Every photograph I take carries energy, intention, and a silent dialogue. My images are wordless poems, stories without a script, windows into unseen emotions. I don’t just capture what’s there; I reveal what is often overlooked—the quiet depth, the raw truth, the emotion beneath the surface.

More than just a final image, photography is an experience.

On the street, it’s about witnessing life and telling the world as I see it. It’s about catching that split second where everything aligns—light, movement, expression—and distilling an entire story into a frame. In a portrait session, the camera becomes the last sentence of a conversation, a reflection of what’s beyond the surface. It’s an invitation—for both the viewer and the subject—to pause, to feel, to challenge what is. The process itself is as important as the result; each frame is a collaboration of trust, vulnerability, and presence.

Photography is not just about what is seen—it’s about what is felt.

For those who stand before my lens, I want them to see themselves, to step beyond their comfort zones, to feel free enough to be who they truly are. I want my subjects to experience themselves differently, to discover parts of themselves they might not usually notice. It’s an unfiltered moment, a raw and honest reflection, free from expectations or judgment. To feel—without apology, without restraint—is the truest form of liberation.

Without photography, I would be missing my voice.

This is how I communicate, how I leave a mark without saying a word. My images are my language, my way of making sense of the world and my place in it. In a world that rushes past, I slow it down. I frame the unnoticed. I let silence speak. Through photography, I am not just an observer—I am part of the moment itself.

Photography is not just what I do.
It’s how I see. It’s how I question. It’s how I make people feel.

It is my way of challenging what is, of turning fleeting moments into something permanent, of creating connections that exist beyond words. Photography is my truth, my perspective, my form of rebellion against indifference.

It is how I make sense of life—one frame at a time.

“Through photography, I embark on an endless, life-altering journey, capturing the essence of fleeting moments and transforming them into two-dimensional stories that reveal the world as I see it.

-Mag. (FH) Sascha van der Werf

Ready to Create Something Timeless?

contact@van-der-werf.com

Based in Vienna. Creating wherever the work calls.

German or English—write in the language that feels most like you.