Darkrooms Uncovered - Marcel Borgstijn

A peek into a photographer's mental creative darkroom

What does your creative ritual look like? Do you have specific habits or conditions that spark your creativity?

I don't have a specific creative ritual that I can describe. My projects usually start with an idea that forms over time into a more solid concept, and I try to learn more about my chosen subject to determine the direction I want to take. I do take walks while listening to podcasts from photographers I've subscribed to, and when there's an interesting conversation, I'll take a closer look at the interviewee. Knowing someone's story allows me to look at their work with a different perspective. But I don't have detailed daily habits or specific conditions that consistently spark my creativity. It seems to happen more organically for me.

When you're feeling creatively blocked, what's your go-to method for breaking through?

Nah, I don't have a specific method for dealing with creative blocks, and honestly, this is something I'm very curious about myself. I would love to hear what methods well-known photographers use when they're in a creative slump. I wonder how they get their inspiration and deal with lack of inspiration, especially when photography provides bread on the table and there's pressure to perform. So I'm afraid I can't share a go-to method because I'm still figuring that out myself and would benefit from learning from others about this challenge.

Describe a moment when your creative perspective shifted dramatically. What triggered it?

I surprised myself during a project when I decided to set my camera to black and white conversion mode and shot for 10 months without any editing afterward. What I shot was what I got - no post-processing at all. This was a complete departure from my usual workflow and I started this project as a search for why I photograph, with very few "rules" to limit myself as little as possible. After a while, I analyzed what kind of images I had made. This approach led to nice initiatives and alternative selections that I never expected, showing me I could work more intuitively than I thought possible.

What recurring themes or elements do you find yourself naturally drawn to capture?

I'm naturally drawn to black and white photography with high contrast. I always pay close attention to composition and my photos are never very crowded - people often tell me they can recognize my work by these characteristics. I deliberately focus on expressiveness over technical perfection; my photos that I'm most proud of all have some technical shortcoming. I prefer to work in series, typically of 5 images, though I experiment with larger series for different contexts. I'm also drawn to subjects that allow me to explore deeper meanings and storytelling, as you can see in my projects. I also have an interest in creating series around song lyrics.

What non-photographic influences (books, music, films, etc.) most impact your work?

My inspiration comes from movies, books, and song lyrics. I've actually created an archive of interesting song lyrics that I'd like to create a series about someday. I find it interesting to look for matching, accompanying music for my presentations. Lately, I've started looking at film directors with different eyes - studying how they shoot films, what angles they use, and how they create atmosphere through color. There are very good YouTube videos about cinematography that are super educational. I also listen to photography podcasts during my walks, and when there's an interesting conversation, I'll research the interviewee because, like I already mentioned, knowing someone's story allows me to view their work from a different perspective.

What photograph of yours feels most personally revealing, and why?

My most personally revealing photograph is from my "Descended Silence" project. It shows a split in the ‘Borgstijn Trail’ where my family once owned land. This image is deeply personal because of that family connection and the metaphorical meaning it represents about human choices. The split path symbolizes the decisions we face - left toward sunlight and a tunnel with light at the end, right through darker periods where trees yield. Someone else revealed this meaning to me, which made the photo come alive even more. I find it intriguing that the image appears mirrored at first glance, showing me that storytelling can happen unconsciously in my work.

Find out more about Marcel Borgstijn

Website: https://borgstijn.nl

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