{"id":27421,"date":"2025-11-09T20:59:46","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T19:59:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/atelieroostamsterdam.nl\/?p=27421"},"modified":"2025-11-09T21:26:27","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T20:26:27","slug":"inside-the-workshop-isabell-janssen-x-sony-in-the-playground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atelieroostamsterdam.nl\/en\/blog\/inside-the-workshop-isabell-janssen-x-sony-in-the-playground\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the workshop \u2013 Isabell Janssen x Sony in The Playground"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo credits:<\/b> Isabell Janssen<\/a><\/center> \n
\nWhen photographer, Sony Ambassador and storyteller Isabell Janssen prepares a workshop, she always begins with the same question: why do we create images? For her, the answer revolves around authenticity. \u201cAuthenticity, to me, is about what you feel in an image. Whether something is planned or spontaneous, you can see it when there\u2019s trust and ease between me and the person in front of the lens.\u201d<\/i>

\nThat vision formed the heart of the workshop she organised together with Sony in The Playground. Participants not only learned about light and composition, but were mainly encouraged to search for their own voice as creators \u2013 and for what truly gives their photography meaning.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Studio:<\/b> The Playground<\/a><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Studio:<\/b> The Playground<\/a><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Studio:<\/b> The Playground<\/a><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Sony x Isabell Janssen: a workshop about vision, trust and light<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe collaboration with Sony came about almost naturally. \u201cThe Benelux team and I clicked immediately,\u201d<\/i> explains Isabell<\/a>. \u201cSince then, I\u2019ve been able to host workshops with them and join inspiring trips.\u201d <\/i>Being a Sony Ambassador means more to her than working with professional tools. \u201cThanks to Sony\u2019s reach, I can introduce young talent and give their work visibility. That\u2019s important to me: sharing knowledge and building community.\u201d<\/i>

\nDuring the workshop she therefore didn\u2019t place the technique at the centre, but rather the \u2018why\u2019 behind it. At the start of the day, the conversation wasn\u2019t about settings, but about motivation: who are you as a creator, what do you want to tell, and why? This reflection created an open atmosphere in which participants not only learned, but also felt encouraged to share.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Studio:<\/b> The Playground<\/a><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAuthenticity in portrait photography<\/b>
\nDuring the workshop, Isabell demonstrated how authenticity emerges through connection. \u201cPhotography is a powerful yet intimate medium for me. That\u2019s why I find it important that the person I\u2019m photographing is part of the process and that we create the image together.\u201d<\/i> She explained how she invites her models to think along, to claim space and to show themselves.

\nRemarkably, despite the spontaneous feel of her images, Isabell actually prepares<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019m a huge planner: I always write and sketch beforehand. But precisely because I\u2019m well prepared, I can let go on set. Letting go creates space for the unexpected, and that\u2019s often where the authenticity lies,\u201d<\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Studio:<\/b> The Playground<\/a><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Studio:<\/b> The Playground<\/a><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhy The Playground proved to be the perfect location<\/b>
\nFor this workshop, Isabell deliberately chose The Playground<\/a>, our largest daylight studio. She says: \u201cThe Playground is spacious, yet still feels intimate. There\u2019s a warm atmosphere, which helps people feel at ease quickly.\u201d <\/i>That aspect is crucial for her approach, in which trust and vulnerability play an important role.

\nThe daylight also offered endless opportunities to experiment. \u201cWhat I like about working with daylight<\/a> is that it strikes a good balance between control and surprise. Sometimes the light shifts throughout the day and something appears that you never could have planned.\u201d <\/i>Participants worked with both daylight and artificial light, but it was the natural light that created the greatest variety. By experimenting with curtains, distance from the window and reflections<\/a>, they learned how subtly light can guide an image without overpowering it.

\nThe studio turned out to be ideal for group dynamics: different corners<\/a>, multiple lighting situations and enough room to shoot simultaneously without disturbing one another. This created an energetic, exploratory atmosphere in which everyone could follow their own rhythm.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Studio: <\/b>The Playground<\/a><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Studio:<\/b> The Playground<\/a><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Studio: <\/b>The Playground<\/a><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Studio:<\/b> The Playground<\/a><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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How Isabell structured the workshop<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cWhen setting up a workshop, I always begin with the content: what do I want to do, why do I want to do it and for whom?\u201d<\/i> Isabell explains. Once that was clear, she worked with Sony to see how their expertise could strengthen one another. After that, she developed the practical side: planning, location, production. But ultimately, it was all about meaning.

The combination of conversations, live shoots, feedback and free experimentation made the day feel like a shared experience; more like creative research than a traditional course. To beginning photographers, Isabell always gives the same advice: experiment and stay curious. \u201cEmotion doesn\u2019t arise from technique, but from connection,\u201d<\/i> she says. To her, it\u2019s all about attention: truly seeing someone, taking time, being open to what unfolds.

She encourages photographers to seek inspiration outside social media. \u201cBeing outdoors, experiencing new things or having conversations helps you to observe better.\u201d<\/i>\nShe herself started by photographing her friends, simply by observing and listening. She still cherishes that curiosity because it keeps her close to her own voice.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Een bericht gedeeld door Isabell Janssen (@outsider.i)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n