WHO?
My name is Arjen Zwart and I am an independent photographer and co-founder of Dog Food, a photography magazine that mainly combines archive material with a touch of cynicism. My interest in photography started with a photo book by Ed van der Elsken titled “Eye Love You.” Not his best book, but the fact that you could travel the world with a camera to meet people and create visual stories appealed to me. Not much later I went on a trip myself with a newly purchased camera, an Olympus OM1. Overland to India! From that moment on I have always had a camera at hand.
WHAT?
I do street photography and like to work on series. I am fascinated by people and how they interact with each other and their environment. But street photography is not the goal in itself, it is a good way for me to find and deepen my subjects. With these series I can develop an idea in a story. For example, I followed a Roma family in Istanbul for 18 years, which resulted in a photo book titled “No One Dies At a Gypsy Wedding”.
WHERE?
Inside outside wherever I go. Close to home and in distant countries.
WHEN?
Always, even without a camera I look if there is something to photograph.
WHY?
It is a deep desire to tell a story with images.
