190 ☼ Finding My Portrait Flow
GIVEAWAY: Sissi Lu's X-Ray Film Pouch
Dear friends,
Over the past few months, I’ve noticed that I’ve been finding my flow state again in my portrait work, both in personal and client shoots. Even when the brief is classic and straightforward, something’s been shifting. I’ve been giving myself permission to push the creative edges a bit further.
This week I’m sharing recent portraits that came from that flow state, including portraits of photographer Shane Taylor and designer Perzia, a fast-paced CEO shoot, studio portraits of artist Vincent Ruijters, and author photos for Deepa Paul.
Also, in this week’s Process Giveaway: Sissi Lu’s DO NOT X-RAY film pouches
Quick Notes
New Work in Print — This week was a good one for print. Portraits of Deepa Paul appeared in The Times and De Morgen (more on that later), and one of my favorite images from 2024 was published in The Sun Magazine, #593 (see below).
Originally published in this portfolio The Best Medicine Zine Release — Our new IG account is live, sharing portraits for each of the 101 comedians featured in the zine. Join us for the release party on May 17 at De Balie (tix include a copy of the zine; grab yours here).
New Footer — The Process footer (all the way at the bottom) now includes links to the Process Manifesto, the Photo Assistant Database, the full Process Archive (190 issues and counting!), and a list of current projects I’m working on. Think of it as a small garden of ideas and a way to track what’s growing. Some news in there too.
Finding Flow by Making Space to Play
Lately, I’ve been noticing a shift in how I approach portrait sessions. For a while, I had lost a bit of the playfulness in my client work. Overthinking what the client might want, instead of trusting that they hired me for what I do. I go through phases like that. When I forget it, shoots get more stressful. When I come back to it, the work and the experience gets better for everyone involved.
One of the shoots where I really felt that was with my friend, photographer Shane Taylor, who was visiting Amsterdam from Manchester with his lovely wife. Shane is one of the talented and generous creatives behind Framelines Magazine, and his street photography is beautiful*. We spent an afternoon at Studio Perzia, a new space in the center of Amsterdam run by the designer and entrepreneur Perzia.
The shoot with Shane felt easy and collaborative. It more like a conversation than a session. It’s not always that easy to photograph a photographer, but this time it was a joy. Having his lovely wife there brought an even more relaxed energy to the room.
After we wrapped Shane’s portraits, Perzia stepped in front of the lens herself. She brought such a strong, natural presence to the images and was open to creative play and idea. I can’t wait to share more from this shoot soon. Both sessions reminded me how important it is to leave a little room for surprises and play.
I worked digitally for both, but also shot a few rolls on the Pentax 67ii, mixing fresh and expired film stock. I’m about to send the rolls to Carmencita Film Lab and can’t wait to see how those turned out.
That same openness carried into another recent shoot, this time for Creatives In/AMS, with Amsterdam-based artist Vincent Ruijters. We visited Vincent’s studio, which was set up for an animation project and research for his current projects filled with his colorful, layered pieces in progress. It’s always a gift to step into someone’s creative world like that. We worked with what the space offered and let the portraits build naturally from there. Lots of light, creative texture, and little pockets of stillness.
A few days earlier, I had been on a much faster-paced assignment: a portrait session with John Goltermann Lassen, the newly appointed CEO of Hoya Vision Care.
The project was led by Mikey Trotter, who focused on motion pieces, while I was brought on to capture stills. We had just a few minutes with John, but thanks to some quick scouting with my assistant James and the Hoya team, we had a few locations ready to go. A bright, sunlit staircase ended up being the perfect spot.
John was a natural in front of the camera, and even with limited time, we were able to make images that felt clean, confident, and human. And a bit more creative than your average CEO shot, playing with layering and light. Everyone was pleased! (see above)
That sense of flow carried over into a portrait session with my friend Deepa Paul, author of the upcoming book Ask Me How It Works: Love in an Open Marriage (Viking Books UK, May 1, preorder here.). This was our fifth shoot together, and you could feel the ease and trust built up over time. (see above)
We spent a crisp morning around Vondelpark, working with the soft light and quiet streets. Some images have already run in De Morgen and The Times, including my favorite outtake (see above), and it’s been special to see the photos out in the world ahead of Deepa’s launch.
All of these sessions, different as they were, had one thing in common: making just a little space to try something new. Not forcing it, not overthinking it, but just leaving enough room inside the work for some instinct to sneak in.
Many thanks to Taylor Foster for his excellent assisting and BTS work on the Shane, Perzia, and Vincent shoots, and to James Hensby for his thoughtful assisting on the Hoya shoot.
Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this issue, I’d love for you to share it with a friend.
Let’s keep shooting, learning, and sharing together—one messy, human step at a time.
Warmly,
Wesley
* Check out some of Shane’s street shots from his Amsterdam trip here.
📷 What I Used This Week
People often ask what I’m using and here’s this week’s setup:
Camera: Canon EOS R5 and the Canon RF 24-70 mm f/2.8 L IS USM + Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L II USM (For a full review of this set up, check out Process 173.)
This issue is supported by MPB.com — my go-to for buying, selling, or trading used photo and video gear. Everything comes with a 6-month warranty, and their support helps keep Process going.
Lab: My film is processed by Carmencita Film Lab. I trust them fully for both their work and their humanity. Use code "PROCESS" for a free upgrade on your next order.
Process Giveaway
I like sending small thank-yous to people who read and support Process.
This week: I’m giving away three DO NOT X-RAY pouches from friend and photographer Sissi Lu. Perfect for flying with film. Check them out here.
To enter, just answer the following question:
If you could get a free plane ticket anywhere in the world to go make photographs for a week, where would you go, and why?
Let me know in the comments. Winners will be announced in next week’s issue.
Recent Giveaway Winners — Congrats to (winner of the photo book) and (winner of the $250 Moment gift certificate)!
Next Week
I’ve been working on reclaiming my attention lately. From limiting distractions, to protecting deep focus time, and finding more clarity in both life and work. I’ll share what’s been working, what hasn’t, and a few tools and changes that might help you too.
Support Process & Elevate Your Photography
If these Sunday issues give you something—energy, motivation, a new way of seeing—you can support Process by picking up a book or joining the Process Photo Club.
Process Workbook Volume One & Two: Creative prompts and assignments designed to get you out of your head and into action with your camera.
€8.99 each (free for Process Photo Club members)
NOTICE Journal, Volume One: A fresh perspective on beauty and rebirth, shot in Amsterdam.
€40 (or €20 for Process Photo Club members)
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🚧 Currently Working On1
Currently Working On / Project Updates (r = release date)
The Best Medicine — Finalizing zine design and essay; IG account live (r: May 17)
Process Redesign — Waiting on sketches from Maxwell (r: Jun)
NJV1 Exhibition — Finalizing size and selection with curator and printer (r: TBA)
Process Workbook, Vol. 3 — Writing assignments (r: Jun)
Creatives In/AMS — Finalized sponsorship pitch deck; pitching soon (r: Sept)
NOTICE Journal, Volume Two — Developing concept
25 in 2025 — Date/venue/writer locked in; outlining/planning shoots (r: Nov 7)
i would love to go to iceland, and photograph the amazing landscapes there! the endless midnight summer on film??? i would pass away
Georgia (the country) has ancient stone towers, dramatic mountain passes, and soulful, untouched villages that feel like stepping back in time. I’d focus on capturing the medieval watchtowers of Svaneti at sunrise, shepherds leading flocks across rugged trails, colorful doors and weathered facades in old Tbilisi, and the sweeping views of the Caucasus Mountains wrapped in mist.