About Help-Portrait
Our first successful Help-Portrait event took place. Over 175 people attended in two days and we handed out more than 200 free prints! All images were retouched and printed on-site. Free of charge and ready to take with you! It was also possible to receive the photos digitally. Reactions like “In years I haven’t felt as beautiful and appreciated as when you took my photo” felt incredibly rewarding. It was a beautiful thing to use our skills for the ones in need.
Help-Portrait is a global movement of photographers, hairstylists, and make-up artists using their time, tools, and expertise to give back to those in need. Since 2009 they have been able to hand out more than 400,000 free portrait photos in more than 70 countries. For more information about Help-Portrait visit www.help-portrait.com
The project was something I wanted to work on for a couple of years but never had the time, so we scheduled some time off on the agenda and went to work. We wanted to really create something special for the people, not just a ‘simple photo on a paper backdrop’. Together with my crew we designed and built a luxurious set fully decorated with plants and furniture.
Before the event took place we built and pre-lighted the set in our studio so we could work as efficiently as possible on the shooting days. It was very important that the set pieces could be easily put together and taken apart independently of each other for transportation.
Because we wanted to be as flexible as possible in our set we came up with a lighting setup where we only had to move one flash to light the person/persons. For the main light, we used the Broncolor Siros 800L flash head inside the Para 133 with diffusion. Because the Siros 800L is a battery-powered flash, meaning it doesn't have cables, we could easily move it around the set. As a large overall fill light, we had a Broncolor Siros 800S with a large Octabox attached boomed above the entire set giving a soft top light. As a third light, we used a Broncolor Siros 800S with a standard reflector going to a large 3x3 meter diffusion panel creating our window light. Between the flash and the diffusion, we also added a panel called "cucoloris" or "cookie." This is often a wooden or cardboard panel with different shapes cut out to create a more natural look as if the light is going through a tree.
The results
Below are a few images of the people who permitted us to use their portrait for the promotion of Help-portrait.
My name is Mohammed. I came to the Netherlands as a Somali refugee in 1989. Over the years I have worked my way up as a caretaker at Tactus Addiction Care and I recently received my certificate as a steward at FC Twente. So far the good news, because my family fell apart after my father was murdered in 1986. It has never been possible to get everyone back together ever since. My mother (74) is ill and lives in Denmark with my sister (51) and brother (47). I also have a sister (56) in England and another (54) living in Kenya. My biggest wish is to temporarily reunite my family. Especially because my mother is seriously ill. The last time I saw her, after eleven years, was in 2014. Unfortunately, due to financial reasons, I haven't been able to visit her since. We managed to make a photo composite with Mohammed's family members with old photos he provided us. Although the reunion didn't happen in real life he is incredibly grateful.
Due to privacy reasons we only share the image and story of Mohammed.
Thank you so much for giving me - and others with me - this fantastic opportunity! I haven't felt this beautiful in years. The photo you've shot and printed will be this year's Christmas present to my parents. I can't put in words how loving every one of you was and how much I appreciated this. I felt at my very best, instead of insecure as usual. It was a bit uncomfortable for me to switch poses during the shoot, but that made me laugh and it resulted in this beautiful portrait. Speechless...
Credits:
Photographer: Jeroen Nieuwhuis
Make-up artists: Michelle Voogd - Lien Voogd - Pien Beutink
Set designer: Charlotte te Wierik
Assistants: Thijs Wijdeveld - Jeppe Hellegers - Radboud de Bruin
Retouchers: Jasper Boeve - Enrico Pisano - Thomas Busschers - Enzo Schmidlin - Jeroen Nieuwhuis
Volunteers: Jacob Ossef - Juri Mensink - Roxanne Patawala - Jos Nieuwhuis - Erik Journee - Sabine Elsjan
Jeroen Nieuwhuis is a commercial portrait photographer based in the Netherlands. Shooting professionally since the age of 17 (now 29) he continuously works for clients all across the globe and has worked with some of the largest advertising companies such as Heineken, JBL, Harman Kardon, Shimano, Johnnie Walker and more. Multiple personal projects gained international attention, for example, winning the Red Bull Illume in the category close-up, multiple awards at the Prix de la Photographie Paris, and the International Photo Awards. Jeroen also works on numerous personal projects that take him all over the globe. His most recent project, about the life of the American Mountain Men, is a photography documentation shot over a three year period showcases some of the most beautiful but also extreme conditions these men are putting themselves in every day. The outcome will be a high-quality art book with over 150+ images, stories and documents taking the reader on a historical journey.
NEW DAY studio:
At the age of 21, Jeroen teamed up with cinematographer Erik Journée and started "NEW DAY" studio. Over the years it has grown into a full production studio with multiple directors and assistants. Together with our integrated high-end recording studio, post-production is also organized entirely in-house: from color correction and retouch, to audio and mastering up to delivery.
Instagram: @jeroennieuwhuis
Website: www.jeroennieuwhuis.com
