Styled Portraits in Ghent, Belgium: Fashion-Inspired Shoots in Iconic Locations
The city of Ghent has always held a special place for me. It wasn’t just that I grew up here. It was the first place that felt like home. Born in Philadelphia, living in Amsterdam until I was five years old, when I returned with my mother to live in her hometown, I felt like I had landed somewhere familiar, somewhere safe and welcome. As my mother pointed out the three landmark towers of Ghent (St. Niklaas Cathedral, the Belfry, and St. Baafs Cathedral) every time we drove the trek from Amsterdam to Ghent to visit with my grandparents, I already sensed this place was unique—rich in history that felt like maybe it was part of my history as well.
So I wandered the streets of Ghent long before I ever held a camera. The reflection of the light off the pale facades of slanted townhouses, the irregular patterns of the cobblestones, the way in which the gray ramparts of the Castle of the Counts blend into an overcast sky with the Ghent lion, white-against-black, waving in the wind… these visual impressions shaped the way I see. It is not just a matter of architecture or urban planning. Each brick is impregnated with a feeling—a feeling to which history clings almost like Liège apple syrup.
Ghent as Muse: What Makes Ghent One of Europe’s Most Photogenic Cities
When I came back to Ghent after having spent 15 years living in New York, Paris, and California, I returned with my camera, ready to capture the beauty I had always stored on a cellular level, but which in some ways I took for granted, not having felt the need to document it, because it already lived inside of me.
Ghent is not a fashion city. That would be Antwerp, or even Brussels. But Ghent has something its bigger siblings lack: we don’t flaunt our monuments. They live like precious jewels, still inhabited by a living, breathing present, all while exuding the past. And this, to my mind, is what makes Ghent a unique backdrop for fashion-oriented, editorial style photoshoots.
A Boutique Photoshoot Experience in the Heart of Ghent
Over the past few years, I’ve had the chance to photograph models, clients, and creative collaborators against some of Ghent’s most iconic backdrops — from the quiet symmetry of cobbled alleyways to the grand theatricality of Gravensteen Castle. Whether I’m working on a fashion editorial or a romantic couple shoot, my goal is always to create something timeless, with a sense of narrative that feels both grounded and cinematic.
If you’re looking for a fashion or portrait photographer in Ghent, Belgium — someone who knows the city not just as a location, but as a lived landscape — I’d be happy to collaborate. My work ranges from editorial-style photoshoots to more intimate personal portraits, always with an emphasis on emotion, story, and light. I offer tailored sessions for couples, individuals, and visitors who want to experience Ghent through a photographer’s eye.
Interested in booking a shoot or learning more? You can connect with me here — or find out more about booking a Ghent photoshoot experience. Whether you have a concept in mind or just a desire to be seen in a new light, we can craft something meaningful together.
