On the road photo reportage series for NRC
Photo reportage series tour bus
Project info: For the Dutch news paper NRC, we jump in tour buses, used by music bands and artists. Together with music journalist Leendert van der Valk we tell the on-the-road stories of endless hours behind the wheel, the conversations, the accidents, the silly jokes and terrorising farts.
Client: NRC
Media: Photography
My role: Idea and photography
Languages: Dutch
Curation and coordination photography project Het Beelddepot
An extensive image research project, ‘Het Beelddepot’ (Image Depot, in English) found that the imagery used in Dutch media when reporting on homelessness is stigmatising, biased and unrealistic. A new image bank, to be used by Dutch news papers, broadcast companies and other news platforms, offers a more realistic, neutral and constructive visual approach of the issue of homelessness.
A small group of young, talented photographer and experienced photo journalists developed new photo stories. I coordinated the collaboration and curate the collection. And did photo consultancy for media, partners and stakeholders.
‘Het Beelddepot’ is a journalistic initiative to find and fight stigmas around the issue of homelessness.
More on the Beelddepot on beelddepot.nl (in Dutch)
Visual language workshop Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment
During a visual language and photography workshop for the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment we trained policy makers, government staff, social welfare workers and others about the power of the image, semiotics and visual language on the subject of homelessness.
In an extensive image research project, we found that the imagery used in media when reporting on homelessness is stigmatising, biased and unrealistic. In the workshops we shared the findings, made the audience aware of the power of visual representation and shared tools to achieve a more realistic, neutral and constructive visual approach of the issue of homelessness.
The workshops are conducted by members of ‘Het Beelddepot’, a journalistic initiative to find and fight stigmas around the issue of homelessness.
More on the Beelddepot on beelddepot.nl (in Dutch)
Portraits nominated lecturers Utrecht University
Portrait photography
Project info: Various portraits made for Utrecht University for their annual Lecturer of the Year election
Client: Utrecht University
Media: Photography / animation
Languages: –
Watch all animated portraits here
Opening skate course ‘s-Hertogenbosch
Photo reportage skateboarding event
Project info: Opening event of skateable letters at the World Skate Center in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
Client: Autonomous
Media: Photography
My role: Photography
Languages: –
Portrait photography lecturers of the year
Animated portrait series for Utrecht University
Project info: For the award ceremony of the 2020 Teacher of the Year award, I created animated portrait series of the nominees, combined with text animation. In the run up to the award night, the portraits were published on the Utrecht University social media channels, the full animations were shown during the online award ceremony.
Client: Utrecht University
Media: Photography, animation
My role: Photography, graphic design and editing
Languages: –
Photo reportage: high tide in Holland
Photography, news report
Project info: As water levels rise in Dutch rivers, I made a visual report of a Dutch couple living in the floodplains of the Waal river. .
Client: Autonomous
Media: Photography
My role: Idea and photography
Languages: Dutch
Animated portraits teachers Utrecht University
Utrecht University teacher of the year award, portrait series
Project info: For the annual award show of the teacher and talent of the year competition of the Utrecht University I shot these portraits of the nominated teachers and talents of the year. The portraits are used as background stop motion animations in short portrait movies of the teachers and on social media channels of Utrecht University.
Client: Utrecht University
Media: Photography, animation and video
Languages: –
Photo report S-H-O-W dataviz conference
Corporate event photography at the S-H-O-W data visualisation conference in Utrecht 2019
Project info: Photo report of a data visualisation conference in Utrecht in 2019 organised by data visualisation training agency Graphic Hunters. The international conference was held in the ‘Anatomiegebouw’ in Utrecht, a former anatomic lab. The pictures I made were used by the client on social media and website.
Client: Graphic Hunters
Media: Photography
Languages: –
Background story: growing up in the refugee camps of Lebanon
Reportage of children living in the Ein el Helweh, Rashidieh and El Buss refugee camps of Lebanon
Project info: Hundreds of thousands Palestinian refugees live in refugee camps in South Lebanon. Ein el Helweh, Rashidieh and El Buss have been the makeshift home of generations of Palestinians who have fled the violence in Gaza and the West Bank. In 2010 and 2012 I visited the camps in Lebanon to document the lives of children living in these dire conditions.
Together with founder of the Dutch NGO War Child Holland and its goodwill ambassador Marco Borsato I interviewed and portrayed children and their parents. The pictures, reportages, background stories and video reports have been and are still used in War Child’s printed media, website, social media and advocacy reports.
Client: War Child
Media: Photography
Languages: –
Background story: Los Valientes/the braves
Background photo stories
Project info: Five brave, aspiring photojournalists from Latin America face major challenges expressing their opinions. Prejudice, intimidation, violence, it’s part of their daily job in Mexico, Venezuela and El Salvador. This long scroll honours these young professional photographers and video reporters.
Client: RNW Media
Media: Photography, webdesign
Street photography by Michiel Bles
As a professional multimedia maker with a background in cultural sociology, I’m captivated by the continuous interplay between humans and their social environment. Whether these interactions are inspiring, confrontational or amusing, the meeting between the individual and its surroundings creates a fascinating playing field.
The ability of humans to deal with, build upon, take advantage of or simply enjoy the world they live in, is what intrigues me. It is what I love to capture in my street photography.
Staff portraits Radio Netherlands Worldwide
Portrait photography Radio Netherlands Worldwide
Project info: Portrait series of members of the editorial team of Radio Netherlands Worldwide. These editors and producers work for the China, Latin America, Africa, and Middle East desks. Goal of this staff portraits series was to have a consistent visual presentation of the RNW team.
Client: RNW Media
Media: Photography
Languages: –
RNTC iPad training for journalists
Corporate event photography
Project info: International journalists and journalism students are trained on the use of iPad in their journalistic work. This photo series shows the activities of the journalists from Egypt, DR Congo, Nepal and other countries. The iPad training course is organized by RNTC in Hilversum. The photo reportage will be used on RNTC’s website, social media en corporate print outlets.
Client: RNTC
Media: Photography
My role: Shoot, selection and post production
Tear sites, external photo publications
Recent photo publications on external websites (and your occasional newspaper)
Tear sites, rather than tear sheets. External websites my photographs have been published on.
Gulu carwash
Photo series of a makeshift carwash in Gulu, Northern Uganda
Project info: When the heat of the day leaves town and the sun gets low, men gather at the washing bay in Gulu. At this roadside carwash against a tropical backdrop, cars, trucks and motor bikes get their daily clean-up.
Client: Autonomous
Media: Photography
Languages: –
Photo series: Beirut taxi
Photo series: passengers and taxi drivers on Hamra Street, Beirut, Lebanon
Project info: A night on a Beirut pavement. Hamra street is one of Beirut’s most bustling avenues. Taxi’s swarm the street. The hot weather made passengers to open their window. Which created to opportunity to portray them while patiently endeavouring Beirut’s traffic nightmare.
Client: Autonomous
Media: Photography
Languages: –
Corporate event photography: photo series of training sessions RNTC
Corporate event photography
Project info: For the new website of training institute RNTC, launched June 2016, I produced a photo series of their training courses for international students.
By applying a specific, distinctive color grading to the photography, the website gets a consistent look and feel. The photo series represents the activities RNTC organizes for their international clientele.
Client: RNTC
Media: Photography
Selection only
Go to the new website of RNTC to see the full photo series
Idle indulgence
Idle indulgence, an ongoing photo series
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Numana, Italia, 2018, From the series 'Idle Indulgence' © Michiel Bles / all rights reserved
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Berlin, Germany, 2018, from the series 'Idle Indulgence' © Michiel Bles / all rights reserved
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Porto, Portugal, 2018, from the series 'Idle Indulgence' © Michiel Bles / all rights reserved
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Budapest, Hungary, 2017, from the series 'Idle Indulgence' © Michiel Bles / all rights reserved
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Porto, Portugal, 2018, from the series 'Idle Indulgence' © Michiel Bles / all rights reserved
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Wijk aan Zee, Holland, from the series 'Idle Indulgence' © Michiel Bles, all rights reserved
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Mexico City, Mexico, 2015, from the series 'Idle Indulgence' © Michiel Bles, all rights reserved
Indulgence by Michiel Bles
Project info: In times of work pressure, stress and our newly acquired need to be in touch 24/7, room and time for indulgence are diminishing. This photo series explores situations and persons who take time for enjoyment. Forget about time, being idle.
Exercising, as French revolutionary Marxist socialist journalist, political writer and activist Paul Lafargue stated, the right the right to be lazy. These progressively scarce moments are captured in this ongoing photo project.
Client: Autonomous
Media: Photography
Languages: –
Portraits of editorial staff Love Matters at RNW
Portrait photography
Project info: Portrait series of RNW’s editorial team ‘Love Matters’. Goal: to develop a consistent visual presentation of the team.
Client: RNW.org
Media: Photography
Languages: –
Photo reportage Amsterdam Gay Pride 2014
Corporate event photography
Project info: Visual report of Amsterdam Gay Pride 2014. For five days I followed eight LGBT activists from seven countries around the globe
Client: RNW.org
Media: Photography, social media reporting
Selection only. Photos are cropped for navigational purposes.
Watch the Amsterdam Gay Pride 2014 in 18 photos
Various portraits
Portrait photography
Project info: Various portraits for various clients
Client: War Child and RNW Media
Media: Photography
Cinecook film night Amsterdam 2013
Corporate event photography
Project info: Visual report of an inspiring film night ‘Cinecook’ at the Jeruzalem church in De Baarsjes neighbourhoud in Amsterdam
Client: Booming Baarsjes
Media: Photography
Selection only. Photos are cropped for navigational purposes
Watch the full photo report of Cinecook 2013
Autonomous photography portraits
Portrait photography
Project info: Various photography portraits I made when working in the field and studio portraits at the Photo Academy Amsterdam
Client: Free work
Media: Photography
International students at RNTC courses
Corporate event photography
Project info: Visual report of international students participating in various media courses organized by RNTC. Used on RNTC’s social media pages.
Client: RNTC
Media: Photography
Photo series: musing on the ferry
Photo series of Amsterdam ferry men
Project info: No less that 80 times Amsterdam ferrymen and women go up and down the IJ canal each shift. Each day, each week. 80 times the same 5 minute passage. 40 times a view on the same quay.
A few meters above the passenger deck, they look down on the cargo disembarking their vessel. A couple of minutes when docked allow for a moment of woolgathering.
When the buzzer sounds, the mesmerizing is over and a new crossing is about to begin.
Is this the most peaceful or the most dreary job in the world? ‘Musing on the ferry’ is a visual quest for the answer to this question.
Client: Autonomous
Media: Photography
Languages: –
More photography by Michiel Bles
Have a look at more photography projects via blessedshots.com
Concert photography and other fun stuff
Concert photography of shows at North Sea Jazz, Mundial and So What’s Next festival
Project info: Concert photography for various outlets at North Sea Jazz festival in Rotterdam and So What’s Next jazz festival in Eindhoven (Holland) and private (wedding) party shots.
Client: Various
Media: Photography
Languages: –
Street photography on Instagram
As a professional multimedia maker with a background in cultural sociology, I’m captivated by the continuous interplay between humans and their social environment. Whether these interactions are inspiring, confrontational or amusing, the meeting between the individual and its surroundings creates a fascinating playing field.
The ability of humans to deal with, build upon, take advantage of or simply enjoy the world they live in, is what intrigues me. It is what I love to capture in my street photography. I share these streets shots on my Instagram page. Follow me on on Instagram
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