Commissioned stock photography
Commissioned stock photography, isn’t that a contradiction? Stock photographer Jeroen Bouman is convinced it isn’t.
Stock photography should appear unforced, unposed and natural. It has to look like candid real life. But is it really real? Sometimes it is, but usually not. Most of the available stock photography is commissioned, and has been planned and arranged in detail.
Jeroen Bouman had a permanent job as a photographer at stock agency Benelux Press, where he learned the tricks of the trade.
“But there all photos disappeared directly into the archive, and you’d never see it back again. I much prefer to work with a clear goal in mind. Commissioned stock photography therefore suits my way of working much better.”
Stock agency World Portraits, now part of Hollandse Hoogte commissioned Jeroen Bouman for a series of portraits of a broad range of nationalities and cultures in The Netherlands.