Denys Schelfhaut
“I always try to go beyond my ideas, to take the time to analyze and compose my portraits.”
Read more about Belgian photographer Denys Schelfhaut and see some of his incredible work.
Intercru: Where are you from? Where do you live and work now?
Denys: I am Belgian and I live in Brussels. I work mainly in Brussels and Paris.
How did you get started in photography? How long have you been taking photos?
Photography has always been present in my life since I was a child. My father did a lot of analog photography and I was quickly immersed in the passion of the image.
It was really from the age of 15 that I bought my own camera and started to experiment with a lot of new things and progressed in my search for my photographic identity and style.
What is the most important thing for taking the perfect portrait?
For me, it’s really the composition and the light but above all, the emotions through the expressions of my subjects. I always try to go beyond my ideas, to take the time to analyze and compose my portraits.
Every shoot is different and so fulfilling because each time it is an opportunity to progress, and to experiment with your ideas or a particular artistic direction. I just love the creative process.
How important is social media, especially Instagram, for your work?
Social media have become truly indispensable tools over the years, and Instagram has quickly become a must for me. Sharing my work on this platform has given me a lot of opportunities, both on the professional side and on the human side because it's also where I met a lot of incredible people and where today I develop my identity and my photo projects on a daily basis.
But I think it’s all those encounters I have been able to make so far that have really inspired me in my projects. I love the human side of this industry because for me each person has a story to tell, which I find so enriching to listen to and share.
What do you do to find inspiration for your photography?
As I said, it is truly through people I met that I find inspiration. But there is also music, I listen to it every day and sometimes certain titles and lyrics inspire me for a series of photos or a particular theme. I very quickly assimilate the moods of the songs to situations and feelings. I find it even cooler to be able to transcribe them in my own way, through images and colors.
What the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about photography and the industry?
To never be afraid to experiment and try new things, grab opportunities and accept failures as a way to evolve. We are a work in progress. :)
Denys Schelfhaut is a Belgian portrait and music photographer based out of Brussels and Paris. To see more of his photography, you can visit his website dschft.com or follow his work on Instagram @dschft.
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