Joel Tjintjelaar is an award winning B&W fine-art photographer, born in Jakarta, Indonesia and raised in the Netherlands.

His interpretation of black and white photography as a fine art is quite unique as he uses absence of colour to put an unveil the very essence of every single person, object, situation or scenario and emphasize on the emotional experience they create. His work has been published on various magazines and online websites and has won multiple prizes.

Joel Tjintjelaar’s photography stands out for its artistic quality and technical excellence, making him a respected figure in the world of fine art photography. His contributions as an educator further cement his influence and legacy in the field.

Style:

Tjintjelaar specializes in black and white photography, using the absence of color to emphasize form, light, and shadow. He also often employs long-exposure techniques to create ethereal and surreal effects, particularly in his work. His images frequently showcase a minimalist aesthetic, focusing on simplicity and clarity. Tjintjelaar has a keen interest in architectural subjects, capturing buildings and structures with a unique perspective that highlights their geometric and abstract qualities. His architectural images often emphasize lines, shapes, and forms, creating a striking visual impact.

Biographical Context:

Joel Tjintjelaar was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, and moved to the Netherlands at a young age.  He never really felt like he was at home when he lived in the Netherlands. This sense of displacement and living in his mind as a “fantasy” is reflected in his surreal, atmospheric black and white images that transport the viewer to dreamlike realms.

Psychological:

Though he studied criminal law and worked in IT, Tjintjelaar always harbored artistic passions like architecture, music, and writing. These diverse creative interests are evident in his architectural photography that blends technical precision with emotional expression.

5 characters:

-High in contrast

-black and white

-good composition

-simple and clean

-sharp

My favorite picture:

I chose this as my favorite picture because it really transforms familiar architectural scenes into surreal, atmospheric visions that transport the viewer into a dreamlike realm beyond objective reality. This picture emphasize shapes, lines, textures, and luminance contrasts to evoke deeper feelings and meaning.

How it inspires:

I think this photo gave me a lot of inspiration as of what type of architectures i should be looking out for when taking this set and also inspired me to keep this set of  photos clean and simple.