E: brenda@brendadevries.com

M: +31 (0)626 154 909

Brenda backstage

BACKGROUND

Before photography I attended the ‘Amsterdam Fashion Instituut’ (AMFI), back in the days called ‘Mr Koetsier’. I got myself specialized in the technical side of the apparel industry. The work I got myself in did not make me smile as much as photography did, so I changed career.

In 2003 I graduated from de ‘Foto Academie’ in Amsterdam, while being a Traffic Manager at BSUR, an advertising agency. Then I assisted Carin Verbruggen for about a year. She taught me how to look for simplicity and aesthetics.

In 2016 I graduated from the ‘Sandberg Institute’, under another name. The other me, makes work related to mental health and uses photography, video, drawing, painting and is still exploring.

MORE BACKGROUND

I was born in Amsterdam South-East, next to a famous mall called ‘Kraaiennest’. It did not take my parents too long to decide to start living somewhere else. So we ended up in Hoofddorp.

During my studies I moved back to Amsterdam. For my first traineeship I traveled to Italy, close to Como. There I learned to print on silk by hand and make different color collections of the prints. Just after my photography studies I traveled to the desert in Morocco, also known as the ‘Western Sahara’. There I tried to photograph women. It was a huge experience for me to find out that people can see your camera as something ‘very scary’.

Next to photography, I love to make GIFs and short videos with pictures I shot. Today I am getting more interested in making high speed video shots, the edit is all about finding the most gorgeous moments and emphasise them through changing the speed.

Behind the scene at a shoot of 10Feet. Brenda de Vries is shooting
© Robert van der Ree
CLIENTS

10Feet, 113Online, 210th, Ace & Tate, Adidas, BCC, Coiffure Awards, Colgate, Dekamarkt, Deloitte & Touche, Donorregistratie, Drum, Easy Comfort, Eyewish, Gillette, IAA, IKEA, Landal Greenparks, Libresse, Moxy Hotels (Marriot), MTV Networks, Nederlandse Film Festival (NFF), Onemen.org, New York Pizza, Nutrilon, Prescan, Philips, Radio 538, RTL Woonmagazine, Sony Ericsson, Tanja Kok, van Essen Strafadvocaten, Vigor & Sage, Wrangler Europe.

AWARDS & NOMINATIONS

2020 Luerzer’s Archive – The 200 best Ad Photographers Worldwide 2020/21
2018 One Eyeland – Finalist – Advertising and Fashion – ‘Dessin Dessin Dessin
2018 International Color Awards – Nominated – ‘Eva Crutzen
2015  Communication Arts – Award of Excellence – 56st Annual – Category Nude & Beauty “Moxy Hotels”
2014 Photography Masters Cup / International Color Awards – Nominated in “Nudes” –  “Extensions
2013 Grand Prix ADCN / Silver Lion Cannes for NFF
2012 Luerzer’s Archive – The 200 best Ad Photographers Worldwide 2012/2013
2012 Prix de la Photographie, Paris (Px3) – Portraiture Category Winner – Silver – “ ’74 – ’82
2012 Prix de la Photography, Paris (Px3) – Portraiture Category Children – Gold – ” ’74 – ’82
2011 International Photography Awards – Honorable Mention – Category: Self Promotion “ ’74 – ‘82
2011 International Photography Awards – Honorable Mention – Category: Editorial “Possession: A Tale of Fashion Cruelty
2011 Photography Masters Cup / International Color Awards – Nominee in “Children of the World” “Puck
2010 Communication Arts – Award of Excellence – 51st Annual – Category Nude & Beauty “Pierot
2010 Photography Masters Cup / International Color Awards – Nominee in Fine Art “Dylan
2008 International Photography Awards – Honorable Mention – Category: People “ Paul
2008 International Photography Awards – Honorable Mention – Category: Advertising/Fashion “Punte di Luce su Cristalli Scuri
2007 International Photography Awards – Honorable Mention – Category: Advertising/Self Promotion “Breakfast at Tiffany’s

EXHIBITIONS

2017 Group show ‘I own everything I see and like, I own the world’ at NeverNeverland in de Punt, Amsterdam
2016 Amsterdam Museum ‘De Schuttersgalerij’ – Photography for the project #AgFag
2014 De Toonzaal – Duo Exhibition Brenda de Vries & Lillian Wessels
2013 Noordwijk ’t Klooster – Extensions
2012 Heesterveld Creative Community “ ’74-‘82
2012 Arti & Amicitae “I own everything I see and like. I own the world.” – Blauwdruk
2011 W139 in collaboration with Judith Leysner
2010 Push 24, RC De Ruimte
2010 Miljonair Fair – Best 10 images of the last 10 years Miljonair Magazine