Workshop Personal Stories

Pelt Workshop

Personal Stories

Photography Workshop

With Carla Kogelman on 21 September 2025

International Photo Festival Pelt, Belgium

&

RPS Benelux Chapter

10:30am – 5:30pm in Pelt (location to be confirmed)

A one-day workshop about finding/making/creating your own personal stories.

• Tell a story with your photographs
• Capture the moment and improve your photos
• Use natural light and movement
• Find your style and signature

> Personal, intimate, individual, visual, close by

>  Find something which intrigues you: a movement, a character, a human, an attitude, a gesture, an emotion

Morning session > introduction + portfolio

Afternoon session > photography + discussing photos

Material> please bring >

• digital camera
• laptop
• printed personal portfolio (5-12 photos)
• language > English

About Carla Kogelman:

Photo ©Sonja Liebhart

As an artist, I focus on telling personal stories, with the goal of giving these stories a place in our collective memory. As a photographer, I try not to be judgmental, but rather to provide space for different perspectives. The goal of my work is not only to remember, but also to create awareness and contribute to critical thinking about how we are shaped by our environment. How we are in life and what this means. My photographs are not exact reconstructions of what is apparently visible, but rather a result of encounters and interpretations interwoven with my own memories, emotions and experiences. It is my commentary on that which I encounter. In this way, I try to create a dialogue between the environment and the viewer. I try to invite the viewer to look further and think about how these stories can become and remain relevant in our contemporary society. Leading themes in my work are resilience, engagement and poignancy. There are often multiple photographs that form a group. A credible and cinematic narrative. My projects arise from thorough preparation, thorough study of literature, internet consultation and on-site encounters. They often take place from the confluence of circumstances.

In recent years I have noticed that my projects are gaining more depth of content. Results arise only at the moment of shooting, allowing me to experience much more freedom. In this way they grow into something beautiful. And so, my oeuvre grows steadily and my visual language develops. My work often consists of series in which increasingly numerous images lead an autonomous life. In a world where cultures are increasingly intertwined, I want to not only tell personal stories, but also raise universal questions about who we are and how we relate to different cultures. This is more relevant than ever in the current era, as we are in a time of increasing migration and diversity.

Carla Kogelman (1961) is an acclaimed Dutch photographer known for her intimate, poignant black-and-white reports that tell deep human stories. Before focusing on photography, Kogelman worked in the theatre, where she developed a keen eye for the complexity and emotion of human interactions. This background forms the foundation of her unique style and her ability to capture the unseen, everyday life in a remarkable way.

Kogelman gained recognition with her series Ich Bin Waldviertel, which documents the upbringing of two young girls in rural Austria. This series won first prize in the ‘Observed Portraits’ category at the World Press Photo 2014, and 1^st prize long term project World Press Photo 2018, showcasing the raw and free lives of children in an isolated community.

Her work is notable for the intensity and vulnerability it radiates, providing insight into the purity of childhood expressions and the security found in simple surroundings.

Her projects often focus on the experiences of children and young people and how they perceive the world, frequently in environments subject to change. She predominantly photographs in black and white, which gives her images a timeless and universal quality. Through her work, Kogelman finds beauty in the ordinary, capturing subtle moments of intimacy and emotion that often go unnoticed.

Kogelman’s work has been exhibited internationally and has received various awards and nominations. Her projects have significant social impact, illustrating a world where the small, daily moments of life carry as much weight as major events. Her photography invites reflection on the human experience, reminding us that every story, no matter how small, holds value.

www.carlakogelman.nl