“Searching… and finding, a long road to success”

In Leuven, where Filip studied German studies, he also took a course in analogue photography. His first pictures were street scenes in the style of Henri Cartier-Bresson and Elliott Erwitt. But with the rise of digital photography and new cameras, more and more subjects and inspirations followed. He experimented with different brands, without being able to afford a professional camera right away.

Even without a studio or expensive software, photography remained for a long time a hobby of careful exploration. Fashion photography for the Square2 Boutique was also part of it. In the end, Filip has always been most interested in the “art” of photography itself, rather than the profession of commercial photographer.

Some images or series lend themselves very well to high-quality art prints behind acrylic glass. Conventional professional photography now interests him less. He prefers to remain the headstrong autodidact.

The Beginning

From images taken during and after his studies in Leuven, through the final rounds of the Football World Cups in 2006 and 2008, to his first digital photographs — which eventually led to an exhibition.

From Swiss (sub)urban photography, architectural walks, and visits to old settlements to fine art prints.

At the beginning, Filip Firlefijn worked with an analogue camera in the streets, capturing candid moments of people. Later, with a small pocket camera, he focused on streets, villages, cities, and architecture. Of course, he also often shared images of the Bernese Oberland, where he lives, on social media. These pictures were not only taken with a pocket camera, but also with the DSLR cameras he was able to work with.