References for Henri Senders Photography

BOLD-by Anna

Back in 2015 I met a partner who was modelling for different photographers. At that time I was very insecure about myself and couldn't understand what people drives to place themselves in front of a camera. I really struggled with it. I even read a book about photography (On Photography by Susan Sontag), trying to understand it.

The strange thing is: I am a graduated photographer myself but in my own work I had the biggest problems photographing people. I even avoided it.

As a final attempt trying to understand it, I began looking for photographers of whom their images touched me and do a duo-shoot with my partner.

That is where Henri came up. From the moment I saw his images I was convinced: If I would pose for one photographer, it would be him.

From the moment I met Henri, I felt a connection. This was a very warm-hearted, emotional, intelligent and social man.

We did one photoshoot and then we lost track for a while. I was still insecure but at least I had tried.

In the following years I made an important decision: I had to get rid of my lifelong gender-dysphoria. I became more secure about myself, happier, more emotional and finally happy as the woman I am now.

I contacted Henri again and told him I would like to work with him again. So we did.

Henri and his partner Ayla were so respectful about my transition. I was a bit nervous meeting him again but from the moment I saw Henri and Ayla I was at ease. Immediately they used my new name and the correct pronouns. We had a wonderful shoot and talks that day and were in love with the results.

We did a second shoot. Henri and Ayla had noticed that I was looking for beautiful feminine pictures. That is exactly what we made. At the end of that day we went to the beach for a shoot at sunset. I was wearing a dress - something I do not often do. And while shooting there, at that beach, by sunset, in that dress, I felt so much at ease and secure that for the first time not the woman, but the little girl in me exposed herself, playing in the water, jumping over waves, splashing the salty water.

Thank you so much Henri for letting that happen. Both you and Ayla are wonderful people and I really look forward to other collaborations. And yes, I've found new friends in you both. See you soon.

Leaena said...

When it comes to Henri, I am biased : we've met 13 years ago and have been a couple ever since.

I fell in love with his images before I fell in love with him but Henri and his images are one and the same : he is a romantic soul, loves humans and wants to show the beauty in everyone. He is a very warm and kind man, very intelligent and social. He's always in for a joke and the conversations he has with the people who work with him, are just as much part of his photography as his eyes are.

We've now worked over 250 times together (some short sessions, some longer ones) and he always manages to create an atmosphere that allows me to try out new ideas ; even when I want to try something that isn't completly his style, he is willing to try.

Henri always says he works with people and not models and that is exactly how he treats you ; he wants to document the real you, your beauty and your insecurities, your light and your darkness.

When you want to learn more about yourself, I definitly recommend you to send him a message.

Mynte Muse

Henri asked my some time ago if I could come work with him in Belgium, but since I couldn't manage in a busy study-life, he took the long way to Denmark to collaborate.

We have had some amazing fun days, with creating beautiful art and long interesting talks. Henri has a great insight in his world of photography and creating, not to forget his way of intellectual knowledge.

The shooting part was even more than I could ever expect. I got the opportunity to play and fool around.

My energy for modelling is now recharged. After working with Henri I am now fully-motivated to keep on modelling.

This was just a blast! If you ever get the opportunity to work with Henri, do not hesitate! He is a magician, he is an artist and he is a beautiful soul.

I will definitely want work with Henri again. He is absolutely amazing.

Dottir.Model

Dear Henri and Ayla. Thanks for an amazing time at your place last week!

I was invited by Henri to come to his place for some days, to make beautiful work and get to know each other. We made amazing reflections in water puddle's, went to the sea one morning at 🌅, and did some duo work with the sweet Lena who was also staying at Henri.

Henri has a great eye for capturing the models natural beauty. They had some wonderful vintage dresses, that fitted perfect with the classic style. A lot of beautiful colours, I feel like I have made photos that I cannot get anywhere else, and that tells how talented Henri is.

Ayla is also a wonderful woman, she is kind and has a very professional feeling of what photos to select.

I can warmly recommend to work with Henri , and I'm looking forward to shoot again in February, where I will stay for 3 weeks!

Best wishes, see you soon ❤️

Dottir

Ivory Flame

It was a whirlwind to finally get to meet and work with Henri, after admiring his exquisitely beautiful work for a long time. My first trip out of the UK since the pandemic began, I was a little nervous for the travel but all came together well, and both Henri and his partner Ayla looked after me wonderfully and gave me lots of help during my stay.

We talked thoroughly in emails beforehand, and I was prepared that I would need to adjust my modelling style and let go a lot more to suit what Henri was looking for. This more natural, playful, sometimes vulnerable 'un-posing' is something I don't get much chance to explore and can take a bit of time, but it wasn't too long before I was in a looser flow and our wavelengths met and merged into a wonderful collaboration.

Henri's techniques and vision are unique in many ways, and I really enjoyed 'diving in' to it. He gave me an open stage, only adding some prompts and direction at times, and this acute focus and mutual trust in how you unfold and the way he captures it gives way to such timeless quality. I stood, danced, jumped, swirled, lay and fell through many different emotions across sunrises, sunsets, meadows, waves, reflections and enclosed spaces. I played amongst frogs in the dewy morning grass, surrendered to the ocean, and witnessed the most incredible sunrise complete with multi-colored sky, golden clouds and rainbows! Henri shoots fervently ensuring he captures the magical scenery and mood as well as possible, fully saturated in the moment!

We also ate icecream, enjoyed sightseeing, visited an art exhibition, travelled to work with his photography friend Hans, and talked and laughed lots over delicious dinners (Henri is an amazing cook!) As well as sweet, funny, cheeky and eccentric at times, he is incredibly kind and generous, going out of his way to ensure you are safe and happy, taking great care of people so tenderly and thoroughly.

One thing I didn't expect but appreciated is that every shooting day we looked through the best images (thanks to Ayla's selections) and initial edits which was very beneficial... they were stunning and fascinating, conveying varying moods and atmospheres. What I loved is that often each of us had a different interpretation of the image, the stories we saw within and how we connected to them. When the art acts as a powerful portal to our emotions, our individual memories and dreams... you know you're creating something really special.

By the end of the stay, I was definitely exhausted since expressing with such intensity and openness can be taxing (also since it was my first time spent properly away from home in a long time) but it was extremely rewarding work - challenging, intriguing, fun and meaningful. Thank you for having me Henri and for allowing me to be part of your incredible art work! :-)

Julya Bond

Dear Henri,

I thank you for your wonderful reference and I have very nice and warm memories about our shooting that we made last year. Thank you very much for an amazing and unique experience, photoshooting with you is a pure art, that happened such sincerely and lively, there is only one moment now and it visible on picture.

Henri has very intense and strong personality, that made him a master of creating and catching real emotions of a model.

Thank you Henri and Ayla for your hospitality, nice talks, cosy atmosphere.

Will be happy to meet again in a future)

Highly recommend!

Emma Helena

About a week ago Henri and I worked together for the first time. We stayed with his friend Hans and together we had 4 amazing days filed with raw emotion, sensitivity, warmth and creativity.

Henri is an amazing person to work with. It doesn't really matter if you're an experienced model or if you are just starting. If you dare to open up, show him your true self, unmasked emotions included, you will make stunning work together. To be honest: I think all experienced models should work with Henri at least once, just to realise how 'stuck' they are in their reality.

I can't wait to work with Henri again! Luckily we have two days of workshops planned in October. I have been looking forward to it since I got back!

Dovile Jankauskaite

A bit over a month ago I had my first shoot with Henri. It was a very very nice experience.

We were in touch already since a few years but only recently got a chance to create together.

He invited me to participate in his "little closet" series. We made some romantic, sensual and erotic images. The atmosphere was very warm (despite the weather being quite cold), I felt very comfortable and it seemed that pictures simply made themselves.

I look forward to creating with Henri many more times in the future.

Aminat

Henri hosted me at his friends house in the Netherlands for 3 days. He is a friendly, eccentric, talented character who has the most unique ideas. Professional but personable, a joy to work with, I highly recommend Henri Senders. I look forward to working with him again in the future and seeing the pictures I'm eagerly awaiting.

Amethyst .

I finally got to work with Henri again after a year of planning :)

Henri and his friend Hans hosted me for 5 days in the Netherlands. It was a magical experience. We created such gorgeous, real, emotive imagery that no one else but Henri could possibly capture. Thanks to Henri's compassionate, kind and thoughtful nature, I was able to express myself through imagery, where I could be young, mature and free. Henri has a gift as a person and as an artist, to capture not only emotive true imagery but also a persons heart and story. The images Henri creates can speak for itself, his eye for perfect light it stunning.

If you have the chance, work with this man and make beautiful, authentic work and don't miss this unique opportunity.

You can have a lot of trust in Henri, he will make sure you are warm, safe and most of all comfortable in any setting. highly recommended.

Thank you for an unforgettable experience and for being a great friend. See you soon :)

Leaena said...

I've seen Henri's work for the first time 10 years ago and instantly loved it. After exchanging messages for several months, we planned a shoot. I felt so comfortable that we did some nudes as well, even though we didn't plan that. 10 years later, he's the main photographer I work with and the love of my life.

He's someone that respects your bounderies, who is gentle and kind and is both interested in creating art and meeting likeminded people.

Scarlot Rose

After feeling inspired by Henri's work for quite some time I was glad that we could meet and create together recently. Planning the shoot became quite chaotic but i'm really glad we still managed to find some time together! We shot for a few hours one afternoon, a sunrise set the following morning and a very emotional scene that afternoon. Myself, my partner and Henri all stayed with his friend Hans for a couple of days during this time and both Henri and Hans were great to be around.

The shoot was a very emotional process for me and I was grateful of Henri's respect and encouragement, I believe his work screams out for true, real emotion so it was a very beautiful (and difficult) way to create together that will leave a lasting memory. I very much look forward to seeing the results of our creations and look forward already to the next time!

Matriix

I first became aware of Henri's presence in the industry when he contacted me expressing his passion for creating storytelling images of voyeurism, intimacy, eroticism, attraction and distance.

In his quest to produce such artistry, Henri was facing a challenge in finding male models with the values to interpret what he was looking to portray in a respectful manner.

From the outset I sensed that the process of creating art for him was something more than just taking pictures of a model..

We continued to talk for a period of time before making arrangements for me to join Henri and his partner Ayla (who I was to model with) in Eindhoven.

Unfortunately it transpired that Ayla would not be well enough to join us for the shoot weekend. Whilst we therefore had to change the plan, the trip was far from a wasted one.

Upon my arrival we took time to visit the gallery in Eersel where Henri's finest work was displayed. We then travelled to the beautiful town of Swalmen where we stayed with Henri's good friend Hans.

From there we took the time to shoot in various surrounding locations including the closet in Roermond along with the fields and woodland.

Henri has a real sense of appreciation for natural light and how to utilise it. We worked extensively at each location making the most of this to capture a selection of special moments. And with the edits it would appear that we achieved just that.

We created images in the artistic style 'through the window' style for which Henri is renowned together with others altogether different.

What I'll remember most about this creative experience is making a new friend. Henri is a noble artist and the spirit of his values is reflected in the great connections he forms with all those who work with him. Our first collaboration was very much about discovery as there are more ideas discussed that we can explore.

I look forward to meeting Henri again for the next chapter.. He is highly recommended by me.

Irida

Three years after our first collaboration I returned back to Holland to work with Henri !!!

Henri is professional, easy to work with and creative like no other !!! He is also a great host and made sure that I was elk at all times :)

His photographs look like paintings, very unique:)

Very highly recommended:)

Alicia Black

Henri is very compassionate with life his art and the people he works with in photography. It is always great, but a rare thing to see a passion of photography come through without merits of fame or fortune. I have been inspired by henris work for a few years and finally managed to organise flying over to the netherlands to work with him. While keeping contact for this whole time. While being a little lost in a foreign country Henri was understanding to be at ease with me and we had a wonderful pre shoot conversation of life and what we desire from a raw natural perspective. This was my first time to fly abroad for a photoshoot which has been very much rewarding on a spiritual level and to have no worries of being under pressure and to myself with no cloak. There is no posing for henri you just be as you are naturally and capture the warmth of the soul. I will be coming back to work with Henri very soon. I love to work with photographers who are equally as passionate as i am which creates a beautiful atmosphere for images.

You will be taken good care of while working with Henri he has a heart of gold and is a wonderful person to know. I dont need to speak about his photography because as you can see it is unique and beautiful for how natural and innocent the captures are. Thank you Henri for a wonderful day and i hope to re live it soon :)

Alicia

Ondine Rt

Henri was an incredible meeting ! He is a truly beautiful personn and artist, smart, passionned and respectuf. I was very lucky to be invited to stay some day with him, and I waiting forward to come back as soon as possible.

Thank you again, Henri

BOou

What a great experience I had when visiting Henri during my tour in the Netherlands!

I really liked the way he's working, really relaxed and productive. He knows how to capture the light, the movements and the reflexion behind windows and outdoor, which create stunning images.

He doesn't rush but improvises every single shoot and produce artistic, intense and beautiful romantic pictures. He's got an eye for every single details and composition. I truly love his unique subtle work.

Henri is an artist, a proper one! :)

On top of that, he invited me to stay over on his friend's house and I've been greeted so warmly, I just felt like home.

Very talented and respectful I wouldn't hesitate a minute to recommend Henri.

Thank you, Henri, for this epic experience, you are a genius and I am really grateful for this fabulous opportunity you gave me :)

Bou =]

Oralee

Henri invited me to Netherlands and said I can stay longer so I came for nine days. It was a great time, Henri is such an intelligent and commited to art person. He respects his models, can fully appreciate their beauty without objectifing.

Henri also helps me in my modeling career as I started posing not a long time ago. He is kind and very easy-going person, I fully recommend working with him!

Lucia Reyes

Henri is a force of nature, a very talented photographer, a real artist, and a true friend. I am so very lucky that he found me and decided to take me under his wing as a model artist apprentice. His work is compelling, I fell in love with the melancholic and romantic tone of his portraits at first site. His photography speaks to my soul and I am very grateful for the opportunity of long term collaborations with him.

He has a fantastic eye for composition and light and gives very good directions of what he would like for you to do. But he is also absolutely understanding of your limitations and will never push further than what you are comfortable with. I absolutely recommend him.

Bea Triss

I visited Henri in the Netherlands for three nights. He arranged for us to stay with his photographer friend Hans in the countryside, and suggested a duo shoot with his model girlfriend, Ayla, to which I agreed so she joined us also. It was three days of hard work and early mornings, which I was overjoyed to do in such amazing company. I left physically exhausted but emotionally recharged, and feeling like I made three new, wonderful friends. I think we have produced some excellent work together and I'm excited to see the edited photos, but more than that I value the company and great conversations we have had, and can't wait to see Henry and his friends again - for photos or otherwise. :)