Reiny Bourgonje

Portrait category winner

Reiny Bourgonje , Netherlands

African Flower

Reiny Bourgonje is a Dutch fine art photographer from Heerenveen in the Netherlands, known for her tranquil and painterly portraits. She photographs, but thinks like a painter, with clear references to masters like Vermeer and Rembrandt. Themes such as feminity, identity, and inner strength are a common tread in her work. Her work has won awards in prestigious photography competitions and exhibited both domestically and internationally. Bourgonjes portraits are characterized by timeless tranquility, subtle light, and a strong emotional impact.

I’ve always been intrigued bij Old Masters” paintings, but I noticed that while they occasionally featured people with darker skin, they were always in a subordinate role. I wanted to reverse that by placing the darker skinned people in the lead roles.

The girl in the picture is my adopted niece from Nigeria so I already had a bond with her.

I chose to combine the flower stil life by Dutch painter Eelke Jelles Eelkema with this portrait of the Nigerian girl. The dress is made of recycled plastic, and incorporated part of the painting into the front. It’s an image where photography and painting merge. I used daylight entering trough a window on the left.

Technique is necessary but should never take center stage. Many powerful portraits are partly free-spirited. The setting is fixed- light, background and the person is free to be themselves. This is precisely what makes someone feel ease, and that’s reflected in the image.

By consciously stylizing and minimizing the environment, focus and tranquiltity are created. This creates space for emotion, memory, and vulnerability. The context supports the portrait without taking over.

I first let the person sit down quietly, we chat a bit about a specific goal I have in mind, and in doing so I arrive at the emotion I am looking for.

Achievement isn’t just about achieving something. It’s not about grades, titles, or applause, but about that moment when you feel: this is right. For me, achievement is when work becomes meaningful. It’s about growth, about deepening. Advice for young photographers: Try to stand out. Don’t be guided by trends, but by substance and meaning. What matters is your perspective, what you see. Succes rarely comes in a straight line, but comes from perseverance, continuous learning, and staying true to youself.