All of Jan Stel's photography is made in pure natural light; no flashlights or studio lamps are used. This authentic process of working takes time, sensitivity and the right moment for action. Jan explains his photographic style in this way.

“The human eye is far more sensitive than a camera lens and picks up minor as well as major differences in a scene. Because the photo camera is limited in its ability, I capture the image in multiple exposures. The scene my eye has seen and that which the camera is unable to pick up is what fascinate me. I want to reassert this sensitivity. I do this by brushing the photographed brackets into a sort of light painting, similar to what the dark room photography masters and painters of old used to do.”
-Jan Stel

Stel's inspirations in photography terms are, Nadav Kander for also having a unique and recognizable style and, Edward Burtynsky for using mostly analogue large format camera’s and for seeing so many great places around the globe.

A question often asked to me is what advice do you have for me? Questions like can you tell me how you make those colors so perfectly balanced? And of course, how do you find the locations of these photographed? Dive deep in yourself and search for your own unique style to come out. Anyone with some amount of talent has it but with so many online photography. It's easy to follow all the path’s out there. Stay off the path and create your own! Only then you can create yours and are able to extend it. All photography I make are enhanced with curves and color balance in Photoshop, purely based on sensitivity and feel and a little magic. As for the locations, there are so many to be found on Google Earth, online media and with your own research by going on the road and try. Many failures will follow but then suddenly a from the outside perhaps not promising location revaels a true abandoned treasure inside.
-Jan Stel

About Jan Stel

Jan Stel (Purmerend, the Netherlands) is a self-taught Fine Art Photographer and Photoshop artist. Always a creative person, Jan was a pioneering artist in his youth, spraying Graffiti murals in the suburbs of Amsterdam and at home he painting detailed drawings and realistic illustrations. A gift of analogue photo gear from his father prompted his interest in photography, and inspired him to develop his own creative style. As a photographer, he explores abandoned places of our times, a forgotten world where mankind has disappeared. The mixture of fascinating history, absence of mankind and curiosity about our beautiful world of decay is the essence of my photography. When roaming around in abandoned locations Stel prefers to explore on his own, then all senses are focussed of being one with the location. See more of his photos on Behance or his website.