Gérard Verbecelte

Presentation.

I am a Belgian photographer, specialized in landscape, long exposure and minimalist photography.  

For each place I photograph, I first try to be in phase with it. I always wonder about my presence and I often live this moment like a young traveler who discovers the world. In my work, there is the will to cover the themes of passing time, loneliness and particular atmospheres that one can feel in certain places. Places that resonate with silence or melancholy.

The use of long exposure in photography is a counterpoint to our modern world where everything is going fast. The installation of the equipment for this photography process is a ceremonial that encourages the reflection on the passing time, the subject and its ephemeral reality. An ordinary landscape takes on a different face when photographed in long exposure.    

My primary sensitivity turns to black and white because this creative technique, without compromise, puts more focus on contrasts, textures and perspectives. 

I am often inspired by the famous principle developed by the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: “Less is more”. My wish through this voluntary simplicity is to lead the eyes to the essential. The photo doesn’t have to say it all. A minimalist subject has to cause reflection in the observer and allow a freer interpretation of the photograph. It’s the reason why I particularly appreciate the seaside where the photographed subjects can be more represented in a minimalist way.    

Through my choices and my questioning, I try to capture these fragile moments where the subject becomes a reflection of my emotions and my personality. With the hope that my photographs will continue to live in the imagination of those who watch them.

Some biographical references.

-   February 2009: publication in the French magazine Réponses photo, “nouveau regard” section. France.

-   December 2009: publication of my photo book “Paysages du Pays des Collines”.

-   August 2010: third price international competition IPA - Paris, category nature/seasons for the series “4 seasons in the land of hills”.

-   December 2010: third price of competition “vos photos à la une” in the French magazine Réponses Photo.

-   April 2011: exhibition in “Land Art” at Mont-de-l’enclus (Belgium) in accompaniment of the poetry of Françoise Lison-Leroy (writer, poet, speaker at the Lille school of Journalism). 

-   May 2012: winner of competition RP Vanguard “Winter landscapes”. France.

-   May 2013: second price of competition “Georges Berteloit”. Antoing/Belgium.

-   October 2014: fourth place author ranking of competition “Prijs van Vlanderen Foto”. Belgium.

-   August 2016: exhibition “Toekomst van gisteren” at SD Worx in Anvers organized by the “Centrum Voor Beeldexpressie”. Belgium.

-   January 2017: second price of International Monochrome Photography Award, Landscapes/Amateur category.

Personal website: www.gerardverbecelte.com.

Web www.gerardverbecelte.com