Daisy van der Horst has lived in Zoetermeer all her life. She moved from Meerzicht to Noordhove and from Noordhove to Seghwaert to eventually return to Meerzicht. There she lives near the Westerpark with her family. Daisy transformed the attic into a professional photo studio.
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After Daisy obtained her diploma at the Erasmus College, she went to the Mondriaan College in The Hague, Daisy says: “I spent more time in the local pub than I took lessons. After a year I left this training for what it was.” Daisy then went to work in a shop. She only discovered her true passion after the birth of her son.
Spoon-tipped?
“I don’t know any better than my mother standing in front of me with a camera, so I’ve always liked photography and have always done it.” It was only when she got a professional photo camera at the birth of her son that passion was sparked. “That was ten years ago now.” The first photo of her son taken with that camera is therefore very dear to her. It hung framed on the wall for a long time. “After more experience, I saw that the photo was not correct photo-wise, so that photo has been replaced by other photos.”
“I taught myself everything”
In the past Daisy has sometimes followed a basic photography workshop, but in fact she has mastered the art of photography completely by watching many YouTube videos and above all by doing and trying out a lot. She also taught herself how to edit the photos.
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Human and animal
“In July 2021 I quit my job to fully focus on photography. The requests are trickling in and I am getting better and more often found.” When Daisy quit her job, the conversion of the attic into a photo studio began. She prefers to take her photos here: “Then I have control over the light.” Daisy prefers to photograph people and animals. “My son is therefore regularly a victim, but I also like to photograph our cat Cat Stevens.” Daisy’s cat then quietly sits on the stool so that Daisy can click to her heart’s content until the perfect shot is shot.
It is noticeable that the pictures of Daisy are very dark. “I really like dark photos, with a magical edge and a lot of shadow. When I take a photo I want the soul to be exposed, there must be real feeling in it. That works best with dark tones.”
Inspiration from movies
Daisy gets inspiration by looking a lot at other photographers, but she also likes to watch films and series. “I pay close attention to what the image and composition look like.” Daisy’s favorite movie in terms of lighting, color and composition is The Grand Budapest Hotel. “All the colors are right in that film and it’s beautifully symmetrical.”
Most special photo?
“I took a picture of a three-year-old girl, I’m very proud of that. This is partly because her mother’s reaction was very special. She was completely moved after seeing the photo. Such a reaction is great to see as a photographer.” Daisy also likes it when her model’s personality comes out clearly: “You can see this clearly with Ivy, who is really very naughty,” says Daisy with a laugh. “You can immediately see that in the photo.” Want to see more from Daisy? That’s possible on her website or on her Instagram!
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