The face behind Photo Linthout, Sier Linthout: ‘I still do all the wedding photography myself’

You have probably had a passport photo taken there or maybe even a wedding reportage. Photo Linthout is a household name in our city. And Sier Linthout (67) still enjoys working in the store that his father started.

Who doesn’t know them? Photo Linthout has been in the Dorpsstraat for over seventy years. Sier Linthout is the second generation in the store. What is the success behind this photo business?

Photography for Nutricia and Brinkers

Sier’s father was a sports photographer and photographed boxing and football matches, among other things. Until he decided it was time for his own photo shop. Sier says: “My father opened the business at Dorpsstraat 68 in 1952 and we have stayed in the same place ever since.” Foto Linthout was born and started with wedding, corporate and portrait photography. “We used to come to companies such as Nutricia and Brinkers. For example, if someone retired or had an anniversary, my father would come and take a picture.”

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The advent of the digital camera

It’s no secret that we all visit less photo shops than we used to. Sier notices that too. “The number of assignments has decreased with the arrival of digital cameras. Many people can now take their own photo,” he says. In addition, we leave baby photos and holiday snaps on our phones more often. But if it’s up to Sier, not. “I still print my holiday photos and put them in a book.”

We do a lot of different things

Digitize old materials

Certain assignments have decreased, but there is still plenty of work for the photo shop. “We do a lot of different things, like taking pictures and printing and selling equipment. The same goes for school photographers and birdwatchers,” says Sier.

And, as one of the few in the Netherlands, Foto Linthout digitizes old negatives, APS rolls and slides. So if there are still old materials in your attic, Photo Linthout knows what to do with this. “We receive these from all over the Netherlands, Belgium and even England.”

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More than 2,000 wedding reports

Sier’s favorite activity is making wedding reports and he now has more than two thousand in his portfolio. “I started assisting my father. Then I partly took the pictures and when I was 20 my father said: ‘You go alone’.” In the days of the analogue camera, Sier shot about 50 to 60 reports a year. Nowadays there are about 20 to 25: “I still do all the wedding photography myself.”

Will Photo Linthout remain in the family?

A lot has changed in the time that Sier has been at the helm of the family business. For example, the building has been given a makeover, the dark rooms have disappeared, the living area has been moved upstairs and the garden has made way for a work space. But the big question is: will the business stay in the family? He says: “My boys are in the sport, so they are not going to take over the business.” It is still unclear what exactly will happen with the photo shop. But don’t worry. Sier will certainly remain in his shop for a few more years.