We asked a couple of our favorite photographers to express their inspiration in the best possible way they can; through a photograph. Artists usually have a muse; with photographers this isn’t any differently. What or who is their stimulus for the impressive photographs they make? The first one in this series is photographer Wendelien Daan (46).

She shoots for numerous magazines such as New York Magazine, French Vogue and BLEND. Her clientele exists of none other than Viktor and Rolf, Tommy Hilfiger and Harvey Nichols amongst other renowned names. She is an astounding photographer, as her photographs mostly do not contain a lot of attributes but still trigger you to keep looking as if you can discover something. The persons in the images seem to be close to you but when you pay attention it’s like there is a transparent wall that keeps you separated miles away from each other. You’ll get the feeling that maybe you or they, anyway one of you doesn’t belong.

Me in my bedroom. Amsterdam 09-06-2011
‘My bedroom has a window as big as the wall, looking outside into my patio and to the sky. It can be anywhere, so great for daydreaming…’

What do you daydream about?
‘That I (or the image I am thinking of) can be anywhere at any time, future of past tense. I have a particular interest in future as well as history. Or maybe even the mix. I like it when it is unconvertible, not at ease, a bit disturbing. The present is too familiar. So maybe past and future should colide. My imagination is my biggest inspiration.’

Do your daydreams ever become reality in any kind of way? Or do they stay nothing but dreams?
‘Sometimes I feel the presence of my grand mother. Even once her touch on the sheets of my bed woke me up … Her picture is on my bedroom wall together with my mother and aunt when they were young, sitting on a boat on a river in Sumatra. She was an inspiration; being a Dutch woman who lived in Indonesia for years, who travelled by boat and plane to the USA in the fifties. She bought a house in the Netherlands all by herself, when her husband was still in Sumatra. She was very strong yet feminine and sophisticated to me.’

How do you use your imagination (and those daydreams) in your work?
‘I like to create images that are a bit disturbing. Something is not right, or at least not easy to look at. On one part it is very realistic and clear, but you find yourself looking at something uncanny. It could be a combination of dream and reality I like so much…’

www.wendeliendaan.nl