8 Years of This is Reportage: 2019 – Els Korsten’s Reportage Award
Patterns, perception and a cup of tea
Every so often, an image arrives that makes you stop and look twice: Els Korsten’s (Netherlands – TiR Profile / website) black-and-white Reportage Award from 2019 is exactly that.
In it, an elderly woman stands quietly in the corner of the frame, holding a cup and saucer as light falls softly across her face. Behind her, a wall covered in bold floral linework seems almost to merge with her patterned jacket; the lines of the wallpaper echo the fine details of her expression. For a moment, she appears almost camouflaged — blending person and pattern into one seamless piece of art.
It’s a photograph that rewards looking. The longer you study it, the more you appreciate the geometry, the restraint, and the timing required to notice such a connection in real time. Nothing here is posed or arranged; it’s pure observation — a photographer seeing rhythm and harmony in an unplanned moment.
Why this image matters
This frame encapsulates what documentary wedding photography can be: not just storytelling, but seeing differently. Els found artistry in stillness, elevating a quiet pause into something sculptural and graphic. It’s a reminder that documentary doesn’t have to mean chaos or energy — sometimes it’s about patience, awareness, and respect for the beauty of reality.
Looking back, this 2019 Award still feels timeless. It speaks to TiR’s core belief that honesty and artistry are not opposites, but partners — that truth itself can be breathtaking when photographed with vision and care.
