Ed van der Elsken

Ed van der Elsken, 'enfant terrible' of Dutch photography, was a photographer and filmmaker who expressed his meetings with people in photos, photo books and films for more than 40 years. Ed van der Elsken's work is highly subjective, portraying striking individuals he encountered on his travels, documenting his own life and that of his surrounding. His approach was confrontational, embracing the bright as well as the darker sides of human life. The unconventional technique and the gritty snapshot-like quality of his work have been of great importance in the development of contemporary photography. Photo of two young people just before they kiss. The photo has a dark background with a small glimpse popping up behind the young man. The black and white contradictions of the photo gives a sense of literalism, avoiding the romantic elements that a a picture of a virtual kiss might creates.