Sascha van der Werf
Not a Photographer.
A Witness to Presence.
I don’t chase moments.
I wait for their quiet unfolding.
My work lives in the in-between—between stillness and motion, surface and soul, instinct and intention. I’m drawn to those who seek more than beauty. Who want to feel something. Who are ready to be seen.
The most powerful images aren’t posed.
They’re remembered—because they’re felt.
“You don’t make a photo with the camera or any other equipment. When we press the shutter, the whole bundle that life gives us is always with us: The experiences we made, the inspirations we inhaled, our imagination mixed with our feelings in the present moment create the image.”
-Mag. (FH) Sascha van der Werf
It’s not just about what we see, but what we sense
the most powerful photographs are the ones that make us feel.
Why I Photograph
Because I don’t know how else to speak.
Because what I feel, I frame.
Because the stories that stay with us are often the ones without words.
Photography isn’t what I do.
It’s how I see.
How I ask questions.
How I leave a mark—quietly, intentionally, without noise.
What I See, I Feel
Photography is my language.
It slows the world just enough to notice what matters.
It invites reflection. It reveals what speed and performance often conceal.
My work isn’t about capturing. It’s about listening.
Every frame holds energy, silence, and emotion—
a quiet conversation with the moment itself.
Whether in the street or the studio, I seek presence.
Not control. Not perfection.
Just the rare moment when something real surfaces.
A SINGULAR APPROACH
Instinct over method. Presence over polish.
I didn’t come to photography through tradition—
but through instinct, curiosity, and the need to distill life into stillness.
I work in fine art, portraiture, and intimate monochrome.
But what I offer goes deeper:
Not just the image—
the essence beneath it.
Light and shadow are the language.
The subject is always presence.
I don’t direct the moment.
I hold space for what’s already there—
quietly rising to be seen.
How i Work
My background in visual storytelling shapes how I approach each project—
not as a technician, but as someone who listens with their eyes.
Whether I’m crafting a portrait, guiding an artist through creative fog,
or building something bold and intimate, the process is the same:
Strip it back. Feel what matters. Let presence do the rest.
I don’t offer formulas. I offer attention.
I don’t direct. I invite.
I don’t decorate. I distill.
This is not a service.
It’s an experience of being seen.
If it resonates, follow the feeling. That’s where it begins.
CAPTURING PRESENCE, NOT JUST IMAGES
Some seek photos. Others want to be seen.
My work is for those drawn to depth—not decoration.
For those who know that meaning lives in nuance—
in the unspoken, the unresolved, the quietly powerful.
I don’t follow trends. I don’t create for the ordinary.
Each portrait is a conversation—intentional, intuitive, and human.
What I hold isn’t just appearance.
It’s presence.
The part of you that lingers—long after the frame.
For Those Who Step In Front of My Lens
You don’t need to perform.
You don’t need to impress.
You just need to be.
This is about seeing yourself—
without filters, without pressure, without performance.
To feel something true. To hold space for it.
To let it shift you.
That’s the moment I live for.
Beyond the Frame
A quiet return to what matters.
Photography, for me, is about presence.
About slowing down and seeing what’s already there.
Sometimes, what begins as an image becomes something more:
A pause.
A shift.
A still moment of recognition that stays with you.
What you see is only the beginning.
What you feel is the art
Photography is how I move through the world—
a quiet dialogue between what I witness and what I feel.
Fleeting moments become reflections.
Each image holds presence, emotion,
and the way I connect with life.
– Mag. (FH) Sascha van der Werf
Ready to Begin ?
Vienna-based. Creating wherever presence is called for.
English or German—write in the language that feels most like you.
Photo Credits:
(1) Irene Schaur / (2) Rene Tenerani / (3) Martin Hirsch /