Zilla van den Born
Beauty & Product photographer + retoucher
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SERVICES
SHORTFORM VIDEO
Photos in motion to bring your product to life. Short, captivating, and easily shareable on social media.
POST-PRODUCTION / RETOUCH
Speed up your photoshoot production time, and achieve consistent edits with eye-catching colors.
Retouch
Zilla van den Born
Beauty & Product photographer + retoucher
b
SERVICES
MOTION GIFS
A merge of photo and video. Call them photos in motion, cinemagraphs, animated photos or gifs. They attract more attention with their never-ending loop.
POST-PRODUCTION / RETOUCH
Speed up your photoshoot production time, and achieve consistent edits with eye-catching colors.
MOTION GIFS
A merge of photo and video. Call them photos in motion, cinemagraphs, animated photos or gifs. They attract more attention with their never-ending loop.
POST-PRODUCTION / RETOUCH
Speed up your photoshoot production time, and achieve consistent edits with eye-catching colors.
Retouch
Part-time nomadic lifestyle
Since the world and the outdoors always bring me the biggest inspiration boost, I make it a priority to travel and explore new environments as often as possible. In fact, I specifically arranged my life and work around the freedom to go wherever I feel my creativity would thrive.
I tend to follow the sun because it gives me the ability to step outside and use all elements of nature in my photography.
R During European summers, I base myself in Amsterdam
and my home country the Netherlands.
R During the cold grey winters, I choose one or more
destinations abroad to stay and work from.
In this way, I can serve my clients with a change of environment without them having to spend high travel production costs.
Nomadic lifestyle
Since the world and the outdoors always bring me the biggest inspiration boost, I make it a priority to travel and explore new environments as often as possible. In fact, I specifically arranged my life and work around the freedom to go wherever I feel my creativity would thrive.
I tend to follow the sun because it gives me the ability to step outside and use all elements of nature in my photography.
R During European summers, I base myself in my home country the Netherlands and work from Heijen & Amsterdam.
R During the cold grey winters, I choose one or more destinations abroad to stay and work from.
In this way, I can serve my clients with a change of environment without them having to spend high travel production costs.
NL Currently in Heijen / Amsterdam
Morocco Half sept – Half Dec
Austria January – Half April
Conscious creation
I love how I am able to create unworldly beautiful scenes through the use of Photoshop. But it has always bothered me that these filtered and edited photos can change our perception of the world or even damage one’s self-esteem.
For a long time, I’ve been conflicted about my Photoshop passion and contrary values. Asked myself: ‘what do I do for the world to make it a better place‘?
To turn things around I decided to make it my mission to not just create beautiful imagery. But to dedicate my time and talents to make a difference in the world.
Currently, my teammates and I are working on ‘the work of contrast’ – a photo documentary to raise funds for children with albinism and vitiligo.
D
Conscious creation
I love how I am able to create unworldly beautiful scenes through the use of Photoshop. But it has always bothered me that these filtered and edited photos can change our perception of the world or even damage one’s self-esteem.
For a long time, I’ve been conflicted about my Photoshop passion and contrary values. Asked myself: ‘what do I do for the world to make it a better place‘?
To turn things around I decided to make it my mission to not just create beautiful imagery. But to dedicate my time and talents to make a difference in the world.
Currently, my teammates and I are working on ‘the work of contrast’ – a photo documentary to raise funds for children with albinism and vitiligo.
D
How it started
My fascination with photo manipulation was born when I started modeling and watched a photographer edit my body. It was weird and confronting, but I was also intrigued by the possibilities and started experimenting in Photoshop myself.
This led me to pursue a visual career and graduate from the Art Academy in Graphic Design.
As a social experiment, I faked a 5-week holiday to create awareness about the risks of editing software.
The project went viral and among many others the New York Times, Daily Mail, Buzzfeed and Metro UK talked about my ‘fakecation’. This gave me the opportunity to spread my message about social media appearances and the concerning difference with reality to a wide audience.
In my opinion, retouching is not something that should be done secretly: it needs to be discussed and treated openly and honestly.
B
How it started
My fascination with photo manipulation was born when I started modeling and watched a photographer edit my body. It was weird and confronting, but I was also intrigued by the possibilities and started experimenting in Photoshop myself.
This led me to pursue a visual career and graduate from the Art Academy in Graphic Design.
As a social experiment, I faked a 5-week holiday to create awareness about the risks of editing software.
The project went viral and among many others the New York Times, Daily Mail, Buzzfeed and Metro UK talked about my ‘fakecation’. This gave me the opportunity to spread my message about social media appearances and the concerning difference with reality to a wide audience.
In my opinion, retouching is not something that should be done secretly: it needs to be discussed and treated openly and honestly.
B
BEHINDTHE SCENES
Clients
Sony, Profoto, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, G-Star, Scotch & Soda, Abloom, Beachlife, Cyell, Mister Zimi, Aila Blue
Clients
Sony, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, G-Star, Scotch & Soda, Beachlife, Mister Zimi, Aila Blue
Notable Accomplishments
– Guest of Dutch talkshow ‘RTL Late Night’
– Official Selection of Documentary Festival IDFA
– Speaker at IDFA Doclab
– Selected as one of ‘Die 10’ for RTL Germany
– Special Guest on Belgian tv-show ‘Normale Mensen’
– Speaker at Pecha Kucha Amsterdam
– Guest on German tv show ‘YOLO’
– Nominated for Generation Glamour
– Guest on Australian talkshow ‘Sunrise’
– Guest on American talkshow ‘RightThisMinute’
Published in
– the New York Times
– Daily Mail
– de Volkskrant
– der Spiegel
– New York Post
– Metro UK
– het Parool
– the Washington Post
– die Bild Zeitung
Featured on
– Newsmonkey
– Odditycentral
– Bustle
– l’Obs
– ABC7 NY
– the Independent
– Gapyear
– Linda nieuws
– Buzzfeed
– Kickasstrips
– HLN
– Ettoday
– Schweizer Illustrierte
– Info Resist
– Petapixel
– Luxemburger Wort
– ABC6
– the Daily Telegraph
– Boston Globe
– Tubantia
– CNN Turk
– the Guardian
– 1TV Russia
– Malaysian Digest
– Stern
– Express
– Layar
– AD
– Tecmundo
– NY post
– Oh I see
– El diario
– Telecinco
– Dazed
– Yahoo
– ХочУ
– Fatos
– Tv2 dk
– Viajes
– Biobio Chile
– Side3
– Herald Sun
– And many more..
Notable Accomplishments
– Guest of Dutch talkshow ‘RTL Late Night’
– Official Selection of Documentary Festival IDFA
– Speaker at IDFA Doclab
– Selected as one of ‘Die 10’ for RTL Germany
– Special Guest on Belgian tv-show ‘Normale Mensen’
– Speaker at Pecha Kucha Amsterdam
– Guest on German tv show ‘YOLO’
– Nominated for Generation Glamour
– Guest on Australian talkshow ‘Sunrise’
– Guest on American talkshow ‘RightThisMinute’
Published in
– the New York Times – Daily Mail – de Volkskrant – der Spiegel – New York Post – Metro UK – het Parool – the Washington Post – die Bild Zeitung
Featured on
– Newsmonkey – Odditycentral – Bustle – l’Obs – ABC7 NY – the Independent – Gapyear – Linda nieuws – Buzzfeed – Kickasstrips – HLN – Ettoday – Schweizer Illustrierte – Info Resist – Petapixel – Luxemburger Wort – ABC6 – the Daily Telegraph – Boston Globe – Tubantia – CNN Turk – the Guardian – 1TV Russia – Malaysian Digest – Stern – Express – Layar – AD – Tecmundo – NY post – Oh I see – El diario – Telecinco – Dazed – Yahoo – ХочУ – Fatos – Tv2 dk – Viajes – Biobio Chile – Side3 – Herald Sun – And many more..
BEHINDTHE SCENES
Let's create together
Turn wild ideas into lively visual campaignsthat make a positive impact. for Beautiful Beauty Brands,
Let's create together
Turn wild ideas into lively visual campaignsthat make a positive impact. for Beautiful Beauty Brands,