Photography

Photos are the perfect way of adding emotion and warmth to communications. Marktplaats photos are always positive and energetic – down to earth yet special. And always worth a look.

Authentic

We describe our style of photography as ‘authentic, recognisable and typically Dutch. This style is created by incorporating a number of regular features:

• Personal style
• Regular people (as opposed to models)
• Believable situations in a natural setting
• Not staged; ‘slice-of-life’
• Natural lighting

Recognisable

There is no deeper layer to the photos – what you see is what you get (simplicity). There are no hidden meanings, no symbolism, no use of metaphor, and nothing suggestive or ambiguous.

Typically Dutch

Just like the situations, the locations used in the pictures – no matter how diverse – always have a ‘Dutch’ feel to them. We may also show recognisable references to the Netherlands, such as the sky, the horizon or redbrick houses. However, this is not a requirement – as long as the image feels ‘Dutch’.

Photography levels

We identify three levels in our photographs, and we apply different priorities and principles to each of these levels.

Touch

At this level, we want to move people, appeal to their emotions and fill them with positive thoughts about Marktplaats. For our photographs, the focus is on the enjoyment people get out of purchasing items from Marktplaats. It’s all about the user’s emotions. While the product is shown in the ads, it’s not the most important feature.

Tell

The most important aspect at this level is informing people; communicating the what, how and convenience of Marktplaats. The focus for these photographs is on the moment of action. There is a visible connection between the people depicted.

Sell

At this level, we intend to activate people to use Marktplaats. In the photographs, we zoom in on the central action shown in the advert.

We also see examples of product photography. In order to give photos an authentic and personal quality, we prefer to show these products in their natural setting (same as for the advertisements displayed on our website). If the products in question are new, you can also opt for standalone products.

Pointers for photography

We apply a number of guidelines for taking photographs that have an everyday feel to them yet retain a special quality.

Light

Natural light is preferred. It is OK to use artificial light, provided this feels natural in the picture.

Casting

The models we use represent a cross-section of the Dutch population: people of all ages, sizes and ethnicities. Their differences aside, the one thing all these people have in common is a positive and animated ‘vibe’.

Styling

Styling can be used to enhance the quality of an image. However, a picture should never look obviously ‘styled’ (that is, it should look natural and unaffected and not too slick).

Focus

All pictures have a clear focus point, so the viewer knows immediately where to look. We achieve this, for example, by using focus depth. The lens of the camera might be compared to the human eye: the object in which we focus is sharp, while the rest (the immediate surroundings) is blurred.