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Interview With William Rutten
Kamera Express
Interview with William Rutten: from concert to portrait
Who is William Rutten?
William Rutten (1970) took his first steps in photography at the age of 12, when he took photos at a Doe Maar concert. After that, he reportedly smuggled a camera into every concert he attended. At 17, he received his first paid assignment: designing a sleeve for a record by Het Goede Doel. He then made the switch to portrait photography because it was much easier to sell. He became the regular photographer for pop programme Countdown on Veronica. His portraits of the big artists — who loved coming to Countdown — travelled around the world, appearing in the iconic American music magazine Rolling Stone, among others. "And all without any photography training. In the time when I started out, there was no YouTube with tutorial videos either. I figured it all out myself." In 2018 he published the book PicStory, featuring his best portrait photos and the stories behind them.
William Rutten is now one of the Netherlands' best-known photographers. Not only because of his photos, but also because of his appearances as a jury member on Het Perfecte Plaatje (RTL4) and as a commentator on RTL Boulevard. Through his regular contact with well-known Dutch celebrities, he's a true insider in the Dutch showbiz world. But above all, he's a self-made, craftsman photographer with an often unrequited love for black and white.
His career began at a very young age photographing concerts, but he quickly realised he couldn't make a decent living from it. Yet that start proved to be hugely important for his new career as a portrait photographer: those concerts gave him direct access to the performing stars. Back then, that was also much easier than it is today. It turned out to be a masterstroke. Photos of major pop idols, taken against a neutral background, were eagerly snapped up around the world.
Three minutes
According to William himself, he takes his best portrait photos within three minutes — a skill he undoubtedly owes to his background as a pop photographer. For pop stars, a photo shoot was often a stop between the dressing room and the stage. "After those three minutes, it starts to feel like work for the subjects, and then you see that expression on their face too," he explains. "I almost exclusively work with people who have their photo taken nearly every day — for them it really is just work. My job is to make sure it doesn't feel that way and that the photo doesn't have that look either."
William's main aim is to avoid giving his subjects the feeling that anything is expected of them. "I make sure they feel at ease. For me, a good portrait photo is one that tells a story. Or one that makes you want to read the story that goes with it. Above all, the eyes must speak. That's where you see the soul of the person." That's also his tip for aspiring portrait photographers: "Always focus on the eyes, or the eye that's closest to the viewer. The eyes are the most important element in your portrait. If they're not sharp, the portrait has failed."
Black and white
If clients gave William complete creative freedom on a portrait assignment, they would all receive images in black and white. "I'm mad about black and white. Unfortunately, none of my clients in the magazine world want them anymore. Some even explicitly state in their brief 'NO BLACK AND WHITE'," he laughs. "Just to wind them up, I'll throw in a few black-and-white versions anyway to show them how wrong they are."
"Black and white is so beautiful and powerful! My style is bold and high-contrast — perhaps also very confrontational and honest. It's quite funny that I never really saw a distinct style in my own work, but others do. I'm increasingly being asked whether I can make a black-and-white portrait of someone 'in my style'. So apparently I do have that style after all." William believes that clients, beyond his style, also seek him out because of the way he treats them.
He still works by the motto 'the customer is king'. "I want my clients to be 100 per cent satisfied. I won't settle for less. I also think photographers should stop seeing themselves as some kind of artist. Photography is a service profession. Never put yourself above the client, never make yourself more important than you are — that's what I'd say."
Obama
Although he's already had a great many big names in front of his lens, even William has something that could be called a dream. He would love to photograph the former US president, Barack Obama. "He seems like a wonderful person and he has such a striking face! I heard a story from a colleague who photographed him that he wins you over with his charm in no time at all. The shoot with Obama was an experience he'll never forget."
William naturally prefers to use natural light during his shoots. In his studio he has a few spots where the light comes in beautifully, and which he only needs to influence — when necessary — with a reflector. The studio also features a Profoto system. "They currently make the best there is. They're innovative and listen to the wishes of photographers. They have no competition. Wherever I go, it's everywhere."
The equipment of William Rutten
View some photos by William Rutten here
