The Dynamic Duo of Bas & Chris
Collaborations between photographers are on the rise and the latest double act to steal the show is Bas & Chris. This formidable mash-up of a Kiwi and a Dutchman began months before the pandemic, proving their strength and that career pivots sometimes happen when you least expect them.
When asked about what inspired the union, Chris noted, “Bas is a lifestyle photographer and I’ve always loved his style. I thought it would be an interesting experiment to merge our brains and our approaches in terms of the images we create together.”
They naturally have a good report with one another. Shooting the breeze about ideas feels instinctive, and they both constantly challenge and push each other.
“Both of us have quite an individual style but when we brought it together it created something quite unique and fun,” says Chris. Shortly after joining forces, the dream team landed three sizable projects for Mercedes Benz in New Zealand.
“The work we have created is a fantastic reflection of the dynamic of our relationship and of the merging of our two styles to create one really coherent and fresh new style,” adds Chris.
Their process of shooting together moves quite organically as well. Bas & Chris shoot simultaneously and then one of them might pause and take a breather. No wonder their work looks so uninhibited and energetic. There’s an unmistakable flow.
These projects also gave Bas & Chris insight into the way they work together and what they could creatively accomplish as a duo in the commercial world.
Not only that but “it reinvigorated the passion for my work and gave me a whole new way of seeing. It really instigated a change in the way I shoot,” says Chris.
The concept of the photographer duo is a winning formula in today’s world where content is king. Two different points-of-view meld together to create an even stronger, unified skillset – often taking a project to a place where each individual photographer may not have gone alone. The duo is keen to make their debut in Europe and the States and plan on doing so when pandemic cools down. We are no doubt excited to see this dream team continue to evolve and make their mark as creative collaborators.
