Rose Vandepitte: "I find poetry in the quiet, fleeting moments."interview with Dora Lavazou-Moments Collective

Dora Lavazou
Oct 26
5 min read

Interview : Dora Lavazou

@Rose Vandepitte

Rose Vandepitte is a Belgian photographer with a deep passion for documentary and travel photography. She began taking pictures in the 1970s, inspired by National Geographic and photographers such as Steve McCurry. Over the years, she has traveled across Asia, Latin America, and North Africa, capturing people, cultures, and fleeting moments of everyday life with sensitivity and respect.

She has worked with renowned photographers including Ernesto Bazan, Nikos Economopoulos, and Maciej Dakowicz, whose mentorship profoundly influenced her artistic vision and led her toward street photography. Her work focuses on the quiet, poetic moments of daily life, revealing authentic emotions and stories from the world’s cities

@Rose Vandepitte

When did your passion for photography first begin, and what drew you specifically to documentary and travel photography?

My interest in photography started in the early 70s when a friend of mine started with photography. The photographs of Steve McCurry and of other photographers in the National Geographic were a big source of inspiration.

@Rose Vandepitte

Do you remember a particular moment or trip that sparked your desire to photograph the world around you?

My first trip to Morocco in 1974 but then I only had a small “Instamatic Kodak”

@Rose Vandepitte

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In the 1980s, you traveled through Asia and Latin America. How did these early experiences shape your photographic perspective?

As I was mainly interested in travel photography, I was influenced by the National Geographic (as mentioned before), the French magazine “Partir” and the work (I later discovered) by Roland and Sabrina Michaud. I photographed people and made portraits. I captured the overall scenery of a place, its architecture and its cultural heritage.

@Rose Vandepitte

What is it about traveling that fuels your creativity as a photographer?

I am attracted to the unknown, the foreign and am very much interested in the traditions and the way of life of different cultures. A camera is a good tool to observe, to get closer to people, to interact and to get to know them.

@Rose Vandepitte

You worked at Ilford in Brussels before fully committing to photography. How did that professional environment influence your relationship with the medium?

It is there that the technicians showed me some basics of the dark room. It was fascinating.

Each year Ilford produced a calendar dedicated to a famous photographer. It was a good introduction to the history of photography. I was very impressed by the one of Werner Bischof. I still have some of those calendars.

During a photo competition organized for Ilford staff worldwide, I was lucky to win the first prize in the “amateur” category color and black and white. That really encouraged me to pick up photography again. I bought a reflex camera with the prize money.

@Rose Vandepitte

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What led you to take the leap into formal studies and workshops later in life?

After I had dropped photography for quite a number of years, I bought once again a reflex camera. I needed some support and accompaniment to get

@Rose Vandepitte

You've studied at several photography academies in Brussels. How did your formal education influence the way you see and capture the world?

The different teachers thought me different techniques, styles etc… their guidance and mentorship were very useful. It helped me to develop my own visual language.

Meeting other fellow students was also very interesting.

@Rose Vandepitte

What were the most important lessons you learned during that period?

Apart from learning how to use different practical tools to process images (from the darkroom to Lightroom and Photoshop), the one-to-one editing sessions were very valuable, sometimes confrontational, sometimes leading to discussions but always helpful.

It also gave me some self-confidence and confirmed that I should follow my own style without yet ignoring advice and tips (and tricks) from others. It is important to keep an open mind.

It was also the period when I switched from analog photography to digital. The guidance in both media were invaluable.

@Rose Vandepitte

You’ve worked with well-known photographers like Ernesto Bazan, Nikos Economopoulos, and Maciej Dakowicz. What lasting impact did their mentorship have on your work?

The most important impact was the introduction to Street Photography. It forced me to shift from well-organized scenes to capturing unplanned moments of people and their interactions. It is all about looking for moments of genuine interaction, emotion, and everyday life wherever I am.

I learnt a lot through the editing sessions. It is a very important element of a photography workshop.

@Rose Vandepitte

Did those workshops change the way you approach street photography in particular?

Well yes, I had to overcome my reluctance or fear of getting close to people while trying to capture interesting moments or emotions etc ...

I also reduced my camera gear, no more different lenses for different occasions but one body and one fixed lens.

@Rose Vandepitte

How would you describe your approach when photographing in unfamiliar environments or cultures?

I read about the culture and customs before traveling.

I try to look up interesting spots for photography before I start my trip (internet, guide books, work of other photographers).

When starting out, I try to observe and feel the place and its people. I don’t necessarily start to take pictures immediately. I don’t use a lot of gear.

I usually don’t interact with people straight away but I often do after I have taken the image.

@Rose Vandepitte

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Do you plan your shots or prefer to capture spontaneous moments?

I rarely plan my shots. I prefer to capture spontaneous moments.

@Rose Vandepitte

What themes or emotions do you find yourself returning to again and again in your work?

I look for interesting scenes, people, situations, action etc…. In general, I prefer simple or quiet scenes to overly busy ones.

I am fascinated by the city, its people and its dynamics. In the chaos of the streets, I look for those little moments of everyday life that move me.

@Rose Vandepitte

Has your photographic voice evolved over the years, and if so, in what ways?

Yes, especially since the workshops with Nikos Economopoulos and Ernesto Bazan. I am more looking for emotion and poetry in my images instead of trying to create very busy frames.

@Rose Vandepitte

As a photographer with a deep interest in both documentary and street photography, what do you believe is the role of the photographer in today's world?

I think the most important role of a photographer is to stay true to oneself in telling stories and showing one’s personal vision of the world and to touch people.