Had some great fun photographing the Dutch #Punk #Ska band de Hardheid at the venues @burgerweeshuis.bsky.social & @melkwegamsterdam.bsky.social last weekend! Both venues sold out and it was awesome to see the fans skanking their heart out! #photography #bandphotography #live

I’m neither light nor shadow. I am both. This year pushed me into my own shadows, not to hide, but to understand them. Doubt, anger, softness, strength. All of it belongs I believe you see the light more clearly once you’ve met the dark #photography #portrait #BecomingWhole #CinematicSelfPortrait

I've been busy with finishing school. But yesterday I had to create some Vampire art for myself. #VampireArt #DarkAesthetic #KindredFragments #BloodAndBeauty #GothicArt #VtMInspired #DigitalCollage #VisualStorytelling #VtM #WorldofDarkness

youtu.be/28iHEfVfTFM?... Time is like soup, as a wise faun once said. It took a while to finish this video. My chaos gets in the way sometimes :D Music by Daan van der Valk who is as chaotic as I am #photography #behindthescenes #selfportrait #creative #blog

Long Exposure I went out for a school assignment to take some test photos. The assignment was specifically to create a series about a street. My concept was to capture the echoes of people passing by the street I had in mind, but I ended up in a tunnel instead. #longexposure_captures #photography

Homework assignment of my photography course I'm following. I had to show movement while keeping part of the subject sharp. It is not perfect but I like the shot. #photography #StreetPhotography #monochrome #b&wPhotography #Amsterdam #museumplein #movement

We are less than £1000 from our goal!! Support indie filmmaking and help us make the dark fantastical world of Fairy Dust come to life! ✨✨✨ www.kickstarter.com/projects/fai...

Is it Spooky season yet? TBH for me I feel like spooky season all year. I love it particularly when the sun is out and it's 25C + out side. #spooky #SpookySeason #halloween #Wiccan #Witchcraft #ModernWitch #photography #stilllife

"You don't understand, baby sister, what it is like… the gnawing in your throat, the screaming pit inside you." Read Hunger: www.esther-derksen.com/kindred-frag... #VampireLore #Storytelling #vtm #vamily #SelfPortrait #photography #longexposure #blog #ArtOfSelfPortraiture

Listening to "Herr Mannelig" by Garmarna tidal.com/browse/track...

are the #vamily on BlueSky??? Sound off in the comments if so 🦇 fun fact, my cheeks were covered in hives on this shoot day due to an allergic reaction to antibiotics I was prescribed for some freak bug bite spreading up my arm (why my arm is wrapped in some episodes of #LAbyNight S5)

Gangrel prowl the night, led by feral instinct. I’d love to shoot in the city at night, but self-portraits on dodgy streets make me hesitate. Any tips to feel safer? #KindredFragments #GangrelClan #VampireInspired #SelfPortraiture #UrbanNoir #vamily #VtM #photography #portrait

"I miss the wind without blood in it. But I rise, night after night. Not to live. But to guard what little still feels real. Read Willow’s story: www.esther-derksen.com/kindred-frag... #KindredFragments #VtM #Gangrel #Vamily #photography #worldofdarkness #portraitPhotography

The Rose Garden isn’t a safe place. But neither am I. Here, the wild and cultivated roses of my clan gather. I watch. I listen. I hunt for their weaknesses and hide my own. 👉 www.esther-derksen.com/kindred-frag... #photography #visualStorytelling #ArtOfSelfPortraiture #Vamily #Vtm #WorldofDarkness

They call it the Rose Garden. But there’s no scent of roses here. Only masks, perfumed lies, and the hush of unspoken things. A new Kindred Fragment has bloomed. Read Milla’s story: www.esther-derksen.com/kindred-frag... #KindredFragments #Vamily #DarkPoetry #VisualStorytelling #Photography #vtm

"My letters to you were my SOS, and you were the angel who answered." A letter to the past. A tribute to music, memory, and the girl I once sent away. New #blog now live. www.esther-derksen.com/blog/the-gir... #WritingAsHealing #LettersToThePast #EmotionalStorytelling ##ArtOfSelfPortraiture

Took this in Zandvoort aan Zee two years ago. Something about it feels off—but I keep coming back to it. I often revisit old images when creating feels out of reach. Lately, everything feels a little off. #ZandvoortAanZee #CreativeBlock #ArtistsJourney #Monochrome

It was power that drew you to this sacred place. Its solemn weight lingers in the air, carried by the incense smoke and the whispered prayers of the faithful. Read Lesson II: www.esther-derksen.com/kindred-frag... #KindredFragments #VtM #Vamily #WorldOfDarkness #selfPortrait #portraitPhotography

Stumbled upon this old soul in the heart of Amsterdam. Amid the chaos, it felt like a fragment of something real—unpolished, still breathing. #StreetPhotography #UrbanGaze #AnalogAesthetic #Chevrolet #Amsterdam

“Smile, lock everything away, and just push through.” A reflection on memory, silence, and the girl I once buried beneath strength. New blog: The Girl I Locked Away www.esther-derksen.com/blog/the-gir... #WritingThroughIt #MemoryAndHealing #InnerChildJourney #shadowwork

Call me a rose, if you must. But my petals were never soft. I create not to impress, but to survive. My roots twist deep in wild earth. 🖤 Read Petals in the Dirt www.esther-derksen.com/kindred-frag... #KindredFragments #VtM #vamily #worldofdarkness #vampireart

AGE OF UMBRA is a new 8-episode #Daggerheart series coming May 29th to Beacon, Twitch, and YouTube! GM and Age of Umbra designer Matthew Mercer leads the #CriticalRole founders through a dark, survival fantasy undertaking, in which small communities hold fast against the darkness of a dying world.

castlefest.nl/nl is coming up and I don't know what to wear! Do I go #Steampunk or #Vampirethemasquerade inspired? #Darkfairy #witchy ? Too many options and so little time to gather all the stuff I need/craft 😱

Listening to: open.spotify.com/track/7CBFRs... Childhood rebellion 🤘😀 #GNR #rocknroll #memorylane #music #hairmetal

What if the part you, you fear most was never a monster, but your fiercest protector? A journal entry shaped by instinct, myth, and memory. Read The Beast Within. www.esther-derksen.com/blog/the-bea... #KindredFragments #ShadowWork #WorldOfDarkness #PersonalEssay #TheBeastWithin #Vamily #vtm

Two shots from my city walk through Amsterdam today. One moment bold and busy, the next quiet and a bit strange. Just how I like it. #UrbanGaze #streetphotography #Amsterdam #photography

The rain didn’t wash her clean—only woke the wild beneath. Eyes sharp, feral, haunted. She doesn’t speak. She remembers. Gangrel don’t forget. They endure. #gangrel #vtm #kindredthoughts #vamily #selfportrait #photography #monochrome #storytelling #ttrpg

open.spotify.com/track/6R6wY6... Nordic poetry for a quiet start of the day #nordicmusic #einarselvik #wardruna

She stirs in the blur—beast, shadow, memory. A slow shutter experiment capturing the masks we wear and the monster beneath. #VtMInspired #SlowShutter #TheBeastWithin #VtM #Vamily #selfportrait #photography

www.esther-derksen.com/blog/i-wish Guilty pleasure? Not really. I still love the music of this band. It reminds me of that 15-year-old girl trying so hard to keep afloat—and how this band gave her something real: relief, joy, and a moment to just be. #ReclaimJoy #MusicHeals #InnerTeen #theRadios

open.spotify.com/album/6YJbqj... Nice for getting things done :D #workflow #flowstate #skald #musicoftheearth #music #nordicmusic

Exploring what’s behind the mirror—the upside down, the unseen parts of me. But not today. My mind needs space, and priorities come first. Some doors will open when the time is right. #selfreflection #mentalhealth #conceptualphoto #upsidedown #photography #mirrorphotography

Some days my mind feels like this photo—layered, chaotic, trying to make sense of overlapping thoughts. A reflection through an antique store window, capturing life, mess and beauty all at once. #reflection #mindscape #photography #amsterdam

www.esther-derksen.com/kindred-frag... I see you. I see your struggle. You try to be a good girl. But you’re not, are you? At least… not all the time. #worldofdarkness #voiceofthebeast #vtm #vamily

Beyond glass and water, she lingers — a breath, a shadow, a memory. Silent, patient, daring me to see her. The Beast, the mirror, the hidden self. Friend, foe… or something far older. #VampireTheMasquerade #MirrorWorld #ShadowSelf #ConceptualPhotography #TheBeastWithin

open.spotify.com/track/4EIJ1Z... Good music to wake up with #SKÁLD #TrollKallaMik #Castlefest #Castlefest2024 #NordicMusic #FolkMusic #PaganFolk #MorningVibes #NowListening #MusicDiscovery #AtmosphericMusic #WitchyVibes

A quiet sunbeam. A sketchbook. A breath. In my latest blog, I reflect on reconnecting with rituals, stillness, and the self I nearly abandoned in the rush. www.esther-derksen.com/blog/easier-... #MindfulLiving #IntuitiveLiving #DailyRituals

Found my dad’s old camera — the one I took everywhere in my late teens. Flipping through the photos I shot back then brought back that familiar thrill of waiting for film to develop, hoping the memories were still there. #FilmPhotography #photography #AnalogNostalgia #Warmmemories

The underpass of the Rijksmuseum: where darkness meets light, where art meets the mundane. Here, the ordinary steps into the spotlight and becomes quietly beautiful. #streetphotography #Amsterdam #everydaypoetry

Drawing soothes me — the pencil, the paper, the quiet. I miss dancing, singing, bouldering… but my mind only holds space for drawing and photography right now. Maybe that’s what it means to listen inward. #artistlife #creativeflow #sketchbookmoments #creativeexpression #visualdiary #selfexpression

Discovered how easily I can overwork myself—especially doing what I love. No external pressure needed; my brain’s got it covered. But this time, there’s calm inside the chaos. A quiet place to just be. Learning to accept it. #adhdlife #selfacceptance #artistlife

Good Sunday! Hope you're having a good day so far. Caught this moment in strong contrast—light, shadow, and a touch of mystery. #StreetPhotography #BlackAndWhite #SundayVibes #Photography

Returned to the spot I scouted earlier—no wind this time! But the light only lasted 1.5 hours, and the café had set up their terrace on the deck. So much for a clean background… had to clone out a few sun-soaked beer lovers. #SelfPortrait #photography #portraitphotography

www.esther-derksen.com/blog/when-th... #Burnout #photographyJourney #Mentalhealth #portraitphotography

Scouted a new spot and took some test shots — turns out, standing in a wind tunnel trying to do self-portraits at 8°C is brutal! Way too windy! Still, I love the light and lines here. Tried some color palettes at home and I’m sticking with this vibe. #selfportrait #photoshootprep #moodyvibes

Wishing everyone a great weekend! Take a moment to pause, recharge, and have some fun—whatever that looks like for you. Shot this calm moment in Amsterdam, The Netherlands #WeekendVibes #StreetPhotography #AmsterdamMoments

Good Morning! Beautiful music by Olivier Deriviere to get me in the mood for my next #VtM session this Saturday open.spotify.com/album/1cJ14O...

Good Morning! #Amsterdam #StreetPhotography #GoodMorning