Ramona Deckers (1982) is an Amsterdam based photographer. Her photographs are raw, celebrate youthhood and lay bare private moments.

Photography, the way most of us use it day to day, has largely become an arena of self-celebration, of creating a perfect version of our lives for the public eye. It feels as though our authentic selves have become inadequate to be presented to the outside world. We put on a big smile to proclaim our happiness, again and again. What gets lost in the process is the essence that makes us who we really are.

Deckers recaptures that essence in people, showing the weaknesses that make them strong; the imperfections that make them unique; the sadness, the insecurity – things that help us relate to them on a much more intimate level. In a nutshell, her photography is a poetic search for intimacy.

The most important part of her process is creating a bond with her subject. She wants people to feel accepted, to trust her and open up in front of the lens.

Deckers feels attracted to people who dare to live outside of the norm, who have tastes and habits that make them somehow unique. When diving into their world, there is so much to learn and discover. Their photographs often become more than a picture, they transform into a story.

"I am telling that story as I document them in their own surroundings, with their home and their belongings revealing small details about their personality".

In her free time she travels a lot and captures the unfolding narrative on film. She works exclusively with analog cameras.

"It forces me to be aware of every frame and invites an element of magic and mystery into my work process. I made the conscious decision of shooting with available light only as authenticity plays such an important role in what I do. I want to show things the way they really are, in their natural glory".