Photographer Michiel Heijmans is a contemplator who uses his camera as a tool to share his view of the world. He photographs purely by feel and is triggered by colours, lines and light. Not to disturb the moment, he doesn’t look through the lens but lets the camera hang on his belly. As a result, we watch along from a low perspective and the frame is playful. His observations are more than a snapshot. The longer we look, the more we see. As a viewer, Michiel knows how to turn a still photograph into a vivid image.

He walked hundreds of kilometres in places like New York, Paris and Amsterdam. He got lost and found his way back via hundreds of photos. A selection of his classic black-and-white photos and surprising colour photos are bundled in ‘The Observer’. In his book, Michiel takes us into the streets and places us among the people he encountered. We get to meet them, for just a moment, and then they disappear into the crowd again.