Math Meertens, born in 1959 in South Limburg, the Netherlands

I’ve been taking photographs ever since I was a child. I was 12 years old when I first held a camera.
My dad had just bought an Olympus Trip 35, which, at the time, was a popular camera with a good lens.
I actually used it more than my dad. It was an inspiring introduction to photography, and it laid the foundations for my passion for the art form.
In those years I mainly worked with negatives, and I used a slide projector to show my photos. Of course, I also developed prints but that was expensive to do.
My parents gave me my first camera – a Pentax K2 with a 50-mm lens – when I was 16 years old, which I used for a number of years. I mainly photographed my daily life and I also took the first portrait photos of my friends. 
After that, I had a whole range of Canon cameras and lenses. 

I also had one of the first digital cameras, but unfortunately I can’t remember the brand or the model. I only used it for a short while. The quality was so bad that I quickly went back to using a traditional film camera.
From about 2005 onwards, I switched to Olympus Micro Four Thirds system. Over the years, I’ve worked with all types of cameras and I’ve used the most appropriate lenses for my subjects. Now that I’m in the autumn of my life and I also have more money at my disposal, I have switched to Leica – particularly the M and SL systems. I also use a Leica Q2 and a Leica CL for my daily fast shoots. 

I’ve never done a photography course – and I don’t do it professionally. For me, it’s a hobby. Professionally, I am involved in the design, production, and sale of bathroom design products.

I’m a street photographer. I love to wander alone through the streets of a city, documenting life with my photos.
My favourite cities are Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Milan, Tokyo and New York. Hong Kong in particular has a lot to offer – there’s just so much variety. I recently did a photoshoot in Hong Kong harbour. 

I also realized that I enjoy taking portrait photos, particularly of individuals who have really ‘lived’ – faces with character. Starting 2021, I photographed a number of models in a studio for the very first time. And I really like this kind of photography including the post editing.

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