Rob van der Heijden (1966) is an autonomous European photographer, based in the Netherlands. His day time job as managing director of an international company dealing in pipework equipment does not restrict him to devote time to photography. He studied conceptual photography from 2017 till 2020 at the Fotoacademie in Amsterdam.
Photography has always been a defining element in Rob’s life. From shooting analogue with a 35 mm Ricoh KR-5 as a teenager, to his first steps in digital photography with a Sony Mavica MVC floppy disk camera. He travelled a long way from darkroom to Lightroom with numerous cameras. In time he made a switch to medium format. Initially to an analogue Mamiya 645 and eventually to a digital Hasselblad X2D.
As an independent international entrepreneur, Rob has had the opportunity to see much of the world and meet many people abroad. All these travels and encounters have made him very aware of how origin affects one’s opportunities and view on life. For Rob, photography is a way to assert his individuality and freedom, to create meaning in a transitory world.
Rob was born and raised in the south of the Netherlands in a small village named Bergeijk. He spent hours wandering by himself in flower fields and distinctive pine forests with hidden ponds. The orchard and little creek behind the house were his favourite spots. In this kaleidoscope of impressions, Rob started to observe and question his surroundings. Photography became his tool to express himself.
Rob currently lives in a suburb of Nijmegen, the oldest city in the Netherlands, close to Germany. In Nijmegen, he owns a professional photo studio.