Author Portraits Along the Canals

By Aleksandria Rudenko | Updated 26 October 2026

Man in a camel coat riding a black bicycle with a front basket past brick canal houses, an author portrait in spring sun

A writer rarely needs just one photo, and Martin was no exception. He wanted a friendly portrait for social media and a sharper one for interviews and press kits. He also wanted a few with character for everything in between. So on a bright early-spring day, we made his author portraits along the canals in one walk. He brought a bicycle, a camel coat and a copy of the London Review of Books.

Portraits like these are part of my portrait photoshoots in Amsterdam. Each session stays in one picturesque area and follows a route planned in advance. I guide you throughout, so nobody has to know how to pose.

Where: Canals and bridges in the city center
When: Early spring, bright sun
Session: Portrait Photoshoot
Light: Clear sky, crisp sunlight

On Two Wheels Along the Canals

We started the way many Amsterdam days start: on a bicycle. As he rode slowly past canal houses and front steps, he forgot about the camera. The frames show it, too: an easy smile, coat open, the city sharp in the sun.

Smiling man in a camel coat with sunglasses tucked into his sweater, leaning on the handlebars of his bicycle

Man riding a bicycle past white front steps and a hedge, camel coat open and brown shoes on the pedals

Author portrait of a smiling man in a camel coat leaning on a lamppost by a canal, bare trees and brick houses behind

Man standing with his bicycle beside front steps and bollards on a sunny canal street, a blossoming tree behind

Man reading a newspaper on a bench by the canal, framed by bollards, bicycles and tall gabled houses

Reading in the Sun

For a writer, a newspaper and a book are not props. They are simply part of who he is. On a bench by the water he first read the London Review of Books, then a book. Meanwhile, I photographed him between the lines: looking up, half smiling, lost in a page. Frames over his shoulder also let the viewer sit right beside him.

Close-up of a man reading the London Review of Books in soft sunlight, a relaxed author portrait

Man holding the London Review of Books open toward the camera, smiling over the top in front of canal houses

Man in sunglasses and a camel coat reading a newspaper on a bench, bicycles and canal houses in the sun

Man reading a paperback on a wooden bench, one leg crossed, bicycles and canal houses in soft focus behind

Over-the-shoulder view of a man reading a book by a canal railing, a bicycle and gabled houses ahead

Author Portraits for the Press

For interviews and press, calm portraits matter. So against a dark brick wall I made a quieter set. First came a gray sweater, then the camel coat, with direct eye contact and nothing else in the frame. Back by the canal, with sunglasses on and a hand on an old lamppost, the mood turned light again.

Head-and-shoulders author portrait of a smiling man in a gray sweater and white collar against a dark brick wall — Calm portraits against dark brick, made for interviews and press

Author portrait in a camel coat against a dark brick wall, direct eye contact and a calm smile

Man in a gray sweater standing by the front steps of a brick house, hands relaxed at his sides

Man in sunglasses and a camel coat leaning against an ornate lamppost, one hand to his head, canal houses behind

Between the Pages

The details tell the rest: open pages in the sun, a slow walk along the quay, a pause on the bridge. Small frames like these give a set of portraits its rhythm. In fact, they often end up on a website or a book page.

Hands holding an open book seen from behind, pages bright in the sun against a soft brown background

Man in a dark coat walking along a sunny canal quay, his shadow long on the bricks and boats on the water

Man walking past an old lamppost on a canal bridge, camel coat swinging and a lens flare crossing the frame

One Last Author Portrait

We finished with a change of jacket and the city behind him. A navy coat, a bridge, a canal full of light. In the end, it was one session with several looks. He now has a set of author portraits along the canals for wherever his writing takes him.

Smiling man in a camel coat with a canvas bag, leaning on a canal bridge railing in front of brick houses

Author portrait of a man in a navy jacket by a canal railing, sunlit gabled houses and bare trees behind

Author portrait on a canal bridge, a man in a navy jacket by a curved railing with bare trees and houses across the water

Need portraits that feel like you? Discover how my portrait photoshoots in Amsterdam work.