STORY | AMSTERDAM

Casual Portraits in October for a Young Copywriter

By Aleksandria Rudenko | Updated 5 November 2026

Smiling young man in an olive corduroy jacket standing among parked bikes on a canal bridge, gabled houses behind, a casual October portrait

Tiago had just started as a junior copywriter at a creative agency in Amsterdam. His website and LinkedIn needed a new photo, so he asked for casual portraits in October, while the canals were still green.

His style is relaxed and easy, and that is exactly what my portrait photoshoots in Amsterdam try to keep. We met on an overcast day in early October, with one outfit built in layers.

A Black Door and a White T-Shirt

We began with the simplest layer: a white T-shirt, beige chinos and a brown belt. A black canal-house door with gold ornaments made a strong frame, and he crossed his arms as if he lived there. Around the corner, a dark brick wall did the opposite and let his smile do the work.

Young man in a white T-shirt with crossed arms in front of a black canal-house door with gold ornaments and a gilded iron fanlight

Laughing young man in a white T-shirt, beige chinos and a brown belt against a dark brick wall, hands in his pockets — A black door with gold ornaments, then dark brick

A Book on the Front Steps

Next, he added a striped short-sleeved shirt and sat down on the stone steps of a canal house with the book he was reading. A book gives the hands something to do, so the face can relax. He read a few lines, looked up and laughed when I asked what was so funny.

Casual portrait from his personal branding shoot: a young man in a striped short-sleeved shirt laughing on front steps with an open book

For the second frame, he rested his chin on his hand and looked away, as if the story had pulled him back in.

Chin resting on his hand, a young man looks away with a smile on the stone steps of a canal house, an open book on his lap

Young man in a striped shirt and beige chinos walking across a canal bridge under tall trees, parked cars along the quay

In the same shirt, he walked over a bridge under tall trees. Along the canal, the first yellow leaves were showing. That is early autumn in Amsterdam: still green, with a touch of yellow here and there.

Wide October portrait of a young man in a striped shirt by a canal railing, yellowing trees and tall houses across the water — The first yellow leaves along the canal

Casual Portraits in a Corduroy Jacket

Smiling young man in an olive corduroy jacket at a white-framed window, leaning on a table with an open book, a casual portrait

For casual portraits in October, a layer you can add or take off comes in handy. The last one was an olive corduroy jacket. At a window with white frames, he opened his book again on a dark table. In the soft light, you can see every rib of the fabric.

Then he walked over a bridge toward me, with a red-brick corner house behind him. Later, we followed the water, where the first leaves already lay on the quay.

Young man in a corduroy jacket and beige chinos strolling over a canal bridge toward the camera, a red-brick corner house behind

Walking along a canal quay strewn with yellow leaves, a young man in an olive jacket and beige chinos, an October portrait by the water

Almost every bridge in Amsterdam is lined with bikes. Tiago sat down on a bike rack, then stood up among the bikes and smiled into the lens. That second frame opens this story.

Sitting on a bike rack among parked bicycles on a canal bridge, a young man in a corduroy jacket, tall gabled houses across the water

Close-Ups Against Dark Brick

For LinkedIn, he wanted a calm, close frame. Against a dark wall, he crossed his arms and smiled. That photo is now his profile photo.

Close portrait of a smiling young man in an open corduroy jacket over a striped shirt and white T-shirt, a dark brick wall behind

Arms crossed, a young man in an olive corduroy jacket smiles against dark brick, a casual half-length portrait in October — Close portraits against dark brick

October Portraits Along the Canal

We ended on a bridge with a long view down the canal, where a boat lay moored along the quay.

Young man in a corduroy jacket leaning on a bridge railing above a canal lined with boats and trees, a black bicycle beside him

Eyes closed in a smile, a young man stands on a canal bridge beside a black bicycle, the trees along the water just turning yellow

He closed his eyes, smiled and took a breath. That frame is not on LinkedIn. Instead, it hangs as a print at home, a reminder of his first October in the city.

More ideas for portraits around your work? These personal branding photo ideas come from real sessions.

Would you like casual portraits in October, or any month? Discover how my portrait photoshoots in Amsterdam work.