Photography in the aftermath of terror in Brussels
Totems of Peace
A visual story photographed one day before the flowers were destroyed.
Brussels, Belgium - On the morning of March 22nd, 2016, Brussels was hit with the deadliest act of terrorism in its history. Three bombs, two at the airport and one in the metro station, killed 32 civilians and left hundreds injured.
Documenting the aftermath of the bombs was powerful and tragic, but it didn’t capture the resiliency of the city’s people. What did were the items left in the city center, to remember the attacks. Letters and other totems were archived by the city after two months. The totems photographed here were to be destroyed the next day, so I photographed them just before on a black cloth I took.
This way these totems keep reminding us of these terrible months in 2016.
Visual storytelling using still photography
Visual storytelling in still photography is about freezing a pulse of life and allowing a single frame to unfold a narrative: the glance that hints at a secret, the light that sculpts mood, the tiny details that whisper context.
It’s not just what’s in the picture but what’s implied—the negative space that invites curiosity, the imperfect moment that feels lived-in, the colour and texture that set tone.
A successful visual story balances composition and emotion, guiding the viewer’s eye like a sentence guides a reader, so every element serves both aesthetic and narrative purpose. In my work I look for those gestures and textures that suggest a before and after, turning an image into a compact, playful tale the audience can step into and complete. Have a look around for my other photo stories.