Who I am

Arnaud van der Straten Ponthoz, autoportrait en reflet, appareil en main — Self-portrait in a reflection, and in the BGDC paddock — TT Circuit Assen, 12 September 2026

Arnaud accroupi dans le paddock, appareil en main, entre les voitures du BGDC — Self-portrait in a reflection, and in the BGDC paddock — TT Circuit Assen, 12 September 2026

My name is Arnaud van der Straten Ponthoz. It all started nearly four years ago, at a family Christmas: my father gave my son his first camera. Back in Brussels I went and bought one for myself, almost by chance, with no idea what I was getting into. I knew from the very first photograph that this was going to be a passion.

I cut my teeth in Charleroi, after reading the book Stephan Vanfleteren devoted to that city — work I find brilliant. I then learned the craft at events organised by friends, and across several journeys: Belgrade, Ireland, Andorra, Thailand, Poland.

Street photography

I pick a medium-sized city, study it beforehand, then wander through it for three days trying to capture its soul and its atmosphere.

365 days in Brussels

One photograph and one video taken in the city every day for a year. I set myself one rule: nothing older than 48 hours — after that, I am not allowed to publish the image.

Two regular collaborations

For Rendez-vous Bruxelles, a non-profit, I photograph the events exactly as they unfold, so that anyone landing on their website or Instagram really sees what goes on there. For the BGDC championship, it is the paddocks: the competitors in action, and the camaraderie that comes with it.

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