Search
Close this search box.
Search
Close this search box.

RUTGER GEERLING, TOP PHOTOGRAPHER

Dance photographer Rutger Geerling has captured many prominent DJs such as Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, Afrojack, and Don Diablo, among others, with his camera. He is also chief photographer of Ultra Music Festival and Tomorrowland and travels all over the world: from Seoul, Nepal, Bangkok, Jakarta to Miami, Rio de Janeiro and back to The Hague. In addition, one of the world's top EDM photographers released his book This Is My Church five years ago followed by the Pop Media Prize in 2015.

Rutger has been in the business for exactly 25 years and is exhibiting at the Fotomuseum aan het Vrijthof in Maastricht. A selection of impressive photographs from his repertoire make up the This Is My Church exhibition. MASTERS asks: who sharpened Rutger's career?

Text: Mical Joseph
Image: Rutger Geerling

What was your very first job?

"I had the newspaper district in Rotterdam that none of my peers wanted, as the district was much too big and I often spent three days delivering the leaflets. At one point I quit the district, but luckily I was able to buy my first computer from my hard-earned money. At the time in 1981, having a computer was quite unique for a 12-year-old. After that I had several jobs and was always busy."

Were you told from home that you had to work?

"Yes, working was always an important part of our family. My mother was Head of Nursing at Bronovo Hospital and my father was a lawyer. My parents met when they both worked for the Holland America Line. They required me to study after high school, there was no doubt about that, so I went to study economics. Becoming a manager was my goal, but why? Purely to make money, as I had no idea what it entailed. And this was also visible in my drive: I didn't like it at all!

After six months I quit my studies and started studying public administration. This study suited me better, but it did not give me ultimate satisfaction. In my spare time I started photographing the Rotterdam skateboard scene and after graduating I told my parents and myself that I was going to live off my photography for a year. Didn't work out? Then I would 'just' look for a job. The photography year actually went better than expected, I was a talent."

How did you end up in your current job?

"I was photographing for a snowboarding and gabber magazine owned by a friend of mine. Of course, the gabber scene was a different kind of scene, but through this connection I also photographed, for example, at Mysteryland and other big parties. That's how I rolled into the music scene. This is exactly 25 years ago. I was a pioneer then, no one else was doing what I was doing: capturing the entire Dutch dance scene on camera. There were a few club photographers in Amsterdam, but that was really it. At one point ID&T picked me up and that's how it got spectacularly out of hand."

And how did your parents respond in the end?

"My parents luckily turned around. Secretly, they also thought it was really cool to see what I was doing."

Who was actually your wheelbarrow?

"I haven't had a specific wheelbarrow, but I have had a lot of people who have always favored me tremendously. Of course, that's different from the definition 'wheelbarrow,' but because of this encouragement and energy that I always felt because of the favor factor, to a certain extent I've been helped along. There are always moments in your career when things get a little bumpy and suddenly an opportunity comes along; I've had moments like this more often in the last 25 years."

What is your greatest passion in your profession?

"Capturing the beautiful moments. I'm happy when I'm walking around a festival with two cameras around my neck. It doesn't have to be bigger, crazier or more extreme. Just let me do my thing and I'll be fine. If I can do this for another ten years, I'll be happy.

What also makes me happy is when I see through the lens the energy and joy of a DJ. For example, I have a shot of Hardwell at Tomorrowland where he is back in the booth for the first time at Tomorrowland after being out for a while. You can see his emotion."

Hardwell @ Tomorrowland 2018DJ Avicii @ Ultra Korea, Seoul 2016Armin van Buuren @ Armin Only 2013

Looking back over these 25 years, which DJ is your favorite to capture?

"I really find that a very difficult question to be honest, but then I choose Carl Cox. This is because he is a very beautiful, imposing and large dark man and I find this a challenge to capture in photographs. This involves creativity to capture the right light as well. In terms of personality, I really like the Australian DJ Timmy Trumpet. The click between us was huge and I toured Asia with him last year. This was rightfully one of the most fun tours of my life."

Who or what do you still want in front of the lens?

"I would still like to have Calvin Harris and Deadmau5 in front of my lens. They are super difficult with photographers, as in: they have nothing with other photographers and always have their own photographer with them. I would actually like to show how cool we can do things with photography together. So a challenge!"

What has been the biggest learning moment in your career?

"People sometimes say that you have to do something for ten thousand hours before it really gets into your system and you master it. The biggest eye opener for me was Ultra Music Festival in Miami in 2012. For me, Ultra was that ten thousandth hour, because I was already pretty well known in the Netherlands, but in America the dance scene had really only just broken through. The organization knew that I occasionally did something for National Geographic and, in a very bombastic American way, Ultra brought me in: 'Wow, this is the guy who also shoots for National Geographic'.

Ultra was my first really big overseas festival. It was complete madness: spring break, completely unhinged American youth, great weather, insane stage and DJs. Some of my photos went viral after the festival with my name attached. This whole spectacle was so non-Dutch and I learned from the American photographers that I should be proud of myself and present it that way. I started promoting myself, putting down the Rudgr brand and letting go of that mentality of 'just act normal, you'll be crazy enough'."

Steve Aoki @ Tomorrowland 2012Afrojack @ Ultra Japan, Tokyo 2019Tiësto @ Innercity, Amsterdam 2003

You are obviously in the event industry, how is 2020 going for you?

"This year is actually the first year in my whole life that I have been out of work. I am helping a good friend with his livestreams 'We Own The Night' for ZIGGO, then I feel like I am doing something. I feel the restlessness and my hands itch to go to cool festivals again to photograph, collaborate with DJs and travel the world."

What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

"I never thought very much about what I wanted to do, as described above. My parents were pretty conservative with what they thought I should do: a level job. The us kind of people thing. I really should have looked a little earlier at where my strengths were and what I wanted to do. 

Have you been a wheelbarrow for anyone?

"In collaboration with Canon, I have done projects for emerging photographers in the past. This was always during Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE). The nice thing is that many of these talents are now my actual colleagues. In addition, I always make time for new, young talent when they come with specific questions. I actually see it as my duty to help the next generation as well."