fotografeerima

Fotografeerima is a term used in Dutch-language contemporary photography discourse to describe a theoretical approach to image-making that foregrounds temporality, perception, and the mediating role of light. The word blends the verb fotograferen (to photograph) with ima, a syllable derived from image that appears in art and media theory.

In practice, practitioners of fotografeerima may employ extended exposures, sequential shooting, and computational layering to construct images that reveal moments between frames. Some approaches combine in-camera experiments with post-production to suggest memory or anticipation rather than a single decisive capture.

Origin of the term is debated. It appears in critical essays and artist statements from the 2010s onward, used to discuss projects that treat time not as a backdrop but as an active element in the photographic process.

Reception is mixed: scholars describe fotografeerima as a conceptual umbrella that invites subjective interpretation and critique of speed, surveillance, and image fatigue. Critics warn that it can become a gimmick if detached from clear intent.

See also: photography, time-lapse photography, image layering.