Erwin Olaf Photography

Erwin Olaf was born in 1959 in the small town of Hilversum, The Netherlands. He originally pursued a career in journalism, attending the School for Journalism in Utrecht. There, Olaf discovered photography and film. Olaf has become best known for his intricate, witty style of commercial photography and for his incredibly cutting edge personal work.

Have a look to this great portfolio: Erwin Olaf


Olaf has received multiple awards for campaigns completed for Heineken, Diesel Dirty Denim, Nicorette and Lavazza Coffee. International recognition has come from The Association of Photographers, London; the PDN Photography Annual, New York; and the Silver Lion, Cannes. Olaf’s work has also been exhibited worldwide. In 2003, The Netherlands Groninger Museum dedicated its entire space to Erwin Olaf’s 25th Silver Jubilee retrospective.

The works included in this prominent exhibition were then compiled for the highly acclaimed book Silver. Other solo exhibitions have been staged in major museums in Sydney, Bologna, Prague, Antwerp, Lodz, and Moscow, and galleries in Milan, Madrid, Paris, New York, and Hong Kong. Olaf is now currently in the planning stages of directing his first feature film, a children’s science fiction picture. Olaf lives and works in Amsterdam. It talks of gender issues, sex, violence, body, entertainment, fashion, beauty… Some of his most provocative series were on display: Chessmen, Blacks, Mature, Fashion Victims, Royal Blood, Paradise ‘the Club’, Separation, Paradise Portraits, New York Times Couture, etc.