Just like the 2025 shooting days, the 2026 shooting days at Villa Mosa were of a very high standard, even though the weather wasn't always perfect. We arrived Tuesday afternoon, just enough time to run errands and get settled in.
The schedule for the Shooting Days 2026 - 2027 can be found here (upcoming events). Contact us if you are interested (models, photographers, and videographers alike). Please note that places are limited.
Wednesday, May 13: Home
We stayed home and didn't go to the Chartreuse fort as planned for two reasons: the weather wasn't good and the fort is completely fenced off. It's no longer possible to access the original location. We had decided on an alternative spot, the Parc de la Boverie, which is not ideal when the weather is bad (and when it good, it's packed).I took some photos at the pool with the only French-speaking model who stayed for several days (photos 1 and 2). A second French-speaking model joined him on Wednesday, but he only stayed for one day. In this case, it's not a problem because he's belgian, and a shoot at a later date is possible.
Photos at the pool aren't really my thing; you have to leave the camera in a waterproof bag for an hour to prevent condensation from forming on the cold camera. This condensation can also cause malfunctions in the long run.
Other models came during the day, and I did a short test shoot with some of them. The first day the atmosphere was a little strange; the models didn't really know what to expect (that's always so), but it quickly relaxed. The test photos are usually not very good, but you have to start somewhere. When I do an individual shoot, I know the first photos won't be great, but it's a necessary step to get good photos.
Thursday, May 14: Home and Reconnaissance
Several models arrived that day, and we stayed home as well. The plan was to go along the Meuse River towards the Père Pire Bridge, but in practice, we stayed home.And the two German photographers still haven't learned to work independently of each other. As soon as the light dims a bit, the two photographers tend to work together, whereas with continuous lighting, each photographer can work with a model instead of two photographers working around a single model. And it's not that there were too few models: every day there were one or two models per photographer.
I took the opportunity to scout a location we would normally visit on Saturday. This is the Spontin bottling plant. When I last visited three years ago, construction was underway, and I expected everything to be demolished. However, this wasn't the case, and only a few sections of wall were destroyed. There are more photos on this page dedicated to the bottling plant.
Since I had a model with me in the car, I took the opportunity to take some photos (photos 3 and 4). This convinced the other photographers to go to the site on Saturday. It was a location the photographers had already used a few years ago.
In the evening, we went to a small field next to the house to do calisthenics and to show off. You can see the equipment in the background of the photo below. In full sunlight, these aren't the best photos, but it brings the group together.
Friday, May 15: The steel factory in Charleroi
This has become one of my favorite spots, with the sunlight streaming through the holes in the roof. Here I've noticed that some models can work very well together (this makes for the best photos), but first you have to encourage them to work together. Some models don't need any encouragement... (photo 5).
The weather wasn't great when we arrived, but I know that doesn't really matter: all that's needed is enough concentrated light coming into the building.
It was quite a large group working at the Décaperie, even though I had indicated at the beginning of the day that only those who were interested could go there. It's a typical spot for urban exploration photography, and two "tourist" models in ties, raincoats, sunglasses, and umbrellas don't really fit in. But once a small group of models and photographers left, everyone else followed.
As with every shooting day, I didn't have the chance to work with all the models. For some, it's because they weren't particularly interesting; for others, it's because I didn't have the time, as I had to organize the whole event, run errands, direct the entire group to the right place... (no one got lost this year).
One of the models collects military accessories and participated in the shoot at La Décaperie (the steel factory), which is a place that lends itself well to this type of photography (photo 6), like all urban exploration locations.
Saturday, May 16: Spontin Bottling Plant
Another urban exploration location—these are my favorite spots. One of the models arrived on a motorcycle, and it was the perfect opportunity to use the bike in the shot. All the other photographers positioned the motorcycle with graffiti on the wall as a background, but that doesn't fully utilize the location and the motorcycle. You will find walls with graffiti everywhere; it's not unusual. Furthermore, the photographers were working at a height of about 1.5 to 1.8 meters, which didn't showcase the motorcycle well. You have to photograph at ground level.But first, we had to get the motorcycle into the factory, which wasn't easy since it weighed over 250 kg. We had to build a makeshift ramp, but it worked well with two models holding the ramp's doors to the ground.
But the result is worth it, and the photos are different from what other photographers have produced. I developed the photos in both an urban exploration style (with enhanced contrast and colors) and a normal style.
And that's how you can see that some of the group members get along perfectly (in fact, all the Dutch-speaking members). The photo is overexposed because the motorcycle is in direct sunlight, and there was no sun when I focused (I always work in manual mode), but it captures the group's atmosphere well.
Photos 9 and 10 on the right: two fairly similar models (the second being noticeably more muscular) wearing roughly the same clothes that work well in this area: a bomber jacket, possibly a tank top, jeans, and a belt (this isn't the place for lace).
Unfortunately, baggy pants are back in style. They might work on a tall, muscular model, but on a shorter one, they look like a discarded garden gnome that's been put in a blue garbage bag.
Sunday, May 17: At Home
It's customary to stay at home (or nearby) on the last day. We have to empty the rooms, pack up the equipment, and try to fit everything in the car. We usually vacate the house between 4 and 6 pm, even though we could theoretically stay until Monday morning. The advantage of leaving Sunday evening is that there are fewer people on the roads. On Sunday at 7:30 pm, the Brussels ring road is practically empty, whereas it's jammed on Monday morning.One trend I've noticed, and which is already very visible in the United States, is the crop top: a t-shirt that's much too short and reveals the midriff. The midriff isn't visible in photo 11 on the right, but the trend is already quite prevalent. Let's just say it's less awful than baggy pants.
1: Swimming pool
2: Swimming pool
3: Spontin
4: Spontin
5: la Décapetie
6: la Décapetie
7: Spontin
There are more pictures of the bottling plant if you click on the image.
8: Spontin
9: Spontin
10: Spontin
11: At Villa Mosa
