Photographer Luuk Van Raamsdonk is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this documentary photography. From the project ‘What once was’. To see Luuk’s body of work, click on any photograph.

The Ardennes region is a time capsule. Ever since the major industry moved to the bigger cities , this region has fallen into a state of impermanence. The inhabitants that remain often rely on the land and the few riches it offers. Hunting, mining and the lumber industry are still the main sources of income.

“What once was’’ is an ongoing documentation of my encounters in this region. An attempt to visually capture the often mythological feeling that lurks in its back roads.

It’s a meditation on the passing of time and humans in relation to their environment. Life and death are irrevocably present, sketching a melancholic but realistic picture of a region that once was thriving.In the same breath it displays the many faces that despite the odds being stacked against them , chose to stay loyal and faithful to the forest and hills that surround them.

Luuk van Raamsdonk is a multidisciplinary artist located in Turnhout Belgium. He is currently in his graduation year studying Film/Photography & The Digital at St Joost School of Arts in Breda. He is also part of COHEISA, a multidisciplinary artist collective located in Breda.

''In my work I strive to reveal and understand the mystery of the world that surrounds me. As I am constantly faced with my need to investigate , question and deconstruct. I work with recurring themes of (family) history, trauma and nature.

My work often finds itself realized in various spatial installation works where images, objects and text merge into one. My main focus is and always will be telling stories, conveying emotion and reflecting atmosphere.''

''Even though most of my practice consists strictly out of photography, I expand my horizons far beyond the camera. ‘'

All images and text © Luuk Van Raamsdonk