Willem Stroom (Amsterdam, 1954) started in the early 90's with black and white photography. He was trained at the former 'Fotowerkplaats De Moor' in Amsterdam (the Netherlands), nowadays called 'Amsterdams Centrum voor de Fotografie'.
Inspired by the work of the Dutch-, the American- and the French streetphotographers of the 20th Century, his main theme soon became clear: humans and human behaviour in everyday life in the street. Streetlife is visually interesting. Mostly these pictures report no unusual happenings, but routine acts of life, which often reveal humour, drama, coincidence and grace, as though the streets were a stage, and its people were all actors and actresses.
Many pictures contain poetical-, (tragi-) comical- or melancholy elements.
Several subthemes pass by, such as festivities, youth, lovers, work, fashion, beauty, decay, loneliness, old age and death.