by Editor Jane Lyons
Published the 24th of July 2026

It has been nearly 20 years since Ralf Stelander and Jacob Jovelou created 1x — a remarkable home for a thriving community of photographers. Their aesthetics, vision, technical expertise, and commitment to a uniquely curated fine art photography site provided the foundation for international photographers not only to create, but to grow and flourish.

When Yvette Depaepe joined 1x in 2013, the community already had a special spirit, Yvette gave it a soul.
Since then, her contribution has been immeasurable. Beyond being a gifted photographer in her own right, she has been a constant source of encouragement, kindness, and enthusiasm for both longtime members and newcomers alike. 

Yvette's warmth and unwavering support helped transform 1x into more than a photography site—it became a true community: welcoming, supportive, and filled with opportunities for members to learn, grow, thrive and complain about the curation process. 

As if that were not enough, Yvette launched 1x Magazine, which was recently recognized among the top three photography magazines/ blogs by Detailed. Under her leadership, the magazine has consistently produced creative, high-quality content that has earned the respect of editors and photographers far beyond the 1x community.

 Yvette is a gift, and 1x is fortunate to have her. 

“Once Upon a Time”

As we all know, art is subjective.

If ten people were asked to select their twenty favourite photographs from Yvette's extensive portfolio, the results would undoubtedly be very different. This edit is not meant to be definitive. It is simply a reading of Yvette's body of work through one set of eyes.

"My photography is purely emotional. I want to give my photos a soul. I want to capture the emotions I felt when I took the photo and show them in the processed image. Every photo is a reflection of my soul.”  ~Yvette Depaepe~

A scroll through Yvette’s impressive portfolio might lead you to conclude that she has never witnessed a sunny day—not in her beloved Belgium, nor during her extensive travels abroad. Clouds in fifty shades of gray, lightning strikes, wind, rain, and turbulent skies are the elements she embraces to create landscapes of extraordinary power and emotion.

The irony is that Yvette herself radiates warmth and sunshine. Yet her photographic eye is irresistibly drawn to drama—to the vitality, mystery, and raw beauty that exist before and after a storm. She captures these fleeting moments with exquisite painterly sensitivity, transforming them into images that are both haunting and unforgettable. Her photographs linger in the mind long after they have been viewed.

The sea and beaches of the Belgian coast, where she was born, raised, and still lives today, are her greatest source of inspiration. This is not the beach of postcards and tourist brochures. There is no bright sunshine, no crowded boardwalks, no familiar seaside clichés. Yvette’s coast is wild, windswept, and solitary. It is a landscape defined by mood and atmosphere. The only suggestion of human presence comes from the iconic beach cabins that appear throughout her work, serving as cinematic punctuation marks that heighten the drama and narrative quality of her images.

As Yvette herself explains: "My photography is purely emotional. I want to give my photos a soul.
This statement provides the key to understanding her work. Her photographs are not simply records of place and weather; they are deeply personal expressions of feeling, memory, and imagination.

Equally important is another side of Yvette’s artistic world: the devoted mother and grandmother whose affection for children and animals is evident in both her life and her photographs. If her stormy landscapes reveal nature’s dramatic power, her images of children reveal tenderness, wonder, and joy. Often photographed by the sea, these dreamlike scenes possess great charm, elegance, and emotional resonance. Together, these two bodies of work—one tempestuous and atmospheric, the other gentle and lyrical—create a portrait of an artist whose vision is as profound as it is deeply human.

More about Yvette Depaepe in the 1x interview here. 

THE EARTH

“Chaos in the Sky of Bruges

“Coffee blues, morning blues”

“Normandy in Black Tide”

“Dawn Rose from the Desert”

“Whispers of the Horizon”

“There Are Blessings in the Storm”

“The Sky’s Great Reach”

“The Art of Frozen Time”

“ The Eye of the Sky”

“The loneliness of dusk"

EARTH MOTHER

“Bursting With Youthful Energy”

“Siblings on the Road”

“I’m Just a Sad Little Girl in a Big World”

“The Rainbow of Childhood”

“Gazing to the Future”

"Soft is the heart of a child ..."

“Dance is the Language of the Soul”

THE SUN

"Celestial Melody to Earth"