Every city has its own unique vibe. This is never more visible than during the Pride in Antwerp. The streets fill with color, music, and people celebrating love and diversity. As a street photographer, I find it one of my favorite times of the year to roam the streets of my hometown.
The Pride in Antwerp is loud, busy, and vibrant. It is the perfect playground for street photography. But it also comes with its own set of challenges. Finding a clean background or isolating a subject in the middle of a massive parade takes patience and observation.
I decided to make this article a living blog post. Every year when the Pride happens, I will add my new street photos and experiences here. An update means I added to the text and uploaded new photos, rather than changing the previous ones. You will find the updates sorted by date in the subheadings below.
Enjoy my timeline of street photos from the Pride in Antwerp.
August 2025
Last year was a real growth year for my photography. I took my Nikon Z7II and a single lens to keep things light. Navigating the crowds during the parade on the Kaaien was intense but very rewarding.
I looked for small and intimate moments right in the middle of the large crowds. People waving flags, the colorful outfits, and the sharp contrast with the classic Antwerp architecture made for some great frames. I tried to focus more on the spectators this time instead of just the parade itself. The pure joy on their faces tells the real story of the Pride.
Working with a smaller and quieter camera really helped me feel more comfortable photographing people in such a busy public space.
August 2024
This was the first year I actively set out to document Pride. I remember the weather being incredibly bright. This created some harsh shadows and challenging lighting situations. I had to play around with my exposure to get the right look and feel for the images.
I spent a lot of time near the Sint-Jansvliet and the entrance of the pedestrian tunnel. The mix of people resting in the shade and others dancing in the sun gave me a lot of variety to work with. Going into smaller streets (like the Kloosterstraat) where people were getting ready for the parade also allowed me to capture a different side of the event.
It was a productive and informative photo walk that sparked the idea of making it an annual tradition.
My approach to photographing the Pride
Documenting a large public event like this requires a specific mindset. I try not to get overwhelmed by everything happening at once. Instead of trying to capture the whole parade in a single frame, I look for smaller scenes.
A quick smile, an interesting outfit catching the light, or a quiet moment just a few streets away from the main route are the things I look for. Using different lenses and challenging myself helps me to keep exploring my hometown.
Stay tuned for the next update. I plan to head out again for the upcoming Pride in Antwerp to add more street photos to this collection. Let me know in the comments which photo is your favorite.