I'm Yvette Jacobs, a Dutch photographer, visual storyteller, and educator. For more than fifteen years I've made solo journeys, small trips at first, and more recently a long-term bicycle adventure across Asia, all with my (analogue) camera in hand. I wander, I observe, and I look for quiet intersections where the living world around me merges with my own presence. As a visual storyteller, I use images to share the stories and connections I encounter along the way.

Growing up in a small farming village, surrounded by fields and forests, I discovered early how a tree's bark, the rustle of leaves, the tiny movements of a snail, or lying on my back beneath a tree, could draw me into a state of connection. That sense of wonder has stayed with me, and though art was not part of my environment, I felt a deep urge to explore creativity. At 18, I went to art school, giving myself the space to create and discover freedom within myself, an ongoing journey. Later, I also pursued education studies, which shaped my passion for nurturing creativity and curiosity in children.

My camera is a tool for being present: a way to see that we are not separate from nature, but part of it. I photograph not to capture from afar, but to participate, to join in.

Recently, I undertook a long-term solo bicycle journey across Asia, venturing into the unknown, wild-camping, and engaging with new landscapes and people. I cycled through Nepal, India, Pakistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. That journey is still unfolding in my mind and work, as I process all the lessons learned on this wild adventure. It inspires me to continue exploring raw, unknown places in the near future, traveling overland.

Alongside photography, I am deeply passionate about education. My years as a teacher at a Waldorf school taught me the importance of creativity, play, and nurturing children’s capacities. Though I experienced burnout within the traditional school system, my drive to engage with and inspire children remains strong. I continue to explore how my work as a photographer and traveler can intersect with education in meaningful ways.

My book Encount, Merge, published in 2024, reflects my first fifteen years as a photographer. It is a synthesis of my way of seeing and connecting with the world through analogue photography.