BY ANNA-LUISA BALLAUF
Portrait & Lifestyle photographer with the mission to make you or your business stand out
Amsterdam | London | Paris | Munich
I just founded something new! With the greatest team one can only imagine.
Edition 1: We are Amsterdam
How it started
We Are Amsterdam began quietly during the pandemic. I walked through the empty streets with my camera, asking strangers one simple question before taking their portrait:
“What do you feel when I say ‘Amsterdam’?”
I shared their faces and words online, and something unexpected happened—people started to connect. In a moment of isolation, the project became a way to bring the city back together, one story at a time.
Years later, I met Renée. Together we built a team and gave the project new life. What started as street portraits has grown into a living installation: a reimagined Bed-In for Peace, where guests, icons, and everyday Amsterdammers lie down, are seen, and become part of a collective portrait of the city.
And this is just the beginning. The idea—capturing the legacy and energy of a city through its people—will travel the world. From Amsterdam to London, Paris, and beyond:
We Are __.
What it is now
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The Bed-In Studio − A full-scale bed installation becomes a photography set. Participants are photographed in an intimate, cinematic frame—soft, honest, unmistakably human.
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Art in the City − The portraits surface across Amsterdam as a city-wide installation—select large-format prints, pop-ups, window takeovers, and partner venues.
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A Moving Series − From Amsterdam to other cities, We Are ___ travels—documenting the heartbeat of each place through its people.
Activations
Amsterdam’s soul isn’t the canals—it’s the people. This installation creates space for presence, peace, and belonging, turning a simple portrait into public art and shared memory.
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Aug 29 − Sep 1 − Preview installation and live portraits at Staal Kade.
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Aug 31 − Fashion Week kickoff activation.
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Sep 11 − Bed-In portrait with VIP (still a secret - psst)
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Oct 14 − 20 − Pop-up store and portrait experience on Prinsengracht.
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Oct further activation with the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus and several artists, singers and local brands
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Nov - the installation travels on panels through the city
(Further dates and venues will be added as the installation travels. Stay updated at www.weare.events)
Get in bed with us
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Book a Portrait − Reserve your slot to be photographed in the Bed-In studio.
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Partner with Us − Host the bed, sponsor a portrait series, or co-create a city moment.
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Press & Media − Request the press kit, images, and on-site access.
Concept & Photography − Anna-Luisa Ballauf
Production − We Are Events
