Jan Waanders is an award-winning Dutch photographer, currently based in Chisinau, Moldova. In his daily life he is overseeing a large EIB project for the thermal refurbishment of ten of the largest hospitals in Moldova. From his student days he had an innate itch to travel and document the world around him through photography. Over the years, this passion grew stronger, collecting books on black and white photography and immersing himself in the works of renowned photographers. Despite his long-held passion, it wasn't until the Covid-19 pandemic that he finally had the time and space to pursue his long-cherished dream. In September 2020, he started taking courses at the Kiev School of Photography and he honed his skills through courses on composition, art photography and colour theory, which made him realise that there is so much more beyond B&W photography. He finds inspiration for his photography in shapes and forms that he finds during walks in nature and the city. By changing colours in post-processing to bright tones or pastel palette, he highlights the essence and magnificence of the subject(s) in his photos. His works stands out through deliberate compositions and thoughtful colour schemes, breathing harmony and warmth. Another recurring theme in his work is recording human emotions (joy and dreams) at places where people are free from daily stress and sorrows such as parks and the beach. Based on the subjects, and the story behind them, he chooses between rendering colour images, black and white photos laying bare pure emotions or using intentional camera movement to arrive at a dreamy and peaceful atmosphere. In 2024 and 2025, he won awards at the International Photography Awards (IPA), Prix de la Photography Paris (PX3), Budapest International Foto Awards (BIFA) and Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA). His works can be found in private and corporate collections in the Netherlands, Moldova and Ukraine.