Alumnus Marit Brun makes travel guides with a nod to anthropology
Anthropologist Marit Brun captured Leiden’s student life during her studies, which won her the ‘Best Leiden photo’ competition. She now wants to continue with photography and making travel guides with a nod to anthropology.
What is the story behind your winning photos? (See photos below)
‘The brief was to create a photo triptych of Leiden student life. In the first photo you can see familiar buildings, taken from the Burcht, with a group of students sitting down below. Because whether they are at home, their faculty or an association, students regularly get together to eat or socialise in their free time. The second photo is of a bridge with the Leiden keys, which is also a symbolic bridge between the other two photos. I took the third photo by Leiden Law School, when lots of students were leaving the building and others cycling past. This photo represents active academic life. My goal was to show a balance between academic and social life, with the bridge symbolising the link between these two worlds.’ (See below for more information about the competition.)
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The first photo, from the Burcht with students on a rooftop terrace in the bottom right. Click the magnifying glass to see the full pictures. -
The second photo is of a bridge with the Leiden keys, which is also a symbolic bridge between the other two photos. -
The third photo, by Leiden Law School.
You studied Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology. Do you also view student life through an anthropological lens?
‘Not consciously but I do notice some aspects. Lots of international students study anthropology and that appealed to me. In lectures I heard stories from people’s own perspectives, which made it really fascinating. But Dutch and international students do not really meet at student associations. I can’t think of any international members of my own association, SSR, and the same is true for others.
‘As an anthropologist, I now notice things I may not have noticed before. I recently heard a conversation about someone who referred to the Dutch as “normal people”. Then I immediately want to ask: What is normal? In anthropology you learn that your perspectives are not necessarily “normal” and that what you don’t know isn’t “strange” – it’s just different from what you’re used to. The slogan during my studies was: Make the strange familiar and the familiar strange.’
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Marit Brun with her camera working at a student festival. Photo: Remco den Arend -
Working in Taiwan for her travel guide.
What was your specialisation?
‘Visual Anthropology, a course where we learned that there is no such thing as objectivity in visual imagery. Everything influences the reality you present to others: from how you hold your camera – on a tripod or in your hand – to what you zoom in on and what you do or don’t include in the image. It was fascinating to think about this. I also got the chance to put this into practice and develop new skills, such as filming and editing for a mini-documentary.’
You’ve just completed your bachelor’s degree. What work are you doing now?
‘Lots of different things. I’m currently working at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences for POPcorner, a service focusing on student well-being and study skills. I help organise creative workshops where Dutch and international students get to know each other and relax at the same time.
I’m also working on a project with my sister: Fieldnotes Immersive Travel Guides. We’re making guides for special places, like Taiwan where we are at the moment. You can follow us on Instagram. Our name is also a nod to anthropology because the programme focuses a lot on fieldwork. Our emphasis is on immersive travel: immersing yourself in the place you travel to. We do so with text, photos, videos, sound and an interactive map. I also do a bit of freelance photography.’
Do you have plans for the more distant future?
‘I first want to see how our travel guide project develops. Otherwise, I’m not sure if I want to focus completely on photography and the genre of documentaries within that. Working in the anthropological sector would also be interesting, at an NGO or a municipality, where I could work on social projects.’
There is another media competition for students (research universities, universities of applied sciences and senior secondary vocational education and training), this year with the theme ‘Through a Leiden lens’. To enter, send an email by 31 March 2025 to promotiecommissie@pkvv.nl with:
- Your name and degree programme
- Your own photo and/or video through a Leiden lens.
The jury will select finalists and give them a special assignment. The winners will receive 250 euros.