Henk Stam's iPhone photo captures orange tableau in Rotterdam port toilets
Henk Stam, a Dutch photographer who dedicated his career to Canada before moving back to the Netherlands, has unveiled a captivating phone image taken at Portlantis, a visitor center that debuted in the Port of Rotterdam in spring 2025. The photograph, named 'Portlantis Orange', was captured using an iPhone 14 Pro Max and depicts a worker's legs extending from a toilet stall, with a toolbox beside him, set against an orange background. Stam, who received his first camera at the age of 11 and was initially doubtful about phone photography, took the shot after he and a friend discovered Portlantis closed on a Monday. They joined a group of teenagers arriving on a tour bus to gain access, where he noticed the worker and the unusual orange hue, reflective of the Netherlands' national color. Although he returned later with his camera, he found nothing that compared to that unique moment. The image is included in The Guardian's series on 'best phone pictures.'
Key facts
- Henk Stam is a Dutch photographer who returned to the Netherlands after retirement from Canada.
- The photograph 'Portlantis Orange' was taken in 2025 at Portlantis, a visitors' centre in the Port of Rotterdam.
- The image was shot on an iPhone 14 Pro Max.
- Stam received his first camera at age 11, sixty years ago.
- He was initially sceptical of phone photography.
- Stam visited Portlantis with a friend from his photo club on a Monday, but it was closed.
- They entered by joining a group of teenagers from a tour bus.
- The photo shows a worker's legs in a toilet cubicle with a toolbox, which Stam described as a 'minimalist tableau'.
- Stam found it odd that the toilets were orange, given the Netherlands' association with the colour.
- He returned to Portlantis months later but found nothing as unique as the moment.
- The photograph is featured in The Guardian's 'best phone picture' series.
Entities
Artists
- Henk Stam
Institutions
- The Guardian
- Portlantis
Locations
- Rotterdam
- Netherlands
- Canada
- Port of Rotterdam