Abe Raats (1998) grew up in Heemskerk, the Netherlands. Like most boys, he still claims he could’ve gone pro in football if it hadn’t been for an injury.

From a young age, Abe learned to observe, partly out of curiosity, partly because life asked him to. That habit never really left. Watching, noticing, understanding people before they spoke became second nature, and eventually a way of making sense of things through photography.

He first studied Game Design & Development but dropped out after one week, realising he was more interested in observing life than designing it. He later studied photography in Amsterdam, a mistake that still taught him something: that creativity works best without rules, grades, or permission, and that in creative fields, a diploma is often the most useless part of the process.

Since then, Abe has worked across many places, from Lebanon to Iceland, from quiet Dutch towns to mountain villages in Vietnam. Along the way, he has collaborated with brands like Interrail, TOMS, and Panasonic, and his work has been published internationally, including a cover-page feature in Télérama magazine, with over 800,000 physical copies distributed across France.

Today, his focus has shifted toward NGO and journalistic work. His photographs revolve around people: connection, truth, and the shared moments that make us feel a little less alone. He tries to leave people a little happier than he found them.

Beyond documenting, his goal is to inspire, to remind people that life is short and that creativity and curiosity are worth following. Whether through photography or something else entirely, he believes in making, sharing, discovering and not waiting for permission to start.

Available for editorial and documentary work — anywhere.