An international
photography conference

April 1-2 2025

Antwerp - Belgium

By Fearless Photographers & Masters of Wedding Photography

Get inspired

We’ve selected amazing speakers from around the world to bring you nothing but the best. 

MEET FRIENDS

Make new and meet old photography friends in real life from all over the world. 

Take A Break

Take a break and get geared up for the new wedding season.

The Fearless Masters conference is about so much more than hearing and learning from the speakers. It’s the shared experience of being at such an amazing event with the world’s best wedding photographers. Chatting over dinner, going out for drinks with them. Just hanging out with them. I can call many of them friends. Even though we see some of them only once a year, there is an unbreakable bond between us all. We don’t stand around talking about photography techniques, we just enjoy sharing life together when we meet.

Paul Tansley - UK

I was a little hesitant to go to a conference where I wouldn't know anyone, all by myself. But everyone was so welcoming and kind, I had a really great time. On top of that, the talks were really interesting and inspiring, with great variety! You can probably imagine I don't want to miss any of those awesome conferences anymore!

Ingrid - The Netherlands

Tickets


Fearless Photographers & Masters of Wedding Photography,
two leading international wedding photography communities are collaborating to create an inspiring conference in Belgium.

Book your ticket below.

Regular Ticket

This ticket will give you access to all events organised by FMC on 31st of March, 1st of April & 2nd of April 2025

€249,- excl. VAT

Available until March 31st 2025 or until the maximum amount of tickets are sold

Masters of Wedding Photography is in charge of handling all ticket sales. For any inquiries regarding tickets, please feel free to contact us via email at info@de-masters.nl

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Speakers

Yves Schepers

Belgium

Jill Streefland

Netherlands

 

Victor Lax

Spain

 

Lea Torrieri

France

 

Patrick & Hollie Mateer

UK

 

ILVY Njiokiktjien

NL

Photojournalist / World Press Photo winner / Zilveren Camera / Canon Female Photography Grant / published by NY Times & National Geographic

Schedule

More to be announced soon

 

Monday March 31st

14:00

20:00

Photowalk Antwerp & Speeddate Portraits

Start @ Foto Grobet

Meetup & Drinks
@ Rubens Inn

Tuesday April 1st

   

Full day of presentations & events 

@ Theater Elckerlyc

Wednesday April 2nd

   

21:00

Full day of presentations & events 

@ Theater Elckerlyc

Closing Party
@ Grand Cafe Capital

FMC PRO TIP: 

On Monday we will host some extra events like a photo walk and a portrait speeddate. This will be the perfect opportunity to get to know new people as well as the city. 

Antwerp is a vibrant city with loads of photogenic spots, stunning museums and a lively night scene. Spend an extra day or two (or three or five) in Antwerp with your new or old friends to explore this great Belgian city full of life, art, architecture, great food & beers! 

Or head out to those other beautiful Belgian cities like Bruges, Ghent or Brussels. 
Read all our insider tips below!

Location

Antwerp, Belgium

FMC 2025 - Antwerp Belgium

Theater Elckerlyc

Hotel recommendations

(all within 5 min walking distance of the venue)

“Antwerp is Europe’s effortlessly cool design destination. Buzzing with entrepreneurial energy, Antwerp’s creative culture is cooler than ever. It’s one of the best places to go in Europe for 2024 and easily Belgium’s most underrated city. In fact, the diamond capital of the world is somewhat of an undiscovered gem, with plenty of cool and culture”
– CN Traveller

We recommend coming to Antwerp at least one full day before the conference, so you can explore the city and be in time for the Meetup on the the 31st of March, where you can meet and greet all other FMC attendees. 

It’s also a good idea to stay an extra night or 2, so you can enjoy the closing party on April 2nd, have another full day in Antwerp with your friends and look back at all the experiences you’ve had together. 

INSIDER TIPS

By Sanne De Block & Fille Roelants

© Stijn Willems

YOUR ANTWERP HOSTS

Hi! We’re Sanne and Fille. Both wedding photographers based in Antwerp. We are so excited FMC is coming to our hometown next year! We love to help organizing this event and we can’t wait to show you all the best places this city has to offer. 

We met each other in 2017 at the Fearless Conference in Budapest and have been work and party buddies ever since. We are part of the notorious Belgian Photographer group and have quite a reputation for ourselves. If you know, you know. And if you’re curious, come to the conference and see for yourself. We’re always happy to meet new people.

WHAT TO DO, WHERE TO GO

When traveling to Belgium, Antwerp is only a 30 minutes train ride away from Brussels Airport (Zaventem, NOT Charleroi). You can’t imagine a better arrival, as you will be greeted by one of the most beautiful train stations in the world. 

From there on, you can choose different ways to discover our Belgian culture. There’s trams and busses connecting to every corner of the city. Download the app from De Lijn to easily find your best route and to get the best prices (Buy a 10 ride ticket in the app and you will only pay 1,7€/ride of 1 hour). 

The best way to show yourself around is by bike. Antwerp has a very useful bike rental system called Velo. You can take a bike at over 300 locations spread all over the city. Best part is: it will only cost you 12€ for a whole week. It’s the best way to feel like a true local! 

My favourite way to explore new places is by just walking. It slows you down and gives you lots of opportunities to discover hidden gems. Our city is very walkable, but keep in mind that the old historic center has quite a few place with cobble stones, so high heels might not be your best choice. 

Other options are, like in many other cities: Taxis and Ubers (but they are expensive, and going by car often takes longer than taking a bike) and of course sharing steps. You can find them scattered around town. 

If you’re coming by car, please be aware that Antwerp is a low emission zone and that parking in the center can be expensive. There’s Park and Ride parkings at the edge of the city with public transport going from each one of them straight to the city center. For more information check Slim naar Antwerpen.

Brown bars are different from normal bars. They are called that way ( bruin café in Dutch) because of their dark wood filled interiors. They are part of Belgian culture and every small town here has their own “Bruin Cafe”, with their local loyal customers hanging on a high chair at the bar.
These small bars are not for dancing, but more so for talking and drunk, philosophical conversations until late at night.
The smell of scaled beer as you enter one is a good indicator of the big selection of draft beers they normally serve.

Here’s some of my favourite brown bars:

De Duifkens: located right behind the stunning Bourla theatre, this is the place where you’re more likely to spot famous Belgian actors and artists (although you probably wouldn’t recognise them).

Paters Vaetje: nestled right next to the Cathedral, you’ll find this tiny but cosy bar. They have a small upstairs area which makes you feel extra special if you can find a spot there.

Witzli-Poetzli: if you can’t find a spot to sit at Paters Vaetje, you can try your luck 20 meters down the same road at Witzli Poetzli. Same same, but different. When the weather is good, they have a small terrace in the shadows of the cathedral.

Den Engel: Right next to our city hall you’ll find this monument of a bar in a building dating back to the Middle ages (If you visit the KMSKA, you can find this building in paintings!)

Den Boer van Tienen: Right in the middle of the Mechelse Plein, you’ll find this bar with it’s small interior but very large exterior. Perfect to get some vitamine D if the sun decides to join us. Another cozy brown bar called De Pallieter, is right across the square. 
 

When you say Belgium, you say fries. The best fries. It’s not just food. It’s culture. If you want to feel like a true Belgian, you go to a Frituur on Friday or Sunday evening, when you don’t feel like cooking. Or after a heavy night out as a midnight snack. Stepping into a Frituur for the first time, you might feel overwhelmed by all the choices in snacks. So to help you out: Watch this Video from one of our Local Influencers: Average Rob.

Sannes go to choice is a mini portion of fries with sweet, Dutch Mayonnaise and a (veggie) viandel special with tomato ketchup or veggie bitterballen.

Filles favourite is  a Bicky burger with a normal portion of fries special and also bitterballen. 

Best places to find fries are: 

Frituur De Petaat: Closest Frituur to the conference venue, this place is located right on the Theaterplein. Great fries, great location, lots of vegetarian options. Keep in mind they only have an outdoor seating area.

Frituur Dageraad: Further from the historic city center, but located on the very cosy Dageraadplaats in the middle of Zurenborg. This is Sannes go to frituur. You can take your fries to go and order a drink at one of the bars and eat them on their terrace. 

Frituur No.1: Maybe not the best fries, but definitely the most famous frituur. Mostly aimed at tourists or hungry people looking for food after midnight. Open every day until 3AM.

Chips: Not only does this places have great fries, they also serve lots of veggie and vegan options. 

Arré Patat: Right in front of the Sint-Anna pedestrian tunnel, you’ll find this frituur that also has lots of veggie en vegan options. You can’t miss it as the facade of the building has an amazing mushroom mural made by local artist Charlotte De Cock.

Coming soon

Coming soon

Coming soon

KMSKA: This one is the first on our list as it’s an absolute must visit museum. Both Fille and I are one of the main photographers for this Royal museum, so chances are, your might have already seen some of it if you follow us on Instagram. It’s one of the only museums that are open on Monday. The collection consists of artworks from the 15th century, all the way to the 21st. The building itself also combines classic with modern architecture. 

FOMU: We’re all photographers, so a visit to a Photo Museum is always a good idea. Located just a walk away from the KMSKA and MUHKA, it’s easy to combine it with a visit to one of the other museums. 

MUHKA: Located close to the KSMKA and the FOMU, this museum for modern art focusses on exactly that. They have in their collection works from Belgian artists like  Panamarenko, Luc Tuymans and Berlinde Debruyckere as well as works from more internationally known artists like Bruce Nauman, Anish Kapoor and Marlene Dumas.

Middelheim: Located out of the city center, but only a little bike ride away, you can visit this park filled with sculptures for free! If you’re looking for a place to play around with your camera, I would definitely recommend going here as it has some great artworks that can be the backdrop for a photo shoot. 

Coming soon

Coming soon

Sponsors

Partners

Are you interested in joining FMC Antwerp, grow your brand recognition and create a relationship with hundreds of professional wedding- and family photographers? 

Please contact us

Photo Grobet is a retail store focussed on the Belgian market located in the city centre of Antwerp. So if you’re in need of some gear, this is the place to be during your stay in Antwerp. 

What to expect

Fearless Photographers & the Masters of Wedding Photography have been organising conferences for their world wide wedding photography communities for many years. Since 2023 they joined forces to create one bigger better conference to give you nothing but the best. 

You can check out the videos below to get an idea of the great vibe and high energy among our attendees. From the meetup the day before the conference to the party on the last night, we want to get you connected with your collegues and have a great time together. Oh, yeah, and also get an amazing amount of new inspiration for the upcoming wedding season by starring only the best speakers available.

Slideshow by Stijn Willems

Slideshow by Stijn Willems

around 300 attendees @ FMC Utrecht, the Netherlands in 2023
Always a BIG closing party @ FMC

FAQ

Yes! FMC is open for all photographers looking for inspiration and contact with other likeminded photographers

Absolutely! Awards are not the most important thing in this world. FMC is for everybody who want to grow in the photography and personal development. 

Yes! The content at FMC is for all photographers. The sooner you start learning the faster you grow. 

No, many FMC attendees are also working as portrait-, documentary- or family photographers. The presentations will be valuable for all kinds of photographers. 

At FMC we like to stimulate growth as a human being, a photographer and as a business owner. The presentations at FMC will be mix of these topics. What we don’t talk about is how your camera works. 

Don’t worry, this community is very welcoming and open to all. The evening before the conference we organise a meetup with drinks, where you can get to know some other attendees. During breaks, lunch,  dinner and evening drinks it’s easy to hook up with others. 

No. But you’re allowed to bring in your own bottle of water during the presentations. Every day we have a long lunch break for you to go out and get some fresh food in Antwerp city centre with a group of new or old friends. 

Kids are allowed to join you when they are 15-21 years old and interested in photography. Please contact us to get 50% discount for your kid. Pets are not allowed. 

Organised by

Fearless Photographers is an international wedding photography community and contest with members from all over the world since 2010. They work hard to showcase and celebrate the amazing wedding photography of their members. For many wedding photographers, winning a Fearless Award is the highest recognition they can receive.

Masters of Wedding Photography originated in the Netherlands as a contest in 2014 and grew into a platform for passionate and ambitious wedding photographers to learn, grow, and connect with other photographers in the community. The Masters has branches operating locally in the Benelux, Germany, Italy, the UK, and North America.

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