Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Olga van Borren and I am a fourth year student Arts & Culture at the University of Maastricht. In my spare time, I enjoy taking photographs. I do not limit myself to photographing one particular subject, but rather try my hand at a variety of subjects. I started out by doing Urban Exploring; which is the act of entering all that is abandoned, whether these are houses, factories or even military grounds. Naturally, on these trips I document everything that I encounter and get to see by taking photographs.

The one brand that assures me to get the job done, is Nikon. I have always had Nikon camera’s, last year a D5100 and now a D5300. To be completely honest, I have never considered purchasing a different brand, probably due to the fact that my sister and my father own Nikon camera’s. It is not that I regard other brands, such as Canon or Sony, to be any less ‘qualitative’, it is just that I have grown accustomed to Nikon and its products. Whenever I go ‘shopping’ for a new lens or body, I cannot but help to direct my attention only towards Nikon products. Thinking about it makes it sound quite ridiculous; why no try a different brand? Maybe it will surprise me, but I cannot suppress the feeling that it would feel like ‘betrayal’, not only towards Nikon but also towards my sister and my father. Maybe they are the defining factors when it comes down to my purchasing habits.

Several years ago, my sister was very active with photography, up to the point where she even owned her very own photo studio. She was convinced to purchase a Nikon camera, not only due to the promising reviews she had read, but also because others had recommended it to her. Naturally, it did not take long before she had sparked my interest for photography, and thereby convinced me to get a Nikon camera. Frankly, I believe that if people had told my sister about the wonders of Canon or Sony camera’s, I would most likely own a Canon or a Sony right now.

I believe that purchasing habits and therefore the emotional commitment towards a certain brand are determined by our social contacts and previous experiences. For instance, if the majority of your friends have an iPhone, the likeliness that you will purchase an iPhone has definitely increased. It is the inner voice that tells you; if almost all of your friends own an iPhone, that must mean that the product is trustworthy, right? This recurring purchasing behaviour is something that has sparked my interest and I would like to learn more about it; not only to gain a better understanding of why it is so hard to break this habit, but also to see how marketeers and advertisements play a part in it.