This project developed from my own experiences of emigrating to Aruba from the Netherlands in my early thirties.

I fell in love with the island and its beautiful secrets found in nature and in places many people are not aware of their existence. I started photographing Aruba in my own way and later on created colorsofaruba.com in order for other people to see all of Aruba’s beauty too. This formed the foundation of 30+ARUBA.

Aruba itself has a special connection to the Netherlands and so do many people on this island. I want to celebrate the connection between Aruban and Dutch people since many people forget that it is even there. I asked six ordinary individuals to model for me and to write their story.

I chose the most beautiful places that I found as the setting for this project and photographed the individuals in them in an unique and dreamy way. All of the individuals in these photographs are in their thirties and have a different story to tell about their connection with Aruba and the Netherlands.

Enjoy these unique photos and stories.

Laura Wagenaars.

For more information: lauradesign.nl, colorsofaruba.com