Nightlife / when everybody sleeps

Some weeks ago I shot a small series of landscape photographs themed “Nightlife / when everybody sleeps”, while it was cold in the Netherlands, water was frozen. To emphasize the emptiness I shot the landscape series day for night, without any light sources and people in the frame. Day for night means you shoot during … Continue reading “Nightlife / when everybody sleeps”

Sleeklens landscape adventure

After the Sleeklens people brought to my attention their landscape adventure actions for Photoshop I decided to take some older landscape photographs out for a spin. Mostly my photographs are realistic and lifelike (aka dull) ie not attracting many views on the internet about which I have been known to lament once in a while. … Continue reading “Sleeklens landscape adventure”

Fotoacademie second year period 1 exam

Last thursday my class and I had our exam of period 1 in our second year. For me it was a big flashback to period 1 of year 1 at the Fotoacademie… Right down to the tl;dr;… tl;dr;: I passed with no extra tasks. Feedback for me remains largely the same. Pointers to take away … Continue reading “Fotoacademie second year period 1 exam”

Pentax 645D tethered shooting

Shooting with the camera connected to the computer is called tethered shooting. It is especially handy when shooting still life photography. You can control the camera from your computer and the images are saved to said computer immediately. Saves you the trouble of moving a physical object (the memory card) back and forth. It usually … Continue reading “Pentax 645D tethered shooting”

Maybe I am a landscape photographer

Recently photographer Eli Dijkers contacted me with some questions about the Pentax 645D I own. Naturally I invited him to dinner to talk photography and art. Eli Dijkers graduated from the Fotoacademie in 2012, he is now making some beautiful work and exhibiting too. During our conversation he mentioned that my landscape photographs looked a … Continue reading “Maybe I am a landscape photographer”

Beach portraits Rineke Dijkstra

One of the assignments in the second year of the Fotoacademie is to shoot a beach portrait like Rineke Dijkstra. Rineke has become famous with her beach portraits of adolescents. She uses a simple lighting scheme where she underexposes ambient light by about one stop and uses flashlight to expose the model correctly. After trying … Continue reading “Beach portraits Rineke Dijkstra”

Two beautiful women

I photographed these two beautiful women end of last year. Photographer Marieta Landkroon with a Mamiya RB67 on slidefilm while shooting with her in Amsterdam. Anne Beeftink as part of a larger shoot in her apartment with my Pentax 645D. Sophie van Bijleveld did make up and hair there, thanks! While portraits are at least … Continue reading “Two beautiful women”

My best photograph of 2016

Until now this year has been a bit disappointing photography-wise. I feel I gradually went off-track. Of course Nicolien and I got married and bought a house this spring which we only now finished fixing up but I don’t want to use any pretexts. I think I put too much effort in photographing how it … Continue reading “My best photograph of 2016”

I hate Rembrandt

I do not hate Rembrandt as a person or an artist but I am starting to seriously dislike this “Dutch painter from the golden age”-lighting in photography nowadays. I think it is a cheap trick. Even though it is beneficial for an artist to imitate things from the past as precisely as possible, because we … Continue reading “I hate Rembrandt”

Street portraits with large format camera

A couple of days ago photographers Tessa Beurskens, Marieta Landkroon and me were at the Vondelpark in Amsterdam shooting street portraits with a large format camera. The portraits are inspired by Avedon. We fixed a sheet with gaffer tape to a secluded wall so as to have a white background. We took turns scouting subjects, … Continue reading “Street portraits with large format camera”