Happy Xmas and a very good 2015!

This is our cat. She wishes you a happy Xmas and a very good 2015!

Rediscovery of Black and White.

Recently I changed some self portraits from color into black and white. And yes, they become stronger. Here is one example .

In a few days some more, so stay tuned.

Photograph made at Bakkum, The Netherlands, 02/09/2014 11.30 am.

Vanwege Fragmentarische Aard (139) Because of a Fragmentary Nature (139)

There are many beautiful and warm evenings at the Prater, that sometimes a bit surrealistic fancy fair in Vienna.

Vienna 9/8/14 9.43 pm

Vienna 10/8/14 9.00 pm

At night by the Seaside.

Being at night by the seaside is a magical experience. It is alienating, strange. It feels a bit like being on another planet.

A plane is flying over. It´s almost like an ufo. CastricumaanZee. 14/10/9. 9.50 pm

Full Moon Rising! CastricumaanZee 14/9/7 9.55 pm

Heavy Wind. A thunderstorm in the distance. CastricumaanZee 14/10/9 10.01 pm

Vanwege Fragmentarische Aard (138) Because of a Fragmentary Nature (138)

Last summer our family spent some wonderful days in Vienna. It was a surprisingly interesting city. Very vivid. One of the most interesting spots was the 'Prater' a large permanent fancy fair. Here was one of the key scenes in the film “The 3^rd Man”, a good old time classic. Especially at night the atmosphere was some kind of fairy tale.

Other key scenes of this film were situated in the sewers. But I did not go there.

Up: Vienna Prater. 14/8/9. 9.50 pm

Under: Vienna Prater. 14/8/10 9.37 pm

Two nominations!

Two nominations at the Black Spider Award! (http://www.thespiderawards.com/9thshow/) One in the category Portrait, one in the category Fine Art! Pretty proud about it, also because I just sent in two photographs, two self portraits.

Up: Self Portrait 245 Bakkum 13/09/17 12.37 am (Fine Art)

Under: Self Portrait 206 Diemen 13/01/17 3.53 pm (Portrait)

some more Self-Portraits?

Well, it’s quite a long time since I published something on this blog. After a very fine summer with some beautiful trips and some very inspiring workshops I gave at the Dutch foundation Buitenkunst (means something like Outside Art) (www.buitenkunst.nl ) it is time to leave something on the web. A few days ago my colleague Marco Bakker asked me, what do you call them, selfies or self-portraits. Self-portraits I promptly said, but now I am not so sure anymore.

They’re a kind of moments from a film of my life, a kind of still photographs. So I call them SELF STILLS!

Up: Uithoorn (NL) 14/09/28 5.25 pm

Under: Bakkum (NL) 14/09/28 1.25 am

Vanwege Fragmentarische Aard (137) Because of a Fragmentary Nature (137)

A shopping window is a favorite subject matter for me. I can play endlessly with reflections of street life, letter signs, poster in the window, clothes, mannequins and sometimes even real people put into just one single image, which has only existed on my camera sensor. The power of Photography!  Up: Amsterdam 14/06/12 4.50 pm  Under: Aachen 14/06/11 5.02 pm

Het land langs # 25 (Along the Country Side # 25)

 

 Up: Cycling around the country I saw this . Two years ago there was a huge fire at this spot. This tree was the only tree trunk that was left. This image was made on a day that planes flew over and left their white stripes in the blue. I love this photo because these phenomena leave a strange uncanny atmosphere. (Schoorlse Duinen 14/05/16 4.21 pm) 

 Under: Some miles further on north. Very strange arrow on the cycle lane. Also strange almost unreal atmosphere. (Schoorlse Duinen 14/06/20 4.42 pm)  

Selfies! (Zelfportretten 286, 287, 288_Self-portraits 286, 287, 288)

Up: Bakkum 14/5/24 10.05 am. Still half asleep.

Middle: Dronten 14/5/3 08.43 am. Waking up.

Under: Amsterdam 14/6/02 4.04 pm. Still Rocking!

I am a winner!

Travelling around in Germany on a photagraphic trip I recieved 
a message I was a winner in the Photographic Mastercup for 
this year. For Fashion!! And I was a nominee in Fine Art.
Of course I felt very proud. Go to:
www.photomasterscup.com/gallery/index.php?gaid=15

Vanwege Fragmentarische Aard (136) Because of a Fragmentary Nature (136)

Sometimes I’m sitting in a bus, being very glad that Canon made its s90 camera and that it is in my pocket.

Up: Amsterdam, 14/04/16 00.50 am

Under: Diemen, 14/02/15 1.57 pm

Vanwege Fragmentarische Aard (135) Because of a Fragmentary Nature (135)

Some new photographs about reflections, advertisements. It is great to see how in a 2D picture all those elements from reflected and directly perceived worlds combine into an often strange world, almost surreal. As you all may know, I just love that.

Up: Amsterdam 14/4/1 3.57 pm

Middle: Amsterdam 14/3/13 11.08 am

Under: Amsterdam 14/3/13 3.48 pm

Zomaar *14 (Just Like That *14)

UP: It just happened yesterday: the last rays of the sun were beautifully corresponding with the scene at the TV screen. Some images just take place.

Diemen, 14/3/25 6.56 pm

UNDER: This one I made some time ago. We still had a rather small TV those days.

Diemen 13/1/24 4.54 pm

Vanwege Fragmentarische Aard (134) Because of a Fragmentic Nature (134)

Last Sunday I revisited the carnival in Maastricht, in the deep South of Holland. As always I was struck by the somewhat surreal atmosphere. For former pictures of the carnival click at the word Carnaval in the labels underneath this message.

Up: Maastricht 14/3/2 2.02 pm

Middle: Maastricht 14/3/2 2.52 pm

Under: Maastricht 14/3/2 3.16 pm

Diemer Plek # 75 (Sites from Diemen NL # 75)

In my photographs of locations in my hometown Diemen something is slowly changing. When I started 7½ years ago, my main purpose was to capture the meaning & the purpose of the pictured spot. After that I gradually used a more topographic vision. Nowadays I’m looking for a mixture between those two approaches. To that combination I tend to add pictorial elements like the use of  and sometimes the emphasis on atmosphere and color. Or of course the lack of color and atmosphere at a certain spot.

Up: Tureluurweg 2006/09/29 5.29 pm

Under: De Omloop 2014/02/25 5.10 pm

Selfies! (Zelfportretten 269, 270, 271_Self-portraits 269, 270, 271)

There’s sometimes a misunderstanding about (my) self portraits. They’re paradoxes. At one hand they’re captures of  who’s really me, at the other and greater hand they’re photographs of a person who is playing a part in some kind of play. Of course I realize that there’s something of me in the photo, but it is not really me.  Every moon has a bright and a dark side.

These ones where made to investigate the effect of a colored eye in a dark monochrome face.

Up: Diemen 2014/2/17 10.25 am

Middle: Diemen 2014/2/18 10.12 am

Under: Diemen 2014/2/18 10.13 am