Happy New Year!

From a misty 2016 a radiant 2017 for you all!

Follow The Icon -2

As long as I know his work, I've always been fascinated by the way Lee Friedlander in his street scenes uses a kind of personal signature by also photographing his own shadow or reflection, usually without this being the main subject in the photo. Thereby breaking the taboo one shouldn’t making his shadow of reflection making visible in the photograph.

That freedom to use my own shadow and reflection as a kind of surreal game to play with the observed reality and then capture and fix it with the photo camera, that freedom I have more or less stolen from him. In the images I sometimes make with my own shadow and / or reflection, I am indebted to him. I do not mind. In the exhibition "SELFIES / SELF-PORTRAITS. Wtf! © Jaap Bijsterbosch", which can be seen in February 1017 in Gallery WM I'm going to show a small selection of such images.

Up: Oostende (Bel), 16/8/2016 2.52 pm. Middle: Cork (Ire), 4/9/2016, 11.12 am. Under Galway (Ire), 15/9/2016, 6.16 pm.

ART OF THE DAY!

Today the upper self-portrait is “Kunst van de Dag” (Art of the Day) at the Dutch Site Galeries Aktueel (http://www.galeries.nl/nbr2.asp). I’m pretty proud. Come to the opening of my exhibition at februari 11, 5.00 pm! ((http://gallerywm.com/WP/jaap-bijsterbosch/)

Up: Diemen NL, 16/11/01 3.46 pm. Middle Bakkum NL, 16/04/21 4.39 pm. Under: Diemen NL, 16/12/05,10.09 am.

Self-Portrait 467

Sometimes I feel myself like two People….. 

Btw did you put into your diary February 11^th 2017, the opening of my exhibition of self-portraits at the gallery WM in Amsterdam? ( http://gallerywm.com/WP/jaap-bijsterbosch/) 

Follow the Icon 1 Henri Cartier Bresson

In many photographs I make I trace an influence of a picture I once saw. I am aware of that, sometimes during the moment I shoot the photograph, sometimes afterwards.  Sometimes the Icon Photo will be a very famous one, sometimes a rather anonymous snapshot.

So my plan is to post from time to time a photo made by me, accompanied by a description in words of the Icon Photo and the name of the photographer.

The idea behind Follow the Icon is that, although as  a photographer I developed a reasonable signature and style of my own, I often am influenced by other examples. I do not mind at all; I think this a very interesting phenome.

Today: Follow the Icon 1-Because of Henri Cartier Bresson.

A man is anonymously cycling through a street. At the right moment, the cyclist perfectly placed into the composition, the photographer pushes the button. A somewhat longer exposure time whereby the speed of the cyclist becomes tangible. (My picture I made this year in Cork, the photo of CB was somewhere in the back of my mind)

Honorable Mention!

This photograph, “Self-portrait 427” had an honorable mention at the “Black Spider Awards”. I feel honored & proud.

Another reason to attend the opening of my exhibition “Selfies/Self-portraits. WTF! © Jaap Bijsterbosch” at Gallery WM at Amsterdam (http://gallerywm.com/WP/).

Winter Time!

Winter Time! I hate it!

More about "Seaward at Night".

Still famous in Castricum The Netherlands! Next Saturday I am invited to be a guest in a talk show at the local TV station because of “Seaward at Night” at the gallery Streetscape in Castricum.  7 Dorpstreet, go and see the expo, it’s really worth while they say. Until November 13^th.  Photo up: Castricum on Sea, 16/9/22, 9.16 pm. Photo under: Castricum on Sea, 14/9/07, 21.57 pm. To see the pictures enlarge them, close the curtains, switch off the lights and just only the light of your monitor to watch.

Selfportraits/Selfies WTF.

The upper photo I made because couldn’t find my comb after the morning shower. So I looked into another toilet bag to look for a comb. There was a small mirror in that bag, which reflected the sunrays straight into my eye. The rest is history. The photo underneath, well think a story for yourself. Up Bakkum (NL), 2016/10/8, 10.37 am, Under Bakkum (NL), 2016/7/25 8.19 am.

New Exhibition!

Seaward at Night. Castricum on the Sea.

There’s something strange about spots in the night. Everything that looks normal in daylight often becomes frightening, mysterious or magical in the dark.

Essentially the night is just a big black box in which all kinds of things exist. Things which are natural as well as things which are man made. Sometimes these things become visible, mostly by artificial light. A feeling of disorientation arises. One knows there’s something out there, but it stays invisible. What’s waiting in the dark? In my pictures this atmosphere is captured. There’s also a distance from everyday life, calmness and concentration; moods which are often to be felt at night.

The secret of the night is revealed from the parking lot onto the beach!

Gallery Seascape. 7 Dorpstraat Castricum Holland. Open Thursday-Sunday 2.00-5.30 pm.

Exhibition runs from october 16th untill november 11th 2016.                                                                               

Two more Selfportraits.

From february 11th 2016 I’ll exhibit a lot more selfportraits at the Gallery WM in Amsterdam (NL)! More to follow. Photo up: Bakkum (NL), 16/08/16, 12.43 am. Photo under: Dingle Bay (IRL), 16/08/30, 1,28 pm.

Nightbus in Dublin AD 2016.

Sitting upperdeck I noticed that the frontwindow of the bus partially worked as a huge mirror.

Photograph: Dublin, 16/08/27, 9.08 pm.

A kind of Muybridge in Galway (Ireland)

Photograph: Galway Races 2016/09/05. 5.07pm

Boys in train after school .

Photograph: Cork (Ireland). 2015/09/01. 4.04 pm

Henri Cartier-Bresson in Tralee (Ireland) AD 2016?

Photograph: Tralee, 2016/8/30 5.34 pm.

Hopper in Dublin AD 2016

Photo: Dublin Pearse Station, 15/08/26, 4.41pm

Ireland again.

Next fortnight I’ll be a picture taking passer-by in Ireland. If wifi allows I’ll post a photo from time to time. But tomorrow from tropical Holland to fresh Ireland. Lovely!

Photo: Dublin, 15/09/01, 5.09 pm.

D.G.O.

D.G.O means Definitively Getting Older. Three new Self Portraits. You may call them selfies if you really want to. Up: Diemen (NL), 2016/4/14, 4.08 pm. Middle: Diemen (NL), 2016/5/19, Under: Diemen, 2016/4/15, 4.49 pm. FYI February 2017 there will b e a great show of my Self Portraits at Gallery WM in Amsterdam Holland.  

Nominee!!!

Dear Jaap,

CONGRATULATIONS on being a Tree Times Nominee at the 9th Annual International Color Awards!

5,678 entries were received from 78 countries and your work received a high percentage of votes overall. Certainly an achievement, well done! 

The Jury represented the industry's biggest names and tastemakers including Contrasto, Rome; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; Whitechapel Gallery, London; DDB, Berlin; Forsman & Bodenfors, Gothenburg; Art Beatus Hong Kong; DB Agency, Milan; InStyle Magazine, New York and Kunst Haus Wien, Vienna who reviewed the entries online before making their nominations and honoring 591 title awards and 634 nominees in 33 categories. The Awards could not have wished for a better group of professionals to work with. 

Congratulations once again, we wish you a most successful photography year.

Basil O'Brien
Creative Director

Up: Maastricht, 2015/02/15 2.04 pm.  Middle: Antwerpen, 2015/03/07 5.07 pm. Under: Near Schardam, 2015/05/09 4.37 pm.

Wisps of City.

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It often happens to me as a photographer. My reflection in a window or my shadow on the pavement also becomes a wisp of city. To see more photos: Please come to the opening of “Wisps of City” in the window gallery of Franjo Studio 2^ndvan der Helsstraat Amsterdam. 5.00-7.00 pm, april 1^st (no joke).  Up: Louvain (Bel) 2009/06/28 3.51pm. Middle: Galway (Irl) 2015/9/8. Under: Cork (Irl) 2015/9/15 12.36am.

Wisp of City

To me it is an everlasting strange phenomenon in a city: So many human beings together who all walk in their own world. Such little attention for their surroundings that they didn't notice me as a long  photographer (over 6 ft). To see more photos: Please come to the opening of “Wisps of City” in the window gallery of Franjo Studio 2^nd van der Helsstraat Amsterdam. 5.00-7.00 pm, april 1^st (no joke). Photo: Frankfurt 14/8/14 2.19pm

New Exhibition!

Wisps of City.

There’s a new show coming up! From April 1^st I will display some 90 photographs. About how one can feel walking in a (big) city. In a city I often feel a slight alienation. Huge numbers of people, passing each other almost anonymously, commercial posters and lights, tall buildings, suddenly a face in the crowd.

My show is a collection of seemingly fleeting observations made in a.o. Aachen, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Berlin, Bruges, Cork, Dublin, Düsseldorf, Frankfort, Galway, Gent, Lausanne, Louvain, Lisbon, New York, Stettin, Vienna, Zürich, Zwolle.

Where: Window gallery, Franjo Studio, 2^nd van der Helsstraat 41, Amsterdam.

The opening will be at April 1^st , 5.00-7.00 pm. 

You’re very welcome to drink a glass with me then!   Photos: Up: Louvain (Bel) 12/9/27 4.08 pm, middle: Vienna (Aut) 14/8/10 1.52 pm, under Cork 15/9/11 3.41 pm.

Ireland

Last september I made a short trip into Ireland. This week I started peparing a small book. So it is selecting, editing and throwing away. Possible title : A Passer-by through Ireland. Up: Dublin, 15-9-1, 5.09 pm. Middle: Dublin, 15/9/2, 6.38 pm. Under: Cork, 15/9/12, 5.45 pm.

Small Talk

Some secretive talk after a presentation by Maartje Roos,  the dark haired female photographer in the picture. She’s making photographs like fairy tales herself, maybe that’s what inspired me. Amsterdam 16/01/19 10.50 pm.

Some more Self portraits/ Selfies.

Last one  is because of Francesca Woodman. The first one is because it was raining cats and dogs and I could not go out to take photographs. The middle one is for fun. Watch the strong saturation of the colors on the LCD screen in the shopping window. Up: Diemen 16/1/12, 2.54 pm.  Middle: Düsseldorf 15/12/09, 2.54 pm. Under Diemen 16/1/7, 1.51 pm.