Joy

I recently visited the Kröller-Müller Museum. A must see if you visit the Netherlands, with the world’s second largest collection of Van Gogh’s and a beautiful garden full of art. Lying around in the garden of the museum and enjoying the sun, I saw a great scene enfolding. I grabbed my camera because I had to capture this moment. As their parents were relaxing just like me, three kids decided to have a little contest by running across the garden. Oh man, you have so much excess energy when you are a child! What hits me every time I see children play, is their abundance and ability to just have fun. Why do we lose that ability when we are growing up? On a rational level I can understand why…but how shall the world look if we act a little more like children? Click on the photo to enlarge, look at their faces and get inspired by our little teachers

Corbijn

I am a big fan of both Tom Waits and the well renowned photographer (and fellow Dutchman) Anton Corbijn, so when Tom Waits  announced  the release of their collaborative book I got all excited. I got even more excited when I found out that Corbijn would have a book signing in Amsterdam! Now, meeting one of your hero’s is always something special (and yes can be a disappointment as well). After almost two hours of waiting I finally entered the room where Anton was signing and I was already all psyched out . A kick ass band was playing Tom Wait’s music as I was holding my just acquired book. Slowly I got closer and closer to Anton and I started to take some photographs of him. At home I figured that letting Anton sign my Leica as well would be a great idea…When I was just a few feet away from the table where he was signing, a friendly woman was scribbling the names of the people in the queue to make sure the signing would take place without too much interruption. She also stated that it was not allowed to chit-chat with Anton. Understandable but it made me even more nervous! Should I still asking for two autographs…? When it was my turn I thanked him for his great work and asked if he could signed my Leica as well. ,, Sure” he said, ,,do you have a pencil?” Surely I had a pencil! When I nervously searched for the pencil which I bought for this very reason, I stuttered something like:,, I am quite nervous you know, sorry!”. He gave a reassuring ‘oh well that okay!”. Although Corbijn is a very gentle and humble man, I was totally star struck! I was even trembling, quite embarrassing really. But most of all, it had been a great experience. Later I found that the gallery where Corbijn had the book signing, had taken some photographs of me as well

Selling a dream

In my professional life I am in sales rep. It took me a while to take pride in, because for quite some time I didn’t consider selling as a real trade like being a dentist, a baker or plasterer. Let alone a job in which you practice an art like music or painting. As years went by I’ve come to realize that ‘just being in sales’ is serious business and whatever you do with pride and integrity, can add something worthfull to your life and that of others. When selling is done in a wrong way, it sells you a dream which cannot be fulfilled,will let you feel unsatisfied and in case of someone’s personal life, unhappy.

This picture is taken at the Fibo fitness event in Cologne Germany and did me take back to my younger days as a ‘workout junkie’. I’ve been working out with weights for most of my adult life and I still love it. Being in my forties I still have the motivation to have an intense workout most of the days of the week. It keeps me fit and strong, things that diminish as you get older. Back in the day, glancing through the magazines, the pictures and stories of the (chemically enhanced) athletes inspired me to work out and to try new techniques, training regimes and…supplements like protein powder and weight gainers. You know on a conscious level that it’s all about proper nutrition, good sleep and just enjoying a fulfilling, happy life. On a subconscious level though, the message is: ‘use this product and get the body of the physique stars’. Seeing all these young and eager man in awe of this bodybuilder, next to HUGE tubs of weight gainers, I chuckled but it left me a bit disheartened inside too.

I’m with you

Say nothing.We know.

Change

After acquiring a Minolta X-700, a Yashica Mat 124G and a Olympus Trip 35 I ‘ve decided to no longer restrict myself by using only my Leica M8. These analog camera’s are able to produce some stunning pictures and as I’d like to update this blog more often, the trusty Leica has to put its ego aside . I will still post only black and white pictures though. The tags used indicate which camera and film I’ve used. This time only it’s the iPhone…The first ‘analog entry’ will be one taken with the Minolta X-700. 

Friends 4Ever

Bumped in each other at the tender age of 4, after 10 years my daughter and her best friend still enjoy their company to the fullest. They are like a symbiosis of thoughts, joy and actions. Wonderful to see and a great gift of life.i

Awe

Taking pictures at concerts combines two passions of mine and furthermore, it’s very time efficient! Like I stated before , due to other time-consuming activities I don’t shoot as much as I’d like to so I try to take my camera with me whenever this is possible. This month I went to a concert of the incredible Kaki King. I stumbled upon this amazing guitarist a while ago as she performed at a Ted talk. My jaw dropped on the floor as she combines an unbelievable virtuosity with the most beautiful melodies. As she visited the Netherlands this month, I just had to see her. I sat in the front row with my girlfriend, just a few feet from Kaki. Just with other artists I admire, like Satriani, Brian May or Harry Sacksioni it is almost a surreal experience to watch them just in front of you doing what they do so good.

At his concert Kaki left me in complete awe. As a bonus, her guitar tech turned out to be a very capable singer!

Hello Again

Hello again.

I don’t regret starting this blog at all, but I have to confess to you that it is quite a challenge to put out blog posts on a regular basis. This is quite frustrating for the fact that I have started this blog with the intention to just do that. I also have seen the amount of followers increase each time I have posted a picture and a thought. Posting regularly is crucial if you have the ambition to reach a huge international audience so things don’t go exactly as I want them to go . Be able to express my self through photography and words is one of the key drivers for me to have a blog like this. Not be able to take as many pictures as you’d like to is sad enough but as the pictures are the foundation of what I write, taking no or very few pictures means no or very few blog posts as well. Restricting to only black and white pictures taken with my trusty and quirky Leica makes things not easier either.

Lucklily I cary my camera with me most of times anyway and this enables me to take pictures on the go as this pictures shows. I had been visiting the impresive exposition on Diane Arbus in the Foam museum with my daughter and after enjoying a premium priced apple fritter at the Dam square, we walked back to Central Station as I came across one of the any Japanese tourists. I know that the interwebs are crowded with pictures like these but I like the atmosphere of the picture and the non verbal expression of the people. I hope you like too and that 2012 has brought many great things to you. Let 2013 be just like that!

Upside down

 

As a non-professional photographer I do not get that much of appraisal for my work other than from my dear friends and family (something I appreciate a lot of course). Today I got an e-mail from Steve Huff, a well known photographer, blogger and someone for who I have a lot respect in many ways. Steve’s site is first class and one of the best read and viewed sites on photography and highly regarded among fellow photographers. Steve has posted  my submitted pictures today. Now I am the one who’s getting all of the praise, even from photographers who normally get mine praises……the world upside down but I like it!

Doing nothing

It’s a funny thing. I consider myself as someone with a crazy monkey mind in the sense that I am constantly thinking about something to do. It has been one of the drivers to my meditation and yoga practice as I was in need for a place to come back to everyday. To keep sane as to speak. Having said that, I really can enjoy doing nothing as long as I have no distractions like playing guitar, working out with weights or listening to music (to name just a few)….So, that’s actually a bit weird but I’d guess it’s one of the ways the human mind works.

So, one day as I decided to take a ride on my bicycle day, I also decided to let my sense (or rather lack of) of direction determine which way to go. As I approached the city of Utrecht, the city I love so dearly, I stopped to have a break in a park near the city center. Just sitting on a bench, seeing people enjoying their selves and having a conversation with a couple next to me, a feeling of well-being fueled my senses. The less you do, the more you sense. Sound and vision. Smell and touch. I try to incorporate these quality moments in my life more often. As long as this not becomes one of the many things-to-do, it’s okay right?