My story, my news, my new ideas and much more.....
My story, my news, my new ideas and much more.....
Exibition
Exibition
Blog 18
21 July 2022
Exhibiting, inspiration, exciting, and how curious am I to hear your reactions.
I was inspired by an earlier exhibition in the Voorschoten Library. What if I could also show my work to the public? So here I am, planning my first exhibition.
In this exhibition, I want you to enjoy the still lives that I have photographed. In the showcases, I will show what inspires me. I invite you to come and see my work and please leave a message in my guestbook.
Now you're thinking, but where ?..... From the 3rd of August in the Voorschoten Library at Wijngaardenlaan 4 in Voorschoten. Check their website for opening hours
https://www.obvw.nl/home/vestigingen---openingstijden/detail.2097163.html/bibliotheek-voorschoten/
My work, which you can admire in Voorschoten Library, is for sale. And I have something on order especially for this occasion...... More info follows!
One year
One year
Blog 17
30 March 2022
One year of SCVphotography.nl! A celebration worthy......
Last year it was time to launch my own website, just to share my photography experiments with you. My dreams, my vision, my inspiration, the website photos are the ones I love and the ones that really make my heart skip a beat. I continue to develop and am super proud of my site.
It was 10 months before someone took the liberty of suggesting a few improvements. The complexity of building a website is so great that I lost sight of some things, such as transparency, colours, font type, thick or not so thick letters, SEO's and, not unimportantly, what does the viewer experience. I have taken some of the criticisms to heart and made adjustments, but some things are just my idea.
To celebrate this milestone, there is a "Give Away" in NL with one of my previous photo-works ......... Have you seen a photo work that appeals to you and would you like to win it? https://www.scvphotography.nl/shop-if-you-like Join in!
Let me know before April 15th which one is your favourite, because one submitter will be the lucky one! Submissions via https://www.scvphotography.nl/contact
EXCITING!
I will have some new works in my shop soon.
Gallery style framed still life photo's.... So stay tuned!
Old Masters
Old Masters
Blog 16
22 Februari 2022
Intrigued by fine-art portrait photography, I first followed a course on the Rembrandt light and was allowed to portray this co-student. This was an incredibly cool experience with a beautifully pure model.
When using the Rembrandt lighting the shadow of someone's nose forms a lighter triangle on the darker side of the face. This immediately draws the attention to the person.
With contemporary attributes, I gave the model in this photo a twist. This portrait was photographed against a grey background, which I was able to change to a complimenting colour with the help of my Photoshop course.
This is great fun! And it begs for more...... Would you like to be my model? Contact me and we will see what we can do.
Interested in more photos? https://www.scvphotography.nl/humans-mensen
I followed the "Old Masters" course at https://www.fotoschooldenhaag.nl/
Education
Education
Blog 15
7 Februari 2022
Learning new techniques comes with trial and error. I demonstrate this with this image editing for a Photoshop course.
Normally I try to capture a scene in such a way that it should be nearly right, but the applications in Ps offer so much more. Here I have given the staircase of the Fondation Louis Vuitton an extra layer of colour that makes it look a little more spectacular. I still have a lot to learn, but I am enthusiastic.
It will give me the opportunity to mask irregularities, but also to blur and even to remove elements from a photo completely. Of course, I am also looking forward to the part where you can completely transform the photo into a work of art.
I promise myself that I will not go overboard, because I consider striving for a beautiful picture that requires little or no work to be the greatest art.
Beauty within
Beauty within
Blog 14
31 October 2021
Sometimes you have not to worry, not wonder and not doubt, but just trust that everything will be all right. I am heading in a new direction, but it still takes some time to find the exact path. For this process, I have been able to find the right help and...
it will be all right!
This picture says everything about my soul search. There are two sides to every story and every story has beauty, but sometimes it is a stimulus and a learning moment.
I take my time to ground, my time for change and finding my peace. I search for me, what drives me, what gives me strength and what makes me happy.
This is exciting, but also a very beautiful journey!
Two proud
Two proud
Blog 13
31 July 2021
I had some things to think about and therefore had to skip a blog date. It was too busy and the photo I had selected did not inspire me. So time for a moment of tranquility.
In such a period, I do photograph, because it brings peace to my mind. This time I focused mainly on still life. It is all about stillness, attention to detail and that brings me back to the essence.
My dear cousin gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers because I invited her to come along to the Photo Fair. This was an educational day for my photography career, which is going to be continued.
But back to the bunch of flowers, it was gorgeous. And when the bouquet was for the most part no longer beautiful, these two flowers still stood their ground.
Playing around with different vases resulted in my Pas de deux that you can see in my portfolio. This close up was also worth sharing and therefore it is my blog picture for this week.
There are more new photos in my portfolio folders. Check it out!
New Zealand
New Zealand
Blog 12
11 July 2021
Te Whenua o Aotearoa is translated the land of the long white cloud.
In 1993, I made my first solo trip to this country at the other side of the world. At home, I would let people know how I was doing with a postcard and how much has changed over the years. Nowadays you simply have contact every day.
This photo was taken at a car park on Desert Road with a view of Mount Ruapehu. It was in 2013 when I came from Australia to visit friends and family for a few weeks. Like every time in New Zealand, it was a familiar feeling, welcoming and a beautiful adventure.
It was the trip, I went to abseil 100 meters and climb back up at the end of the trail through Waitomo Caves. Madness, but what a wonderful adventure with a cousin as a guide made it even more special.
My last visit to this beautiful country was in 2019. Together with a friend and family, we went camping on Mahia Peninsula. A place where the Maori clearly still have a home base. Unfortunately, I did not have the courage to photograph a few beautiful women with Tā moko. It is what it is, but maybe my moment will come one day.
Yes, New Zealand is for me a country that I will definitely visit again. If you want to know more about this beautiful country, take a look at the following link..
Childhood
Childhood
Blog 11
1 July 2021
Dreaming of what used to be, this photo is of childhood memories. I have been able to capture a few moments in it with miniatures that I have collected over time.
The photo reflection in the mirror is of myself on my pony Jan Willem. He was a sweet little white horse who was not inferior in speed to the big horses. The sweetheart with whom we played cowboys and Indians on the heath, from whom we fell down while playing and who then waited obediently until we got back on our feet. What a mighty fine time.
The kitten is my cat Maurice, which I once got because I almost lost a piece of my little finger. With all the misery that this caused, I was not allowed to take my swimming diploma that year. What a sorrow that was, no not the little finger but the fact that I was not allowed to do my swimming diploma, because I did not want to do school swimming anymore.
The piece of newspaper because I used to not like reading, so I thought if I read a page in two books it will go faster. The result was that I did not understand any of the books and also discovered that sometimes I flipped letters when reading. Well, Santa was not my friend that year..., when I got a gift with a "Learn to read" book. Sob! Haha
The setting for the photo came about quite naturally, but when writing this blog, my imagination went wild. Maybe I will do something with it in the future, but this is it for now.
Do you want to see more miniature photos taken by me? Click on the link
St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas
Blog 10
21 June 2021
Photographing Amsterdam from a boat on the water. Last Saturday I went on a photography cruise in Amsterdam. The weather was not great, but then again that is the challenge.
We left from the Damrak, a short distance across the IJ and on the other side of the Central Station into the canals. Amsterdam, with its Heren-, Keizers- and Prinsengracht, Singel and Amstel, is and remains a beautiful and varied sight.
It's amazing what you come across and again, you have to look carefully in order not to miss the gems. Once again, while sailing, I had a good view of the Basilica of St Nicholas and the boats moored at the Open Harbour front, but this time it was a bit grey. So the bright photo with this blog is not from last Saturday.
No, this photo was also taken from a boat, but at a hens party of a dear friend. It was in the period before my SLR, so it was taken with a compact camera. The colour combination of the boats and the sheets on the line make the photo a beautiful colourful scene. This shows again that a photographer is more than just the camera that takes the picture.
I will share a photo of last Saturday later on, but for now this is it. If you want to see Amsterdam from the water, I recommend it!
Light
Light
Blog 9
11 June 2021
This time I have chosen an almost black and white photo. On my trip through Morocco, I visited the Hassan II Mosque in beautiful Casablanca, with an impressive prayer hall, a wonderful museum and a minaret that is no less than 200 meters high.
This blog image from the Mosque represents stillness and the desire to seek the light from the darkness. The trip taught me about my loneliness in groups, that I should listen better to my worries and emotions and give my spontaneity a bigger place. All in all, it was a great journey through a beautiful country, but also a difficult journey that clarified the question that is living in me for a long time... Why....?
After a lot of searching, I recognized my high sensitivity. This means that I always hear more, feel all the emotions, want to be perfect, am often overwhelmed, am always busy with others and have a strong intuition. But also that I forget to experience peace in being alone and sometimes just need the eerie silence. I’m now learning to acknowledge and indicate my limits, to be milder to myself and to build in time to catch my breath.
A search, a journey of discovery that continues, but oh so necessary to find and keep balance. A sweet hello from me....
Find out more about Morocco and Casablanca check:
Romance
Romance
Blog 8
31 May 2021
A blind date leads to a blind date and more. Now you're thinking Huh, well the thing is, I had a blind date with this now good friend. After our date I was sure that he would be the ideal match for a dear friend, but how do you convince that they belong together.... Well, a lot of phone calls back and forth, I managed to get them to go on a date.
I had said that it was now up to them, and shortly afterwards I received a message that they really hit it off. A foresight with a very good sequel. After some time, they decided to move in together and I was informed of the following super sweet news. Yes, there was a little one on the way and I heard the date when they were due.
Sorry sweeties I said, but she is going to be born on my birthday! Well that is quite a statement you might think, but I was 100% sure. And yes, on my birthday the sweet little girl was born. A few years later a super cute little boy followed and they were complete. Only one thing was missing and that was a beautiful marriage after years of engagement.
In 2017 I was asked if I would like to be the wedding photographer. They wanted to get married in a modest group of people and nothing would please them more than for me to capture it. Quite an honour and frankly downright scary, because it's a profession. I did my best to capture the day and my friends are happy with the result. Thank goodness.
With their permission I’m posting the photo and writing the blog, romance to the max!
A questions or want to tell me what you think of my blogs, contact me …..https://www.scvphotography.nl/contact
Shanghai
Shanghai
Blog 7
21 May 2021
This photo is not from me, but it is of me.
For a company I worked for at the time, I had the opportunity to pay a working visit to Shanghai in 2008. A world and culture that is very different from what we think.
One day, the programme included a visit outside the city to a couple of factories. A beautiful bus ride through the rice fields, super idyllic, but then you arrive at the destination. In the fabric dyeing factory, where the smell is unbearable, you see workers on flip-flops walking through sludge, which is more than water. The rows of ladies who sit behind the machines in a manufacturing plant and live in the annex because they come from other provinces.
As a fine host, I was taken out for lunch. Oef, that was quite a story. What looked like an ordinary two-storey house turned out to be a restaurant. Upstairs in one of the rooms was a table with a turntable in the middle. Everyone had a plate with chopsticks in front of them and on the plateau, the dishes were placed, very, very spicy and some with skin and hair. I really tried my best to eat something without offending anyone.
Fortunately, on my last day I had the opportunity to go to a temple, which is actually a kind of market where you can buy all kinds of trinkets. Of course, I managed to buy some nice souvenirs there. Also, this blog photo of me was taken by the colleague who accompanied me on this city trip. I have gained a lot of experiences and travelled on via Hong Kong to Australia.
Want to see more world experiences? Click through to my portfolio
Zuiderzee
Zuiderzee
Blog 6
11 May 2021
A dear friend from New Zealand came to visit with her 2 boys in 2018. Super cool and because I’m always so welcome on the other side of the world, I wanted to make this an unforgettable experience for them too.
So I prepared my house for the guests and thought of excursions that would represent the Netherlands. On the agenda was a boat trip from Rotterdam to Kinderdijk and back, Scheveningen and of course a trip to the Zuiderzee Museum. In this cultural-historical museum in North Holland, the history of the former Zuiderzee is portrayed. What makes this part of the Netherlands extra special is that both my parents come from this area.
What a treat, driving to Enkhuizen and taking the boat to the open-air museum. The boys were thrilled, because this was something different. My uncle's brother gave us a wonderful tour and there is so much to see, the gardens and houses, people in traditional costume, the rope-maker, the rag-and-bone man and the laundry.
At the coal merchant's stood this beautiful old wagon and you are of course not supposed to sit on it. However a good story and because there were not many people, the youngest was allowed to sit on the back. Oh oh, he really didn't like it, but yes, everything for the photo. One of the wonderful memories of a fantastic visit.
Would you like to know more about this beautiful part of the Netherlands...
Gertrude St.
Gertrude St.
Blog 5
1 May 2021
In 2016, I became aware through social-media of the then already rich graffiti art culture in Australia. So I searched for information about this art form and locations which I could visit and photograph in Melbourne. The capital of Victoria that has now gained international fame for its diverse range of street art and its subcultures.
On a drizzly day, December 2016, I went to the Fitzroy neighbourhood. Fortunately, I met locals who were happy to help me find beautifully painted walls. I enjoyed myself and took photos of lots of Street Art. However, I did not find this blog photo on my first walk through the district.
This painting is by street artist Adnate, who with his art acknowledges the traditional inhabitants of the country and honours them in the past and present. With his Aboriginal paintings, he wants to contribute to changing the attitude in society. I had seen a picture of it online and knew it existed, but had to make a 2nd trip to the city to finally find it.
Turned out I had just walked past it on my first walk, but from the wrong side.... This photo taught me that you have to look front, back, high, low, left and right to find the most beautiful works of art.
Walking through Fitzroy in 2020, the transience of this art form became clear when I discovered that this beautiful face no longer adorns the wall.
Want to see more murals? Check out my portfolio -
Giverny
Giverny
Blog 4
21 April 2021
Impressionist Claude Monet's paintings have always fascinated me ......
Claude Monet and other impressionists changed the way we look at the landscape at the end of the nineteenth century. The name impressionism was coined by the journalist Louis Leroy after seeing Monet's painting "Impression - Sunrise". He meant the name ironically, but the young artists gladly adopted it. After all, a sweep here and a dot there created landscapes that were more beautiful than reality. Monet often painted the same scenes at different times of the day. The play of reflections in the water with light and shadows fascinated him.
It has always been a wish of mine to visit Giverny once, where he lived for a long time. I got that chance in 2007 when I was on my way to Brittany with my sister and had a stopover there. What an idyllic place, as if time had stood still.
I visited his house and garden, where he painted the famous water lilies and the little Japanese bridge. Wandering through the garden, I was able to capture this carnivorous flower. In the early morning, when the sun had not yet dried the last drops of dew.
Take your time -
Koala
Koala
Blog 3
11 April 2021
For a long time I wanted to portrait a koala in the wild, but this is easier said than done. It took several trips to Australia before in 2016 I got a koala in the wild in front of my camera....
It's all about walking through the bush at the right time. I had heard of an area near the Great Ocean Road with a large number of koalas, but to spot them, you have to go a long way into the bush, look high up in the eucalyptus trees, be lucky with the light and hope that they show some activity.
Fortunately, I have a dear "Aussie" friend with a Jeep, so we did the first part by car. Then I continued on foot with my camera. After some time, I did find some nice critters, but quite hidden and in a deep sleep. Alas!
Disappointed, I started the journey back and was startled by a loud, deep growling sound. I began to pick up my pace, because I didn't feel really safe all by myself...., but suddenly I saw who the noisemaker was.
This super-cute friend was trying to attract a girlfriend, hence his growling. So camera on, luckily right lens on camera, seeking balance because he was sitting quite a distance away and focus! And yes, beautifully posing with a somewhat suspicious look. My mission accomplished!
Forest fires have already destroyed a lot of wildlife in Australia.
Are you interested in adopting a koala? Then visit the website of the Koala Hospital and do your bit!
My Website
My Website
Blog 2
31 March 2021
The process of building a website turned out to be quite a chore.
What do I want to show, how do I want to tell my story, what am I going to write about my work? and so much more I suddenly had to think about. Choosing the background photo and the resulting colour palette took some time, but it works.
Some things were a matter of fact, but I also needed advice and help. Thank you to those who helped and advised me! I have learned in this process where my passion and now strength lies, I prefer to be behind the camera and if possible not in the spotlight, but........ Now a super exciting day this 31st of March 2021, my website is published!
I am very proud of what I have built, I believe in my selection of photos in the different categories, I have chosen for this launch.
Have fun and if you want to..... get in touch!
My SLR
My SLR
Blog 1
21 March 2021
Very hip I think my website also needs a blog...., but what am I going to write about? To start with, my real love for photography started in 1993 on my first solo trip to New Zealand. I found that I really wanted to capture my impressions in images.
It took about 20 years of shooting in automatic mode before I bought my first real Sony SLR via MP. What a stroke of luck I had with that. The beginning, much of practice and trying out, learning about aperture, shutter speeds, composition, light and dark and so much more. My enjoyment only increases.
So when my brother invited me for a few days of sailing in 2013 I brought the Sony with me. It was great fun at sea, Not, because my goodness I was so seasick! However as soon as we were through the lock I quickly recovered. My brother had thought that we would enjoy a BBQ on the water, but that didn't quite work out. In the end it became BBQ-ing in a harbor in Zeeland. Great food, nice drinks, good conversation ... and then the evening fell in. Beautiful sky, absolutely amazing and I really wanted to capture that. But how?
Still fiddling with settings and meanwhile shooting some photos, he was suddenly there..... the seagull lingered for seconds in front of me as if he wanted to give me the chance to make my first WOW photograph. I now see all the "mistakes" , but I'm still very proud of this picture.
So this was the moment that I decided to continue with self-study and develop myself to where I am now.