Statement

I am a photographer mainly focused on the non-posed personalities. The photo is always a surprise for the portrayed person, since the non-posed personality was given unconsciously.

The persons portrayed are chosen carefully and photographed on location with the usage of available light mostly. Some photos are taken in studio. I use black white and color film and do not crop. The person must have my interest, which can be found in a variety of music, fashion and mysterious places. The result is a kind of three-way-photo: the personality of the portrayed person in combination with the situation there in, the music they play or the clothes they wear and my style. Only then I believe in the result I wish to see and made with the equipment I prefer. This way of working is not the easiest one. However I do believe it is the only way to get there were I want to be as a portrait photographer.

Biography

Born and raised in the north of the Netherlands, Groningen. After my bachelor degree economics, I worked and traveled for more than a year around the world. During this trip I met a guy (one of my best friends now) who showed me the possibilities of his semi-professional camera and that made me jealous. So I bought a Nikon of my last traveler cheques. No money left at all, but at least I could take the pictures I wanted to take. Back at home I’ve been working for couple of years for employers to build up a career in my field of study. But the discovered combination of photography and being independent was too strong. So I resigned and moved close to Amsterdam to switch to photography totally.

Portraits of people were getting more and more my attention and working on reportages of Red Light District, Bijlmer (suburb of Amsterdam), Chinatown and Boxing I discovered a style I felt comfortable with. Since then I focus on people that have my interest. People like celebrities, models, artists/bands and other personalities I want to capture in a non-posed position. The unique way in which I presented my graduation portfolio, made my work stands out in 2008. After seen this exposition, Hilfiger Denim commissioned me to photograph Marky Ramone (the drummer of the band "The Ramones") in Amsterdam and Barcelona. In the following year, I received two PANL Awards for a Tommy Hilfiger fashion series. Meanwhile, I also produce photographs for the music magazine OOR, KX Radio and many bands/artists. Earlier this year my work was nominated for the Lex van Rossen Award 2010.

Expositions

2010 Noorderlicht Photogallery Groningen – Lex van Rossen Award - 14 Jan – 28 Feb (group)
2009 Panama* Amsterdam – KX Radio - 19 Dec 2009 – 22 Jan 2010 (solo)
2009 PANL SONY AWARDS #18 Oude Kerk Amsterdam.
         Series Tommy Hilfiger; People & Portraits Commissioned: Merit + Best of Members (group)
2008 Exposition Klaas Sans Photogallery Photoacademie Amsterdam (group)
2008 ExposureTime – Loods 6 Amsterdam (group)
2007 Sofitel Amsterdam The Grand (solo)

Nominations

2009 Best of Members + Merit bij PANL SONY Awards 2009
2010 Nomination Popview + Lex van Rossen Award 2010