PM Subscriber Spotlight: Dutch PhotoDay
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Photographers: Piet Osefius and Rob van Kleef • Web Site: http://dutchphotoday.nl • Location: The Hague, The Netherlands
Contact: info (at) dutchphotoday (dot) nl • Member Since: 1/6/06
Equipment: Canon Powershot G2 and Pro1 (Piet), Canon Powershot G6 (Rob)
PM: How did you get involved in photography?
PIET: In the last few years I have been captivated with digital photography. The medium bids a wealth of opportunity. To be able to experiment with shutter speed, stops and camera position without having to risk the expenses of film is to me boundless.
At the moment the Canon Powershot Pro1 is my preferred camera and the facilities it offers are enough to keep me occupied (on and off the streets) for the time being. However, we all need dreams and mine is to add a digital SLR complete with telephoto lenses to my collection.
ROB: I was a member of a photography club in one of the more deprived areas of The Hague. It was a neighbourhood with lots of inhabitants and a plethora of cultures. We studied the good and the bad aspects of the neighbourhood and a collection of our work was published. After that I took lots of slides and photos with my analogue Minolta X-700. The purchase of a Canon Powershot G6 in combination with the computer opened a whole new world, that of digital photography.
PM: How would you describe your photographic style?
Very diverse and still searching. Whilst it is difficult to give preference to a particular style we are fascinated by the work of master photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson en Brassaï. However, even limiting yourself a study of the style of these great masters provides one with a tremendous challenge. The setting up photoblog has also meant that we have learnt a lot from each other.
PM: Why do you photoblog?
To improve in our hobby we would welcome any feedback from amateur/professional photography critics. The internet provides us with an ideal and ubiquitous medium for sharing and active debate.
It is important to us to show more of The Netherlands than the usual clogs, windmills and tulips.
In our country we have a tremendous trading history and a wealth of cultural heritage from the Gouden Eeuw (Golden Age). This is mostly concentrated around Amsterdam, Den Haag (The Hague), Leiden and Delft; many Dutch icons at which to shoot the camera. The Netherlands is small, densely populated and all of the cities mentioned are a short distance from our homes in The Hague.
Although there are large areas of conurbation in The Netherlands we are thankfully not totally depraved of nature and wildlife. Here again we feel that we are spoilt for choice.
PM: What are your strengths and weakness as a photographer?
Our strength is the ability to capture a changing and multi facet image of “the Dutch”.
To enliven our work we feel we need to show much more courage when shooting street scenes and also in the making of street portraits.
Photography at dawn and dusk are challenging; how to use light in order to create?
A rhetorical question in which we are often reminded of Rembrandt and Vermeer, the Dutch masters of light.
PM: Why isn’t your photoblog written in Dutch?
We receive many reactions from international circles. The Hague is multicultural.
The influence of English in the Dutch language is tremendous.
It is, however, not easy for us when trying to make captivating and enticing titles for the photographs. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.
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PM: What is your background, and what are you doing when you are not photoblogging?
PIET: I am married with one daughter. An ICT Architect by profession and currently employed by a large pension fund in Rijswijk. In addition to my interest in internet technology I exercise my creative skills in photography.
ROB: I am married with two children, a daughter and a son. I am a policy advisor for The Hague city council. I specialise in areas relating to medical facilities, the homeless and drug addiction. My passion is photography but I also enjoy cycling, skating, reading and listening to guitar music.