Dutch:
Scherper kijken betekent voor mij als fotograaf ook ‘durven dolen’: zwerven rond een onderwerp, voelen wat er gaande is en dan pas stil blijven staan en vastleggen. Tijdens Glow 2011 gaf United Visual Artist met het project ‘Volume’ hier voor mij een perfect voorbeeld van. Met dank aan Bijl PR voor de uitnodiging!
In the soccer season of 1997 – 1998 I visited a couple of time the trainings sessions of the first team of Feyenoord 1 in Rotterdam, one of the major soccer clubs in the Netherlands.
Main goal of my photo project was to follow these supporters, who came day in day out to the trainings field, at that time located near the ‘Kuip’, the impressive stadium from 1937 of Feyenoord. A historic place in many ways.
At those days plans were already there for movement of the trainings location of the first team to Varkenoord and a rebuild of the stadium.
Supporters of all ages there were, and support I got from them. Unfortunately I had to stop because of health hig ups and my movement to the northern part of the Netherlands. The few film rolls I shot until then were not all developed well enough. Not a good start… But and however unfinished, it delivered me good memories, nice contacts, and some small photo memories to me and them to a small piece of time in the great history of Feyenoord.
From 2009 the first team indeed moved for their trainings sessions to the sport complex Varkenoord near the Kuip. The discussion for a rebuild of the stadium or further refurbishment is hot at the moment.
In special and grateful remembrance of Rinus Rotgers, who I met a several times at that time. We wrote already for a short time at that time and round my movement to Friesland.
It means a lot to me that I discovered only now (29 August 2014) now this broadcast of Dutch ‘Man Bijt Hond’ from 2008 about this at that time 96 years old Feyenoord supporter. I saw this picture I made of him in the background of his home. At time of the broadcast, Rinus Rotgers was 96 of age. I saw he passed away at the day of his 99th anniversary in 2010.
‘Oer-supporter Rinus Rotgers overleden’ : link to the Feyenoord website with a link to the broadcast.
In September 2014, I took part in the Masterclass Street Photography of the Amsterdam City Archives, which I was very excited with.
The masterclass was part of the exhibition ‘de straat op’ (best translated to ‘taking to the streets’?) of the Amsterdam City Archives and linked to phtographer Ed van der Elsken (1947-1970) and three current photographers from the Netherlands: Hans Eijkelboom, Theo Niekus and Reinier Gerritsen.
We were led by in the centre of Amsterdam in two groups and accompanied by photographers Theo Niekus en Reinier Gerritsen. My group was commissioned to create a series of five photographs in which the relationship between traffic users should be visible. For this assignment we got 1 1/2 hour shooting time and 1/2 hour for the selection of our pictures. No Photoshop, cropping, or whatever. As shot, with only slight adjustments with our camera settings.
It wasn’t easy, but a funny and very informative experience, especially by the help of the photo professionals, the other photographers and employees of the Amsterdam City Archives.
Our selected photos, were shown the week afterwards outside the City Archives on a big screen
More background:
– Stadsarchief Amsterdam – tentoonstellingen / presentaties – de straat op
– Theo Niekus*
– Reinier Gerritsen
updated 7 October 2019
*Theo Niekus passed away on 5 October 2019. Very sad news.
September 2014, together with participants and photographers (photo by Stadsarchief Amsterdam)
Thanks!
Photo taken in Amsterdam, february 2014, Koningsplein. Bookstore ‘Polare Amsterdam former ‘Scheltema’. And before that ‘selexyz scheltema’ and Scheltema De Slegte.
From18 March 2014 onwards Scheltema again.
Original post: March 2013
The small village Doel (700 years old) in Belgium is threatened with complete demolition due to the future enlargement of the harbour of Antwerp.
The history of demolition goes back to the early sixties, when the first plans for enlargement were developed.
At the moment there are still 26 inhabitants (original inhabitants and renters) in the village who resist the demolition of their homes.
The situation has reached an impasse at the moment.
Walking through the village gives a sad feeling. To me it felt like a mixture of incomprehension, anger, sadness, melancholy, perseverance, history, memories, resistance, attempts at new life, anarchism, creativity, resignation, vandalism and glimpses of invisible inhabitants.
The sun is shining in the same in the streets as the sun shone for the sixties, extensions of the port of Antwerp were not in discussion and inhabitants lived together as in many other villages.
For their living inhabitants were possibly active at the port of Antwerp, the same port an ultimately headed monster turned out to be.
The typical checkerboard pattern of the village dates from the beginning of 16oo, when geometric farmlands for the first time were mapped. The pattern has not changed very much over the years. This fact makes (made) the village a rare example of regional urbanization and nowadays an extra unreal sight.
The strange feeling of walking through the village is further strengthened by the presence of the nuclear plant of Doel near the village.
Ready before World Championships Soccer, Groningen, June 2014.
February 2014, Amsterdam, Leidseplein (Stadsschouwburg).
The moment I took this picture, I was trying out my iPhone settings with my Instant 110 app. Suddenly this girl appeared. I think I was hit by her mood and the fact she was walking around, alone, Only after I had made the picture, I discovered the classic’ (modern?) camera around her neck. Maybe something I unconscious already had listed before. Hope she had a good journey.
Amsterdam, Vijzelstraat. View from entrance from the Stadsarchief Amsterdam.
Amsterdam, May 2015.
Corner Damrak and Prins Hendrikkade.
The Afsluitdijk. A 32km long dike connecting North-Holland and Friesland. Built in 1930 to close what is now the IJsselmeer from being flooded by the North Sea. The dike was built as part of a plan to reclaim land in the IJsselmeer; this land became the province of Flevoland.
(Source: Wikipedia)
The past ten years I travelled several times between Den Helder (North Holland) and my home town (in Friesland) and passed with my car the Afsluitdijk.
But I think paused on it only a few times in all those years.
So, my new Ricoh GR iii occasion camera was a good reason to do that at the end of June 2013. I decided to capture my impressions on all the motorway stops on it with the setting ‘cross processing’ on my Ricoh. Normally I do not like preset settings on cameras that much. But I think the presets – adjustments can be made manually – on this Ricoh are different. It was fun to work with it.
In the gallery it is. Passing the Afsluitdijk during my ride from West to East, from North Holland to Friesland. It was nice to find myself unexpectedly (at least earlier that morning) between a mix of travellers from the Netherlands and abroad, motorist, cyclist and even walkers at the stops nearby the motorway. Unexpectedly maybe more was my visit at camping club ‘Het Wad’ at the former work island Breezanddijk. The campsite, not open for regular travellers, is situated right nearby the motorway, a car stop, a work area and the side branch of the IJssel Lake. Surprised by the location of the campsite and the state of their homes, I got in touch with some occupants of the homes who told me about the camping club. Thanks for that. Depending on the weather people live there in the weekends and throughout the week from April until October. As one of the occupants told me: ‘we need less’.
I have decided not to edit the pictures in the gallery. It is as it was.
Thanks to my Ricoh, the Afsluitdijk, the water, and the occupants of camping club ‘Het Wad’.
More background (in Dutch):
– Andere Tijden, May 2007 (history, consequences and results – broadcast and article);
– Trouw, May 2007 (about Het Wad).
gallery update follows
