Street photography : three summer Dam stories


Nederlands (link)

For Sunday Street day, I’m digging up some summer Dam stories today, made earlier this year, on the Dam square in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (July 2014)

Pirates on the Dam
Pirates on the Dam

 

Street performer - spinning on his head
Street performer – spinning on his head

 

TWO birds in the hand is worth...
TWO birds in the hand is worth…

Spirit of Winter fair at the gardens of Palace het Loo


Nederlands (link).

Spirit of Winter decoration - detail
Spirit of Winter decoration – detail

 

Lackey host at the Spirit of Winter fair
Lackey host at the Spirit of Winter fair

 

Colourful hydrangea flowers
Colourful hydrangea flowers

… and then the Little Prince arrives …


Deze blog post in het Nederlands (link)

… following his mom and dad through the sunlit fountain, and leaving a trail of light … – the fairytale continues –

(see part one in my previous blog post here)

Little Prince following his dad through the sunlit fountain
Little Prince following his dad through the sunlit fountain
Walking through the fountain of light
Walking through the fountain of light

 

Follow your own path, little boy
Follow your own path, little prince
Your mom will wait for you at the other side
Your mom will wait for you at the other side
Sunlit fountain with trail of light
… and you will leave a trail of light …

 

Streets of Amsterdam in colour


Deze blog post in het Nederlands (link).

It’s Sunday Street day again, and for today, I picked 3 coloured street-photo’s.

 

‘Streets of Amsterdam’-series

No time for Rolex

No time for Rolex
No time for Rolex

 

‘Streets of Amsterdam’-series

Seem to agree

Seem to agree
Seem to agree

 

‘Streets of Amsterdam’-series

Leashed

Leashed
Leashed

Last summer street shots of the June series


Deze blog post in het Nederlands (link).

Well, summer is really over in Amsterdam. Actually, fall has taken over, and it’s beautiful outside. It’s time to get out there for both great autumn street and nature shots. But I’m still a little house-bound because of loads of organisational work to do, so I have to bind myself to my chair for a few days more.

No problem as for the photo blogging though, since I have a lot of great material left to process from the past months of photo shoots on the streets. So now let’s reminisce on a great summer with these last three street photo’s from the June series 😉 .

Starbucks morning coffee
Starbucks morning coffee

 

Los Angeles Team - duo street portrait
Los Angeles Team – duo street portrait

 

Sore feet
Sore feet

International Photo Festival Leiden – an impression


Deze blog post in het Nederlands (link)

Last week I was in Leiden for the International Photo Festival. I wanted to make a photo story about it for Demotix. And if you were able to follow my blogs these past days, then you know already that this wasn’t the only thing I photographed… Indeed, after a very long day, I came home with over 800 photo’s and enough material to make not just one, but at least 4 photo stories! And I wasn’t bored for one moment!

My story about the Photo Festival for Demotix is life on Demotix in the meantime, and you can find it here: International Photo Festival Leiden with as theme ‘New Photographers’

Ten of my own favourites of this series, I’ve selected for this blog. Some of them are also on Demotix, in colour, but there are some others that didn’t fit into the Demotix series, and I’d like to show those here. I transmitted them all into a nice light sepia.

I think that this series gives a very nice impression of the Photo Festival, and my interpretation of it. So I’m really happy to show them to you here.

 

About the International Photo Festival Leiden

The second International Photo Festival Leiden takes place in the autumn of 2014, Oct 11 till Nov 8. It aims at providing a platform for young talented, professional photographers, by giving them a chance to expose themselves to a broader audience.

278 international photographers entered their work : more than 1100 unique images. A jury existing of experts from the photography and art world selected 20 talented new photographers. On different locations in Leiden, the open air exhibition leads visitors along 80 of their works.

 

Noon break
Noon break
Children'e play
Children’s play

 

Inside-outside, darkness and light
Inside-outside, darkness and light

 

Ready to climb
Ready to climb

 

Passing by
Passing by

 

Unloading flowers
Unloading flowers
Vulnerability
Vulnerability
Ultra right reflection
Ultra right reflection
Silent strength
Silent strength
Veiled women
Veiled women

Young people in vocational training, skilful and motivated.


Deze blog post in het Nederlands (link)

Yesterday I was in Leiden, a small historic town in the Netherlands. I wanted to make a photo-reportage about the International Photo Festival in Leiden – which I did – but then happened to walk into a totally different event.

On one of the church squares where the displays with photo’s were set up, a large crowd of people had gathered before the entrance of the church. I wondered what was going on, saw a lady with a camera who was obviously a press photographer or reporter, and asked her whether she could tell me more. She told me that in half an hour, the official opening would take place of a two- day info market, in which vocational training schools would present themselves to young potential students, who will soon have to make their choice for a vocational training next year. That sounded quite interesting to me, so I decided to stay around and make a photo-reportage about this event as well.

The total story and a selection of the photo’s I made on the vocational training info-market you can find here on Demotix. I really loved to see how young people who are already in vocational training were eager to demonstrate their skills, and share about it with others.

There were a few more images that just didn’t make it into my Demotix story any more, but I like to show them here:

ROC student kneading dough
ROC student kneading dough
Building on a wooden construction
Building on a wooden construction
Group of boys show interest in metal instrument parts
Group of boys show interest in metal instrument parts
Paramedics training: first aid can save lives...
Paramedics training: first aid can save lives…

Photo reportage about the Amsterdam City Swim 2014


Dit artikel in het NEDERLANDS

Previous weekend, I had a really busy photojournalistic weekend. On Saturday, I was photographing on the “Day of 1000 cultures”, the opening of the new cultural season In Amsterdam SouthEast: a colourful festival where all kinds of cultural and sprts organisations presented their programs.

And on Sunday, not only did I make use for the first time of my newly earned press card from DEMOTIX, to make a photo story about the Amsterdam City Swim 2014… I also spend a few hours making a reportage of a demonstration against the horrific actions by ISIS, the terrorist group that is very active in Irak and Syrië

It has taken me some time to sort out and edit all those photo’s, but now at least a few of the reportages are uploaded at DEMOTIX , the worldwide network for free lance and amateur photo journalists.

The Amsterdam Cityswim was organized this year for the third time, as a fundraising for the ALS foundation in the Netherlands. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is one of the most serious, invalidating and deadly diseases of the nerves system. The Netherlands counts about 1500 patients. Every year, about 500 of them die, and 500 new patients are diagnosed with the disease. While there is investigation done all over the world, the cause of the disease is still unknown, and no cure is found. For those 1500 patients, with a life expectancy of 3 to 5 years after diagnosis, there is still no hope for a future…
The 2000 participants to the City Swim, together with the 200 kids that participated in the Cityswim for Kids, raised together an amount of over 2 million €, by finding sponsors for their swimming effort. This money will be used for further investigation and support to people with ALS.

Amsterdam City Swim 2014 – Kids

CitySwim for Kids in the Amsterdam Channels
Participants of the Amsterdam Cityswim for Kids and lifeguards swimming under the bridge towards the Keizersgracht channel. Public on the bridge is cheering them on.
two of the 200 young swimmers who participated in the Amsterdam Cityswim for Kids
Celeste (14) and Lianne (11), two of the 200 young swimmers who participated in the Amsterdam Cityswim for Kids.
Eva and Matthijs, 10 years, twins. They really earned their medal!
Eva & Mathijs, twins (10) proudly show their medals, earned in the Cityswim for Kids. Well done!.
Quinten Helmstrijd (3d place), Sam Boorsma (2nd place) Carolien Beckers (1st place) - winners of the Cityswim for Kids.
Quinten Helmstrijd (3d place), Sam Boorsma (2nd place) Carolien Beckers (1st place) – winners of the Cityswim for Kids.

2000 zwemmers namen deel aan de Amsterdam City Swim 2014

First group, ready to dive in
First group of swimmers ready to dive in.
With a big splash, the first swimmers hit the water
With a big splash, the first swimmers hit the water
First group of athletes in the water - all along the route, life guards are standby to keep an eye on the swimmers' safety.
First group of athletes in the water – all along the route, life guards are standby to keep an eye on the swimmers’ safety.

Uitgeput en tevreden komen zwemmers aan bij de finish

View on the finish and the Keizersgracht where crowds of supporters are looking as groups of swimmers finally reach the finish after a swim of 2014m through Amsterdam's channels.
View on the finish and the Keizersgracht where crowds of supporters are looking as groups of swimmers finally reach the finish after a swim of 2014m through Amsterdam’s channels.
Participants carrying orange balloons arrive at the last strecht of the Keizersgracht Channel, in view of the finish of Amsterdam City Swim 2014. A life guard is standby, keeping an eye on the swimmers' safety.
Participants carrying orange balloons arrive at the last strecht of the Keizersgracht Channel, in view of the finish of Amsterdam City Swim 2014. A life guard is standby, keeping an eye on the swimmers’ safety.
Participants carrying orange balloons arrive at the last strecht of the Keizersgracht Channel, in view of the finish of Amsterdam City Swim 2014. A life guard is standby, keeping an eye on the swimmers' safety.
Exhausted but satisfied, one of the swimmers comes out of the water, a black and white football on his back
Two women friends have now time to recuperate and relax, after the long swim of  2014 m.
Two women friends have now time to recuperate and relax, after the long swim of 2014 m.

What, you’re turning your back to me ?!


 

Lady with blue hat is turning her back to "het Amsterdams Lieverdje" (the Amsterdam sweetheart) - statue on Spui square
What, you’re turning your back to me??!

‘Streets of Amsterdam’-series

Lady with blue hat is turning her back to “het Amsterdams Lieverdje” (“the Amsterdam Little Darling”)) – statue on Spui square. The square is decorated with balloons in the National colours and orange flags, for the Soccer World Championship 2014.

 

So let’s see what next …


 

Amsterdam Street photography couple on terrace planning their next move
So let’s see what next

 

‘Streets of Amsterdam’-series

After a long walk through the busy city centre, they finally found a nice terrace. It takes some time before they are served their drink – so in the meantime: Let’s see what next…