christmas wish

Dear all

We want to wish you all a very special christmas together with your family and all the ones you love.
Every year we make a special card with our family and we want to bring a message....
In november we already discuss with our girls what it should be this year.
Of course it is also a message for ourselfs.
The days are flying by and sometimes you might forget what is in the minds of someone else.
So we are going to try first of all in our own family to be more understanding for each others thoughts and than of course for more other people around us.

We hope it will encourage you all.

Crazy Faces Project Wijchen

Crazy Faces Project Wijchen

Why ?
Is that necessary ?
Great idea !

The comments fly around me when I get the idea.
For a long time I make pictures like crazy faces at the end of a photo shoot.
Leave with a good feeling and a smile.
That's important after finishing work.
The idea of influence people while they are shopping in the center of Wijchen with a wink, and a smile i had for a long time.
By "art in the center" could now be carried the idea further.
Under the theme: "I take my sport seriously"
All Presidents | owners of sports clubs and gyms were approached.
Overwhelming supply of mad faces Presidents | owners.
The one was a little more reserved than the other in our studio.
We started with just a face, were soon taken attributes that had to do with their sport.
And see the result.
Wijchen is (as far as I know) the first who dares to use unpolished crazy faces to create an atmosphere that a good feeling among people should bring.
Shopping with a smile and not stress.
Just stop and realize that life is over there ..
Even still, pull yourself as a funny face and walk in and smile.

Henk van Kooten

Look at our website www.henkvankooten.com in the portfolio art and design!
In here you can see the individual portraits.
You can also visit our webshop for great christmasgifts if your passion is photography........

Missing leg...

Missing Leg

Playing soccer he broke his leg at the age of 14.
That is how the cancer was discovered.
A pretty boy.
Good looking.
No matter with or without leg.
It did not change his beauty.
Most people are shocked seeing this ‘joking’
With a terrible thing.
But it is how it also survives the negatives.
It is also showing that the beauty-principles of the industries can
Be shown as a stupidity.
Beauty is what makes you you.
It is a missing leg yes, so what?
It is not missing fun in life anymore.
That is how we got to our second image.
Where the first was a part of the project: Heroes of the Hospital
The second and third are of the family shoot.
What I did was a stupid faces picture and showed everybody how they look like with one leg.
It is a family picture to have and cherish, for it show that we al are the same, no matter what we miss.
It doesn’t take away the pain, it doesn’t cover-up.
It just shows beauty in itself.
You are what you is.... to speak in Frank Zappa’s words.


Henk

Lecture Kevin Wilson: Light or Illuminate Dutch School of Photography, Wijchen, november 23rd 2009

Lecture Kevin Wilson: Light or Illuminate
Dutch School of Photography, Wijchen, november 23rd 2009


The second evening lecture in our school was a huge succes.
In preparation it was mentioned a wedding lecture and the use of available light.
The use of reflectors included.
Kevin got his fellowship in Weddingphotography in both important institutes in England: the BIPP and the MPA.
The evening started at 19.00 with introducing the Sponsors.
Explaining the importance of the sponsors and the photographers working together.
Kevin started his evening talk with a slideshow about his work.
A phantastic line-up of images showing his diversity of using available light.
Not just classical, but the combination of a rather journalistic combination with reportage wedding. Also styling the ways of posing and composing the images.
Cropping lots of his images is already a thoughtproces before taking the image.
Kevin than strated to explain his way of preparation and getting in contact with his weddingcouples.
A proces of 18 months like he was saying.
His way of working is as a concept so there is no way of making things go wrong.
Looking at the location with his weddingcouple, looking for the best places to go etc
Also the way of thinking: “I take five images from a full size weddingdress, so people can show how beautyfull it was.
Also some questions came up, like the way of selling.
In here you see cultural differences with how is worked in the Netherlands.
Looking at a budget first, go for a 60 images wedding album, that ends up in a album of about 100-120 pictures.
In Holland that is seen as forcing people to buy more. While it is in fact not the way Kevin wanted it to look like.
In his opinion people need to see the images, to realise they need more images to tell the story and are open to extend the budget.

Kevin talked very intens about this concept.
He also takes a risk by choosing for an atmosphere instead of a killing flash.
Long exposures that might give even an unsharp result, instead of a pinsharp no atmosphere image.

During the half hour break everybody could walk around and see the new fuji 3d digital camera, the latest Eizo 24inch screen, talk with Nik Software and see prints of Kevin on papers of Innova and Epson.

After the break Kevin started with a slideshow about a bride moving her veil.
Al moving images with huge impact.
That is how art involves into weddingphotography.

Kevin shows lots of images to explain his way of using light and reflectors.
Very interesting is his way of bouncing the light into a dark room, where the light is bounced again to the bride, so there is detail where there is no detail without this bouncing light.
Amazing that it looks so natural in the endresult.
He shows his fellowship images more and more, explaining his way of lighting.
The importance to connect also with other people than the weddingcouple,. Especially the mother of the bride.

Kevin was also very entertaning in the way he showed and demonstrated the excersise of a weddingcouple.
How to make a good figure and posing.

Kevin showed his emotion in weddingphotography.
Also his feeling of romance and expressing love.
Not just a classical feeling, but also a modern taste!
As Kevin says: “If they see the images, they mostly start to cry. And if not, I am disappointed”.

Again this was a different way to teach photography.
Our goal is to teach and not to have an egoshow.
Kevin completely succeeded in this.

To pick out the points to use in your own way of working, creating a different awareness, is what triggers new photography.

Next evening-lecture will be : monday 18th of january 2010.
Venue will be the studio of Photal, Wijchen. Close to our school.
It will be a talk and demonstration with top-choreographer of Introdans
Adriaan Luteijn (see: http://www.adriaanluteijn.com and http://www.introdans.nl )
The theme will be about bodylanguage. Connecting photography to the use and language of dance.
Be prepared that you will be activated and join ‘movements’ aswell.

Title:
Choreographer Meets Photographer.
More will come soon.
Limited places up to 50.
Based on first come you can make reservations already.
Be in time for already lots of people are signing up.


Henk van Kooten