First Letter

Name : Henk van Kooten
Born : 14 th November 1962, Netherlands.
Married in 1985 with my pride Christina Fluit.
Father of four daughters : Reneé, Linda, Marieke and Eva.
Education in Photography: Fotovakschool Apeldoorn, but most of all a autodidact.

Working for 14 years as a mail Nurse in a large Hospital.
During these years I worked for 8 years on a freelance base for a local photographer.
Working in two totally different worlds, but somwhere the twain do meet.
In hospital I learned how to see the patient as a psychological and somatic synthesis. I learned how to perceive emotions and how to deal with them.
You learn how to look into their eyes and how to know how they feel. You observe their attitude and notice how they feel.
After 8 years dualling jobs I started in 1997 my own Studio in the town centre of Nijmegen in the eastern part of the Netherlands, close to the German border.
I felt free, could do things my way.
After the education of one day by a BIPP photographer Leen Koper in marketing, light and lighting I created whole new fields to explore and I made a giant leap forward.
“Your own style”. In my opinion that was always something imposed on you by someone else. I just did the things I loved to do and thought I needed to do.

Style becomes identity,
Identity becomes a style.

Luckily my customers appreciated the way I did; maybe this way they even created some part of my present style.
My point of departure is that people should be able to create their personal space; they can be who the are, feel respected for there being.
Photography as a reflection.
To me , imaging is a way of mutual communication/interpretation with all these different kinds of people.
The final result should - in my opinion - be called Art.
Photography is Art, at least should be a form of.

After starting my studio and joining the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP), I started to qualify myself in the Institute. And amazingly I got my Fellowship after 11/2 year.
A spectacular result.
I won several Awards, amoungst them 2x International Weddingphotographer of the year,
1x The Lichfield Award (for the most creative use of people)
2004 : the BPPA --- Overseas Wedding, - Fashion and Glamour, - Commercial, -Overall Photographer of the year 2004.
For a overview of my awards, please look at my website: www.henkvankooten.com

2003- We have a new studio since November, wich is about 6 miles out of the town centre.
2004- I joined the Master Photographers Association (MPA) in England, the Professinal Photograpgers of America
(PPA )in Amerika, the XXV in Amerika
2005 -Also qualified myself as a Qualiofied European Phototographer (QEP) in portraiture, wedding and Fashion.
2006- Atfter this I also achieved the highest European standard possible: the
Master QEP.
Our customers come from all over the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and England and even the USA.
Since ten years I do workshops, wich I like to do. I need contact with other Photographers.
Have been on national TV for winning the WeddingCompetition.
Workshops : Germany, England, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Scotland,
Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Wales.
Doing critics and judging is also a part of my time now. I love to do this, as it is good to push and inspire people. Give them more selfconfidence.
Since I do workshops I started to say : If you do not see it, it will not be there.
I see myself as a mirror for people. But I will be the one who’s turning the mirror upside down or .....
I believe also in mistakes and taking risks during jobs in photography. Make last minute dissisions.
I try to be open minded, as I want to see people as they are.
The question will be : Look at that man; do you still see the boy in him ?
Inspiration : Architectual buildings, people, Ballet-dance, Music, Sport,Commercials.
2006- became part of the XXV in Amerika
2008- member of the Professinal Photograpgers of America (PPA)
2009- I joined the Federacion Espanola de Profesionales dela Fotografia y de la Imagen (FEPFI) in Spain.

Started to change our studio in three parts since 2007/2008:
- make up and styling
- the dutch school of photography
- photographic art and design

We are still moving into a multi-organisation.
Photographicly I keep evolving into more and different projects and concepts.
Influences with graphic design and painting are upcoming.
Also the writing of books:
‘One day with Henk van Kooten’
Is a tutorial about portraiture and wedding, incl a dvd
‘The Human Chain’
A project about 50 Dutch Myors in the reflection of the question: is ther still a personal life left, being a mayor. Incl. writing visions of the Mayors.
‘Disappearing’
Last small book produced is about my MasterQEP
‘Building Blocks to Imaging’
Discover your personal handwriting in photography
production starts soon

Sharing my views, ideas with photographers, a communication into the neverending. It is all put in our new slogan:
JUST THE IMAGE ......





Henk van Kooten