Houses at Night

For some time now I am working on a project to take pictures of houses at night. In first instance I focused at houses in Wijk aan Zee, a village at the sea - and recently I turned to my own neighborhood, Bosch en Vaart Kwartier in Haarlem.

Houses get a totally differrent atmosphere if you capture them in the dark. A hedge hiding the view onto the living room, a lonely illuminated window of an attic, a single room occupied in a deserted beach hotel – it evokes a feeling of intimacy, retreat and mystery. That is also why I take care not to include people. It makes the viewer feel being outside, in the cold - raising desiring for the warmth inside. It also incites curiosity - but at the same time it makes him feel uncomfortable too: as if any moment he could be trapped as being a voyeur. And, couldn't something be happening inside that maybe cannot tolerate daylight?

This flow of feelings is stimulated further by the colors of the night. The yellow glass of the leaded windows looks extra warm, the clouded sky above tends to orange, the pavement shines bluish under the street lights. Composition and post-processing feed these feelings and associations further. I find it a great subject - I hardly can wait for the extra touch the coming snow will add.

This will probably be my last blog entry this year - therefore this is the moment to wish you all a Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year!

The Paper Mill

Paper mill “De Schoolmeester” (‘Schoolteacher’) is a very special place from a photography perspective. I have been there once before (check out here for the resulting pictures) – but enriched by new experiences since then I returned last weekend. And once again I was surprised by the ethereal, tender light that turns even the simplest things in little miracles. Outside watery sunshine, showers and greyness alternated – and as a result on the inside the soft light changed continuously as it caressing the interior. I took all time necessary to play with that light, and with the perspective: from the space in its entirety, with its almost mystical atmosphere, down to the smallest details and their ‘substance expression’.

Like the rough brush that looking through a macro lens seems to fade away in a mist of smoothness. Or this piled up bag of rags, raw material for the production of paper, covered under a thick layer of dust.

What does this light do to colors? Also they seem to be softer then everywhere else. This is reinforced by using a special capturing technique that confuses the eye, bringing sharpness and fuzziness of the very same together in a single image.

Please take a closer look here and let me know if you can guess what I did – clue: I wrote about it earlier below in this blog.

The Hague

A weekend ago I went out with the photo club for a shoot in The Hague. The objective was: practicing street photography. Now is that not really my cup of tea, but as you never know on beforehand what you get in front of your lens (besides the unavoidable St. Nicolas), and because it’s always fun going out with the club, I gladly joined.

And indeed, we did come across St. Nicolas, and indeed, street photography was not a particular success for me. Whether it’s my lack of fascination for scenery in the street or my diffidence to get closer is difficult to say – and probably it’s both.

Nevertheless, it was a perfect day. On one hand because it was indeed again utmost sociable and enjoyable together, but also because we discovered on our route a nice gallery where I discovered paintings of Esther Nienhuis being prepared for the opening next day, paintings made after photographs taken from behind wet windscreens – coincidentally a project I am working on too. Very coincidental, and inspiring too.

But besides that: after this photo (which you should actually see printed on baryta paper), taken in the first minutes after we left the parking upon arrival that morning, I knew this would be a great day.

Above a splendid patch of fog around the top of the futuristic ‘Hoftower’, dispersing the light of the rising sun. And below serene tranquillity, with a light that remembers of old pictures of Kertész.