I was recently asked by the Co-Owner Sander Smit of the Multimedia company Zuiver Internet Marketing to do a photoshoot for their client ‘vanDijk Verkeersopleidingen.’ They are a driving-school in the city of Leeuwarden in the Netherlands and the new website made by Zuiver Internet marketing that also contains my photography has recently been launched and is ready to be viewed by clicking here.

So far, I hadn’t had the chance of looking for the ‘real’ Lisbon yet. For people who read this and want to visit Lisbon, keep it in mind that a lot of areas in Lisbon are pretty unsafe (drug addicts, criminals et cetera), so don’t wander of f too far from the main roads. My iPhone being stolen last weekend is nothing compared with what can happen, especially when you carry a professional camera that you are not willing to give up easily. Try to blend in as much as possible (a bit hard for me with blond hair and blue eyes, but what the heck!)

Anyway, some even more interesting days are coming up as well! I’ll be working first hand with the Assistent Director (AD) on the upcoming film where we did the scouting for. Apperantly he is the best AD in Portugal, so no doubt that I can learn a lot! More info soon!

So, I’m back from my journey for a short while now and it truly was amazing. Slovakia is a small but very diverse country where you can enjoy the urban lifestyle in Bratislava and other towns while enjoying a beer at a nice terrace overlooking the old town or you can go clubbing with some fellow travellers. You can also visit small mountain villages with only a few dozen inhabitans where life is hard and traditional. And off course you can go into the wild in the Slovenska raj (National Park) or the Low and High Tatras mountains. You’ll be sure to find some beautiful forrests, lakes and waterfalls close to and on the slopes of the mountains there. Watch eagles fly overhead looking out for prey and just enjoy the remoteness of it all. And take your time.

The interesting thing about Slovakia for me personally was that, even though they are part of the EU now, you can still see alot of statues and buildings proudly rising up in the air from communist times. In fact, have a look at this brochure I got in Bratislava. Strange way of getting tourists, using communism as a sarcasm joke if you ask me (will upload this picture later)

Anyway, during my travels throughout Slovakia with my good friend Vincent we came across alot of interesting places and people. Beacuse images tell more than words, I’ll let my pictures do the talking. Feel free to comment. If you are interested in going to Slovakia as well, you can always ask for tips and I’ll answer from my own experience and hope it will be useful to you.

Best regards,

jr

Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul. Throughout the ages under whatever name Istanbul has never lost it’s mysticism and beauty. And not without reason Napoleon once said that if the whole world would be one continent, Constantinople would be it’s capital.

With it’s twenty million people the city is alive in all it’s aspects. It invites you, it excites you. The city inhales and exhales. It truly breathes and the people are the blood that’s pumping through her veins and gigantic heart.

Istanbul is a city to discover and never to forget. So by all means: go out and walk the streets where crusaders marched long ago. Bargain in the bazaar district where things haven’t changed all that much in over 2000 years. Wander amongst the most tremendous buildings in the world with your mouth wide open making you unable to speak for quite some time. Cross the Galata bridge which is like a city all on its own and meet the most interesting, friendly and hardest people of the city here. Get off the tram at a place you’ve never even heard off and spend that day getting lost to find your own Istanbul. And last but not least: every once in a while, just sit back with a cup of ‘kahve’ and watch Istanbul pass by.

Then, and only then, you might have gotten some idea of what Napoleon was talking about and the oldest of memories will meet the new.

Next to these photography buttons there will also be a ‘video’ button, which for the time being will include a TV commercial I made in the Netherlands (Blikvanger) and a TV program I made in Turkey (Erasmus in Eskisehir). Later on, short films will be added including the one I’m  working on right now called ‘Letting Go’.

Apart from my works you can also find the pages ‘About, Resume, Clients and Contact’ all nicely animated in Flash Bij Sander Smit and Melle Renema from Netface. It’s going to be great! Stay tuned for more updates soon.

The opening started in the Grote Kerk (Big Church) also known as the Jacobijnerkerk in Leeuwarden. Several couples walked into the church as if it were a real wedding – music included – and every couple wore wedding clothes from around 1900 till today. about 750 people came to watch, among them some famous Dutch people such as Imca Marina, a well known singer from Holland. She held a speech about the exhibition and so did Else-Marie van den Eerenbent, a well know family therapist and author.

Gerda Havertong was also at the opening and she’s a famous singer and actrice in the Netherlands. Most people know her from Sesame Street. I did a personal photoshoot for her in the afternoon.

Take a look at some of the pictures from the photoshoot and the opening of the exhibition ‘Scherven & Geluk’ at the end of this article.

Find out more about the exhibition at the museum’s website here and  and the exhibition website here.

Over the years I developped myself into a professional photographer. But besides photography I also have a passion for filmmaking and music. Short films, video productions and music compositions (usually used in my video productions) will be visible here as well.

On this blog you can also stay up to date with all my travels – in and out of the Netherlands  and work of others that truly inspires me. Also, keep checking my official portfolio here for the latest updates.