Tell us the story behind your photo in this exhibition.
Looking for toadstools is not always easy. Sometimes I look for days and find nothing worth shooting. This situation however on the Wadden island Ameland in the autumn of 2014 asked for my attention. Without even looking through my macrolens I recognized the photogenic toadstools. I like to play with sharpness versus unsharpness and this setting was just ideal.
How did you go about getting that shot?
The setting was already there, all I had to do was to keep the toadstools that were situated in bright sunlight, in the shadow. To do this I used a white umbrella. I did a little bit of ‘gardening’ with the unsharp moss in the foreground. A little pressing of the vegetation here and there makes a great difference when shooting with the macrolens flat on the ground. The toadstools now beeing put into the shade turned a little bit blue. The background however which was enlighted by the sun turned into a warm light yellow color. It was obvious for me to focus on the little toadstools and let the big toadstools in the front be un unsharp sort of ‘filling’.
How long did you have to wait for this shot?
If you mean how long did it take for me to find this situation: days…! Once found these toadstools I could shoot them right away.
Did you use any particular equipment?
Like almost always when shooting macro’s, I used my viewfinder because of the low shooting point. Since I have no tiltable screen on my fullframe Nikon D610, I am forced to do so. Also I used a white umbrella to keep my toadstools out of the sun.
What are the difficulties of wildlife photography you face?
One thing is on the creative level: I have to keep myself innovating. This is not always easy, since I am very critical about myself. When I for instance notice myself repeating a way of shooting, it is not good enough anymore. Occasionally this can be quite frustrating, especially when I have no new ideas left at at that time.
The other thing is a more practical difficulty. It is nowadays so hard to find nature areas that are not yet discovered by other nature photographers. I prefer shooting alone or with my boyfriend Edwin Giesbers. When there are lots of people around I am unable to concentrate and nothing good is coming out of me and my camera.
What would you like people to think about when they see your work?
I hope they will be surprised and inspired.
How long have you been a photographer and how did you get started in your career?
Photography has always been a part of my life. I started with black and white photography in my early twenties. I developed and printed everything myself. In 1992 I followed the Art school in Den Haag. In 2002, when I met my current boyfriend Edwin Giesbers who is a professional nature photographer, I focused entirely on nature photography. Gradually I focused more and more on macro photography and now I have my favourite subjects are toadstools, flowers and insects.
What would you advise someone wanting to start taking photos of wildlife in their local environment?
Do what you want most. Meaning learn where your heart goes to and try to develop yourself in this one subject. Go back and back to this same subject.
Also: look for pictures from other photographers whenever and wherever you can and get inspired. Enjoy the work of others, but don’t envy it.
What have you been up to since the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015 competition? What projects are you working on now?
In the following winter I have been working on my own printed portfolio. This may seem insignificant but in my opinion this is undervalued and so important. Nowadays we are used to see our digital files on a (computer) screen and we forget what the files look like when printed. These prints however are important for me to stay in touch with my photos. Also, in case of any digital ‘disaster’, I still have my prints to look back at.
Furthermore now it’s winter and I am sorting out and processing my work, shot in the past spring and summer. No big projects going on, just enjoying the subjects coming in front of my lens..
What are your favourite scenes to photograph?
My favourite subjects are toadstools, flowers and insects. Independently of the subject I prefer to play with lots of unsharp bokeh and only a little bit of sharpness in the pictures. Therefore it is not only the main subject but the whole surrounding/bokeh in the picture that is equally important. It is a challenge for me to ‘paint’ with light and formes.