Stephan Vanfleteren

I don't know of a better way to start this new year, then by visiting a beautiful exposition. My intern Els en I drove to Gent (Belgium) to view the portraits of the fabulous photographer Stephan Vanfleteren. He exhibited in Circus Mahy. What a great place. And what a beautiful photographs!

2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR

DUO

Need I say more? :-)

So Simple

Sometimes life can be so simple. One strobe, one man and a landscape.

TREE again

Somehow, I simple LIKE trees.

SKATEBOARD

I needed to make a photograph about teenagers, so I asked Jelle. He is really cool here!

I LIKE

Some more shots I really like.

DILAN

Last Friday we shot Dilan for the cover of a magazine. I made this sort of extra. I simply like it.
Thanx Dilan!

Update

It has been a while since I last wrote anything. Main reason is the fact that I'm working my ass off. And in the same time moved my 'office'. I'm renting a place (office) in a building, where some 20 other creatives are working. It's such a relief to have my own place. It was hard work decorating and all, but I'm very pleased. Same time I changed my company name into 'Vincent Boon Photography'. So it's officially now:

Vincent Boon Photography
Spaarnestraat 11a
3522 VB, Utrecht

Last week my intern Els and I had some time to fool around with the camera. And she made this. What a 'COOL' guy. ........... I know,..... I should go to bed earlier.

ALI B

Today we photographed the famous dutch hip-hop artist Ali B. So again a male. But what a joy to work with!

IT'S A MAN'S WORLD... IS IT ?

My september mailing. Thanx James, for the music.
Apparently I photographed a lot of men lately. Time for some women the coming months.

WHAT A DAY !

Great guy, fantastic head, beautiful suit, perfect shoes. Need I say more?

MUSICIAN or CEO ?

The day before yesterday we had to shoot a CEO of a hospital, for a health magazine. The page was to show the personal side of the man interviewed. So we shot him with his contrabass somewhere outside in a natural environment.

JOS

A studio project, for Jos and myself.

the BIG picture

Last Saturday my photograph was exhibited at an art show in a town nearby. Very special, to see my own picture displayed in a street, at such a huge size. If you like, you can view the original here.

Mr. NELIS

Last week we were on assignment for a magazine. And there was this guy Nelis. I asked him whether he would liked to be photographed. And so he sat down. Nice guy, nice picture.

FUN SHOPPING

Exactly one year after shooting the Mei Asia products, they are now available in the 'Albert Heijn', the largest food retailer of the Netherlands. It's weird and absolutely fantastic to see my pictures in the supermarket. The same supermarket where I have been shopping for so many years myself.

FOR MYSELF

Casper, a very special young man. I've been wanting to make these pictures for a long time. And I finally managed to do so. I find it very difficult,.. making portraits,... simply for myself ! I'm so used to assignments and working for clients. But, I'm getting better, bit by bit, in making my own personal work!

INTERVIEW

Back home again. After returning home from holidays in Spain, I had a very pleasant surprise by old fashion mail. I was sent ' C Magazine', including an interview and portfolio page of me. Who would have tought of that? It displayed the Mei Asia photographs. Mei Asia is a new Asian productline for an oriental foods trading company. Now, when I go shopping, I can view my own pictures on the shelves of the supermarket. I'm so proud !

KEEP IT SIMPLE !

Well,... I kept my promise. Just ONE light. Sometimes life can be so easy.

PERFECTIONIST

Today, I absolutely need to thank Mr. Crombag for his patience. I had to make 3 different shots for a magazine. And we worked for two and and half hours. Why is it, I always ride the difficult road? I was busy with 3 or 4 strobes, whilst I happen to know an other photographer photographed Mr. Crombag with a much more simple lighting set-up. And he made a great portrait !!! Time after time, I tend to go the hard way. I really need to keep it more simple. Though I know, I can only create the light I like by using several strobes. It's hard work. But is it worth it? I hope so!

PORTRAIT

This, I shot last tuesday for a magazine in palliative care. Gerard Schellekens, the president of the Voluntary Life Foundation (SVL) has been convicted for aiding a terminally ill, 80-year-old woman to commit suicide.

GREAT DAY !

Garik, hairstylist in real life. Model in his second life !

OPERATION ROOM OR GARDEN

Profoto strobes makes me so happy ! An operating room or a garden; Profoto makes life easy!

SO MUCH WORK

Finally time for an update. I've been so busy working. I just would like to share this photographs, because I like them. I've invested in 3 Profoto Heads, another California Sunbounce and lots of other gear. Now I feel I have much more control over my lighting. Control freak as I am !

FARMER

Yesterday, I shot a farmer in the centre of the Netherlands. I made a close-up for the client. And this photograph is purely for myself. It's healthy for my spirits.

Mei Asia Trip

Finally, I'm able to show a little movie about the Asia trip I made last year. I was asked to shoot a new product line for an oriental foods trading company. The marketing manager, an art director and myself flew to 4 different countries and shot in 5 different areas. We worked in Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, India and the Himalya's. We had 10 flights and shot 64 products, all within 3 weeks. With the help of different local crews we improvised on every location with the light, the props and the models. It was hard work, but a fabulous experience.

LAST WEEK

Just a quick update of a few things I have been working on last week. The first picture is a portrait of Paul Emmen. He is a Public Prosecutor. It was great fun working with him. He certainly has an interesting job.
The second photograph is a group portrait of the heads of the Public Prosecution for their annual report. I had planned on shooting outside. I had found a great location. But because of the rain we had to move inside. So I had to arrange an inside location on the spot. We managed to put the whole setting together within very limited time. So we did well!
And the third photo is a portrait of Sophie Hankes. She is a victim of medical errors. We went into the woods, where she used to walk endlessly, before she became dependant on her wheelchair. She is fighting a difficult struggle with the medical system to prevent more medical errors.

STUDIO INSPIRATION

Last week I did a test shoot in the studio. My intern Lize and I, wanted to make some portraits, inspired by Nadav Kander. I noticed his portraits of Obama's People for the New York Times. You can view them here. I was very impressed by the look and feel. And I was wondering ; how does he do that? So we copied the lighting set-up. But we failed to produce the shadows as in Kander's portraits. I don't think it can be done without photoshop. The subject is standing too far from the background to give a natural shadow. Whenever you have the solution, please mail me!

So, we didn't match Kander's portraits. But that doesn't matter at all. That's not the issue. Copying a set-up, is only the start for new inspiration. This will take me further again.
So this was a very useful and inspiring day!

Time for change

Lois Pot-Mothershed has been working for 'Democrats Abroad' for several months during the American presidential campaign. She is thrilled to see Barack Obama being sworn in as the 44th president of the Unites States next tuesday.

Three Musketeers

2009 has begon. And I'm ready for it!
Yesterday I photographed 3 Fathers for a Catholic Newspaper. It was freezing cold in church. But, thank God, the pictures turned out great.

Film Director

Now I know again how cold it can be in December. When I was photographing Eric Steegstra for a health magazine last week, I didn't feel my fingers anymore. We were standing somewhere in the desolated areas of Groningen, but it felt like we were at the North Pole or somewhere simulair. It was so very .... cold. But it doesn't show in the picture. It was a freezing, but interesting rendez-vous. A very nice man.

Princess

Last friday I shot the entire crew of my sisters hairdressers shop. I build a complete studio on location, using 6 lights and a backdrop. In 8 hours we photographed 18 hairstylists. And I really like this one in particular. She is like a Princess.

Friend

Last week Joke and I were playing around in the studio. Trying out different kinds of lighting. I find it so inspiring to be able to just play around. Not having to worry about a client. To allow yourself to fail. And sometime that happens, and sometimes the results are not that bad. In the end this portrait was made with just one light. Simplicity is what I might need to pursue more.