http://koolsphoto.com

Biography 

I was born in The Netherlands but have lived in several different countries. Each of these places have changed me and made me who I am. I take bits and pieces of each country, place and culture and add them together.

I received my first camera at age 7 and have been shooting ever since, first under the tutelage of my uncle, the photographer Hans Biezen, later with other photographers. I did seminars with Michael Gnade, Olga Kaloussi and Thomas Frösch in Düsseldorf, Germany. Here, in Washington, I’ve taken seminars with Ray Pfortner.

All the Visual Arts have played a large role in my life until now but photography has really held my fascination, it is my way of discovering each new place.

I like to photograph subjects in such a way that they contain a sense of estrangement for the beholder.

”I was born in The Netherlands but have spent my life living in different places. Being a newcomer often, I always want to get a feeling for the peculiarity of the area, some which may have gone unnoticed by locals. Photography forces me to become acquainted with my new location on an intimate level; it is my way of ‘owning’ a new place. Seeing a new location through my lens is exciting, enervating and surprising.”