Venus guided us all the way home after the Vienna trip.
The picture from the plane resembles a bit the picture I took at home a few days ago, with Jupiter and Venus in conjunction.
More blue lately:
Angry ocean
Floating. Mesmerizing
Dusk settles
Tonight, Venus and Jupiter are standing very close together in the sky. That is: they’re standing very, very far apart, but they appear to look close together to us.
In the sunset picture you can see them cosily in the top right corner, in between the greylag geese. Beautiful sunset today.
I also took a few pictures with the standard 500 mm lens, and was very surprised about the details. You actually see the little balls in the sky, and a few moons around Jupiter. Always makes me feel like that little boy, staring into the sky with a small telescope and dreaming of the stars…
A few weeks ago a fellow photographer from Amersfoort gave a presentation on Saul Leiter. Famous New York fashion photographer. Besides his professional work he did a lot of street photography. Educated in the arts and painting, he was looking for a dialogue between colour and remarkable compositions. People are always present in his work, even if it is just a hand or a foot. At first glance, many pictures seem failed, for the main subjects are often only partly visible or blurred. Then it starts to dawn on you. His aim is not to get a nice picture of a person, or a perfect eye-pleasing frame. His aim is to create space, tension, contrast of light and a clash of colours.
So on a rainy night I went out to the city closest to Hollandsche Rading, Utrecht, to try and look with different eyes. Not his eyes of course, for his life was completely different from mine. But my eyes, trying to look as a child to lights, colours and people. The result is a kind of impressionist winter series.
There it was: the red umbrella, so often present in Leiter´s New York pictures.
Tot ziens
Christmas Eve in the streets of Alkmaar
Line 50 Utrecht
Time for a smoke
End of year always makes me a little emotional. Thinking of what has been achieved, and what lies ahead. Personal stuff, like family, health, growth and decay. Big, very big stuff like the war of Russia in Ukraine, abuse, suppression, the energy crisis, the biodiversity crisis. Might feel a bit awkward to wish everyone a merry Christmas. On the other hand: these are the darkest days, and isn’t Christmas all about hope? In the midst of the dark a new light comes, a new beginning of warmth and life. And hopefully also peace.
I wish you all the best!
De Portrettenmaker 