My first camera was a second hand Olympus OM1 which I bought during my first year at University, studying Biology at the Groningen University in the Netherlands. Working with this manual camera has thought me a lot about the general techniques in photography and above all, it was always fun!
In the last year of my study I bought a Minolta Dynax 5, and since then I did not stop expanding my photographic skills as well as my equipment. I graduated as a Molecular Biologist in 2002 and currently am a PhD-student in Molecular Genetics.
Although my profession might indicate otherwise, I have always had an interest in Nature, en specially all aspects of nature that can be found at the seashore. When in 2000 I discovered a new species of crab for the Netherlands, my passion for crabs was born, and nowadays I am regarded as a crab specialist, at least for The Netherlands.
In my photography I also try to specialize a bit in crabs, since I think this is a niche not many nature photographers are in, and thus it will be just a bit more easy selling pictures. And if I sell some pictures I can buy that extra lens or other gear. But more important, I just like to take pictures of crabs! Just like I like taking pictures of other interesting subjects.
For me photography above all is a very nice and gratifying way to spend my spare time. However nice it is to scan a slide at high resolution, enhance it in Photoshop, sell it and see it published somewhere, the best feeling still comes from taking that very nice picture. When I was using film there was the supsence in having your film developed, picking it up from the photography store and taking the developed but uncut slide film from its bag and quickly look for that really, really nice shot that is present between all the other nice or less nice frames. That thrill made it already worthwhile spending so many free hours in taking pictures, reading articles and magazines etc. etc. And now I shoot digital, the waiting is gone, but the thrill is still the same. An the rest is just bonus. What a nice avocation I have!
