Friday in Flight

Many of you may be aware that my passion for photography was rekindled in the digital camera age by an activity that one of our dogs was participating in under the guidance of my wife: dog agility. Going along with Kris and Darwin to the various competitions, I started looking for something to do; so I bought a camera and started taking shots of Darwin competing.

Those early ones weren’t great for several reasons including my inexperience with sports photography and digital camera technology still was developing in the early parts of the 21st century. As I improved and Canon released first the EOS 10D and then the EOS 1D, people started noticing my photos and asked if I could capture their dogs’ action as well. This grew into quite a little business and enabled me to invest in great equipment, as well as learning on my part.

Here’s one of my shots from 2005, which still makes me smile…

Buford, the wonderful Basset Hound, really appears to be flying through the course, as he clears the final jump. Reality is that Buford was not the quickest to do this run by a long shot and he sort of sauntered to this last obstacle; he then threw his entire body over it with one might jump, which I was ready to catch with my camera.

For the camera nerds and historians, I took this shot with a Canon EOS 1D MkII and my trusty Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L lens; I still have the lens and it’s been an amazingly reliable workhorse over the years.

Author: jansenphoto

A Fresh Perspective Photography is more than just a vehicle for capturing the world around me; it provides me with a palette and a set of brushes, with which I paint not only what I see, but also look to express the emotions that are evoked by the scene in front of me in that moment. Growing up in the Netherlands exposed me to a wide cross-section of visual arts that laid the foundation of my photographic view of all that surrounds me. Early influences were the Dutch Masters of the 17th century, to whom I was introduced by my grandfather during museum explorations; favorites among them are the scenes of quotidian life depicted by Jan Steen and Frans Hals and the vivid landscapes of Jacob van Ruisdael. My classical high school education was supplemented by the Boijmans Van Beuningen museum, where I spent many a lunch hour exploring its great collection. Here I was introduced to surrealism with a particular love for the approach taken by Salvador Dali; Dali also rekindled my appreciation for the work of Hieronymus Bosch, who often showed the folly of us mortals. Universal Connections My approach to any photographic subject is to look for understanding first; in this I look to establish either a connection between the viewer and the subject or capture the connection of the subject with its surroundings. The captured image then aims to portray this connection from a perspective that is part of my personal interpretation. This interpretation is often a form of externalized introspection, which may alternately display the connection of isolated beings and items with their environment or highlight the whimsy of the profound world, in which we find ourselves. The universe is full of connections, many of which are waiting to be discovered; part of my journey as a photographer is to document these connections. Any assignment, be it an event, a product shoot or a portrait session is always approached through communication with the client; this is where the first connection is established. Ideas are exchanged and a collaborative plan of action forms, ultimately resulting in a set of images that aim to exceed the expectations of each client. And, lest we forget, it is important to have fun while practicing the serious business of photography! View all posts by jansenphoto