Love Across the Ages: A Journey Through Time

My wife and I have taken some awesome vacations, including a wonderful trip to Italy! This was in 2017, so this episode is not a very far throwback, although…

The content in this image goes back much further in time…

For the first part of our trip, we stayed in Ostia Antica, the original port town of Rome. We figured correctly that staying outside of Rome was a much better driving option than in the eternal city.

A key bonus was the excavations of ancient Ostia Antica (Parco Acheologico di Ostia Antica). This is an amazing site that provides hours of wandering back in time. Walking through each neighborhood of the old harbor city, one gets a real sense of what life was like. The photo is of statue in the House of Cupid and Psyche, a loving embrace across the ages.

And, yes, we also visited Rome, taking the train from Ostia Antica, which made for a wonderful way to get into the city.

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