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!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Return

Return travel…

Welcome to week 209 of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

Back from a bit of a hiatus, I thought it might be a good idea to celebrate the idea of Return for this week’s theme… Whether it’s the travel to return home, a return to normalcy, the return of a book or a favor… There are many great returns in our lives! Your challenge is to connect one of those returns to an image of your choosing this week. Feel free to take any direction you’d like to take on this theme, and have fun with it!

Looking forward to seeing many happy returns!

Returning to Boston…

Back in Boston…

Upon arrival at Logan Airport from New York’s John F. Kennedy airport, I didn’t expect a large line for luggage, as there were only 5 passengers on the flight… The emptiness of the baggage claim area was stunning! Good news, is that as I walked to the carousel, my bag came out and I was outside in seconds to meet my wife!

The full rules of this challenge are in TPC Guidelines, but here’s the tl;dr:

  • Write a post with an image for this week’s topic
  • Please tag your post with fpj-photo-challenge (if you’re not sure about how tags work, please check out this WordPress article about tagging posts)
  • Create a pingback link to this post, so that I can create a post showing all of the submissions over the week (note: pingbacks may not appear immediately, as my site is set up to require approval for linking to it; helps against previous bad experiences with spamming)
  • Have fun creating something new (or sharing something old)!!

Stay safe, healthy and let’s work toward a return to our preferred state of being!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 207

No lines, no waiting…

Welcome to the 207th round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

Thank you all for the well-wishes. As I catch up, I’ll still owe you round up 208 for later this week, and the delayed 209th Tuesday Photo Challenge is arriving in a couple of hours. We will get back to normal!

Your Travels were filled with reminiscences of places past and hope for places future; one thing that came through loud and clear in all of your posts is how travel expands our view of the world and connects us as people of this planet. Covering the distance brings us closer…

Thank you for all the work you put into your posts!! I truly enjoyed reading them.

Travel looks very different these days…

The Air is Out of Travel…

The otherwise busy Terminal A at Boston Logan Airport of a Friday afternoon… It was a rather eerie feeling to have no trouble with social distancing, as there were very few travelers. As my flight would take me out of the country, there was a significant number of checks that were made to ensure that I was not going to be sent back on arrival in the Netherlands. After I cleared that hurdle, I had to take this photo to give a sense of the emptiness of the terminal…

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

  1. Na’ama starts off the posts on the Travel theme with a wonderful poem that really touched me, which is also beautifully in tune with the great image in Na’ama Yehuda.
  2. Maria reminisces of travels taken in her post in Kamerapromenader; that rainbow over the Isle of Skye should result in money!
  3. Nandini has us traveling not only across space, but also time in her post in queennandini; wonderful haikus and images!
  4. We travel into Spring without fear in a wonderful post in The Jesh Studio, which is something that all of us can appreciate!
  5. Osceola, Iowa, looks rather inviting in a great post in Does Writing Excuse Watching. All that space might take away the sense of social distance!
  6. Viveka definitely put together a great post in myguiltypleasures! She reminds us of both the pros and cons of traveling…I know a fix for those queues!
  7. Jackie is ready to float leisurely down the Danube in her post in JunkBoat Travels; looks like it was a wonderful trip!
  8. Diane’s post in pensivity101 tells of travel in a very big way, as her solo trip to visit her brother in New Zealand was indeed a grand trip!
  9. Kammie keeps her travel local in a wonderful post in Nut House Central; walking those local trails is always full of enjoyment!
  10. The travels shown in the magnificent post in Wanderlust and Wonderment has me filled with awe! There are some places that I have visited, but there are some that are very high on my list, such as Abu Simbel!
  11. The travel mode highlighted in the lovely post in Geriatri’x’ Fotogallery is one that I can see enjoying…all the comforts of home, wherever you go!
  12. Sarah features a heap of color in her post in By Sarah, as those well-worn, travel-weary tires have settled with a bit of paint!
  13. Another interesting mode of travel is documented with a magnificent photo in theOnlyD800intheHameau; I expect that I might also find it unsettling…
  14. David shares stunning photos of some travelers, who are not affected by any travel ban in his post in David M’s Photoblog; those birds are some of the champions of logging travel miles!
  15. Bren takes us to a rather unusual location in her post in Brashley Photography; Lombard street is a sight to behold and Bren’s capture of the scene is simply fantastic!
  16. Teresa takes us to the heights of Switzerland in her travel post in My Camera & I, which makes me want to wander among those Alps!
  17. The post in Don’t Hold Your Breath takes us across a decade of Summer travel to many amazing locations! Great collection of images!
  18. Ken shows us that travel doesn’t have to be far in his post in Pictures without Film; Brynna common on a Winter solstice morning looks breathtaking!
  19. Alice takes us back to one of her travels in a lovely post in the59Club; Berlin is among my favorite cities with lots to offer to tourists.
  20. Woolly may have to postpone this year’s visit to Africa, so we’ll just enjoy his photos from a prior trip in WoollyMuses! I sincerely hope that this postponement is temporary, as I’d love to see more photos!
  21. Nicole really captures the essence of Brittany with the wonderful photo in her post in Une Photo, Un Poéme! What a stunning scene!
  22. Rupali expresses a sentiment in her post in Mazeepuran that is shared by many of us: we miss our travel! Wonderful post!
  23. In another wonderful post in Land of Images, we get to experience Travel – Nae Moor; may you Ferry Well!
  24. Anne shares a magnificent set of travel images in her post in HorseAddict; her post reminds me why I too want to visit Cambodia!
  25. Aseem put together a great post in his blog Transition of Thoughts, as he connects the Brooklyn night with 100 words!
  26. Sandy takes us along for a trip to the Rockies in her post in Out of my Write Mind; they are filled with stunning beauty!
  27. Klara takes us to Helsinki in her post in Sliku Svoju Ljubim II, where the lanterns are carried in stony silence.
  28. Marie takes her heart, and mine, back to Italy in a lovely post in The New 3R’s: Retire, Recharge, Reconnect! Gorgeous view!
  29. Sheetal also takes us to Italy, as she gives a wonderful recounting of travels through Tuscany in her photos in SheetalBravon; I remember Sienna and its amazing staircases very well!
  30. Brian appears to be looking wistfully toward the sky as planes fly over in his post in Bushboy’s World; like the Beatles, we’d rather be flying!
  31. Tatiana takes us up to Nova Scotia in her post in Travelways; there, we go back in time in Sherbrooke Village to see how the pioneers lived.
  32. In myTravelCSP, there’s an abundance of wonderful travels that we join; lovely post!
  33. Xenia takes us to those precious places in a wonderful post in whippetwisdom, as both dog and human look for these locales.

Please let all these wonderful authors know how much you enjoy their blog posts!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 206

Reach up and rise!

Welcome to the 206th round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

My apologies for the very late posting of this round up; I’m finally coming up for air amidst all the business goings-on that are flowing forth from this pandemic of ours. I hope that you and yours are doing well during this testing time. At this point, I’ve recovered from the unusual experience of air travel during coronavirus adjustments.

Thank you for the amazing responses to the theme of Hope; as always, your creativity shows itself in many different expressions. Each with its own unique flavor and outlook.

Hope is around us, wherever we look…

Springing forth toward the sky…

Tower Hill Botanic Garden might be closed during this period, but rest assured that Nature’s design is not thwarted by any virus, as Nature, like all of us, might have to take a different path, as a destiny filled with hope lies ahead.

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

  1. Michelle kicks things off for the theme with a great photo of rose apple in bloom in Take a Walk…and Discover! Awesome shot filled with hope!
  2. There’s nothing like the hope of that special bit of fortune at the races, as we see pictured in theOnlyD800intheHameau; is it a sure bet?
  3. Diane reminds us that each dawn brings new hope in her wonderful post in pensivity101; lovely post and photos!
  4. Bren brings us an absolutely stunning shot in her post in Brashley Photography; the magnolia blossom bud really brings the hope of Spring!
  5. Tatiana shares an amazing shot in her post in Giftsmart; the composition and colors just jump off the screen!
  6. Spring may be hiding, as we see in a great post in The Jesh Studio, but I expect that we’re hoping for its beauty and warming breezes everywhere!
  7. Carol brings us hope on the wing in her post in Light Words; that shot of the monarch butterfly is stunning and screams Spring!
  8. Nandini continues with her great haikus in her post in queennandini; she has a knack for them and lets the hope shine through!
  9. Viveka reminds us to appreciate the hope in our current situation and what people do to ensure we don’t lose sight of what’s important in a wonderful post in myguiltypleasures; thank you!
  10. Jackie’s collection of photos in JunkBoat Travels literally brings us signs of hope in several different ways; great post!
  11. There’s definitely a place where hope comes from, as highlight in a cool post in Does Writing Excuse Watching… star nurseries are the creators of the stuff that life is made of!
  12. Marianne brings us the hopeful vision of flowers in the Spring in her post in Kanlaon; those are truly beautiful!
  13. Hannah shares another stunning photo in her post in Zebra’s Child; hope very much springs alive in this image! Of course, Hannah brings us even more beauty in another post in Zebra’s Child that is filled with hope!
  14. Xenia’s post in whippetwisdom emphasizes how dog and human provide support for one another; they fill us with hope, as much as we provide it for them! In a second post in Tranature, we are treated to some more photos taken through the sphere lens…they are gorgeous!
  15. Teressa brings us the hope of renewal, as she highlights some of the forms that it might take in Nature in Another LQQk; wonderful post!
  16. Sandy demonstrates that hope springs forth in her post in Out of my Write Mind; not only from the ground, but also from her mind!
  17. In a wonderful post in Peace of Life Today, Lisa shows us a true vision of hope in all of Nature’s glory!
  18. Come to me, says the spider in a beautiful photo in Land of Images, where same spider holds out hope: for a meal!
  19. Mark shares an absolutely stunning shot in his post in Schlink’s Shots; the tenderness of the little flower is filled with hope!
  20. Sarah brings us a gorgeous shot of Australian Wattle in her post in By Sarah; the gentle shade of yellow cannot help, but bring hope!
  21. Nicole’s lovely photo in her post in Une Photo, Un Poéme brings us hope for life on many levels: the flower, the bee, and ultimately, all of us!
  22. For this theme there’s another wonderful post in Don’t Hold Your Breath! Not only do we get to see more birds during this quiet, but we also get to hear them in this post! Thank you!
  23. Ken’s photo in Pictures without Film is filled with the luminescence that radiates the power of life from its every pixel; amazing shot!
  24. Cee always brings out some of the best in photography, and her photos in the post in Cee’s Photo Challenges are just fantastic!
  25. Hope emanates from every image in another lovely post in A Day in the Life; skipping along the beach is just one of those rare pleasures!!
  26. Deb has an eye for the unusual, as we can see in her photo in Twenty Four; the tableau is rather unusual, and evokes bon esperance!
  27. Ann-Christine finds a rather convincing array of hope in her post in To see a world in a grain of sand…! And I agree that hope will spread across the world!
  28. Woolly puts his sense of humor on full display in another great post in WoollyMuses! It reminds me of something a pilot once told me: Any landing that you can walk away from is a good landing…
  29. Debbie always manages to bring hope in her posts in ForgivingConnects, as she has worked through some difficult things in her life, and come out stronger and filled with hope! Inspirational!
  30. Brian not only brings us hope with the rainbow in his post in Bushboy’s World, but he also shares a stellar Hope and Glory!
  31. Jennifer shares her vision of hope in a great post in Jennifer Kelland Perry, Author; another great blog to follow!
  32. Louise’s post in Dare Boldly is absolutely filled with inspiration; if any post is worth the read, this one is it!
  33. Maria brings us a stunning flower in her post in Kamerapromenader; the wood anemone inspires us with its hope!
  34. Rita’s beautiful photo in Heart to Heart shares the hope of renewal with the trees that were topless in Winter; may their Spring cloak grow with abundance!

Please let all these wonderful authors know how much you enjoy their blog posts!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Animals

Which animals keep you sane?

Welcome to week 208 of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

First, a quick update. Thank you all for the wonderful wishes and sympathy that you shared; I very much appreciate it. At this point, I’ve been in the Netherlands just over a week and things are beginning to settle into a routine again, as I’m balancing working with helping out with all that needs to be wrapped up for my mom’s estate. I never realized how much time can be involved in all this! I’ll get back into a rhythm and will wrap up the missing round ups over the next 2 days.

In getting back to a Tuesday Photo Challenge, I’m taking a bit of a short-cut in that I’m recycling a theme from week 40: Animals! The reason for this is that during this unusual time, I find that animals are a great source of comfort and normalcy for many of us, so I thought it might be good to celebrate them. For this challenge, I look forward to your photos, stories and posts about the animals around us.

I’ll be very much enjoying your shared experiences with animals!!

Up close and all at ease…

Grazing and Relaxed

This is one of my sister’s horses, who have a fairly leisurely lifestyle and enjoy their people time!

The full rules of this challenge are in TPC Guidelines, but here’s the tl;dr:

  • Write a post with an image for this week’s topic
  • Please tag your post with fpj-photo-challenge (if you’re not sure about how tags work, please check out this WordPress article about tagging posts)
  • Create a pingback link to this post, so that I can create a post showing all of the submissions over the week (note: pingbacks may not appear immediately, as my site is set up to require approval for linking to it; helps against previous bad experiences with spamming)
  • Have fun creating something new (or sharing something old)!!

Stay safe and enjoy your time with the animals!

Memories of Good Times

A final farewell

A quick note to let you know why there some delays over the pass week. After a short stay in hospice, my mother passed away last week. There are many great times and wonderful memories for all of us to hold on to as we celebrate her life this week.

I succeeded in traveling to the Netherlands at the end of the week, so that I can be here for a final farewell. We’ll miss her!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Travel

Virtual trip around the world?

Welcome to week 207 of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

In deciding on a theme for this week, there was something that led me to the choice of Travel. As most of use are not traveling at the moment, it might be nice to travel virtually through our various blogs and share some of those enjoyed moments with each other. So, let’s share some of those wonderful places that we have visited in this week’s challenge!

Very much looking forward to seeing all those great places!

Here’s a place that is dear to my heart…

Centraal Station, Rotterdam

The Centraal Station in Rotterdam is a magnificent transportation hub that is a great connector of all modes of transportation and filled with traffic during good times!

The full rules of this challenge are in TPC Guidelines, but here’s the tl;dr:

  • Write a post with an image for this week’s topic
  • Please tag your post with fpj-photo-challenge (if you’re not sure about how tags work, please check out this WordPress article about tagging posts)
  • Create a pingback link to this post, so that I can create a post showing all of the submissions over the week (note: pingbacks may not appear immediately, as my site is set up to require approval for linking to it; helps against previous bad experiences with spamming)
  • Have fun creating something new (or sharing something old)!!

Please be safe, communicate with one another and bring hope to all!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 205

Connecting way up high!

Welcome to the 205th round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

My apologies for the late posting of this round up; I’m finally coming up for air amidst all the business goings-on that are flowing forth from this pandemic of ours. I hope that you and yours are doing well during this testing time.

Your response to the theme of Connect was amazing and your interpretations ranged widely; some made me laugh out loud and others tugged at my heart strings. They were all a pleasure to read, for which I thank all of you! Thank you for the effort and work you put into each one of your posts.

As people, we do connect…

Eternal Connections

High up on the North Tower of the St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, I found this engraved lock. At 68m (223ft), the North Tower provides a great view, but it’s the smaller of the 2 towers, as the South Tower reaches up 136m (446ft). The South Tower is not open to visitors, which did not diminish my enjoyment of this view!

Please enjoy the following blog posts:

  1. Sarah connects us to both the past and our childhood with some wonderful photos in her post in By Sarah; great start to this round up!
  2. Nicole shares a gorgeous photo in her post in Une Photo, Un Poéme that connects us to the music on the street!
  3. Kammie connects on several levels in her post in Nuthouse Central, whether it be through kids’ art or play or the garden! Awesome post!
  4. Michelle features some rather impressive connections in Take a Walk…and Discover, which have become everyday in our automotive life!
  5. Emily shares a rather human connection in Zombie Flamingoes, which definitely connected to my funny bone!
  6. Alice brings us to a very interesting bridge across the Erie Canal in her post in the 59 Club; it should be interesting to see that bridge raised!
  7. Khürt connects us to Spring’s hope with a gorgeous photo in Island in the Net; great to see this post!
  8. Xenia’s post in whippetwisdom brings us the strong connection between Pearl and Eivor (and Xenia), and to the landscape they so much enjoy! In a second post in Tranature, we get to enjoy both the lovely daffodils and a great haibun!
  9. Jackie’s photo in JunkBoat Travels is simply lovely, in the way she captured the moth and the connecting links!
  10. Ken takes us across still waters with a marvelous photo in Pictures without Film; definitely a strong connection!
  11. The connection between Edinburgh and the Kingdom of Fife is beautifully pictured in theOnlyD800intheHameau; amazing view!
  12. Diane made all the right connections to solve the jigsaw puzzles that we get to see in pensivity101; puzzles are a hot commodity at this time!
  13. Donna shares some very uplifting photos of chalk art in Wind Kisses; those are both great art and messages!
  14. Teresa put together a wonderful blog post in My Camera and I… that you simply have to experience!!
  15. Na’ama establishes the most important connection in Na’ama Yehuda both through photo and stunning poem: the human connection!
  16. In a rather lovely post in The Jesh Studio, we get to experience connections on various levels with wonderful photos!
  17. Nandini makes some great connections in her post in queennandini; she also recalls some classic connections!
  18. What a wonderful post in Don’t Hold Your Breath! It’s awesome to remind us to be grateful for some of the things that we get to enjoy during this pandemic, such as family and reduced pollution!
  19. The ferry connects us in Geriatri’X’ Fotogallery as we are heading toward Sicily with an amazing landscape ahead!
  20. Brian collected some classic connectors in his post in Bushboy’s World; and I have to say that the Youngbloods have a great message to overcome the distance!
  21. Ann-Christine shows us that connections don’t always have to span a chasm in her post in To see a world in a grain of sand…! Those alley ways are awesome!
  22. David’s photos in his post in David M’s Photoblog are just stunning! The color and whiteness of the pelicans jumps off the screen!
  23. The connections made in a lovely post in A Day in the Life are simply touching in so many ways! The photos pull us into those connections!
  24. Sandy really has a gift for words, as we can see in her post in Out of my Write Mind; check those skywalks and read the words…
  25. Debbie provides us with a set of connections through windows in an interesting post in Travel with Intent; it is cool to see the framing in her photos and how it makes each photo unique!
  26. Chris creates a wonderful connection through his photo in What’s (in) the Picture?; those reflections tell a tale!
  27. Viveka examines the way in which we connect in her post in myguiltypleasures; it makes me wonder, if we really connect?
  28. Deb brings us another great animal photo in her post in Twenty Four; I feel the connection between and with those turtles!
  29. Hannah establishes a clear connection with her subject in her great photo in Zebra’s Child; I’m sure you will feel it too!
  30. A stunning photo in Land of Images brings out the clear connection between the bench and its partner…
  31. Marianne shares some great connections in her post in Kanlaon; they show the importance of these connections as well!
  32. Amy features a connection that one hopes not to have to make in her wonderful post in Photography Journal Blog; as I was an EMT for 6 or so years, I can definitely agree with her!
  33. Radhika definitely connects us to our stomachs in the first photo in her post in radhikasreflections! She also shares some lower calorie options!
  34. Teressa shares part of her story through beads in Another LQQk, as each of them is part of the story; wonderful post!
  35. Maria encourages us to connect with Nature in her post in Kamerapromenader; with those gorgeous photos, how can we refuse?
  36. A quarantine party is featured this week in Musin’ with Susan! Done the right way, of course! Virtual, as Susan and her friends connect over the internet! Also, go check out Susan’s week in review in Musin’ with Susan, but beware of double vision! Great photos!
  37. Woolly makes some amazing connection with the animals in his photos in his post in WoollyMuses! The photo of Limpy definitely tugged at my heartstrings!
  38. With a lovely photo in a great post in One letter up ~ diary 2.0, we see how different plants/trees connect with one another. Great shot!
  39. Tatiana finds some strong connections in her post in Vegas Great Attractions, as the big wheel is held together! Great photos. Tatiana also share a great composite image in her post in Giftsmart; the interpretation of Eyes Wide Shut is fantastic!

Please let all these wonderful authors know how much you enjoy their blog posts!