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!

Some Sunny Days

Sunshine of your love!

Today’s WordPress Daily Post prompt is Sunny, which is something that most of us enjoy, whether it is a nice sunny day or a friend with sunny disposition!

So here are some sunny images that I thought might brighten your day…

The Weather is Perfect!
Sunset on a Cold Beach
Fields of Tuscany
Birth of the Sun
Looking over Volterra
Morning Clouds
Companions
Looking over Massa Marittima
Morning Reflections

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Steps

Going for a step or two

Welcome to Week 63 of the Tuesday Photo Challenge.

Last week’s responses were a pure symphony of wonderful images, prose and poetry!  I thoroughly enjoyed the way you embraced the theme and created amazing compositions.

This week, I’m going back to one of my old tricks…  The theme of Steps can be taken in several directions thanks to the English language.  Merriam Webster showed me 11 definitions, some of which were nuances, whereas others have completely separate definitions.  Therefore, it is your choice, whether these steps take you up (or down) or direct your path, or even are performed as part of a ballet!

Have fun with this theme and don’t skimp on creative direction, as I know you won’t!  Uncover some new steps, retrace some old ones or climb up and down, as in an M.C. Escher drawing.

One may wonder where these steps will lead us…

20170526-Massa-Marittima_DSF2011_2_3_Italian-Steps
Where do they lead?

As the observant reader of my blog will surmise, this is yet another image from my Italian vacation.  When we were in Massa Marittima, there were many steep streets followed, steps climbed and descended, as we came across some of the most amazing views at the top of the hill!

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)!!

So, don’t skip a step in your creative process, and step lively to sharing your photography and writing!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 62

Welcome to the 62nd round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!  I have to say that I’m glad that I went with the theme of Music, as your posts were a joy to read!

Many of you took a path that I expected to some degree, and your creativity in how you portrayed what music means to you and the impact that it has on your lives was wonderful to behold.  Some of you presented music and instruments that I didn’t know about, which was fascinating!  One really stood out, as Miriam’s post in Out an’ About even included a recording of her singing a fantastic song!

Thanks to each and every one of you for your great contributions!!

 

Here’s an image from my collection of performers of music…

J-Stuart-Esty-GT_Nightcrawler-110116_MG_5898
GT Nightcrawler

Portrait photography can be a lot of fun, as you get to control everything from the light to the pose.  Despite the desire for control, sometimes, an impromptu portrait, such as the one here is very satisfying.  You catch the subject in their natural element, being themselves; of course, with performers, the latter is not 100% true, as you’re really capturing the persona that they portray on stage.

The following were this week’s participants in the challenge with links to their posts:

  • By Sarah kicked things off with a lighthearted post that captures something that most, if not all of us, have done: playing air guitar!
  • Nicole’s entry  in Une Photo, un poéme gives us a beautifully photographed and well-written report on a balalaika performance.  Go check it out!
  • pensivity101 tells us about the influence that music has on her life, particularly, playing the piano!
  • Gwen’s post in Field Notes from over the Hill shows off the joy of music in many forms!
  • Xenia gives us a wonderful tanka in whippetwisdom.com and accompanies it with photos of her whippets dancing to Nature’s music.
  • iballrtw shares a great post with some very early sculptures of musicians with unusual instruments.
  • The post shared by theonlyD800inthehameau brings us up close and personal with an absolutely stunning pipe organ!
  • Photo Robert’s Blog shares an amazing set of photographs of instruments and musicians, that you really should go see!
  • Ladyleemanilla shares an amazing array of photos in her entry this week!
  • Candace’s photo of performers in the Paris subway in Netdancer’s Musings is just wonderful!
  • Miriam’s post in her blog Out an’ About is simply magical, as she not only shares her thoughts and photos about music, but she also graces us with a recording of her performing a song that is inspired by a poem written by one of her friends.
  • Raj’s post in his blog XDrive shares a beautiful set of images of his daughter performing an intricate dance, filled with wonderful facial expressions.  Just lovely!!
  • ARHtistic License shows us a wide array of musical instruments and implements; I particularly like the dulcimer!
  • Cee has some great images in her post in Cee’s Photography; I really like the sheet music, which looks truly old!
  • Roaming Urban Gypsy has a wonderful blog with street photography, which is well represented in their entry for this week.
  • Miriam shares photos of some of her performances in Showers of Blessing and tells us about her hero!
  • Stella’s images in Giggles & Tales tell us a story of instruments, the music they bring forth and the places where this music occurs!
  • Bushboy has a wonderful collection of guitars and music in his post in Bushboy’s World, as well as a great work of art!
  • Judith shares her experience of going to the opera in Milan in her post in Nature Knows Best; she was in for a surprise! As a bonus, we get to find out who her favorite violinist is!
  • Peg’s post in The Tempest and The Teapot shows of some great photography skills!
  • Catherine shares the start of her musical instrument collecting addiction with us in her blog images off the path.
  • Marie captured a guitarist in The New 3Rs: Retire, Recharge, Reconnect, all the way in Cordoba, Spain!
  • Leaking Ink introduces us to the Manganiyar Seduction, a group of musicians from Rajasthan, India.
  • Debbie’s post in ForgivingConnects has her singing her joy from the rooftops, as she takes a leap of faith!
  • Lacy’s photos in Adventures of a Busy Mom describe the soundtrack of a busy mom!  I think you can guess whose music takes front stage!
  • Bullyboy’s post in Travel387 combines both the instrument to make music with the inspiration for this music!
  • Ron tells us of his experience with music through excellent photography in Progressing into Solitude.
  • Khürt’s entry for this week’s theme in Island in the Net tells us the story of his journey through music throughout his life; a great read and awesome photos!

If there were the concept of music for my eyes, these posts definitely brought it forth, for which I thank all of you!

Walking through Montepulciano

A first look

Montepulciano is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and comune in the Italian province of Siena in southern Tuscany. It sits high on a 605-metre (1,985 ft) limestone ridge, 13 kilometres (8 mi) east of Pienza, 70 kilometres (43 mi) southeast of Siena, 124 kilometres (77 mi) southeast of Florence, and 186 kilometres (116 mi) north of Rome by car.

Montepulciano is a major producer of food and drink. Renowned for its pork, cheese, “pici” pasta, lentils, and honey, it is known worldwide for its wine. Connoisseurs consider its Vino Nobile, which should not be confused with varietal wine merely made from the Montepulciano grape, among Italy’s best.

Looking toward Montepulciano
Narrow street
Connecting with neighbors
Some streets are steep
Alleys everywhere!

Walking through Montepulciano was an absolute joy with many small alleys and narrow streets that are always picturesque.  As you can see from the photos, you get a good workout, as many streets and alleys are steep.

Looking over the valley

Val d’Orcia vista

One more look from Pienza!  I just couldn’t resist to process one of the images today (between work assignments) and share this one with you.

Mid-way between Montalcino and Montepulciano, Pienza has a marvelous view of Val d’Orcia.

20170525-Pienza_DSF1779_80_81_Italia
Valley View

Sitting well above the valley floor, Pienza presents some amazing vistas, such as this one.

Three Line Tales – Elfin

Lightbringer

Many thanks to Sonya for Week Seventy-Three of Three Line Tales, part of her awesome blog Only 100 Words!

three line tales 73 midsummer photo by Christian Widell via Unsplash

****

From Lothlórien,
Imbued with light, she would pass.
Galadriel smiles.

****

Thank you to Sonya of Only 100 Words for coming up with Three Line Tales.

You’ll find full guidelines on her TLT page, but here’s the tl;dr:

  • Write three lines inspired by the photo prompt (& give them a title if possible).
  • Link back to this post.
  • Tag your post with 3LineTales (so everyone can find you in the Reader).
  • Read and comment on other TLT participants’ lines.
  • NEW: If you want your post to be included in the round-up, you have until Sunday evening to publish it.
  • Have fun.

Happy three-lining!

A Walk through Pienza – pt. 2

More alleys, and food!

I may have pulled up lame during the relay race at work today due to tearing my hamstring, but there will be more images from Italy!  Reduced mobility will keep me in the house more and with less to distract me, such as those great long runs, my time will be spent on photo editing and music!

Both will be the better of it, I hope.

Vespa Street
Terraces Abound
Looking over the Valley
Laundry Day

Pecorino de Pienza

Pienza is also the city of cacio, which means cheese! The Pecorino of Pienza is a tasty cheese made from sheep’s milk, renowned worldwide and delicious, which can go from a delicate flavor to a decisive one based on how aged it is.

The town streets are full of small charming shops selling a large quantity of various types of pecorino, from fresh to aged pecorico, that you can taste together with a number of other typical local products, such as fine wines, spices, pici (handmade pasta) and so on. We recommend stopping and tasting!  Best of both worlds is mixing the pici with the cheese in the famous dish: pici con cacio e pepe.

Cheese shops are on just about every street and alley, and can be tasted in the great restaurants.  Our choice of restaurant was La Buca di Enea on Via della Buca; this small restaurant was phenomenal with excellent food (great cheese), a friendly proprietor, who was nice enough to offer us a free digestif at the end of our meal.