I accidentally got into contact with photography. A good friend of mine told me her daughter was taking photography lessons in the academy in Wetteren. How was I supposed to know it was possible to take those kind of lessons :-) ? I knew there was a profession that was called "photographer" but that had something to do with pictures in newspaper and magazines.
I'm taking pictures for quiet some years now but that was limited to collecting travel memories or taking pictures to follow the evolution of the rebuilding process. During the summer of 2007, I finally cut the knot : I enrolled myself for the photography course at the Municipal Academy of Art Wetteren ...

The choice I had to make between "analogue" and "digital" was easily made ... I decided to go for "the real stuff" ;-). I threw myself into negative films, enlargers, developer and fixer liquids, clamps and reels. At the beginning it looked hopelessly complicated but I started to succeed after a while. When you see an image "appear" in the developer liquid for the very first time ... it really made my flesh creep :-).

In September 2008 I enrolled for the second year. At the end of 2008, after a few months' delay, I rebuild my cellar into a small darkroom. This way, I'm also able to develop pictures at home.

You probably wonder when I intend to switch to digital. I don't have the slightest idea ... I wonder if it is necessary to make that switch. I think it's very possible to do both. I'm already working with a computer for a living and analogue photography is something you can practice without the need for a computer. On the other hand ... digital photography comes with making less irreparable or time consuming mistakes during "the development process". At this time, I'm only waiting for the invention of a darkroom that doesn't have to be that dark ;-).

The equipment I'm using ...
* Nikon F80 (analogue)
* Nikon kit lens AF 28-80 mm 3.3-5.6
* Nikon standard lens AF 50mm 1.8
* Panasonic DMC-FZ7 (digital bridge)
* Enlarger Durst M670 BW

I hope you enjoy my pictures.

Willem