New Work: Annual Report Maag Lever Darm Stichting

Two months ago, I was asked by Schrijf-Schrijf to take portraits for the annual report of the Maag Lever Darm Stichting (MLDS). The MLDS is an independent organisation that has been trying to prevent and fight stomach, colon and liver diseases as well to provide information and support for people dealing these diseases, for the past 30 years. In order to do so they have been raising funds and cooperating closely with researchers, the government, patients and volunteers.

My job was to photograph 6 duo’s who were somehow related; a former cancer patient and his wife, two men from the Board of Trustees, someone who donates money together with someone who donates his time by going door-to-door collecting money, two researchers, et cetera. I met them at home, at the train station or at their place of work and in different cities across the Netherlands. Thanks for letting me borrow the car, mom:)

Single image: a former colon cancer patient and his main supporter, his lovely wife, photographed in their home.

Series of images, from left to right: two supporters who cycle the ‘Zuiderzeeklassieker’ each year in order to raise funds, a donator and a volunteer, two members of the Board of Trustees.

Listening to: Alex Turner and FFS

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New Work: I’m where you are

A couple of months ago, a really good friend of mine came to visit the Netherlands together with his beautiful, and pregnant, wife. I had the pleasure of spending time with them and photographing them at his parents house. It’s been quite a few years since I did my last pregnancy shoot and this was only the 4th ever.

It’s so cool to see a friend again after both of us lived abroad for a couple of years and to see him now as a married man and parent-to-be.

I did not realize it at the time of the shoot, but things changed for me as well. The shoot brought me out of a photography funk and general career doubt. Less than two weeks later I started a new job; in a new line of work and in a new city. Change is apparently good as photography work has been flowing since as well:)

There was one thing in particular that stuck in my mind all through last year; somebody told me that trying to get somewhere in the photography business can feel like wading through heavy, sticky mud and you may get stuck for a while, but you’ll never reach the other side unless you continue. Well, that was pretty much my mantra for the entire year;)

About a month after the shoot a beautiful baby girl was born. Good days, indeed:)

Listening to Shocking Blue, Black Hotels and Daryll-Ann

New Work: Schrijf-Schrijf

I was asked by copy-writing agency Schrijf-Schrijf to photograph all their employees for the company website. The website has a serious vibe and they wanted photographs to reflect that they were a professional yet young and informal agency. I suggested taking i-phone pics during an typical office day as well as taking more official portraits. They could use the “social snaps” in an Instagram kind of way, to off set the more serious portraits.

Portraits of 4 out of 8 employees

The Social Snaps

The website

Listening to some older Warpaint – “Undertow” and some new Jamie XX

Instagram

I’ve been posting a mix of old and new, commissioned or i-phone pics on Instagram for a while now. You can find me at kathalijnedotcom. Would love to see you there as well 🙂

kathalijnedotcom

Ai, looking at that live shot of Elle Bandita sure makes me want to take her portrait as well, what a cool chick!:)

Listening to O.V. Wright and Mark Lanegan

New Work: FCB Magazines

I was asked by an agency (Schrijf-Schrijf) to take portraits for 3 different RuimBaan-magazines from FCB. FCB Magazines are aimed at either professionals working in Child Services or parents who are dealing with Child Services for various reasons.

All 3 magazines have a similar series called ‘BaanBrekend” wherein a (different) professional is interviewed about their ground-breaking work. I had to shoot 3 different images per person. It was a really great job; the creative briefing allowed for a lot of freedom, plus I got to meet people who are doing something revolutionary in a very difficult field of work. Pretty cool:)

Levi van Dam, Claudia Doesburg, Veronika Nab

Examples of the 3 articles and the way the images are used

Listening to some old PJ Harvey and new Palace

Masterclass with Jimmy Katz

I had the good fortune to be invited to attend a workshop by famed jazz photographer Jimmy Katz on July 7th, and I’m pretty darned pleased I had the opportunity to do so. I found it super inspiring to hear masters talk about their craft.

Jimmy Katz is pretty much the most important photographer working in jazz today. He has shot portraits of Sonny Rollins (one of my favorites), Ornette Coleman, Ray Charles, BB King, the list goes on and on. It’s definitely worth doing a Google search 🙂 There is great video on YouTube, shot by the local TV station, about the exhibition of his work at Kasteel Woerden, which just happened to be the location for masterclass as well.

All in all it was a pretty hectic day, as I had to go to work in the morning and then rush to Woerden as soon as I was able to leave. There were quite a few other photographers already and I found it a little bit daunting when I walked in. Who are all these people? Will I look like a sucker when I show my work? Thank goodness, I quickly spotted a few familiar faces, and pretty much fit right in. Hearing Jimmy talk about his own work was pretty amazing.

We all had the opportunity to show our own work which is both very exciting as it is scary. Fortunately, I received a good review 🙂 Jimmy’s wife Dena was also present during the whole day and it’s cool to see just how in tune they are with each other, personally and professionally. They both seem to represent a different aspect of being great photographers, making them a very successful pair indeed. I actually really enjoyed talking to Dena, she has such a fantastic technical eye and pays great attention to detail. She showed me a few things that I could improve on in a very positive and constructive way. 

Jimmy Katz reviewing my work.

Jimmy Katz reviewing work during the masterclass at Kasteel Woerden

Silver Award – London Photographic Association

I entered the London Photographic Association’s ‘Let’s Face It’ Portrait Award earlier this year and received some awesome news:) My portrait of a father and daughter (below) has been awarded Silver, and my portrait of young South African Tshepo Moche came in Highly Commended. 

You can read the short interview right here: Kathalijne van Zutphen. The full profile is right here.

Super excited!

 

Updated

It’s been a while, but I finally updated my website www.kathalijne.com after +9 months. I added new photos in the Portrait, Music and Travel sections. Go have a look, leave a comment, tell your friends, hey, tell the world! I’m ready to see the world:)

The photo featured below is of South African musician Meri Kenaz, you should check her out if you have the chance.

Happy exploring:)

SHUTR

I am currently featured in Dutch photography magazine ‘SHUTR’. Quite possibly the best welcome home present I have ever had:)

It’s a 10 page spread featuring 8 photo’s and an interview. In stores near you, go get one:)

The photos above were taken with a cell phone, the pics in the magazine look much better. Gelukkig:)

Stuff it

Seriously, all I want is my stuff back, finish a few projects and go home. Sounds simple, right? Especially the getting my stuff back part. Apparently it’s not.

I stored 4 prints and 10 A2 sized framed images at Museum Gallery in Cape Town at the end of 2010, with the promise to get them back when I was next in town.  I was part of their opening show ‘The New Landscape’ and had a good working relationship with them. I blogged about the show here. When I left CT,  I asked if I could store some of my work at the gallery while I was in Europe. They said yes, no problem. Fast forward 15 months. I am back. And I have been *trying* to get my work back since April 5th and obviously still haven’t got it.

First thing I did was to simply go to the gallery. There was no one there. In fact, half the gallery seems to have been closed. So I wrote an email instead, asking for an appointment to come fetch my prints & frames. I got a swift reply from the owner/manager saying that he was out of town, but that he would look for my prints and get back to me as soon as he returned to town. That’s cool. I did not hear from him again. So I sent another email. And another one and another one. And, in fact, another one. I phoned and left a voicemail message. Finally, an email reply. He was on holiday, but he would get back to me a.s.a.p. “Asap” again, eh? I am sensing a theme here.

As to be expected, nothing happens. I phone again, I email again. I went down there again. We speak on the phone, again. I offer to come help look for the prints. “No no, you don’t want to be down there”. He will look for it, and will get back to me tomorrow morning, or this afternoon or whenever.

Anyway, you get the idea. There is always an excuse; he’s out of town, the electricity is out and he can’t see anything, they are taking down one exhibition and building the next, but once that’s done, sure ‘I’ll get to the archive’. Best of all was when he suggested it was my fault because it took me more than a year. What are we, in high school?

You are running a business, I made a deal with you guys that it was ok to store my stuff there, now I want it back. All you have to do is set up an appointment and keep your word. I am not your ex-girlfriend asking for an old t-shirt back. This is my work and frankly, returning it is your work.

Anyway, you get the idea. I am being strung along, given the run around, lied to. But, I still want my work back.
And this sucks.