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.Â
Jimmy Katz reviewing my work.
Jimmy Katz reviewing work during the masterclass at Kasteel Woerden
KATHALIJNE VAN ZUTPHEN 