Images from the Sensation 2009 party “Wicked Wonderland” in the Amsterdam ArenA with: Erick E, Fedde le Grand, S. Ingrosso, Mr. White and Sander van Doorn.
Visit the full Flickr Gallery here if you don’t want to use the slideshow.
Jul 052009
Jun 152009
Defqon.1 widescreen (1600×1000) and XL (1600×1200) wallpapers, ready and done!
Just click on the image for the widescreen or the link below for the normal ratio (4:3).
Normal ratio here.
Normal ratio here.
Normal ratio here.
Normal ratio here.
If you’re still missing a nice one from the full gallery just let me know your request and I might find some time to make a few extra wallpapers.
Jun 142009
Mainstage closing moments…
And here they are: 265 photo’s of this years Q-Dance Defqon.1 at the Almere Beach. please enjoy, it was simply an amazing day with plenty of sunshine and a crazy liveshow to finish (Headhunterz). Wallpapers will be ready tomorrow (Monday) so you’re welcome to have another look again. As there are so many images to choose from PLEASE let me know which image(s) you’d like to see as a wallpaper!
Click here to go straight to the collection.
Ecstasy!
Aerial view.
Cool artwork.
Orange fun at the mainstage.
DJ Headhunterz
Sunset…
Crazy crowds!
Finale!
Jun 012009
Some guys have all the luck I guess, quite often I feel like I’m one of them but last week there was no doubt about it whatsoever. After doing a small press-release for the Telegraaf (the largest Dutch newspaper) on heli-diving in Curaçao, which is exclusively organized by a good friend of mine he suddenly asked me if I’d like to do it myself tomorrow?
After less than a nanosecond, a huge smile on my face and a big “Are you kidding me?” things were taken care of and a day later we were setting our gear up on a small industrial platform near the huge oil-harbor of Willemstad. With me were Belgium adventurer Marc Sluszny, underwater photographer Peter Verhoog and Walther Bruckschen, a German Journalist, the lucky bunch so to speak!
As a heli-dive is not completely without danger we had to do a full-gear practice inside the hangar which had a very good airco. Just imagine practicing this sort of thing with full wetsuit and heavy scuba gear in the soaring 35 degree weather of this tropical paradise! Most importantly is the jumping out of the heli: if this isn’t done in perfect sync the heli can easily tilt and that’s something you don’t want 2 meters above the surface of a sea!
The trick is a third person inside the heli that holds both divers hands while they climb outside and hang backward fully. Literally your faith is in this guys hands as he controls the moment to drop, it’s simply out of your hands.
George from Blue Skies Helicopters.
The Amazing view over Willemstad from the chopper.
And what a drop it is! After an intensely beautiful flight under the impressive Julianabrug, along Willemstad and all its bright colors, the low pass over the Pontjesbrug with many people waving and taking photographs (the helicopter is open so they see you in full scuba-gear) it’s time for a sharp right turn over the stunning blue seawater and the approach to the wreck site. Niels Jorissen, the owner of DivecharterCuracao and the organizer of these heli-dives, is already waiting with his 25 feet Tornado RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) so all we have to do is climb out and wait for the right hovering height of the helicopter.
Now that’s a heli-drop!!!
So there we are, hanging outside, arm and legs stretched out fully, one hand over mask and breathing equipment, waiting for the plunge…. Then suddenly we’re falling, we pretty high so we have time to soak it up! above us the heli shoots upwards as it suddenly lost about 200 kilo’s in weight. Then the splash comes, water all around us and the tail of the chopper quickly vanishes from our viewpoint. We’re done, floating about while the heli goes for the next bunch of drop-outs! What an insane feeling and what a way to go diving, knowing one of the nicest wrecks of the Caribbean(the Superior Producer) is waiting for us below…. we ARE truly lucky!
The front deck of the Superior Producer.
Belgium adventurer Marc Sluszny enters the hold of the ship.
German travel writer/photogrpaher collegue Walther Bruckschen.
Underwater photographer collegue Peter Verhoog.
With many, many thanks to:
Niels from DiveCharterCuracao who organizes these heli-drops, unique in the world.
George from Blue Skies for making his heli available to us.
Chilo from Chilo.tv for editing the movieclip.
Full gallery on the heli-dive here.
More images from the Dive Festival Curaçao 2009 here.
Apr 262009
In Qontrol Mainstage… YOU?
Loud, fast, a zillion lasers and quite a crowd: that was the 2009 edition of In Qontrol, Q-Dance‘s massive hardcore/hardstyle event in the RAI Venue in Amsterdam. Not much to say about it, the photo’s speak for themselves… if you like laser images: this is a photo-collection you’ll like!
MC Da Syndrome
MONEY? Stage
Wow!
Headhunterz
More laser madness
DJ Luna
Noise Controllers
Show me the money!
Full set here.
Mar 092009
Oh boy what a day: getting up at 04:00 to catch a cab to the Austrian airport at Klagenfurt in order to get home in time for Trance Energy is not much fun. Doing a full nights gig after 5 hours of sleep (plus a massive nap in the late afternoon) is normally not my cup of tea but with an amazing stage, show and lights and most importantly: a very happy crowd, the night was over before I even had the feeling it begun. It’s nice to start a night with plenty of cool shots straight away and plenty of other nice ones all through the night. Trance Energy 2009 was really one of the nicest editions ever for photographers, soo much light one couldn’t go wrong!
Check out the full series here.
Trance Energy Wallpapers should be ready by tomorrow afternoon, there’s just too many cool shots to choose from!
Feb 102009
Report for Tulp Magazine of another “White House”, this one’s in Hoofddorp, near Amsterdam.
Jan 112009
Curtains to the fantastic Koepelkerk location.
For the VARA, one of the largest Dutch Public Broadcasting Services I was asked to photograph their annual event: the TV moment of the year. A contest for the title of “Best Dutch item on TV in 2008″. A bit of a first for me as I’m not too much involved in the (TV) entertainment industry but it seemed like a great challenge and a good bit of fun.
Seats for Geenstijl.tv who had high hopes of winning this years edition with their stunning movie on a cabinet minister who forgot how to speak.
Geenstijl.tv presentator Rutger Castricum.
Presentator Matthijs van Nieuwkerk moments before going live.
The live television show took place in the Koepelkerk in downtown Amstrerdam, a beautiful old church that was spectacularly lit by the TV crew. However, for me as a photographer it wasn’t easy to shoot because the light was very low (I’m no match for modern HD television-camera’s) and I obviously wasn’t allowed to use flash. Even worse: during the live show I could only shoot from the first ring as camera positions on the floor level made it impossible for me to stay out of the picture. Still, a very memorable night and a good challenge to do a shoot like this.
What a location!
Host Matthijs van Nieuwkerk
Flowers for Yta Strikwerda, a mentally challenged woman who appeared on Paul de Leeuws TV show: “Mooi! Weer de Leeuw” in which she hunted down the presentator for ten minutes in order to get him to ride on a pony. The TV item was a surprise win as most people expected Peter R. de Vries to win with his undercover filming of Joran van de Sloot in the Natalee Holloway case.
Check out the full series (38 photo’s) here.
Jul 232008
One last time Sensation Black 2008, in Quicktime VR,
And how is this for a backstage/understage!!!
Jul 102008
Hooray, my 50th post since my new website went online this January! And a special one as well: a 360 degree panorama (Quicktime VR or QTVR) taken from the centre of the stage. Because of all the shows with water (you can see the reflection on the black catwalk) I was only able to do it very late at night when they had a non-water bit which was long enough for me to take the necessary images (a lot). The light coming through the roof spoils it a little bit but it still gives you a nice idea.