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Showing posts from August, 2014

Poortgebouw Lady

Today I asked my girlfriend what photo to post on my blog. She made an excellent choice as this is also one of my favourites. The photo was taken in Rotterdam underneath the  Poortgebouw , a building with a long and rural history. Early in the 80s the building was being squatted and is now legally occupied by a community of creative people. The Poortgebouw is very close to my house and I have walked past it many times. It doesn't happen very often that the doors are open. Except for this day! This lady was standing in the doorway and in a reflex I asked if I could take her portrait. She didn't mind at all.

The couple that went to Paris

I present you the couple that went to Paris . For me they represent any couple that ever went on a city trip. The situation is very recognisable: she takes her time to skim through the abundance of useless souvenirs and he really doesn't care ... The couple that wen to Paris - Pentax M 28mm F2.8

Franco, the Italian sandwich man

After a 'dark' article on poverty in Rome , it's now time for a happier note from my last trip to Italy. Meet Franco, the Italian sandwich man. Me and my girlfriend met Franco during a day trip to Roccaporena , the birth place of Saint Rita . As you can see, he has a nice little food shop going on.

The poor in Rome

Earlier this week I posted the article  Rome captured in five photos  where I described several characteristics of this magnificent city. From friends and family I received feedback that the article had a somewhat dark and sad touch to it. Well ... keep that thought as there is more to come. From the previous article: "Every big city in the world deals with poverty, with homlesness as its ultimate expression. From all European cities I have visited, I've never seen as many people living in the streets as in Rome." Let me add some photos to emphasise this statement. The following shot was taken in front of the Pantheon in Rome. As we arrived late at the site, we found the door closed and the square in front quite abandoned. One of the people still present was this woman, sleeping I presume. She found shelter in a dark corner next to the entrance of the building. Is she really homeless? Open the image and take a closer look. Although a shower couldn't hurt her

Rome captured in five photos

Rome is a city full of history and enormous wealth. Then again, its also a city that displays decay and poverty. I spent three days in Rome and was unfortunately not able to fully capture this contrast. Nevertheless, in this article I share five photos that each portray a very different characteristic of Rome. 1. Religion Rome is filled with churches and naturally hosts the Vatican City, home to the pope. Or ' il Papa ' as the Italians say. The following photo was taken in Chiesa Nuova . It's not as new as the name does believe since its construction was finished in 1606. It's a place easily overlooked and not visited by many tourists. Good for me as I could frame this nun without any interference from other people. Unfortunately the shot is a little out of focus, but that doesnt' take away the power of the scene: an intimate moment between the nun, the painting and maybe even God. This scene could have taken place 400 years ago without any difference. He