Features

The Adventurous Climb at St. John's Cathedral

23 May 2023

30 files

The Adventurous Climb at St. John's Cathedral in 's-Hertogenbosch. A climb via scaffolding over the roof of Sint-Jan to the 50 meter high Vieringtoren.~This summer it is possible to climb the scaffolding on the south side and around the dome of the cathedral. A wonderful experience to see the many sculptures up close.~The Sint-Jan National Monument Foundation has organized this climb in good cooperation with the church board. The proceeds will be used to restore the slates on the roof of Sint-Jan.~A walk between mythical creatures and buffoons on the roof of St. John's Cathedral. This Gothic church was built between 1370 and 1529 and reflects the fortunes of the city over the centuries. This climb offers an unique opportunity because the installation of such a scaffolding and walking construction will not be possible for another 100 years.

Nepalese migrant workers to Qatar

22 Nov 2022

22 files

High unemployment in Nepal drives young people to find employment in the Middle East. Every week at Tribhuvan airport in Kathmandu 4 dead body’s of Nepalese migrant workers arrive. We witness the return of Mr Dhital, who was working as a lorry driver in Qatar. Cause of death: cardiac arrest.

Red Light District, project 1012

17 Nov 2022

51 files

Zip code 1012 project is a project of the City of Amsterdam and the City Center District to change the socio-economic structure of the Red Light District and try to let a variety of companies settle there. A number of fashion companies under the name Red Light Fashion have established themselves in the Red Light District.

Recreation in Rotterdam Harbour

17 Nov 2022

33 files

The harbour of the Dutch city of Rotterdam is the largest one in Europe but it's also frequented by citydwellers looking for a place to relax and hang out when weather permits.

Op campagne 1981

17 Nov 2022

25 files

De Verkiezingscampagne voor de Tweede Kamerverkiezingen in 1981

Metalworkers

17 Nov 2022

25 files

Metalworkers a selection out of over 250 portraits of Metalworkers in the Netherlands.

Man made Dutch islands

16 Nov 2022

13 files

Marker Wadden is a Dutch nature reserve in Markermeer, consisting of seven islands, and is intended to create spawning areas, islands and natural shores in Markermeer for fish and birds. One island, the Haven Island, has been open to the public since 2018.

Meth Lab in Mexico

15 Nov 2022

42 files

Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico On a hidden location in the jungle near Culiacan, a crystal meth lab is operated by a group affiliated with the Sinaloa cartel. Their production is around 50 kilo a week and it is considered a midsize lab. A kilo is worth 12.000 dollar in Sinaloa. Workers earn 80 USD a day. Security is provided by a man in a military uniform wielding an AR-15 machine gun.

Crisis at the registration center for asylum seekers

18 Aug 2022

26 files

The refugee organisation of The Netherlands talks with asylumseekers outside. There is a (policy) crisis in the reception and housing of refugees. Hundreds of asylumseekers sleep outside in the open air. Vluchtelingenwerk, has gone to court to force an improvement in degrading conditions for asylum seekers.

I want to be a farmer

11 Jul 2022

5 files

'I want to be a farmer' is not something many children who living on a farm say anymore. ~~Budelman visited them on their home farm, where they showed her around and engaged her in conversation. The portraits of the children show that they often struggle with how to do things in the future, if they become farmers. And it shows how much they love the animals and life on the farm. All feel that it is something special, living on a farm.~~The background is that there are fewer and fewer successors. Every day in the EU 1,000 farmers stop their business. These are mainly young farmers. In the Netherlands, an average of three farms stop every day. The recent government plans for reducing nitrogen emissions will lead to a 30% reduction in the number of livestock in ten years or so. Farmers are protesting vehemently, especially against the possibility of forced buyouts of their farms by the government.~With a society increasingly critical of farmers, societal appreciation is declining, which has psychological effects on many farmers. The number of suicides among farmers is increasing and is above the national average. ~Budelman made the series because she wants to show the emotional generational bond with the land and the farm. She misses in the public debate, where farmers are mainly seen as causing damage to the environment and animal welfare, that farming is not a cold economic activity. Children aged 10-12 are young enough to still be able to dream, while at the same time they also get to experience the reality of farm life.~~Budelman is a photojournalist who now and then writes. Her last project was about 'the human tragedy behind the affordable bell pepper' on the African migrants working in the greenhouses in Spain.

War in Ukraine

22 Mar 2022

174 files

Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues. The civilian population is bearing the brunt and continues to be targeted. Many towns and villages are destroyed and millions of Ukrainians have had to flee the country to escape the war. Residential areas, hospitals, zoo are hit by missiles.

Mobile Bird Watching

19 Mar 2022

18 files

A mobile bird observation hut has been placed near the Wadden dike outside Oudebildtzijl in Friesland. The Agrarisch Collectief ANV Om 'e Koaien places it during the breeding season at locations where there are many meadow birds active at that time. The huts are freely accessible, equipped with binoculars and lots of information about nature and birds.

Crystal Meth in Afghanistan

17 Mar 2022

59 files

Afghanistan has a serious problem with crystal meth, production as wel a consumption. Heroine and opium addiction are rampant as well, but meth has taken over in recent years. Hundreds of addicts are bundled up in small groups in the center of Kabul; under the Pul-e-Sukhta bridge and on the banks of the Paghman river. They smoke crystal meth and opium and heroin. Many are homeless. Sometimes they smoke under blankets and scarves to hide the consumption. At times, there are arrested by the police and brought to the Ibn Sinar addiction clinic for forced treatment.Addicts are shaven bald for hygienic treatment. After 45 days, many are released, often to relapse again. Staff has not been paid for six months and mistreatment of patients happens frequently.

The Limes, the landscape as palimpsest

4 Feb 2022

19 files

The landscape is a legible palimpsest. (A palimpsest is a reused piece of parchment that bears a manuscript. The top layer of this parchment with the text on it was scraped off so that the parchment could be rewritten.) This means that, with some effort, we can still discern the almost disappeared historical layers in the landscape. In this way, we can still see traces of the Roman era today. In my images I expose the hidden layers of the places along the Limes in the landscape.~~The places I have photographed are all protected by~UNESCO World Heritage status, where the archaeological value is mainly under the ground. The question that interests me is: what made this particular place so important to the Romans? Why exactly here? And could we still experience it that way today?~~In a sense, the Limes runs parallel to the river Rhine. However, the course~of this river is always subject to change. In the past two thousand years its course has also been altered several times. This can be clearly seen on the basis of this old Roman border.~Important places of the Limes, such as Fort Vechten near Bunnik, are no longer situated along the water, but in this case along the A12 freeway. The town of Neuss-Koenenlager, on the other hand, is still on the Rhine,~at the place where the river Erft flows into the Rhine. Just like the Romans, you can see the river landscape of the Rhine and the Waal from the lateral moraine near the Hunerberg and the Kops Plateau in Nijmegen.~The confluence of rivers as a logical location for trade and as a strategic military site was essential for the Romans to settle. Natural resources also played a role, such as the limestone in Iversheim or the clay at Holdeurn in Berg en Dal from which roof tiles were made.~~The qualities of the landscape were thus put to very good use. And even now, one only has to look at a map of the area where~the Romans were located, and you see that the link with the river or other natural elements is obvious. However, without this knowledge of history you quickly overlook the piece of forest, the housing estate or the hill that is there now. With the historical and archaeological knowledge the landscape becomes readable and thus the experience of the contemporary landscape is enriched. In this way the landscape is a palimpsest, layer after layer after layer of history reveals itself, in this case that of the Limes.~~In my photography I have developed a process that combines many elements. With the direct experience of the landscape by walking and looking, combined with the knowledge I have of a place, I make my shots. I combine these into one composite image that ultimately constitutes the essence of that place and its landscape qualities. In this way I bring back to the surface the almost disappeared layers of the landscape.

Max Verstappen the road to World Championship F1

12 Dec 2021

63 files

Calais ‘Jungle’ – five years after its demolition

7 Dec 2021

37 files

t has been five years since the refugee camp the Jungle near Calais was cleared and demolished. A report by Human Rights Watch, using data from local charities, estimates that some 2,000 migrants are still staying in wooded areas, in and around disused warehouses, and under bridges in and around Calais, including about 300 unaccompanied children. Several hundred others bivouac in a forest near Dunkirk. Hostility to the migrants is growing on the French side, and police in Calais are daily evicting people from the crumbling camps that have replaced the Jungle.

Opioid Crisis in the streets of Philadelphia

3 Dec 2021

50 files

America has been hit hard by the opioid crisis. A record number, nearly 100.000 people died in 2020. One of the most deadly drugs is fentanyl, artificial heroin that is 50 times stronger and already available in consumer portions of five USD and that has completely replaced heroin that is hardly available on the streets anymore. Epicenter of the drug pandemic is Kensington Avenue in North Philadelphia, between the subway stops Huntingdon and Allegheny on the elevated Market-Frankford subway / metro Line. A population of a few thousands addicts roam the streets, several people a day die from overdosing. Aid workers try with opioid blocker Narcan to revive unconscious people. The fentanyl is often diluted with tranquillizers such as Ketamin. People deal drugs with impunity. There are several shoot outs a day. Law enforcement is not acting, since city government condones this open air drug market.

Plastic Free World

1 Dec 2021

42 files

The European Union has introduced a new law banning the use of many products made from disposable plastic since this year and has also set specific targets for 2030 whereby at least 70% of packaging materials must be recyclable. Worldwide, 1 million plastic bottles are produced every minute. In the Netherlands alone, we produce 400,000 tonnes of plastic packaging a year. More than 3/4 of the plastic that goes to landfill is incinerated and a large proportion is never recycled and finds its way into nature. Plastic is made to last, but it is mainly used as a disposable product. Plastic still makes up the majority of waste in Europe. This project aims to map out the various initiatives in the Netherlands undertaken by individuals, organisations and industries to reduce and recycle the plastic we use. The goal is to get a better understanding of the effects of these different initiatives on the environment and whether they offer concrete solutions for a better use of the plastic materials. The initiatives cover different levels, from local to global.~~~~This project was made possible through a grant from the Steunfonds Freelance fotografen of The Matching Fonds.

Albino Beauty Pageant

17 Nov 2021

39 files

Mr/Mrs Albinism South Africa is the first Beauty pageant to be held in South Africa for contestants with Albinism. It main focus is to uplift, create awareness and be an advocacy for people with Albinism. Held at Victory Theatre in Houghton, Johannesburg on Saturday, October 30, 2021, the event attracted an audience from different provinces and from as far as Botswana, with a noticeable majority being people with albinism. At the end of the evening, Brian Makhubela from Mpumalanga and Lerato Sethibe from Free State were crowned winners.

Sinking Sundarbans

27 Oct 2021

230 files

The southern part of Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta is a common ground between India and Bangladesh. The Indian delta region stretches around 4000 sq.km approximately. It is covered with the biggest mangrove forest in the world containing 102 swampy islands, out of which only 52 are inhabited by humans. The people here largely depend on the natural resources of the area for their means of livelihood. Global warming is the prime threat to this region. One of the major reasons for this environmental emergency is deforestation. The illiterate, poor and ignorant islanders have vividly cut down bigger trees to collect wood for fuel. They also consider the wood for selling as it is a rich forest product with "Sundari" trees providing the finest variety of wood. Thus, the forest which earlier served as a buffer ground between the wild side of nature and life now has made the soil susceptible to water attacks. As the terror of the environment continues to rage in the form of devastating floods, intense storms, and torrential rains, this land is getting more prone to disaster. The increase in the level of erosion has added to the situation. Sundarbans is seeing 3.14 mm rise in sea levels every year. As the rise in sea levels increases, the salinity in water degrades soil quality causing reduced crop yield and food crisis. Drinking water is also getting increasing obscure here. Additionally, water has already devoured parts of Mousuni and Ghoramara Island. Predictions are saying that a large portion of Sundarbans' island will get submerged in the coming years.

The Curse of Coal

26 Oct 2021

168 files

Coal is perhaps the most important energy resource that provides for the energy consumption in India as well as a larger share of the world. Jharia in Jharkhand is the most significant coal mine producing the largest share of coal in India and also in the whole of south Asia. Since the days it has come into operation, and from the discovery of underground fires (in 1916), this coal mine has seen a number of deaths. It has been rightly referred to as the death field. The poor lots who engage themselves in the mining activities to earn a living are affected the most. The major reasons of death here are underground fire, suspension of poisonous gases in the air, pollution, etc. Diseases with skin and lungs are thus widespread here. Moreover, extreme conditions of poverty, illnesses and higher illiteracy among the people force the villagers to sell their kids to the coal mining mafia. Nowadays, more are getting associated with this illegal mining activity for less than 2 USD, yet risking their lives a lot more.

De laatste pulsvissers

10 Aug 2021

50 files

In de laatste week dat de pulsvisserij is toegestaan was de TX36 tot de laatste toegestane uren bezig. Niels Wenstedt was een week aan boord. Pulsvissers maken gebruik van sleepnetten met elektroden die schokken afgeven, waardoor in het zand verscholen platvissen door een schrikreactie opspringen en in het net belanden. Deze methode is nu door de EU verboden

Skid Row

5 Aug 2021

207 files

Thousands of homeless camp in the center of Los Angeles in an area of 50 blocks. In the greater Los Angeles, there are 70.000 homeless, who have set up tents under bridges and on exits and entrances of the freeway and highway system. Some speak of the biggest humanitarian crisis ever in Los Angeles. Mentally Illness and substance abuse are rampant: Crystal meth (methamphetamine) is available in consumer portions of 5 USD and has taken over crack as the favorite drug of choice of the down and out. Crack, weed, fentanyl, spice (synthetic marijuana), cocaine heroine are other commonly used drugs. People do not even hide their drug use and smoke and inject in the open.

100 jaar W. F. Hermans

1 Aug 2021

16 files

Iessel Cider

23 Jun 2021

41 files

Iessel Cider maakt ambachtelijke ciders van fruit uit de IJsselstreek. Al meer dan 60 boomgaardeigenaren leveren appels en peren. In de ciderij worden alleen maar oude fruitrassen gebruikt. De ciderij is belangrijk voor het voortbestaan van hoogstamboomgaarden in de regio. ~Marin van Sprang en Rob le Rutte runnen samen met ruim 25 vrijwilligers een ciderij in Diepenveen, in een van de bijgebouwen van de voormalige abdij Sion in Diepenveen wordt de cider gemaakt. Na zorgvuldige selectie van het fruit wordt het vermalen en geperst tot 100% puur vers sap. Het sap vergist in vaten: wild of met toegevoegde gist. De cider rijpt minstens 6 maanden in het vat. Daarna wordt het gebotteld en nog eens twee maanden gerijpt, en als het even kan nog veel langer.

In Pennsylvania, the derby is sacred

7 May 2021

54 files

With their right hands on their hearts, from the top of their lungs, the audience sings the American national anthem. The last notes have not yet died down, or the outdoor arena fills with the deafening roar of rumbling engines. Mud splashes in all directions. Dark clouds and exhaust fumes fill the air. Cars ram into each other. People boo, some stand up, cheering, hot dog in hand. The ecstasy is complete when cars roll over, engines go up in flames, and firefighters rush in. ~Welcome to the demolition derby in the American state of Pennsylvania. The state where the American industrial revolution began and where steel was forged for the Golden Gate Bridge and the skyscrapers in New York. And the state where one Amazon distribution center after another now rises along the highway. Yet Pennsylvania remains palpably the cradle of industrial America.~In this state, these kinds of demolition events are beloved. Since the 1960s, they have been the main attraction and finale of American summer festivals. On average, about two thousand of these events are organized throughout the country. You wouldn't know it at first sight, but the cars and the driving style are subject to strict rules. For example, all windows must be removed from the cars, gasoline tanks are replaced with jerry cans, and doors and flaps are lashed down with chains. In the hood there is an 11 by 15 inch hole into which the hose of a fire extinguisher fits. Colliding with other cars is mandatory, but intentionally crashing into the driver's door results in disqualification. ~During the day, race participants work in coal mines, are truck drivers, garbage collectors, car mechanics or cashiers at the gas station. At night and on weekends, they tinker with the cars. Even if their wages don't exceed two thousand dollars a month, hundreds of dollars are laid down without hesitation for a car from the junkyard. And that' s not all there is to it. Because making a car roadworthy can cost thousands of dollars. Behind the scenes, where the cars wait in the arena out of sight of the spotlights, you would imagine yourself in a junkyard. Young mothers with babies on their arms lug around strollers, toddlers hop between the dented cars, boys crawl daydreaming behind the wheel. When they are twelve they are allowed to drive themselves, in the junior class. They barbecue on the tailgate of a pickup, fill the radiators, do some quick welding and apply the last lick of paint to the car. There is no lack of national pride: American flags are flying everywhere, interspersed with the controversial Confederate flag. ~In recent years, the car cemetery has also been decorated with Trump flags with the text: 'no more bullshit'. The demolition derby is a cycle of dying and resurrection. Like gladiators, the cars lose their lives in the arena. But if they are still somewhat viable, they are patched up. For another derby.

Northern Europe, Silicon Valley of food

6 May 2021

76 files

The growing need to produce food to feed the planet, but resource depletion, lack of usable land and climate change are obstacles. Global food production is one of the major challenges of the coming decades. At a time when the need to turn to efficient and environmentally friendly agriculture has never been more pressing, northern European countries are exploring alternative solutions, free from the field and traditional agriculture. Although they are not the ideal answer to the challenges of our time, they are attracting attention and may influence the content of tomorrow’s plates.~In Finland, Belgium and the Netherlands, scientists are working in all areas.

CADETS

26 Mar 2021

41 files

Try, Try, Never Die, HOOAH!”~Many students of Fall Mountain Regional High School in Langdon, New Hampshire, begin class with that yell every day, sometimes delivering it in military uniform. They are cadets in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, JROTC, a U.S. Army-sponsored program, which is offered as an elective at over 1,700 high schools. Its goal is not to turn children into soldiers, but to motivate them to become better citizens by teaching them military values Americans admire: service, honor, skill and leadership. By using military techniques that challenge the students, both mentally and physically, the course tries to improve their self-esteem and perseverance and give them a better grip on life. ~~For many teenagers, this is precisely why they seek out the program. They come from broken households, several don’t live with their parents anymore, and some already have adult responsibilities: a full-time job, a baby. The class offers them camaraderie and the structure, direction, and security that is often missing at home.~~Jenna (17) says: “I’m more on track. JROTC helped me to calm down and focus. If I don’t, I’ll be disrespectful.”~~A lot of students are also from families with a military tradition. And some intend to join the Armed Forces by enlisting or continuing with an ROTC program in college, at a time when the nation is at war.~~Ryan (17) says: “Every male in my family has been in the military, my father, my uncles, my cousins. My father was in the first Gulf War and Desert Storm. One of my cousins went to Iraq. My dad doesn’t talk much about it, but my cousins tell me. Some is bad, some is good. I hope to go into the Army. I feel it’s a better job than what most people do. You’re giving everything you have for your country, and I think that’s just really cool!”~~Curious about the place of the military in American society, Dutch photographer and writer Ellen Kok followed the cadets for over two years. What do marching in formation, doing push-ups, shining uniform buttons, firing air rifles and addressing each other with “Sergeant” or “Captain” do for young people? Does it help them to cope with the challenges life throws at them, at home and in school? ~~The book Cadets shows in photos and a long written story how the military permeates many people's personal lives, as well as American culture. (Netherlight Publishing, 2013, English edition).

Porto

8 Mar 2021

58 files

Located along the Douro River estuary in northern Portugal, Porto is one of the oldest European centres, and its core was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. Porto or Oporto is the second-largest city in Portugal and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas.

Nation

23 Feb 2021

21 files

In almost every country in Europe, Otto Snoek has photographed national celebrations and commemorations. Snoek is interested in the growing awareness of national identity and history, which in many European countries goes hand in hand with the rise of nationalism. Different peoples are beginning to put their cultural traditions and idiosyncrasies in the limelight and to commemorate or celebrate historical moments with new energy. Snoek shows how this development manifests itself in everyday life during all kinds of organized and unorganized mass gatherings and spectacles.

You Are a Girl and You Want to Milk Cows

12 Feb 2021

18 files

Mirjam (19) from the village of Waarder in the Netherlands, wants to become a dairy farmer. However, her father’s farm is just a small enterprise, she won’t be able to make her future there as well. Mirjam will have to find her place as a farmer elsewhere. ~~After graduating from the agricultural school, she wants to get more work experience. She travels to New Zealand to work on the dairy farm of a Dutch emigrant. She plans to attend the agricultural college when she returns. But Mirjam enjoys the adventure of working in a faraway foreign country. When a friend of her New Zealand boss invites her to come to Australia to milk his cows for a few months as well, she doesn’t hesitate. And now that she is used to the space of another continent, she actually doesn’t want to go back to the Netherlands. ~~On the dairy farm in Australia, in the state of Victoria, Mirjam milks 350 cows twice a day.

The Hill

11 Feb 2021

16 files

Down the hill in Amsterdam IJburg's Diemerpark with a sled or snowboard during the snowdrift storm of February 2021

Fokker Bankrupt 25 years ago

4 Feb 2021

12 files

After continuing losses, the aircraft manufacturer goes bankrupt in March 1993. The German DASA and the Dutch government pull the plug. The healthy part of the company is taken over by Stork. They will continue with the maintenance of Fokker aircraft and the production of aircraft parts.

Boarded up shopping paradise

4 Feb 2021

28 files

The most expensive shopping paradise in the Netherlands, Amsterdam's PC Hooftstraat has now become a fortress of wood and shipping containers. Nervous about the looting last week, the candy stores of the wealthy have put their wares in security. It leaves the normally pimped-up and powdered-up face of the gold street masked and horrified. The have-nots, the underprivileged and enraged rioters, looters have not yet shown themselves. But the bog fire under the country of the stone rich (who are getting richer) on the one hand and young people without a golden spoon grown up with anger in their fists along with working poor on the other hand is smoldering.

Sea of Plastic - Migrant Workers

27 Jan 2021

79 files

In the plastic greenhouses, also called 'sea of plastic', fruit and vegetables are grown that are harvested by cheap workers from Africa. They earn between 35 and 40 Euro per day, which is below the legal minimum wage. After 3 years they get a temporary residence permit for 1 year. With an employment contract of a Spanish farmer they can get a permanent Spanish residence permit. During the COVID-19 crisis there is less work and more migrants arrived from Africa, because there is also less work in Africa due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Immortal Twins

26 Jan 2021

100 files

The Fon people in Benin have one of the highest rates of twins, 1 in 20 births. The African country also suffers from a relatively high rate of infant mortality. The high mortality rate has contributed to a separate "twin religion. When twins die, a wooden statue is made, in which the spirit of the dead child is placed. These 'hovovi' are animated and idolized and treated almost as much as living children. To the Fon, twins are immortal. They remain alive even after death, bringing blessing or misfortune depending on whether they are coddled or treated badly.

Antilockdown protest loopt uit op rellen

26 Jan 2021

99 files

Rellen in Enschede, Amsterdam en Eindhoven na anti-lockdown protesten. Na oproepen om te demonstreren tegen overheidsmaatregelen, vaccinatie en avondklok kwamen demonstranten bijeen. In Amsterdam, Eindhoven en Enschede liepen demonstraties uit op rellen en kwam de ME in actie. Relschoppers gooiden stenen en vuurwerkbommen naar de politie. In Enschede werd onder andere het MST Ziekenhuis belaagd.

Curfew in the Netherlands

24 Jan 2021

10 files

Utrecht just after curfew. To curb the outbreak of the corona virus, a curfew has been instituted from January 23. Only in special cases it is allowed to be outside between 21:00 and 04:30. Bas de Meijer took photos at a couple of usually always busy places in Utrecht just before the curfew started and during the curfew. When the curfew starts it's a surreal moment, suddenly it's quiet. Just as quiet as it sometimes is deep in the night, only now it is Saturday night.

Fokker bankrupt 25 year ago

20 Jan 2021

13 files

After continuing losses, the aircraft manufacturer goes bankrupt in 1993. The German DASA and the Dutch government pull the plug. The healthy part of the company is taken over by Stork. They will continue with the maintenance of Fokker aircraft and the production of aircraft parts.

Disappearing Chinese restaurants in the Netherlands

6 Jan 2021

55 files

Restaurant Golden River, is run by the Wong family. It’ s a typical traditional Chinese restaurant once seen in every village in the Netherlands. Already in the 1920‘s the first Chinese restaurants appeared in harbour cities like Rotterdam. After WW2, they become more popular due to the repatriation of Indonesian families who after the Indonesian indepence moved back to holland. Once the favourite family restaurant because of its big portion sizes and cheap prices, now these restaurants are disappearing fast and are taken over by all you can eat sushi places and stir fry restaurants.

Face shields in the gutter

5 Jan 2021

42 files

Since the outbreak of the Corona virus, mouth caps have become a new source of litter.

Pre Christmas Lockdown in Alkmaar

24 Dec 2020

28 files

Empty shopping streets in the center of the Dutch provincial city Alkmaar, the infection rates of the coronavirus have risen sharply so the government has decided that all non-essential stores throughout the country should be closed for the next 5 weeks. Until at least 19 January only supermarkets, bakers, butchers and other stores selling food may remain open.

Raid on Mexican Crystal Meth Lab

11 Dec 2020

63 files

In recent years, the Sinaloa Cartel and the ' La Familia de Michoacan ' cartel have turned to the production of the highly addictive and destructive drug crystal meth, also known as methamphetamine or its street name ice. The production takes place in small labs in remote mountain areas. Most of the crystal meth is smuggled into the USA. An army regiment based in the state capital Morelia in on its way to destroy two chrystal meth labs that were discovered in a remote mountainous area 80 kilometers west of Morelia. Five civilians were arrested a few days earlier when the labs were raided. The two labs were equipped with sophisticated equipment and had a capacity to yield at least a few tons yearly.

Tijuana in the grip of crystal meth

10 Dec 2020

32 files

Due to a recent explosion in crystal meth production, consumption an addiction, Tijuana has again become the most violent city in Mexico as small drug dealers fight for turf and street corners to do business. Murder rates soar again, Tijuana is the most murderous city of Mexico, and the world, for the second year in a row. In 2020 the death toll stands at 1305 murders, that's an average of roughly 5.5 murders per day.

Plogging

7 Dec 2020

16 files

Bas van Gangelen combines his love of running with making the world around him cleaner. GarbageBas, his alias, does plogging. Plogging is a combination of jogging and picking up litter such as plastic bottles, cans and mouth caps. The word is a combination of the Swedish 'plocka up' meaning picking up, and jogging.

NSDM then & now

4 Nov 2020

20 files

The NDSM shipyard was once the largest in the Netherlands. In 1984, this pride of Amsterdam-Noord went bankrupt. From the slipways where magnificent concerts are now held, colossal ships once glided into the IJ. Where studios and offices now stand, thousands of labourers worked on ocean liners and supertankers. And shipbuilding can still be found there.

Happy Birthday! Dutch Children’s Parties.

26 Oct 2020

26 files

Een vrijdag met Julius Vischjager

7 Oct 2020

27 files

Julius Vischjager is overleden. Vischjager was hoofdredacteur en enige medewerker van de handgeschreven krant The Daily Invisible. Ruim 40 jaar volgde hij de Nederlandse politiek. Dertig jaar lang mocht hij op vrijdag de laatste vraag stellen tijdens de persconferentie van de premier. De eerste kwam uit in 1978, en verscheen niet dagelijks maar wekelijks, hoewel niet elke week. In Nieuwspoort speelde Vischjager regelmatig klassieke stukken op de vleugel. David van Dam volgt hem op zo'n vrijdag, van Amsterdam naar Den Haag.

Masks

29 Sep 2020

18 files

With Heritage Day South Africans celebrate their culture and the diversity of their beliefs and traditions. Since March wearing facemasks in public is compulsory in South Africa due to Covid-19.

Pecos River, Precious stream through a dry landscape

18 Sep 2020

12 files

The Pecos River springs from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains southeast of Santa Fe, meanders through New Mexico and Texas, and ends in the Rio Grande. It is an important water source for both American states. They even fought a twenty years’ court battle over the division of water rights, finally settling it in the Pecos River Compact. Texas claimed New Mexico extracted too much water from the river, for its cities and agriculture, before it crosses the state border. Because of continuous drought, the water level is now especially low. A claim on the water by the New Mexico oil industry is threatening the state’s ability to meet its obligations to Texas.

The Big Cleanup

12 Sep 2020

15 files

The Amsterdam photographer Peter Boer walked with camera through the streets of the capital during the coronation period. In the dark, late in the evening or early in the morning he portrayed bulky rubbish. His arsenal of furniture in the dark is impressive, from refrigerators to sofas, from mattresses to chairs. The intelligent lockdown caused many city dwellers to focus on what they had control over, their interiors and their own belongings. As a result of the corona virus, public locations such as cafes, restaurants, theatres and theatres were closed, and many people worked from home. Now the time had come to take care of their own home. The home improvement centres and do-it-yourself shops did good business and achieved high turnovers; the old is making way for the new.

Belarus Exils

10 Sep 2020

17 files

Who knows Belarus, that small country wedged between Russia and Poland at the gates of Europe, often described as the "last Soviet dictatorship in Europe", but which has recently become the scene of unprecedented demonstrations.~Far from the media spotlight, this small republic has been under the unnamed dictatorship of President Lukashenko for 26 years, since the fall of the wall in 1991.~Hundreds of political prisoners, repeated electoral fraud, a gagged civil society and continuous violations of human rights: Belarus appears to be the only country in the former Soviet bloc that has completely missed the transition to democracy.~In order to consolidate his power, Lukashenko, a capricious president, has not hesitated to cherish nostalgia for the USSR, of which he claims to be the heir. In fact, Belarus is still living in Soviet times with its kolkhoz and state enterprises.~Time seems to stand still here: gigantic avenues, statues of Lenin or Stalin on every street corner, fervent patriots reenacting year after year the great battles of the Red Army in the "Stalin Line" complex, an open-air museum dedicated to the great hours of communism,~However, there are still pockets of resistance, especially in the young underground generation. Faced with the impossibility of overthrowing this tyrannical regime, confronted with the fear that dominates their lives, many young people have fled their country from neighboring Poland, such as Valentina, Julia, Hanna, Bohezina, alicia, microcobaque, alexandr, pavel, pamedor, alessia and others.~For Poland, Europe, democracy and especially freedom of speech is already a fact. Here, young Belarusians can finally breathe and free themselves from the sad and grey Soviet past, in which they have bathed all their lives, but which has no meaning for them. Born after the perestroika, they have never known the USSR and reject these values from the past.~This photo project therefore takes the form of diptychs that associate young underground Belarusians who fled their country to Poland with photos of symbols of communism taken in Belarus. This work thus wants to emphasize the gap between a generation and a regime that focuses on the past and the Soviet chimeras, and an anti-system, anarchist, punk or hippie youth who resolutely focus on the West and whose vision of the world is the opposite of that advocated in their country.~Many of his "exiles" are still afraid, especially to be seen from Belarus, but they all have faith in the future and many are trying to fight from outside. With the increase in the number of demonstrations against Lukashenko's regime, which has never been seen before in Belarus, which has always been a "wise" country, many are regaining courage and hope and are all convinced that recent events will somehow change things.

With God and Ayudante Across Guatemala

10 Aug 2020

16 files

The bus is the most important means of public transportation in Guatemala. Often these are retired American school buses, called chicken buses, colorfully decorated and modified to be able to transport people as well as goods - and chickens. The drivers are mostly also the owner of the vehicle. They are assisted by an ayudante, who sells tickets and loads goods. The bus is also a kind of mobile store. In exchange for a free lunch, the driver allows all kinds of salespeople to peddle their merchandise during the journey from one town to the other. Even a preacher boards to preach the gospel.~~With this photo story a longer written text is available.

Vakantiestatief

3 Aug 2020

15 files

Je wilt graag op de foto wil met je familie of vrienden, maar er is geen statief.~Dan moet de mens improviseren.~Iedereen kan tegenwoordig met de mobiele telefoon fotograferen maar je hebt nooit een statief bij je. Als er niemand in de buurt is om een groepsportret te maken zoek je een goede plek voor je telefoon.

Doorgeefluik

26 Jul 2020

40 files

Dankzij het doorgeefluik gaan de zaken ten tijde van de coronacrisis toch nog een beetje door. Café, bierwinkel, koffietent, lunchzaak, via het raam of de deuropening kan er toch nog wat verkocht worden zonder klanten binnen te hoeven laten.

Holland Pop Festival

19 Jun 2020

30 files

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 'Dutch response to Woodstock'. In the Kralingse Bos in Rotterdam the Holland Pop Festival took place on 26, 27 and 28 June 1970. This festival attracted more than ten thousand visitors. Among others Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds and Pink Floyd performed there. Despite the rain, tens of thousands of people came to the festival. At the Festival, the undercover officers present hardly ever took any action against the open use of marijuana.

Symbols of Hate

9 Jun 2020

30 files

In the margins of the worldwide anti-racism protest, statues are attacked or knocked down in America, Europe and elsewhere. The discussion about statues has been going on for some time, but now seems to have gained momentum. In the Netherlands, too, there was a debate about the worship of colonial VOC heroes. Statues of Jan Pieterszoon Coen, Petrus Stuyvesant, Michiel de Ruyter, Piet Hein and General Van Heutsz are scattered throughout the country as legacies of our colonial past. To the statue of Jan Pieterszoon Coen in Hoorn the caption has been added that the statue is not undisputed: According to critics, Coen's violent trade policy in the Indian archipelago does not deserve tribute.

Pop Festivals in summertime

9 Jun 2020

46 files

Summer is coming up, the time for music fans to gather at Europe's big musical festivals. Due to COVID-19 there will be no large meetings, no concerts and no festivals.

New Land

23 May 2020

16 files

Marker Wadden is a nature reserve in development. The islands are constructed with sand, clay and sludge from the Markermeer. The Marker Wadden is already crowded by water sports enthusiasts and nature lovers. When the harbour of the new nature reserve in the Markermeer is full, the boats have to anchor outside on the Markermeer. Because of the Corona crisis there are no ferries on the Marker Wadden for day trippers but the recreational sailors know how to find the area well. Meanwhile, wooden shelters are being built for visitors and the island is turning yellow because of the blossoming marsh endive. The Marker Wadden has been constructed with money from the province of Flevoland and the Postcode Lottery. For common terns and avocets it is an important breeding area, many other bird species are plastering in the area for shorter or longer periods of time.

Farewell at a distance

22 May 2020

12 files

Due to the corona crisis, only a maximum of thirty people are allowed to attend a funeral. Thanks to the 'drive through' condolence everyone with a car can say goodbye to Ben van Dijk (85) from Tuindorp Buiksloot for the last time. The coffin with his body is in the front garden of his house on the Waddenweg in Amsterdam Noord. Bernardus Gerardus van Dijk was born in Amsterdam on 9-3-1935 and died there on 21-4-2020.~~Ben's parents lived at Waddenweg 30. When they needed care Ben and Fietje came to live there; they lived on the upper floor. After their death Ben and Fietje continued to live here. Ben has always worked on cars and especially Opels but he also did maintenance on boats. Ben was known as the man with the golden hands, the man who could do anything. Before Ben went to the nursing home his green Opel was always at the door. Everyone came along, everyone was welcome, it was always possible. Ben had no judgement and gave everyone his smile. He loved Jazz because this music told that everyone was welcome. But his Fietje was his greatest love. Always has been and will be forever. That's why he came home one last time.

City of bricks

8 May 2020

18 files

Because of the coronavirus outbreak, residents of the Netherlands have to stay at home as much as possible. in Amsterdam too, shops and restaurants are often closed, and there are almost no tourists. The result is an empty city, with empty streets, squares and alleys. For a photographer photographing architecture in particular, this tranquillity is an opportunity to photograph buildings in the city without people getting in the way.

Health is a luxury

6 May 2020

37 files

An emergency shelter has been set up in Utrecht, the Netherlands, for homeless people who may have been infected with COVID-19. The location is especially for the homeless who cannot be quarantined in regular shelters.

Lege kantoren

5 May 2020

24 files

Because of the corona virus everyone works at home so the parking spaces are empty, the offices are empty and no one visits the canteen anymore.

Confinement details

18 Apr 2020

25 files

To fight the spread of the Coronavirus epidemic, the government asked the French people to remain confined to their homes.

Coronavirus Window shopping in Amsterdam

17 Apr 2020

45 files

The economic impact of COVID-19 is immense, most shops and all bars and restaurants in Amsterdam are closed. The daily streetscape has changed drastically, the shopping streets, normally full of tourists, city dwellers and day trippers remain empty.

Quarantine Still life

16 Apr 2020

22 files

Trading animals on the Qingping Medicine Market

15 Apr 2020

33 files

At the Qingping Medicine Market, in Guangzhou (Canton), many different kinds of live and dead animals are sold as food and for medicinal applications. In the winter of 2003, a virus that was totally unknown, SARS, appeared at animal markets in southern China. This coronavirus is transmitted from animal to human.

The border is back

15 Apr 2020

68 files

The border between Belgium and the Netherlands is closed to non-essential traffic due to the coronavirus. It is no longer possible to fill up with cheap petrol or go to your weekend cottage. Police officers check passing traffic at various places in the border area. Border workers who work in so-called vital sectors and exercise a crucial profession, such as health care, can cross the border between Belgium and the Netherlands more quickly with a vignette. For ordinary residents of the border region, the border is back and closed.

Privacy

13 Apr 2020

20 files

Do not take my picture

Postcode area 1020 is empty

7 Apr 2020

21 files

It's quiet in the red light district of Amsterdam. Sex clubs and coffee shops, sex theatres like Casa Rosso, the Banana Bar and Moulin Rouge, cafes and restaurants, almost everything is close in the area between the Zeedijk and the Warmoesstraat.

Intensive care in Belgium in Corona times

6 Apr 2020

65 files

One of the two largest hospitals in Limburg has almost reached its maximum intensive care capacity. At Jessa Hospital in Hasselt, the IC department is almost full of corona patients. A few dozen corona patients are transported from the Limburg hospital to another province, to prevent the IC from becoming too busy.

Empty streets in Rotterdam

6 Apr 2020

57 files

The result of the Dutch approach to Covid-19 pandemy are empty streets all over the Netherlands. Despite the sunny weather most people in Rotterdam stay indoors, when outside social distancing is practiced. Most keep at least 1,5 meter away from others.

Amsterdam in Covidtimes

2 Apr 2020

15 files

The city of Amsterdam is taking a break during Covid-times. Peaceful streets, showing the beaty of the city, without the tourists and inhabitants in its street views. As people are strongly encouraged to stay home, there are almost no passengers on the normally so busy train station. Touring boats are halted to tour the city's canals and are waiting on the canals to go back to business. Desolated tourists have the Dam Square to themselves, while police is watching social distance measures are being adhered. Coffee-shop the Bulldog has closed its doors in Amsterdam. Supermarkets create their own measures as they have to guarantee the customers will hold 1, 5 meter distance. Restaurants and bars are obliged to close, but take away is still possible. Some cafes try to plus their income by selling drinks in the street, to the few passers-by. Also the theaters have to close, like the Tuschinski Movies Theatre in Amsterdam. Although in The Netherlands shops are not obliged to close, the busy shopping street De Kalverstraat is merely empty during office hours.

Utrecht in Times of Corona

27 Mar 2020

66 files

Rotterdam, Lege stad

27 Mar 2020

28 files

Verlaten straten in België

23 Mar 2020

17 files

Manneken Pis plast zonder de gewoonlijke toeschouwers, het anders zo drukke treinstation van Antwerpen is verlaten. In België geldt in verband met het coronavirus een reisverbod. Dit betekent dat inwoners van België zich alleen nog voor noodzakelijke zaken mogen verplaatsen, zoals bijvoorbeeld om boodschappen te doen, de hond uit te laten, van en naar het werk te gaan. Verder mogen ze zich niet verplaatsen.

Keeping your distance

23 Mar 2020

67 files

In order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus covid-19, everyone must keep a distance of one and a half meters from each other. In practice this doesn't always work or people don't follow this rule. How much is 1.5 meters? With a yardstick you can see in practice how much that is.

Grens België - Nederland gesloten

23 Mar 2020

32 files

België weert Nederlandse automobilisten bij de grens. Politieagenten controleren op diverse plaatsen in het grensgebied passerend verkeer. Grensarbeiders die werken in zogenoemde vitale sectoren en een cruciaal beroep uitoefenen, zoals in de zorverlening, kunnen met een vignet sneller de grens tussen België en Nederland oversteken

Living in confinement

22 Mar 2020

17 files

Scenes of life confined within a residence in the Paris region. To fight against the spread of the Coronavirus epidemic, the government asked the French people to remain confined to their homes. This exit restriction began on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at noon.

The Laundromat

18 Mar 2020

12 files

Laundromats in rural USA

Schiphol Airport and the corona virus

18 Mar 2020

52 files

Schiphol Airport remains open, but in a slimmed-down form. Five of the seven piers close. From now on they will be used as parking places for airplanes. Two piers remain open. Schiphol and KLM have asked the Cabinet for help now that aviation is suffering heavily from the corona crisis. Now that many flights have been cancelled, there is less work for the desk and cabin crew of KLM. Schiphol's subcontractors, such as the companies that arrange security and baggage handling, also have less work. The number of passengers at Schiphol is decreasing so rapidly that the airport has to take measures more quickly. On normal days, around 180.00 passengers travel through the airport each day. The number of passengers has now dropped by half. This is expected to decrease even further. Schiphol is also working on plans to park large numbers of aircraft, now that Air France-KLM, among others, has announced that 70 to 80 percent of the aircraft will be grounded.

Preppers in the Netherlands

16 Mar 2020

28 files

What does the government do for citizens in the event of a disaster? Popular science fiction series and films sketch doomsday scenarios that put civilization to the test. But the outbreak of the Corona virus, the fight against IS, the chance of attacks by jihadists, computer crime, the loss of electricity, earthquakes in Groningen, a new economic crisis or floods are not science fiction. We are confronted with them on a daily basis through the media. Many citizens trust that the government will watch over them in the event of an emergency, but the bottom line is that the government actually expects self-reliance from the citizen. While not all citizens are prepared for it.~ ~A small group of Dutch people does prepare themselves in case trouble breaks out. Or, as it is called in their jargon, the SHTF (Shit Hits The Fan). They are the 'preppers'. They stockpile, secure themselves and their families, learn survival techniques. Some can survive for a month, others for six months.~ ~Most preppers want to remain anonymous, because they are afraid that when the time comes, their environment will be on their doorstep to take their supplies with them, good or bad. Their fear of looting makes them unwilling to participate in media appearances. I made contact with some of them and photographed them on location, at their homes, during their preparations. In this story, the citizen is central and what they can do if trouble breaks out.

High Finance

12 Mar 2020

8 files

I have been following the world of finance for many years.~And I ask myself: can it be captured in images?~I attempted to lift the veil on it by photographing bank employees running around.~These photographs were made one week after Brexit day.~~Why am I so fond of bank employees as they run around?~Why do I find them so incredibly fascinating?~~The financial services industry, in many different countries, has long been one of my favourite subjects. ~What these organisations have in common, what they emanate wherever they are, is control. The buildings, the lobbies, the websites, the secretaries, the neckties and the polished shoes.~Yet we all know there’s a very different side to all of this.~Which is exactly what I see in my photos.~My visual research in London last week was about Brexit.~I wonder if they are now running even faster.

Gaby

12 Mar 2020

34 files

Gaby lost both of her legs when she tried to avoid a straydog on the highway. After her recovery she decided to tell her life changing story as motivational speaker. She decided not to use a wheelchair but started walking on artificial legs. She never hides her legs but always wears nice summer dresses, proud as she is of her body.

The most luxurious train journey in Africa

1 Mar 2020

57 files

For travellers who are able and willing to pay there is the possibility to travel by luxury train from the South African Pretoria to the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. The train consists of restored historic railway carriages, classic private compartments decorated with mahogany panels. The tables in the two Edwardian and Art Deco dining cars are covered with linen, silver cutlery and porcelain tableware. The idea of this driving hotel through Southern Africa is from Rohan Vos, the founder of Rovos Rail, a South African entrepreneur of Dutch origin.

Multatuli-year

24 Feb 2020

40 files

In March 2020 the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of the writer Multatuli, pseudonym of Eduard Douwes Dekker, will start. Eduard Douwes Dekker (1820-1887) was born in the Korsjespoortsteeg in Amsterdam. After a poor school education, he left for the Dutch East Indies in 1838, where he began a career as a civil servant. In 1856 he was appointed assistant-resident of the West Javanese district of Lebak. There he was confronted with serious abuse of power by the local Indonesian chiefs. His indictment of the local regent for his abuse of power was rejected by the Dutch East Indies administration. Back in Europe he wrote the book 'Max Havelaar or the coffee auctions of the Dutch Trading Society', published in 1860, under the pseudonym Multatuli. This critical book about the administrative culture of the Dutch East Indies made a deep impression in the Netherlands. He became a widely read author, especially among the socialists, who had his books in the bookshelf. The work was translated into more than forty languages.~Photographer Vincent Mentzel visited Lebak in search of the traces of one of the Netherlands' greatest writers.

Alexandria

15 Feb 2020

104 files

Alexandria is a Mediterranean Port City in Egypt. The city was founded by Alexander the Great _Al Iskendariyya_ in 331BC. During the Hellenistic period it was home to the Pharos lighthouse ranking among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and its Great Library which was considered the archive of ancient knowledge. Cleopatra and Marc Antonius fell in love here and both died on it's shore.~Alas the Pharos collapsed and the Great Library was torched, part of the ancient city disappeared under the sea. Another part disappeared under the modern city, so there are few visible remains of its glorious past. The city was in decline.~Napoleon's invasion in 1798 was the turning point in Alexandria's fortune, recognising its strategic importance. In the 19th century Alexandria became one of the Mediterranean's busiest ports and attracted a cosmopolitan mix of people, including Turkish and Egyptian traders, Greeks, Jews, Italians amongst others. Alexandria took on a mythical quality and attracted intellectuals, writers and poets.~In 1952 in an anti-colonial pro-Arab wave provoked by Colonel Nasser, Alexandria lost it's cosmopolitan community, who fled in the 50's. The remaining non-Egyptians were forced out a few years later during the Suez Crisis, when Nasser confiscated foreign properties and nationalised many foreign-owned businesses.~Today the library is rebuild in the sun-shaped ultra modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina on the once-grant seafront Corniche as a symbol of the city's latest reincarnation as Egypt's cultural capital.~The famous Corniche is 25Km long and a very pleasant walk between the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Fort Qaitbey, the place where the famous Pharos once stood. Grand Old world cafes, restaurants and patisseries are facing the seafront. The city still has a very cosmopolitan feel.

Farewell, With Elegance

11 Feb 2020

33 files

Over half a century ago, they were still carefully selected, the teenage girls allowed to participate in the annual Apple Blossom Cotillion in the small American town of Springfield, Vermont.~~At this traditional debutante ball for the high society, also a fundraiser for the local hospital, they were presented to the community on the arm of a prominent businessman. In the months before, the girls had practiced the curtsy in front of their bedroom mirrors at least a hundred times, so as not to mess up this ladylike way of bowing, and make a great impression. After accomplishing this, everybody would dance to the music of a big band. And at the end of the elegant evening one of them was crowned Apple Blossom Queen.~~That is how it went, since 1957. There used to be many chic balls like these in industrial New England. But as the factories that brought prosperity closed, the towns diminished. There is no longer a high society in Springfield. Yet, its Cotillion survived.~ ~Photographer and writer Ellen Kok wanted to know why American girls today continue to take part in an old-fashioned pageant like Apple Blossom. For three winters she went to the Sunday dance rehearsals, from January until May.~~“It’s a great, last bonding activity with kids you’ve been growing up with since kindergarten,” contestant Emilia said. “Now everyone is going to different states, different colleges. You never know when you’re gonna see your classmates again.” And the Cotillion has become an important community event and family tradition, in which grandmothers, mothers, and sisters of the contestants also danced, and hoped to become, even if just for one night, queen of the town.~~The present version is a festive dance show for which everybody can buy tickets. In it, senior high school girls present themselves to a panel of judges in the drab gymnasium of a local school. The music to which they dance is downloaded from the internet. But when the youth of Springfield take the floor, dressed in glamorous ballroom gowns and stylish tuxedos, instead of their usual fashionably torn jeans and camo shirts, the atmosphere changes completely. Besides, in this modern goodbye to childhood, the young ladies may choose their own dance escort – and sometimes it's not even a guy.~~With this photo story a longer written text is available counting 1395 words.

Want to become president, go to New Hampshire

5 Feb 2020

19 files

The American state of New Hampshire has made it a requirement by law that its presidential primary must be the first in the nation, and that it will only tolerate the Iowa caucus to be held earlier. ~And so presidential candidates flock to campaign there at annual fairs, in pubs and gyms, from door to door. The candidates spend millions on travel, venues, flyers, yard signs, and TV ads. ~For the inhabitants of New Hampshire and neighboring states it presents a unique chance to meet their national politicians up close, shake hands, bring up their sorrows, and take selfies with them. Democracy the American way.

Dhaka Street Life

30 Jan 2020

45 files

Everyday life in the capital of Bangladesh. Street scenes from Dhaka.

The Last Book

22 Jan 2020

137 files

Author and technologist Nicholas Negroponte has declared that printed books are in danger of disappearing; according to his predictions, the last printed book will appear sometime in the spring of 2016.~~This is the premise of The Last Book, the latest body of work by Amsterdam-based photographer Reinier Gerritsen. The world—and the word—is in the process of becoming less and less dependent on paper. Our reading habits, especially as they occur in public spaces, are subtly shifting each day. Gerritsen has taken up the current plethora of books and their readers on New York City’s subways as the proverbial canary-in-the-coal-mine, an indicator of the still-robust nature of public readership, in the face of its ostensible decline.~~The work began for Gerritsen as a series of modest observations, and has turned into a series of unexpected, documentary portraits, set against a visual landscape of best sellers, classics, romance novels, detective thrillers, Bibles, biographies, and other printed books. Gerritsen depicts groups of individuals engrossed in the worlds they hold in their hands, bringing together a social portrait of readers. From the subtle interactions of passengers and facial expressions to the sociological clues of book titles, a complexly layered narrative is informed by the choices of readers and the mélange of New York City’s subway riders as they are transported both literally and figuratively, by the books in their hands.

Cactus

22 Jan 2020

26 files

The Botanic garden Zuidas Amsterdam houses the largest cactus collection in the Netherlands

Auschwitz bevrijd 75 jaar geleden

21 Jan 2020

47 files

In 2020 is het 75 jaar geleden dat vernietigings- en concentratiekamp Auschwitz werd bevrijd. Het kamp werd door de Duitsers gebouwd in het bezette Polen. Meer dan een miljoen mensen zijn er vermoord door de Nazi's.

Zonen van het Maailand

15 Jan 2020

50 files

Zonen van het Maailand is een project over het boerenleven op het Noord-Hollandse platteland. Over de moeilijke keuze’s van boerenzonen om het familiebedrijf wel of niet over te nemen. Voor dit project keerde ik terug naar het landschap van mijn jeugd. Zonen van het Maailand is een ode aan het boerenleven en aan boerenzonen die net als ik worstelden met hun keuzes.

In het Pieter Baan Centrum

15 Jan 2020

38 files

Het Pieter Baan Centrum is een psychiatrische observatiekliniek van het gevangeniswezen. Verdachten worden er onderzocht om vast te stellen of ze lijden aan een psychische aandoening. De kliniek werd in 1949 opgericht door de forensisch psychiater Pieter Baan. Eind 2018 vertrok justitie uit het pand aan de Utrechtse Gansstraat. Het nieuwe Pieter Baan Centrum staat in Almere. Jan Banning legde het interieur van de anders zo gesloten inrichting vast,

Farmer in Amsterdam

15 Jan 2020

10 files

Because of the growth of the municipality of Amsterdam, farms that once were situated in autonomous villages, now are located within the city line. The families that run these farms, sometimes already for three generations, suddenly have become city farmers. Their dairy cows graze in pasture with on the horizon the apartment buildings of the advancing city. To build a bridge between the town and the countryside, city children from north Amsterdam are undertaking weekly farm visits, so that they learn where their food comes from.

Vogelkinderen

2 Jan 2020

7 files

Vogelkinderen (freely translated as bird children) is a series of portraits of children who want to become falconers. They are aged ten to fifteen and are all obsessed with birds of prey. I found out about them at a bird show: I was amazed at how they were holding these magnificent birds on their small gloved hands without even blinking their eyes. They seemed perfectly at ease with a red-tailed hawk or even an American Eagle. These kids work as volunteers with a falconer in a small town in the Northern part of the Netherlands called Anna Paulowna. They feed the birds, train them and assist the falconer on bird shows. They spend as much time as possible with the birds—after school hours, at weekends, during vacations.

Bank Run

2 Jan 2020

67 files

The world of high finance is hidden behind shiny buildings and the smiles of the confident men in hand-tailored suits. The staff are under an enormous pressure. They work long hours and a mistake can cost millions. I was struck by these people’s determination and power, but also by their vulnerability and fear. I was able to capture this feeling in the moments they were running from one appointment to the next. On the street I managed to get a glimpse of this world, maybe even it’s true face.

The wrestlers of A.A.C. Hercules

1 Jan 2020

20 files

Every Monday and Thursday evening, the wrestlers of the 'Amsterdam Athlethes Club' Hercules, founded in 1902, train in their brick building on the edge of Sportpark Ookmeer. Also the older members, although they no longer wrestle matches, come to train every week.

Travelling Mexico undocumented: the experiences of violence by refugees from Honduras

29 Dec 2019

15 files

Refugees from Central America are trying to draw attention to the human rights abuses they face while trying to get to the US. Most Central American migrants travel on top of cargo trains, to reduce the risk of being deported. Buses are more often stopped by migration officers. Sometimes the migrants wait for days before the next train is passing. Often the migrants spend the night outside in the dust and cold, near the tracks. Almost no children and women undertake the journey by train. Chances to be trafficked and/or violated are large along the route.. Not all transnational migrants can afford a coyote. However, the entire border is controlled by cartels. A way to cross is to carry a drugs over the border, running the risk to be imprisoned for years.. Risks of being injured during the on average one month during trip is large.

China in 1992

29 Dec 2019

166 files

Travelling through China in 1992. See a world that has rapidly changed. Shot in b/w and colour film

Slot racing, a hobby that got out of hand

2 Dec 2019

23 files

Slot racing, a hobby that got out of hand.~Under Tom Peters' house on the edge of an industrial estate in Zwanneburg, cars are raced every week. The club is open every Friday evening. ~Slot car racing or slot racing is a competition with electrically powered model cars that drive on a preformed racetrack. The most commonly used scales are 1:24 and 1:32.~Slots have been made in the track in which the guide shoe of the car moves. On both sides of the lock there is a conductive strip for power supply by means of drag contacts.

Victims of Soy Plantations - The Wichi in Argentina

27 Nov 2019

43 files

In more than 20 years of deforestation, the world of 40 000 Wichis and other native minorities have completely changed. The government sold their lands to soy companies and relocated them in different areas. The Wichi are people of the forest, they used to live in harmony with their environment, as hunter-gatherers, they have historically depended on the forest for food, medicine, or wood to build their houses, and were completely self sufficient. They used the plants for medicine or to make crafts. But now the animals are gone, the plants, the rivers disappeared. Slowly the Wichis lost their freedom by depending on social help from the government. They live now in a difficult condition between two worlds. The government give them a plastic bag monthly with food, introducing new type of products, changing their way to cook especially with oil. The health conditions completely changed in 20 years with a lot of heart diseases, cholesterol and cancer. But one of the main causes is the chemicals and pesticides used and dropped by planes on the the soy plantation and spreading all over the communities. ~ ~Now some of the Wichi try to find a job in the nearest city but the discrimination of natives is strong amongst argentinians. The cultural gap between them is huge and the need of the Wichi make them very vulnerable. So the only activities left are the craft making by the women, but for days of work they sale it in town for nothing. Some older Wichi still try to hunt or find plants but they have to cross illegal lands that used to be a forest. If the children want to go to school they must walk several kilometers crossing private fields though if the rain comes, the teachers from the cities will not come because of impossible acces. ~Soy plantation is part of a larger scale, once harvested. The small creamy beans are crushed. The extracted oil is mainly used for fuel, while the remaining meal (the protein) is used for animal feed. Only a small percentage is turned into human food products such as soy milk. Around 43m tonnes of soya bean meal, soya oil and soya bean a year floods out of Argentina into Russia, the Middle East, Australia and Asia, with the largest part going to Europe and Europe's farms.~Argentina is Europe's largest single supplier of soya bean meal, providing more than a third of total European soya meal imports, 9,8m tonnes out of a total 27.1m in 2016. Now Argentina relies on soya bean exportation. Combined, soya bean, soya meal and soya oil make up 31% of the country's exports.~The future for the Wichi and the forest is now very uncertain as the chemicals have damaged the soil for replantation and the new generations of the Wichi are losing most of their traditions including the language.

Neterlands, a future

27 Nov 2019

24 files

Located in Delft, Netherlands, on the Deltares Institute, a scientific research institute that creates solutions to combat rising water levels around the world.~In the Netherlands, the fight against the environment is not new. For several hundred years, the country has persevered to protect itself from water, becoming a world reference in this field. The achievements do not stop there, since the territory is also an industrial leader and obtains record agricultural yields. ~Faced with rising water levels and increasing food demand, the country could be considered by some as a vast laboratory that would give a foretaste of the efforts to be made and the means to be implemented to adapt to climate change and resource scarcity. Yet the apparent progress in the fight against climate change masks the country's close dependence on international trade, voracious technologies and the import of materials from all over the world. Are the Netherlands on the right track? Are they really adapted to the challenges of tomorrow?~~Produced with editor Benjamin Laks, a specialist in environmental and agricultural issues, "Netherlands, a future" is a journalistic and documentary project aimed at exploring these issues.

Eruv

27 Nov 2019

28 files

In and around Amsterdam there is a border that stands in a centuries-old tradition, but that hardly anyone knows: the eruv. The area within the border is seen as one big Jewish house. And its walls? They are not made of wood or stone, but of water. ~This partly goes back to the Exodus story in which Moses split the sea to lead the Israelites out of Egypt: "And the water was a wall on their right and left side." ~Inside, religious Jews are allowed to carry loose objects on the day of rest Sabbath - something that is not permitted under Jewish law without this limit: the carrying of belongings outside the home is considered a form of work.~Almost 75 kilometres of border water flows from the busy city centre of Amsterdam via picturesque outlying areas to Zuid-Holland. Anyone who explores the border from the inside can see the landscape change. The quay and the water are nowhere equal. They are worlds in themselves, strung together by the border. Bend your head, and indeed: that water is a wall.

Plastic waist cleanup

18 Nov 2019

18 files

Interceptor 001 is the first system developed by The Ocean Cleanup to prevent plastic waste from entering the ocean. Stationed in Cengkareng drain, Jakarta, the system is environmentally friendly and 100% solar-powered, with onboard lithium-ion batteries that enable it to operate day and night without any noise or exhaust fumes. The system helps to extract plastic from rivers, and prevents the waste, which will be sorted, from going to the ocean. The Ocean Cleanup develops advanced technologies to rid the worldâs oceans of plastic. Founded in 2013 by Boyan Slat. The foundation is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Instead of going after plastic debris with vessels and nets â" which would take many thousands of years and billions of dollars to complete â" The Ocean Cleanup plans to deploy a fleet of long floating barriers that act like an artificial coastline, enabling the winds, waves, and currents to passively catch and concentrate the plastic. Once fully operational, the full fleet of passive collection systems is expected to remove 50% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch every five yearsâ time. After years of exploration expeditions, scale model testing and the deployment of prototypes in the North Sea, the first ocean clearance systems were deployed in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 2018 and 2019. As soon as The Ocean Cleanup can start a large-scale clean-up, it is planned to harvest more than 12,000,000 kg of plastic in its first year of operation; enough to clean up half of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch every 5 years. The Ocean Cleanup is working with partners to design processes to convert recovered ocean plastic into valuable raw materials and sustainable products.

SInterklaas on Curacao

17 Nov 2019

54 files

Sinterklaas has also arrived on Curaçao this year, Curacao is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Kingrich Emerenciana and a number of friends plays Sinterklaas for hire. He does TV shows and goes to daycare and children's parties.~The feast of Saint Nicholas is a Dutch tradition, St. Nicholas is said to arrive on horseback on his feast day, dressed in a bishop’s red robe and mitre and accompanied by Black Peter (Zwarte Piet), variously described as a freed slave or a Moor, to help him distribute sweets and presents to good children or lumps of coal, potatoes, or switches to bad ones.

Bablylon Burning

A year with the Gilets Jaunes

1 Nov 2019

46 files

Photographer Wilco Versteeg was present during various Yellow Vest protests in Paris. These images were taken at demonstrations between 1 December 2018 and 21 September 2019. The demonstrators do not agree with the current French government policy. President Macron has long been engaged in reforms to stimulate economic growth. The protests started as complaints against the excise duty on fuel and the excessive cost of living.The main requirements are: abolition of excise duty, lower taxes and an increase in pensions.

The Netherlands Gold reserves

31 Oct 2019

32 files

The Dutch Central Bank will temporarily move the entire gold reserves to Haarlem. By the end of next year, the more than 14,000 gold bars will be housed in the vacant vaults of the former money printinr Joh. Enschede. The reason for this is the modernisation of the DNB office in the centre of Amsterdam. According to the bank, this can be carried out more quickly if the consignment of gold with a value of 6.4 billion euros is placed elsewhere.

Tuvalu fishers facing climate change

16 Oct 2019

47 files

In this tiny Pacific state, fish is synonymous with survival. Fishing is the only livelihood activity for the people of Tuvalu. It's economy is based on the sale of licenses to foreign vessels, which hunt schools of tuna on the high seas. And global warming undermines any hope of development.~This photographic work shows the impact of climate change from inhabitants perspective. At the scale of an island of a few square kilometers, it already has very tangible social, economic and health consequences.

Cuba Blues

11 Oct 2019

45 files

Cuba Blues is an impression of the resilience and the lust for life of the Cuban people

Beewax candles

30 Sep 2019

31 files

Beeswax candles made of 100% beeswax. Reportage at Dipam candle factory where old crafts are still alive and kicking. The beeswax candles are produced circularly without residual waste.

Tiny Housing

18 Sep 2019

29 files

Will living small become the new normal? More than four out of every ten people will be living alone by the middle of this century. All the more reason to pay attention to small living. In 2016 the BouwEXPO Tiny Housing started in Almere with an ideas competition. Anyone could take part. The winners built sixteen houses. Some are freestanding, others are linked or stacked. They are all licensed and inhabited as real homes. The houses are a source of inspiration for small houses elsewhere. In empty spaces, as an infill, on roofs, or as fully-fledged new-build neighbourhoods.~This book documents these houses. The creative process is also reviewed: from zoning plan, welfare to parcelling plan. From land agreements, temporary use, single permit to the equivalence provision in the Buildings Decree.

Real-life Barbie

17 Sep 2019

17 files

Konstantia is a Amsterdam woman who is transforming herself into her ideal appearance. Beauty ideals, how we judge the other based on outward appearance and acceptance of one’s self are recurring themes in my work. In that respect this was a perfect meeting.

Sporting

4 Sep 2019

10 files

People like to work out in city parks. To be, among other things, one with nature. With sometimes disorientating results.

Musea

23 Aug 2019

12 files

We are all part of the exhibition. Or, to say the least, we have different views on (viewing) art.

The Sweating Subject

13 Aug 2019

16 files

The Sweating Subject is a series of group portraits of tribal chiefs and their court, which includes myself, photographer Jan Banning. All are members of the Gonja or Dagomba tribe in the Northern Territories of Ghana — except for me, the artist: I am from the Netherlands. I came to Ghana on an assignment to photograph the mixing of tradition and modernity and was invited by the chiefs to have my photo taken with them.~~Much has already been said about the power of the photographer who travels the world and records ‘the other’. But although the camera position, lighting and other aesthetic and technical details for these photographs were determined by me, I am just as much an object as all the other people portrayed. They are ‘selfies’ without self-determination: in the end it was my driver or one of my interpreters who decided when to press the button. And although formally the photographer, I was as expectant and powerless as everyone else at the decisive moment.~~The Sweating Subject recalls colonial photography in which we see a white man pose as the big boss together with his coloured ‘subjects’. But this white man is a lot less imposing as he sits in the midst of the chiefs and their courtiers who, despite their heavy and warm ceremonial clothes, look proud, dignified and completely in their element. In fact, he looks like a stranger, misplaced and perspiring heavily, so unsuited is he to the climate.

A Royal Ribbon

1 Aug 2019

21 files

Everyone in the Netherlands can earn a royal interception. How can I earn a ribbon? By doing something special for society, for example as a volunteer. Volunteers who work for fifteen years or more, for example in the field of sports, art, culture, the church, foster care, etc., can earn a 'ribbon'.~The Kanselarij der Nederlandse Orden advises on all nominations for Royal Awards and is responsible for their issue, management and registration. King Willem-Alexander is Grand Master of the Dutch Orders. The Chancellery performs this task on behalf of the Head of State.

Veiled, women who choose to wear the niqab

30 Jul 2019

15 files

The story behind the series: Who are the women who choose to wear a niqab, despite all the controversy? What do they find funny, beautiful? What is femininity to them? Driven by this curiosity Saskia Aukema spent three years in the search for niqabi women, she photographed them the way she got to know them, as women. This series features portraits of different niqab wearing women. Ms Aukema asked them to show the clothes they wear when they are at home or at parties without men attending.

Recycling of animals in Portugal

5 Jul 2019

19 files

SEMAPA is one of the largest Portuguese industrial groups and is active in various sectors such as paper and cement. The group concentrates on environmentally friendly production with a special focus on recycling and is a leader in this field in Portugal.~~Abapor-ETSA, a division of SEMAPA, focuses on the processing of dead animals and waste from slaughterhouses as well as on supermarket products that have reached their expiry date. Annually 120,000 tons of waste and rejected food are processed. Of the end products, 48% is exported.~~The Abapor recycling plant processes carcasses of cows, pigs, goats, sheep and other (domestic) animals. After veterinary inspection, cows, pigs, sheep and goats are skinned. The skins of the highest quality are delivered to the leather industry in Portugal and Italy. The carcasses are burned, the animal fat provides biodiesel and biomass so the factory runs entirely on self-produced energy. The blood is processed into fertilizer.

Passed the sell-by date

5 Jul 2019

22 files

What is happening in Portugal with food products that have passed their sell-by date? The Abapor recycling plant receives food products from supermarkets across the country. Workers manually separate plastics, packaging material, meat, bread, fish and dairy products into different containers. The subsequent recycling process provides ingredients for dog and cattle feed, organic cooking oil and manure, as well as cosmetics and proteins.~~SEMAPA is one of the largest Portuguese industrial groups and is active in various sectors such as paper and cement. The group concentrates on environmentally friendly production with a special focus on recycling and is a leader in this field in Portugal.~~Abapor-ETSA, a division of SEMAPA, focuses on the processing of dead animals and waste from slaughterhouses as well as on supermarket products that have reached the end of their shelf life. Annually 120,000 tons of waste and rejected food are processed. Of the end products, 48% is exported.

More Women on the Street

5 Jul 2019

12 files

Women in the Netherlands have taken feminism to the streets, swapping road signs with male names for female named signs. Their move follows a survey from journalistic platform, De Correspondent, which found that 88% of roads in major cities are named after men. The group known as De Bovengrondse, which translates Above Ground, chose Beyonce as part of the first 12 female names to make a mark on the Dutch roads.

Tienanmen 30 years ago

3 Jun 2019

22 files

It is 30 years since the student-led protest in Beijing was crushed by military intervention, with rifles and tanks being used to shoot at the demonstrators trying to block the military's advance into Tiananmen's Square. Estimates of the death toll vary from a few hundred to thousands. Students protested on Tiananmen Square, calling for democracy, more accountability, freedom of the press and freedom of speech.

Poms

1 Jun 2019

7 files

The Sun City Poms is a group of elderly ladies with ages between 60 and 85, who form a cheerleading team in Sun City, a city in Arizona where only the elderly live.

The Coffin already at Home

28 May 2019

10 files

Some people already have their coffin ready for use at home. They can get in in a minute. You can also take a practical approach and give the coffin a function until then, as Puck Kooij did. Her coffin still serves as a bookcase. Marjolein Keijser doesn't need a coffin in the house, but has already offered her body to Body Worlds. Then her body, stripped of skin and tissue, will probably be shown to the public in a pose chosen by the editors. Which one? She doesn't care, as long as it's not a sexually tinted pose. The people portrayed by Aukema do not have a death wish, but "when my time comes, it will come", as Ibrahim Wijbenga states. He already has his shroud in his house. The photographed people embrace life. They do not bury their heads in the sand. They are actively busy with their funeral and with their lives. The people she photographed and interviewed think it's important that the funeral fits in with the way they lived.

Costa Rican Coffee Cooperation

27 May 2019

43 files

The Cooperativa Agrícola Industrial Victoria R.L (Coope Victoria) was Costa Rica’s very first cooperative. Its roots date back to 1905 and the German-owned Finca Victoria, which was primarily a coffee and sugarcane farm. In order to process these products for export and internal consumption, the then-owners installed a mill on the premises. As the milling capacity was far greater than the farm’s needs, they began buying the products of neighbouring small and medium sized farmers.~~When the Second World War began, the German owners could not continue operating their private mill, which brought about a great deal of consternation among the farmers who were relying on them as buyers. The implications for the region, economically speaking, were great. As such, the producers organised and went to ask for help from the state and the state financial institutions. They needed funding to start a cooperative. On October 12, 1943, Coope Victoria R.L. was founded.~~Today the organisation represents approximately 3,000 members, all of whom are small and medium producers of coffee and/or sugarcane from the Western zone of Costa Rica. The coop’s area of influence includes Greece, Poás, Valverde Vega, San Ramón, Alajuela, San Carlos, Naranjo and Atenas. The organisation reaches nearly 15,000 indirect beneficiaries through their various social and environmental sustainability projects. They are considered a driver of economic and social development of the area, generating indirect jobs and lending upward mobility to the local economy.~~In addition to enabling access to technical support and inputs, the cooperative runs a variety of other services for members and the surrounding community, including a service station, the Camposanto Garden of Peace Las Mercedes, and the CoopeVictoria Event Center. They also help provide medical services to members and produce bio fuels.

Amsterdamse School

13 May 2019

54 files

De Amsterdamse School, met als belangrijkste architecten Michel de Klerk, Piet Kramer en J.M. van der Meij, hoofdzakelijk sociale woningbouw in de arbeiderswijken van Amsterdam, ontworpen en gebouwd rond 1910.

The last weeks of Veldzicht Farm

1 May 2019

14 files

Dutch farmers Cees and Gre Molenaar have sold their cows and land to retire. They don't have a successor for their dairy farm.

Chernobyl

1 May 2019

44 files

Ten years after the nucelair disaster. In the aftermath of the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl an area of 30 km was cleared and people were evacuated from Prypyat and villages in the surroundings of the power plant. 300 villagers, mainly older people, refused to leave and life carried on as normal as possible.

Wall Street Stop

30 Apr 2019

43 files

In 2008, with the world financial markets reeling, the Dutch photographer Reinier Gerritsen went down into the New York City subway system to try to capture the mood of commuters. He spent seven weeks documenting subway riders as they traveled between Grand Central Station and Wall Street. The resulting images speak to their anxiousness and uncertainty. Each shot is more than it appears at first glance. Rather than a single photograph, it is a construct that captures a moment, with several images of the same people taken in rapid succession and then digitally stitched together, so that most people within the image are seen in the same focus. The faces of the subjects are often filled with sadness and despair. Almost no one is smiling.

The Europeans

30 Apr 2019

40 files

In 2005 Gerritsen began a long-term project The Europeans, in which he traveled to 25 European countries to observe and photograph the anonymous masses on the streets. He found that wearing a fluorescent safety jacket changes him from appearing to be merely a curious photographer into someone who looks like a land surveyor - Gerritsen paradoxically melted into the crowd and was able to work unnoticed. Back in his studio he uses Photoshop to merge two shots of the same situation into one picture as well as to enhance the sharpness and create a panorama effect. He isolates the individuals, and creates a fascinating spectacle of human choreography and personal expression. Even though each city has a clear identity, Gerritsen's photos, seen as cultural and sociological documents, form a typology of the multicultural society within the European unification process.

Spring in Langweer: skûtsjesilen

17 Apr 2019

30 files

When spring comes, the skûtsjes in Friesland will be sailing. The photographer learned how rough it is on board when he sailed along on a Frisian flat-bottomed boat for a weekend. He experienced a collision with another skûtsje, learned how the skipper lost his lower leg and saw a skûtsje stylishly perish...

Helping migrants who ride the Beast

9 Apr 2019

46 files

Some migrants from Mid- and South America try to reach the USA by riding the cargo train known as La Bestia, the beast. Volunteers of Estancia del Migrante Gonzalez y Martinez A.C. (EMGM) are helping thos who travel on the train to the north, by throwing food and clothing on the riding train. They are not allowed to go to the train stations where the train stops. Some guards on the train and in trainstations treated them bad and once they where even shot at.

The Flower Men of Saudi Arabia

13 Mar 2019

35 files

In Saudi Arabia, in the Jizan and Asir southern provinces, along the Yemeni border, you still can find the 'Flower Men'. For centuries, the descendants of the ancient Tihama and Asir tribes love to wear colourful garlands. The wreaths are not only beautiful to look at, but are also exquisitely scented, made with fresh flowers to look beautiful and smell good. Some imagine Saudi Arabia to be a huge desert, but they are wrong: more than 2000 species of flora can be found in the kingdom. ~The garlands and wreaths are made every morning in local markets like in Sabya or Addair. The men come early in the morning before it gets too hot to buy ready-made wreaths. Some prefer to select their own herbs and flowers, preparing the garlands themselves, for a more unique look. Herbs such as wild basil, fenugreek and marigold flowers are most popular.~~Twenty years ago, they were living totally isolated lives without electricity or concrete roads, and were following their lives according to the dictates of conservative tribal law. No women can be seen on those markets, it is a male business. Flower men can be found on the other side of the Saudi border, in Yemen as well. The ongoing war between the both countries has generated a lot of embarrassment in the community as people belong to the same tribe.~Some are so proud of their floral decorations that they share them on Instagram. It is also a good way of showing off their looks to the girls they love before the wedding. Even if society is still very conservative, social networks are allowing young men and women to have private contact with each other.~It is a tradition to offer a wreath to visitors in Asir. Flower sellers still make these gifts to the rare tourists who penetrate deep into the region, but soon, with the 'Vision 2030'. a Saudi government project led by Mohammed bin Salman, that plans to bring millions of visitors to the Kingdom, this nice tradition will likely fade away.

From accountant to cowboy at the rodeo school

12 Mar 2019

12 files

Rodeo is an extremely popular sport in the US in which a lot of money can be made.~It inspires Americans to experience the thrill of bullriding for themselves. More than 40 years ago Lyle Sankey therefore started a small rodeo school. Meanwhile, his company annually gives about 35 three-day courses for beginners and advanced with twenty to forty students per course.~Roughly speaking, the participants can be divided into two groups: the experienced cowboys, who come to improve their technique, and the 'thrill-seekers', who are looking for a one-off kick. Between bulls and would-be-cowboys at the rodeo school.

Mekarõn

1 Mar 2019

677 files

Samen met kunstenares Marion Hoekveld verbleef Michel Pellanders twintig maanden op verschillende loacties in het Amazone gebied bij verschillende indianenvolkeren, waarvan sommige nog maar recent zijn ontdekt. 'Mekaron' heet het daaruit voortgekomen boek: het indiaanse woord voor 'foto', maar ook dat voor 'ziel'.

Kantoorarbeid

28 Feb 2019

50 files

Werken op kantoor in de jaren '80-'90 van de vorige eeuw. Veel is er veranderd maar veel is ook hetzelfde gebleven, bijna iedereen werkt tegenwoordig met een computer maar het papierloze kantoor is er nooit gekomen. Kijk hoe de Nederlander werkte in kantoortuin, kantoortje, archief en directiekamer.

Water's edge

27 Feb 2019

53 files

Public swimming pools are communal places in Johannesburg where people like to come together to swim, play, meet, braai and socialise. The difference in social classes is noticeable in South African public swimming pools. After all, wealthy people have their private swimming pool in their own backyard, whereas the lower social classes make use of a public swimming pool. Most of these pools are Olympic size swimming pools that were used as the lower classes often live in cramped townships or in fortified and neglected apartment blocks on the ugly and dangerous side of town. For them, going to the public swimming pool, having fun under the sun is a day out. Since swimming pools are a popular and well visited attraction for Johannesburgâs youth to spend their leisure time, it is overwhelming how inexperienced most youngsters are in swimming. Due to a lack of compulsory swimming lessons for children and trained life guards at swimming pools, South Africa is one of the leading developed countries with the highest rate of accidental deaths by drowning.

Ukraine Grensland

27 Feb 2019

40 files

U Okraina literally means on the border. A country that has been a bridge between Europe and Russia for hundreds of years. The ancient homeland of the Kiev Russian, Ukraine, was created, divided, rebuilt and redistributed over the centuries under Russian, Austro-Hungarian, Polish, Romanian and Turkish influences. ~If we follow current events, it seems that western Ukraine is rebelling against Russian claims that affect the region. The collected testimonies represent a much more complex reality, in which life stories and different visions coexist.~When, on the one hand, the intelligentsia of Lviv claims its province with Europe, in the agricultural areas of the Chernivsti oblast, on the border with Moldova and Romania, people tell about a multi-ethnic country where few people speak Ukrainian and where the origin has never been a real problem.~Kiev-Chernivtsi-Costiceni-Lviv. The stages of the journey in the cities. One thing is certain: while all the attention of the world press is focused on whether Ukraine should look east or west, the country's economic situation is disastrous, corruption has been spreading for decades, the spectre of war and the expansion of nationalism is a major concern.~Ukraine is literally on the border and it may not be possible to define it differently.

Memoria Perdida

21 Feb 2019

49 files

To this day the bodies of up to 114,000 disappeared from the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939, and the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, 1939-1975, lie in unmarked mass graves in roadsides, on the edges of towns and villages, in ravines or in fields. The sites of the mass graves and related atrocity sites that have not been excavated or commemorated to this day. Many sites have been lost, have been hidden by new constructions or have disappeared without any hint or sign remembering their cruel past, revealing a lack of historical memory and justice in Spain's society.

Alumina Factory in Gardanne, France

18 Feb 2019

60 files

There is a bauxite factory in Gardanne in southern France. The factory has been producing a seemingly endless stream of red sludge since the end of the 19th century. This sludge comes from the aluminium industry. Bauxite, aluminium ore, was discovered in the Baux-de-Provence region in 1821. The Bayer process, developed in Gardanne in 1893, consists of dissolving the alumina with soda, which generates a large quantity of toxic residues with a strong red colour: the red sludge. ~Arsenic, uranium 238, thorium 232, mercury, cadmium, titanium, soda, lead, chromium, vanadium, nickel: these are some of the components of the "red sludge", which is dumped every day in the Mediterranean Sea with hundreds of tons. An anagelgd pipeline in 1966, the waste discharges seven kilometers from the coast, in the heart of an area remarkable for its biodiversity; in April 2012 it was declared National Park Calanques. In half a century, almost thirty million tonnes were discharged at a depth of two hundred and fifty metres. The toxic elements spread across the Gulf of Fos to the Bay of Toulon and mix with the polluted water from the Rhone.~~The factory is now owned by Alteo, the world's largest producer of "specialty aluminas", which exports more than 1,200 tonnes of finished products every day, mainly used for the production of flat LCD screens and touch screens. In a region where work is becoming scarcer, Alteo represents almost 400 direct jobs and more than 1000 indirect jobs.

Sinking Cities, Jakarta

24 Jan 2019

12 files

Since 2015 Cynthia Boll regularly travels to Jakarta to record the consequences of subsidence in photographs, film and text. This city sinks at a rapid rate, up to 25 centimetres per year, and in twenty years' time it will be permanently flooded for a third. Cynthia has seen how her people, a female entrepreneur, a schoolgirl, a fisherman and a bicycle-tourist guide have now raised their house a metre; how their valuable possessions have been damaged by Banjir! (flooding). She has experienced what it is like to wade your armpits through polluted water, while the rats are swimming around you. How is life with this reality of floods and valleys of the bottom? That is what the series is about. Jakarta is not unique. Many cities are threatened by this unknown by the subsidence of the soil.

Max Verstappen F1 Season 2018

24 Jan 2019

11 files

Migrant Caravan

18 Jan 2019

32 files

The migrant caravan that left Honduras, and which people from Guatamala and El Salvador have joined, has arrived in central Mexico. People flee from the violence and the gangs in their own country, with the aim of reaching the USA and building a better life there. Since it is not safe to travel alone during the trip, people have joined a caravan through social media to travel together. In this way they hope to stay out of the hands of gangs, and avoid robbery, rape and extortion. Especially many families with small children travel this way. Along the way, they are helped by truck drivers who take them with them in their trailers. Hitchhiking, walking, hanging from cars, the caravan moves forward. Aid organisations set up reception camps along the cities the caravan passes, to provide safe accommodation, food and medical assistance.

Prayer time

7 Jan 2019

8 files

Where do you end up when, as a Muslim, you want to pray while underway, in a country that is not necessarily geared towards doing so? ~You can of course wait until you get back home and catch up – and many Muslims do so that way. But others try to find solutions with a dash of creativity, dare, or the key to the nursing room. This series is about that group.

Faithful to the homeland

7 Jan 2019

28 files

Faithful to the homeland is about the Dutch King's Day celebration in Benidorm, Spain, which is organized since 1983. I went there for two consecutive years to photograph the celebration. According to the organization, the Netherlands is on two square kilometers. If the free market in Amsterdam should feel it, with for everyone a happiness, a drink and plenty of Dutch music. The Orange Festival in Benidorm is traditionally celebrated on 1 May. It is a national holiday in Spain and therefore a very suitable date to celebrate your own party. It is not known exactly how many Dutch people live in Benidorm and the surrounding area, but if you include hibernators, there are quickly tens of thousands.

Flirt

1 Jan 2019

72 files

Tekst Geert Mak: Toen de gouden jaren voorbij waren, begon het tijdperk van de grote feesten. In de enorme verlaten hallen aan de rand van de bewoonde wereld dansten ze bij duizenden op een dreun die synchroon liep met adem en hartslag: kleine godinnen, koningen, prinsessen, ridders, helden, martelaren, engelen. Ze dansten op een deining van klanken en lichtstralen, een mengeling van oeroude en nieuw gevormde muzieksoorten, een orgie van impulsen. Ze dansten door machinale rook die de gedachten deed vervagen, ze dansten op middelen die ongekende krachten in hen losmaakten, ze dansten totdat hun geest deel werd van de grote sterrenwereld daarbuiten. Ze dansten door de nacht, door de ochtend, de middag, en zo weer de nacht in, ze dansten voor zichzelf en met z¹n allen, en terwijl ze dansten bloeiden ze open en voelden zich één, zolang de nacht duurde en de wereld sliep.

EUFOR Mission in Chad

21 Dec 2018

16 files

Sixty Dutch Marine Corps soldiers are part of a peace mission of the European Union (Eufor) of a total of 3,700 troops to protect refugees, displaced persons and aid workers. In Goz Beïda (Eastern Chad), the Dutch troops were joined to an Irish battalion of approximately 400 men.

Los Pinos

from presidential residence to public place

17 Dec 2018

29 files

Los Pinos, the former presidential residence in Mexico City, has been transformed into a cultural centre by the new president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO). AMLO decided to continue living in his own house because he finds Los Pinos too expensive and too pompous as an official residence. The grounds, gardens and houses were opened to the public on December 1, 2018, the day he was sworn in and succeeded President Enrique Pena Nieto. The first public event was organised on 13 December. 3500 people attended the film 'Roma' by Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron, which was screened in one of the gardens.

and no birds sing

25 Nov 2018

49 files

Palm oil is responsible for the large-scale destruction of rainforests in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Between 1990 and 2015, approximately 24 million hectares of rainforest were cleared in Indonesia. Often deforestation leads to the expulsion of the original population, such as the Dayak population in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo. The destruction of the plam oil plantations is also disastrous for animals in the rainforest. These are being taken care of by private individuals, who are trying to make ancient utans and sun bears safe.

Good Morning Vietnam

20 Nov 2018

20 files

Before the hectic city life begins, many inhabitants of Hanoi start their day with relaxation exercises. Around the Hoan Kiem Lake in the middle of the capital you can see all kinds of gymnastics, from tai chi to badminton with two rackets; the Vietnamese stay fit until old age.

Minsk

16 Nov 2018

122 files

Views of a city in change. Minsk is the capital of Belarus, the last dictatorship in Europe.

Cuba Skate

9 Nov 2018

64 files

It is not until after 5pm, when the heat ceases to be suffocating, that Yojani and his gang start skateboarding. While the youngest try out their new tricks with great determination, Yojani this young man of 26 yrs, of mixed race with his dreadlocks has skateboarded for more than 10 years. He is of professional skateboarding standard but in Cuba, to earn his living, he is a hotel cleaner. He is a kind person full of goodwill who loves to help the young beginners so that skateboarding does not die out on the island.~In fact, skateboarding in Cuba is not easy because skateboards and other accessories are not available to buy. To remedy this an association called 'Amigo Cuba Skate' was founded by an American that regularly donates materials and this way keeps the sport alive. In any case, opening a skateboarding shop on the island would be useless for the Cubans. In effect the prices would be beyond their means so skateboarding would become a sport for the comfortably off.~In the middle of a large park in Havana is the first skateboarding track. It is improvised out of an old concrete swimming pool, a quarter of its surface is covered by stagnant water, which has become, with time, a marsh. Inside there are still old rusty mechanisms installed in 2004. The only usable part dates from 2015 which has been exclusively adapted for skateboarding with the help of foreign skateboarders who brought over their own materials. Moreover, it appears that the state has finally decided to lend a hand.~~At the beginning of 2016 the government undertook to build the first true skateboarding park in Cuba. However the youths are not satisfied because they consider it unsuitable for skateboarding and too small for a capital. The whole of Havana is their playground; in particular the huge monuments dedicated to a revolution that they have never known.

The young skaters of Ho Chi Minh City

6 Nov 2018

114 files

In the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is a store catering to the city's skateboarders. It is called Saigon Skateshop, and it was founded by a 26-year-old man named Thong. Thong is the oldest member of a group of skateboarders in the city. When the shop was opened, the goal was to fill a gap in the skating scene. Previously, the only skateboards that could be found were cheap ones from China that would break easily. The shop is run by Thong, his friends and fellow skateboarders. While the shop exists to sell boards, clothing and other accessories, it also serves as headquarters for Thong and his friends; they gather at the shop and then head out on motor scooters to seek out places to skate.~~Skating in Ho Chi Minh City can be tough. Traffic is heavy, and the pavement is uneven. There is some respite, though. Outside the city and at the end of a long and dusty road stands the only skate park in town. Built in 2013, the park costs a little over $2 to get in. It is a little run-down and the roof leaks, especially during the rainy season. Despite this, young people who skate in the park are happy with it and can?t imagine asking for anything more. It is a place where the skateboarders feel as if they can be themselves. At the shop, the skateboarders put on a serious face, all business. But when they get to the skate park, they open up, showing off their tattoos and laughing as they skate. Skateboarding is relatively new to Vietnam but is gaining in popularity every day.

Chaingang

3 Nov 2018

44 files

In the United States, all forms of crime are being dealt with very harshly.~Less than five percent of the world's population lives there, but the country is responsible for about one fifth of all prisoners in the world.~The fact that the hard approach is popular with the American population is evidenced by the fact that the rock-hard sheriff Joe Arpaio was elected five times in a row.~In 1993 Arpaio had a prison of tents built in the middle of the hot desert. That is a lot cheaper than a stone building, but for the detainees 'Tent City' is a horror. The temperature rises above 120 degrees and the meals served should not cost more than 17 cents. ~He also enters the chaingang again. The prisoners have to get up daily at four o'clock in the morning and do heavy work, chained together with their feet. Remarkably dressed and along the public road, so it is clearly visible to the voter that Sheriff Joe lives up to his name as the 'toughest sheriff of America'.

The Home Stretch

2 Nov 2018

93 files

About Dutch Championships. It is an ode to the organizers, the referees, the judges, the people behind the registration desk, the banner makers, the track sweepers, the builders and demolishers, the mother who is sitting out the entire award ceremony to see her daughter receive the eighth prize and the father who comes to watch his roller-skating son, while he loves football more. But of course it is above all an ode to the participant, the athlete, the hobbyist or professional who has done everything to be allowed to participate. And where for one participant participating is already great, the other just wants to be the best. Becoming champion of the Netherlands.

In het teken van de robot

1 Nov 2018

58 files

Automatisering en de start van computertechnologie in Nederland. Tekst uit de achtergrondinformatie van het Rijksmuseum: Nederland automatiseert in rap tempo: er komt minder werk. Maar zonder automatisering zou het weer slecht gaan met de economie. Het werk dat blijft verandert door de computer, komt in het teken te staan van de robot. De werkplek met controle-panelen, toetsenborden en beeldschermen heeft een ander uiterlijk gekregen.Arbeid zelf is bijna onzichtbaar geworden.

Ho Chi Minh City is booming

30 Oct 2018

129 files

Saigon is dead, long live Ho Chi Minh City. Saigon is known by this name throughout the world for its key role in the colonial past of France and the Indochina war.~In 1975, it was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honor of the founder of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. After several decades of communism, the city is now showing great insolence. The economy of the country is in full swing and Ho Chi Minh City is the leader. Representing the ultra modern facet of the new Vietnam, it breaks with the mythical Saigon. Huge glass towers overlook the popular neighborhoods; modern constructions pile up anarchically on temples and colonial architecture.~~The city is eager to match its Thai or Singaporean neighbors. Dynamic, frantic, intrepid, that's how we call it. The energy that emerges from it mixes with the deep culture of the country.~~Ho Chi Minh City has more than 10 million inhabitants and 75% of its population is under 35 years old. In the coming decades, its exponential development will raise big questions about infrastructure and the environment. What was a mere fishing village boasts of becoming one of the largest business centers in Southeast Asia.~~This series is the first episode of a big project entitled THE FACES OF THE MEKONG.~With the mythical Mekong river and its many resources as its main theme, this is a great perspective on the geo-environmental issues related to modernity and development in the Indochinese peninsula (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand).

Maginot Line

29 Oct 2018

143 files

Named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, the line of concrete fortifications, obstacles, and weapon installations built by France in the 1930s to deter invasion by Germany and force them to move around the fortifications.

The Impact of tourism on Cambodia

26 Oct 2018

73 files

More than half of all tourists visiting Angkor come from Asian countries. South Korea and Japan lead the list, followed by Taiwan and Thailand. In the early years of tourism the temples were mainly visited by individual travellers; nowadays they are the setting for group tours. While western visitors mostly travel to Cambodia individually, most of the Asians come in groups. So it's no wonder that the large construction projects are aimed at the masses from the East; many of the middle class hotels that are emerging on National Road No. 6 are intended for group tours booked in Japan or Korea. With an average price of $75 per night, Western backpackers ignore these hotels. In Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor, prices of 1000 US dollars per night are no exception.~Tourism to Angkor provides a lot of employment. Nevertheless, there is a lot of competition on the labour market. Tourism also attracts people from other parts of Cambodia to Siem Reap. Young men find most work as taxi drivers, either with a moped, tuktuk or car. Girls and young women work in the catering, trade, construction or cleaning industry. And also in the massage industry: "Seeing Hand" offers blind and partially sighted people the opportunity to provide an income by training them as masseurs.~~Angkor Wat is increasingly used as a setting for concerts, dance or theatre performances. Prior to the event, the surrounding area is treated with insecticide to protect the public from mosquito bites.~~The pier at Phnom Krom is the arrival point for the boat from Phnom Penh. Only a few meters wide, stretches over a long distance a muddy dike where hundreds of families live. Housed in rickety, semi-open huts of sticks, rotting palm leaves and plastic bags, they try to survive on what is called the Boat Station in the tourist sector. They still participate in the daily invasion of tourists. Their small piece of solid ground is for a short time the scene of pulling, pushing, bidding and haggling. 'Motodop' drivers, but also more and more car owners, pick up their customers, hoping for a commission from the guest-house or hotel.~~Cultural adaptation often turns out to be a One-way street. Although the temples are considered a sanctuary by Cambodians, tourists are usually not put in the way, even if they dress or behave inappropriately. Economic dependence plays an important role in this.~~Most of the souvenir stalls on the central market of Siem Reap can be found on the outskirts of the complex. Those who browse here among the abundance of wood carvings, Cambodian antiques, textiles, books and knickknacks, will never remain unseen: souvenir hunters irrevocably have to deal with the least fortunate people of the country, the beggars. Almost without exception victims of a landmine, they are living witnesses of Cambodia's violent history. Most of them lost a hand or leg, some even very recently. ~For many landmine victims, there is no perspective whatsoever. Homeless, unskilled and incapable of doing physical work, they are often condemned to a begging existence. Some try to escape this vicious circle and start a business in postcards or small souvenirs. Others find shelter at the Cambodian Landmine Museum and School.

Hackers Handshake

22 Oct 2018

13 files

Hackers are generally portrayed in the media with hoodies, masks, or shadowed faces to underline their criminal intent. This exhibition displays helpful hackers who seek, find, and report vulnerabilities in computer systems in order to improve security. They report their findings to the owners of the vulnerable systems first and then to the hacker community, governments, and businesses that may have a concern in such a system. This practice is currently known as Responsible Disclosure, or Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure. The Netherlands is spearheading this way of collaborating with hackers.~Photographer Tobias Groenland collaborated from 2014 to 2018 with writer Chris van ‘t Hof to bring this diverse group of helpful hackers up close to you in image and story. Each hacker was asked to think of their favourite programming language or hacking technique during the photography session.~The term ‘handshake’ refers to the process of setting the rules of communication between two computers. Once both sides agree, they can establish a trusted connection, recognisable, for example, in the ‘s’ (for ‘secure’) in ‘https:’, and in the small lock displayed in your web browser. This exhibition aims to establish a trustworthy connection between the viewer and hacker to disclose vulnerabilities, fix them, and make the internet safer together.

Viennese pleasure since 1776

15 Oct 2018

19 files

More than 240 years ago, in 1776, the Austrian Emperor Joseph II opened the imperial hunting ground Prater in the capital Vienna for public use. Situated close to the city centre, the six-square-kilometre estate, which has since been open to the public day and night, offered space for mass events such as fireworks, hot-air balloon experiments and flying attempts - although hunting continued until 1920.~Coffee houses settled early on along the Hauptallee, the 4.5 km long access road lined with chestnut trees. ~In 1801 the Panorama was opened, a gigantic all-around painting that gave viewers the illusion of being in a strange city. The next attraction was the Circus Gymnasticus, an imposing wooden building with 3000 seats, which was used for riding lessons in the morning and acrobatics on horseback in the afternoon.~But with the arrival of the World Fair in 1873, the Prater's real heyday began as an amusement park. In popular speech, the fun part of the area, the permanent city fair, was soon called Wurstelprater - after the figure Wurstel in the puppet theatre, which in the Netherlands is called Jan Klaassen.~De Rotunde, an enormous steel construction, partly covered with wood and plaster and with a glass dome whose top reached a height of 84 metres, and the Ferris wheel, which was erected in 1897, were the city's hallmarks. And the Venedig in Wien theme park, with freshly dug canals for gondolas, attracted thousands of visitors. ~The Rotunde burned down in 1937 and during the Second World War almost the entire pleasure park was destroyed. After the war it was rebuilt, but today the emphasis is on average fairground attractions. ~Yet traces of the old glory can still be found: a carousel from 1897 still turns its circles, near the Ferris wheel, rebuilt between 1945 and '47, with its characteristic, red painted cabins, reminiscent of a chain of buildings. It can be seen from afar, luring the inhabitants of Vienna to a day or evening of uncomplicated fun.

Heritage Day

28 Sep 2018

25 files

Heritage Day is a South African public holiday, first started in 1995 and is held on 24 September each year. On this day, South Africans are encouraged to celebrate their culture and the diversity of their believes and traditions, in the wider context of a nation that belongs to all its people. They are doing this by wearing traditional clothes, applying face paint, that resembles which culture group they proudly originate from. Frank Trimbos portrayed the inhabitants of Boikethlong Township, one of the poorest townships south of Johannesburg.

Toerisme in Amsterdam

17 Sep 2018

34 files

Bruinkoolwinning in Duitsland

15 Sep 2018

69 files

Duitsland, in het Rijnlandse steenkoolgebied in de deelstaat Nordrhein-Westfalen liggen drie grote open bruinkoolmijnen: Garzweiler (48 km2), Hambach (42 km2) en Inden (42 km2). Van 2007-2010 volgde ik het dorpje Holz, dat in Garzweiler ligt. Aan de ene kant van het dorp begonnen de sloopwerkzaamheden terwijl aan de andere kant huizen nog steeds bewoond werden. Een daarvan was de boerderij van de familie Packbier. De hoeve herbergde al ruim 300 jaar familiegeschiedenis en is telkens van moeder op dochter overgedragen. De familie Packbier woonde met vier kinderen en de zus van mevrouw Packbier in de hoeve. Zij bebouwden de grond achter de hoeve en van jaar tot jaar konden ze de grote graafmachines dichterbij zien komen. Rond Kerst 2009 werd de sloop van het dorp voltooid en moesten ook zij als laatste verhuizen. De oudste zoon zet het boerenbedrijf na de verhuizing elders voort. In januari 2010 werd ook hun boerderij gesloopt.~Na de voltooiing van de bruinkoolwinning zal het enorme gat dat achterblijft gevuld worden met water, waardoor er een meer zal ontstaan van 23 vierkante km grootte.

Moria, Camp of Despair

10 Sep 2018

20 files

The refugee camp Moria on the Greek island of lesbos is overcrowded. It is built for 2,500 people, but now hosts about 7,000 refugees. The living conditions are poor with limited access to proper sanitation facilities, medical care, or nutritious food. There are frequent clashes, riots and it is harming the mental health of the refugees. Medecins Sans Frontieres says it is dealing with children as young as 10 contemplating suicide. Every day new refugees arrive on the island. The refugees are stranded on the island, unable to move forward, toward the opportunity they had hoped to find in Europe, since the EU-Turkey Deal two years ago. The deal has placed a disproportionate burden on Greece, the Mayor of Lesvos referred to the island as “Europe’s Guantanamo bay.” The Greek people are in general very willing and active in helping the refugees on their island. The media has limited access to the camp. I was given permission to take photos for half an hour, under guidance, which is very limited. I also entered the camp from the backside invited by refugees.

Striptease in the Subway of Paris

29 Aug 2018

33 files

These two actors have found a way to make the Paris metro laugh, For 4 years now, these two man have been beautifying the Paris metro, even though it's not very well known for its conviviality! Disguised as RATP controllers, the two actors teach users how to use their tickets. Carried by a Gainsbourg music (remixed for the occasion) their initiation will evolve little by little towards into a hilarious striptease, which brings back the joy of living in one of the most glaucous places of France Taking theatre where it is not expected is a challenge that the Xanadou Collective is constantly working on and this experience is one of their greatest successes.

Venetië met andere ogen

10 Aug 2018

21 files

The Italian city of Venice is certainly one of the world's most photographed places. The city seems to coincide with its own cliché. Every time we see the same highlights as the San Marco square, the Rialto bridge, the Canal Grande, the gondolas: on all those hundreds of thousands of photos we actually see the same thing all the time.~~Artist/photographer Jan Banning, known for socio-political themes such as Bureaucratics, Comfort Girls, Law&Order and Red Utopia, wondered whether an original view of this city might not still be possible. He focused on less conspicuous places and explicitly left all clichés out of the picture.

Walk like a pilgrim

26 Jul 2018

60 files

The Chemin du Puy (Via Podiensis in Latin) connects Le Puy-en-Velay with St. Jean Pied de Port. It is the most beautiful (and popular) of the Camino de Santiago routes that run through France. This road takes pilgrims through France on their way to the final destination of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The Via Podensis has been on the Unesco World Heritage List for 20 years.

Salsa!

26 Jul 2018

31 files

"Dance is therapy! I'm 87, and look how I move. I feel great and thank God I can keep dancing! ». This is how Rafaël explains his love of dancing between two laps on the track. He and his partner Tannia have been coming to the Viejoteca de la Corporacion para la Tercera Edad every week for 15 years.~~This salsa discotheque located in Cali, in the south of Colombia, is at the base exclusively reserved for the elderly. It is the first of its kind, created in the early 90s. At the origin of this place, the desire to allow the "caleños" seniors to pursue an eminently social activity that most have practiced since childhood: Salsa.~~ Inside, everyone is dressed for the occasion, long, tight dresses for women, colourful shirts and pinched trousers for men. The track is never empty, the pieces follow one another, and the dancers take over the space without delay. Bolero, bachata, but above all, again and again, salsa. The elders dance with dynamism and disconcerting nonchalance. With each new song, a change of partner. Nobody sits very long.~~For Harold, 78 years old and incomparable elegance, viejoteca allows the elderly to dance to pieces from the 60s, 70s "It reminds us of the good old days. It's music that we can't forget, and neither can our children, because we have instilled in them the fact that music conveys love and beauty, which inspires us.

Because of pink

23 Jul 2018

115 files

The first time in 2015 I met Tex, Morris and Soesja they were 3 years old and would turn 4 the next day. After a shoot they would like to have a family portrait. I could not let go of them anymore. And so a new serie started. The 2-egged triplet Tex, Morris & Soesja (2011) live with their older brother Roefie and mother and father in a colorful house in Utrecht, the Netherlands, an average dutch town. Every kid is trying to find his or her own way, looking for their identity. The boys versus the girl. The girl alone. The boy(s) likes to wear the colour pink and dresses. Not always, but It happens and it is ok.

Embalming the dead

18 Jul 2018

36 files

Frederic is 42 years old, he is an thanatopractor. Anglo-Saxons will say embalmer. Thanatopraxy is the art and science of preserving the bodies of the deceased from their natural decomposition, to be able to present them to families and at funerals with their appearance of life.~Every day, he takes care of these lifeless bodies so that the families, the "living ones", pass this stage of mourning in the most peaceful way possible.

Saviour

12 Jul 2018

31 files

Religion is one of the most important factor in the South African Boere/farmers Calvinist lifestyle. On the South African outstretched rural farmlands where these small religious gatherings are a common event. It is a way where remote farmers can escape from their isolated farm homes to meet others and pray together, drink together and braai together. Most of these ceremonies are taking place on open veld (field), on a farmer's plot and in little churches at the end of a gravel road.

Football shirts at the tribes

3 Jul 2018

34 files

Thousands of Football shirts of Arsenal, Manchester, Chelsea, Milan, etc end up their career in... Ethiopia. Sold in the deep south, in the Omo Valley, those second hand clothes are bought by the local tribes. Most of them ignore the meaning of those shirts, and just buy them for the colour, the logo, or the shape. Those tribes won?t exist in few years as the Ethiopian government has launched a huge plan to develop the area. Soon, the new highway from Mombassa to Nairobi will pass through the villages to reach Addis Ababa.

Armando overleden

2 Jul 2018

56 files

Kunstenaar Armando is op 88-jarige leeftijd overleden. Armando overleed in de Potsdam, Duitsland, daar bevond zich zijn atelier.

Portugal in crisis

24 Jun 2018

29 files

Portugal is in crisis. Southern Europe is in crisis. But what crisis are we talking about? This work is an attempt at understanding. ~During the Great Depression, the US Farm Security Administration commissioned several reports to enable photographers and writers to document the state of the country. Dorothea Lange has made a number of memorable photographs, including one of a mother and her children. Inspired by this, I would like to talk about Portugal, a small tribute to the great American photographer.

Urban farming in Bogota

22 Jun 2018

35 files

Bogota, Colombia's capital city, spreads on nearly 2000 square kilometers and hosts more than 8 million inhabitants.~In the middle of this urban chaos, polluted and noisy, local initiatives sprouts as rebel seeds in the middle of bitumen.~Here a family that brings its cows to graze on a more or less abandonned military field in the heart of the San Cristobal district. There, inhabitants of Santa Rosa township grow their garden, snatched between their concrete housing and the mountain, with the help of a french organization. A bit further, an AMAP delivers baskets of organic and local vegetables and fruits with the help of a small local producers network.~Little by little, the city sprouts and the initiatives grows...

Roma in France

20 Jun 2018

18 files

Since the 1980's immigration has been a subject of debated in the political landscape of France. The situation of the Roma is a good example of this alienation from the other. They are being dehumanised and their fundamental rights, which are a symbol for France, are often denied to them. In the beginning of August 2012, a new wave of evictions took place in France and major Roma settlements in different regions were dismantled.In the North of France, in particular in Villeneuve d'Ascq, all the Roma's houses (wooden bungalows or mobile homes) were destroyed or taken away, forcing 200 people to leave their homes without proposing any solution or resettlement plan. They were pushed out of the region as far as possible, some were even put on a plane. Most of the Roma had lived in the country for more than five years and have a European (Romanian) passport. They were now left in the streets with nowhere to go. In Fyves one of the evicted group of Roma's is camping out near the railway. They are sleeping in tents given to them by locals out of solidarity. They are living without any basic amenities like water or sanitary facilities. There are continual police patrols around their temporary camp, which are putting a lot of psychological pressure on the group.

Belfast out of Trouble

5 Jun 2018

39 files

In 1998, april 10th, Belfast's Good Friday Peace Agreement was signed, makes you think they left the Troubles behind. But there is no denying that even today Belfast is a divided city where violence, mistrust and fear; prejudice towards and avoidance of 'the other' community is every dayâs business. Peace lines, fences, gates and neutral zones separates the communities from each other. Being close to an interface (=the intersection of segregated and polarized working-class residential zones) you will find windows with bars for protection against 'the other'. Many people in these segregated areas are living under a constant sense of besiegement. Even though the peace agreement marks 20 years, children are still growing up with fear for 'the other'. Living in segregated areas, going to separate schools and separate sport clubs, having their 'own' hospitals and shopping areas, ensures a complete avoidance till they go to university.

Pic du Midi, a night at the top

3 Jun 2018

58 files

The Pic du Midi is the summit of superlatives: the oldest high mountain observatory in the world, the highest hotel complex and the highest museum in Europe, and above all the most beautiful view of the Pyrenees.~~To reach the one we call in the valley, the 'starship', simply board a cable car from the small resort of La Mongie. By flying over the ground, some 300 meters high, we can observe some courageous skiers descending the steep slopes of the Pic. ~~Before arriving at the final station of the second section of the cable car, one can imagine for a moment, the incredibly complex task of the builders of this famous ship.~~For to build this mythical observatory it was necessary to assemble tons and tons of building materials. Carrying was done by back of man or donkey since the 1870s, the cable car arriving only in 1950. ~~Once you get to 2877 metres above sea level, you're breathless. Not necessarily by the lack of oxygen (the body acclimatizes quite quickly in the end) but by this incredible 360 degree view over the Pyrenees range.~~On one side of the panoramic terrace, it is possible to see in clear weather the foothills of Cantal several hundred kilometres away and on the other, countless snow-covered peaks, some of them on the Spanish side.~Since the first developments initiated by the former general of Napoleon III, Charles du Bois de Nansouty, and the engineer Célestin-Xavier Vaussenat, this incredible structure throning at the top of the mountain is constantly under renovation.~~Those of the very last 'attraction' of the Pic have just been completed. A 12 metre long platform with a transparent floor at the end allows tourists to scare themselves and observe the panorama even more closely.~The construction has taken not less than 6 months, several helicopter flights and a few hundred thousand euros of investment, just for the pleasure of the tourists, who are more and more numerous to 'climb to the peak'.~~Each year, more than 100,000 people take the gondolas to observe the unique panorama that the place offers. And yet, it is only very recently that the Pic du Midi is open to the public. It was not until the early 2000s that it became a tourist attraction.~Initially used as a weather station, where one enjoys the healthiest air in Europe, the summit quickly becomes the HQ of French astronomers who can observe stars and planets in the best conditions

Tightrope walking in heels

1 Jun 2018

33 files

Mimi Guesdon is a tightrope walker. She practises on a slackline (elastic rope 2.5 cm wide) with a dress and heels to improve the world record, at the end of May in China.Mimi Guesdon, is koordanser. Ze oefent op een 'slackline' (elastische touw van 2,5 cm breed) met een jurk en hakken om het wereldrecord te verbeteren, eind Mei in China.

Bed, Bad en Brood

29 May 2018

22 files

Ongedocumenteerde mensen zonder dak boven hun hoofd, hebben in Nederland recht op opvang volgens het BBB-principe: Bed, bad en brood. De regering wil deze mensen slechts het minimale bieden om zo een ‘aanzuigende’ werking op nieuwe vluchtelingen te voorkomen. De opvang moet scherp gekoppeld worden aan voorwaarden en liefst leiden tot terugkeer naar het thuisland. De relatie met deze mensen is daardoor vooral gebaseerd op wantrouwen. De waarheid komt dan soms niet naar boven, waardoor niet helder wordt wat iemand tegenhoudt om terug te keren. Naast dat de ongedocumenteerde niet mag werken kunnen zij worden opgepakt en vastgezet in vreemdelingendetentie, terwijl illegaliteit formeel niet strafbaar is.~Een ongedocumenteerde is alleen welkom in de opvanglocaties van ±18.00 tot ±9.00 uur de volgende ochtend. In Den Haag kunnen ongedocumenteerden terecht bij de nachtopvang op de Zilverstraat, daar is plek voor zo’n 132 mensen in een enorme slaapzaal. Reguliere daklozen en BBB-cliënten worden daar tegelijkertijd opgevangen. Zo’n 20 tot 25 cliënten vallen er onder de BBB-categorie waarvan 4 vrouwen.~De Pauluskerk is 1 van de 4 aangewezen locaties voor BBB-opvang van vreemdelingen in Rotterdam. Op de bovenste verdiepingen van het gebouw zijn de kamers waar de ongedocumenteerde (voornamelijk) mannen met 2 of 3 personen een kamer delen. Ze hebben er een keuken waar ze zelf kunnen koken en een vrolijk gekleurde woonkamer met een televisie en een eettafel en een grote Hollandse molen op het behang. ~Waarom werkt het huidige beleid niet?~Buiten kijf staat dat iemand die op straat rondzwerft, en bezig is met zijn dagelijkse behoeften, niet te tijd en energie heeft om ook nog bezig te zijn met terugkeer naar het thuisland, die is bezig te overleven. Het ontnemen van deze basisbehoeften (of dit alleen toekennen onder voorwaarden) is het ontnemen van de meest basale mensenrechten. Het stopzetten van opvang leidt er niet toe dat mensen eerder uit Nederland vertrekken maar zal ervoor zorgen dat grote aantallen onuitzetbare ongedocumenteerden zonder vaste verblijfplaats en inkomen die in gemeenten gaan rondzwerven. Die conclusie kan worden getrokken uit een landelijk onderzoek naar de effecten van BBB-opvang. Het onderzoek werd gedaan in opdracht van Amnesty International en de Stichting Landelijk Ongedocumenteerden Steunpunt (LOS). Volgens de onderzoekers werken rust, stabiliteit en laagdrempelige begeleiding veel beter als het gaat om het werken aan een nieuwe toekomst en het opbouwen van een legaal bestaan.~In Nederland woonden naar schatting in 2009 zo’n 100.000 tot 140.000 ongedocumenteerden, waarvan zo’n 10.000 tot 15.000 in Rotterdam en zo’n 4500 in Den Haag. Zo’n 90% daarvan weet zich te redden, die logeren bij familieleden en werken onderaan de arbeidsladder (vaak in slechte omstandigheden.) Een kwetsbare groep van 1500-2000 mensen komt in de problemen en is aangewezen op hulp van anderen.

Almost real

29 May 2018

19 files

Collection Beijerinck at the museum of Delft University of Technology.~Botanical models produced in the mid-nineteenth century by Robert and Reinhold Brendel, father and son, used in scientific education.~The Brendels were advised by various scientists in making the models. The models are made up of wood, paper mache, cotton, beads and plaster.~The ancient models are now part of numerous collections of natural history museums.

Red Star, Paris' oldest football club

24 May 2018

70 files

Founded in 1897 in a Parisian café, Red Star Football Club can call itself the the oldest club in the capital and the second oldest in France. Located in Saint-Ouen, a northern suburb of Paris, where their homeground Stade Bauer seats 10.000 spectators. The name definitely has nothing to do with communism. Although the club has a reputation as working-class and left-wing. Red Star will play in Ligue 2 coming season, after becoming champion of the Third Division.

Crimea under Russian rule

22 May 2018

51 files

On 18 March 2014, Russia announced that the Ukrainian province of Crimea would join the Russian Federation after the "yes" vote in the referendum.~White blue red flags on all the buildings, RUS license plates, T-shirts with the effigy of Putin, Crimea seems today to live 100% at Moscow time.~Port of the famous Russian fleet in the Black Sea in a region where more than 70% of the population is Russian and where anti-Ukrainian propaganda is in full swing, Crimea quickly sank into the Moscow mold after Putin's 92% win in the last presidential elections.~But the tone has changed in the peninsula, surveillance is omnipresent and any discordant voice is strongly repressed. Those who criticize Moscow's authority are subject to increased surveillance by security services and the FSB exercises strict control over publications on social networks~Western tourists have completely disappeared since the "attachment", as we say here, and the few foreigners are welcomed with suspicion.~The idyllic beaches of Yalta, where improbable Soviet sanatoriums dominate, are now under attack by noisy and often alcoholic Muscovite tourists taking advantage of the cheap All inclusive.~~With the return of Russia, it is also all Soviet nostalgia that reappears in the peninsula. The commemorations of the victory against the German army during the Second World War, little followed in Ukraine are today the subject of intense festivities, the great battles of the Red Army are reconstructed and the cadets of the various military schools proudly parade under Lenin's eye extending his arm towards the Black Sea.~Sixty-two years after the Crimea's donation to Ukraine, Russia seems to have definitively returned to the peninsula and Moscow is, as usual, shaping a political and social space free of all irregularities.

The Muttrah fish market in Oman

8 May 2018

30 files

The Muttrah fish market in Muscat, Oman, gives a glimpse of the more traditional times, where small fisher boats go out at night and return at first light to the harbour, where they sell their catches at the local fish market. At the harbour the fish get off loaded of the fisher boats that are manned by only a couple of men. The fish get sorted and carried inside with wheel barrels, where the market takes place during the early hours of the day. The fish market is small scaled and aimed for locals. The ambiance is captivating and vibrant, with buzzling noises of conversations and bidding. This is a place where people come together, not only to trade, but also to converse and socialise. The fish market is unpretentious, characterised by bloody and muddy floors, salt in the air, stray cats trying their luck to get their part of an abandoned piece of fish, and senses that get stimulated by the sight and the scent of the fresh product of the sea. The merchants sell a big variety of fish: Tunas, sardines, calamari, king fish, prawns, crayfish, mackerel, and all the other fish that is caught and eatable. At the back of the market, the fish gets cleaned, descaled and gutted by skilled and fast hands. This is a place where no machines, technology or pretences are present. It is a place where one of the oldest trades in the world can still be lived in a traditional manner

Eierzoeken in Friesland

25 Apr 2018

70 files

Wie weleens in Friesland komt, die ziet ze wel: de mannen die in het voorjaar gebogen door het land lopen. Uren, dagenlang; altijd in hun eentje. Het zijn eierzoekers, die tegenwoordig geen eieren meer mogen rapen. Maar ze blijven wel doen wat generaties voor hen al deden. Gerrit is er zo een, al is hij jonger dan de meesten: 'Als je je ergens Fries voelt, is het hier.' Bij de fotoreportage is ook een geschreven reportage met het verhaal van Gerrit verkrijgbaar.

Macronmania

16 Apr 2018

17 files

Emmanuel Macron is not loved by all French. Since taking office as President, his policy of reform has met with great resistance. Benjamin Girette makes 'portraits' of Macron with a highly personal twist. Digital distortion creates subjective images of Macron.

About Def Con

12 Apr 2018

14 files

As part of my new project about Cyber Security I've visited the 25th edition of Def Con (25), the largest hacker convention in the world. Many of the attendees include computer security professionals, journalists, lawyers, three letter government agencies and hackers with an interest in anything that can be hacked. In the massive venue of Ceasers Palace the 25.000 visitors can attend workshops ranging from lock-picking to car hacking. Many attendees buy simple 'burner phones' that can be thrown away after the convention since connecting your smartphone to the internet is an open invitation to get hacked. ~About the Cyber Security project:The role of Internet is constantly increasing in our daily lives. Not only all of our personal data is stored online but also our physical world is being connected to the Internet; The height of the water level, the purity of our drinking water, the flow of electricity, on which track the trains ride, our money; everything is controlled via the Internet. Therefore the cyber security industry is larger than ever before; thousands of people are employed and media exposure is constantly increasing. But good imagery on this subject is hard to find and therefore it remains an abstract subject for the general public, while it's more relevant than ever. In my newest project I am investigating the current state of our Internet and cyber security. Who are all these people employed in this industry? What do they do and why is their work so important? I am trying to answer these questions from different perspectives like the police, large telco providers and banks, but also the physical network like data-centres storing all our precious data.

Burning Man

11 Apr 2018

118 files

The temporary city of Black Rock City in the Nevada desert is home to one of the world's largest annual art events: Burning Man. This festival, which for a week brings together more than 65,000 people in a desert, has the characteristics of a temporary utopia, but also of a pagan festival that ends in apotheosis by the fire of a great human image. Yet the burning man unites his community around a fairly extensive philosophy, which the organizers have tried to structure by means of the explanation of ten rules that deal with individual (free expression, self-management) and collective (voluntary work, prohibition of trade, creativity in common) morals. The following report tells about the personal experience and the perception of the event by Emeric Fohlen during his participation in 2015 and 2017.

Paraat

9 Apr 2018

85 files

De Franse paratroopers oefenen in Zuidwest Frankrijk, meer dan 1000 rode baretten trainen er voor toekomstige Buitenlandse missies. Het is de eerste keer dat het nieuwe geweer van het Franse leger, de HK416, wordt gebruikt in manoeuvres op de grond. Meer dan een week vechten soldaten tegen een fictieve maar geloofwaardige vijand. De parachutisten oefenen volgens diverse scenario's, waaronder gevechten in het bos, in stedelijke gebieden, beveiliging van luchthavengebieden, commando invallen met gevechtshelikopters, reactie en decontaminatie na een chemische of nucleaire aanval.

Contrastrijk Frans Guyana

9 Apr 2018

159 files

Ten oosten van de Marowijne rivier ligt Frans Guyana, buurland van Suriname. Suriname werd in 1975 onafhankelijk, Frans Guyana wil niet onafhankelijk worden. Het is een Frans overzees departement, onderdeel van Frankrijk en dus de EU; het haalt zelden de krantenkoppen, behalve als het eens gaat over geweld en sociale crises. Nabij Kourou bevindt zich het Centre Spatial Guyanais, waar onder andere satellieten van de Europese Ruimtevaartorganisatie (ESA) worden gelanceerd. Het ruimtevaartcentrum zorgt voor een derde van alle werkgelegenheid in Frans Guyana.~Het Zuid-Amerikaanse land is echter rijk aan natuur en een echte troef voor Frankrijk, ook in de toeristische sector, ook al is deze uiteindelijk nog niet omvangrijk. Er komen ongeveer 100.000 toeristen per jaar, voornamelijk uit Europa. De helft van de buitenlandse bezoekers is er om zakelijke redenen (48%), gekoppeld aan ruimtevaartactiviteiten, een derde bestaat uit de vele ambtenaren (gendarmes, leraren etc.). Met een oppervlakte van 83.846 km2 en 259.865 inwoners (2015) is Guyana de op één na grootste regio van Frankrijk en en grootste grondgebied van de EU buiten Europa. Het is ook de meest beboste departement, 98% van het grondgebied wordt bedekt door een equatoriale bos dat nog steeds een van de rijkste en minst ecologisch gefragmenteerde in de wereld.

Roma at the Ring Road

23 Mar 2018

28 files

The situation of the 'itinerant' Roma and their way of life is a recurring theme in the French public debate. It is estimated that around 15,000 people currently live in informal settlements on the outskirts of cities. Roma are constantly discriminated against on the basis of their origin and way of life and are considered to be 'illegal'. Roma continue to be the subject of numerous transitional measures and policies to combat illegal camps. In 2013, a dozen Roma families found refuge on the Paris ring road. By visiting this community in their improvised slum, I have seen the difficulties they face on a daily basis. The lack of running water and the few hours of electricity supplied by the generator determine the rhythm of life in the camp. But here the families have dignity and they are together; they survive thanks to begging, reselling scrap metal or doing small jobs on the black market.

A refuge for the LGBTQ community in Tunisia

21 Mar 2018

20 files

In Sidi Bou Saïd, Amina has created a shelter to welcome and protect citizens of the LGBT community who are victims of homophobic persecution. Daily stigmatization and police violence push many of them to seek the help of this structure led by a former member of the Femen movement.

Life in Belarus, the last European Dictatorship

7 Mar 2018

47 files

Belarus has been governed by President Alexander Lukashenko since 1994. Laws that restrict freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly are in force. The life of Independent journalists, human rights activists and minorities are made difficult. Politically motivated court cases against political opponents and dissidents are common. Belarus is the last country in Europe where the death penalty is still being imposed and enforced.~Part of the photo project "In the Shadow of the Empire", a trip along the border of Russia from Caucasus, from the frozen conflict in Abkhazia to the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine and through Belarus dictatorship. Affected by war and dictatorship, this geopolitically important region remains under reported, as the access to vital issues for western media Is often restricted by militarized authorities.

Koffiehuis Mokum

2 Mar 2018

38 files

Tekst Martin Bril: Het koffiehuis is van alle tijden. Het sterft weliswaar uit, maar dat geldt ook voor de snackbar, het bruine café, het kruispunt en het wegrestaurant.~Nederland verandert.~Het koffiehuis is een mannenwereld bij uitstek. Het is de pleisterplek van arbeiders, bouwvakkers, marktkooplieden en werkelozen die de aansluiting met de gewone wereld niet willen missen. Het is plek van verhalen, solidariteit, verveling en gekanker.~Het is een plek van uitsmijters, broodjes ros, ¹s winters erwtensoep en de rest van het jaar tomatensoep, zware shag en koffie die niet lekker is en daarom door iedereen met vette melk en suiker wordt gedronken.~Het koffiehuis heeft altijd ramen waardoor je naar binnen, en naar buiten, kunt kijken. Het is geen gesloten wereld, zoals het café, het is ook geen oord waarin je vlucht voor de wereld en de barre feiten van het leven, het is een plek die één is met de werkelijkheid en al die barre feiten. Er wordt in het koffiehuis niet gedroomd. Het koffiehuis is dan ook vroeg open, voor dag en dauw, en vroeg dicht, voor het donker is. Het is een plaats voor nuchterheid en laconieke, harde grappen.~Het koffiehuis is Spartaans ingericht. Er staan houten tafels en eenvoudige stoelen. Aan de muur hangen wat oude reclames of foto¹s waar niemand naar kijkt. De toonbank is een vitrine vol hammen, koude eieren, pakken melk, worsten, kazen in plastic. In de vensterbanken staan planten die te weinig water krijgen, en de krant die rondgaat is De Telegraaf.

Street Dreamers in Asia

26 Feb 2018

28 files

A moment of divine relaxation, sleeping is a short and timeless journey in which the body relinquishes itself to beneficial rest, while the mind offers itself an escape, far from the contemplations of existence. This photo series was realized in Asia from 2010 to 2016.

Cadets in Kiev

26 Feb 2018

22 files

Cadets at Military Boarding School no.23 in Kiev. Boys and girls are dressed in stereotyped role confirming uniforms. The kids live, eat, play and learn at school.

Zuidas, business District

14 Feb 2018

80 files

De Zuidas is a business district under development in Amsterdam in the Dutch province of North Holland. The Zuidas is located on both sides of the beltway(A10) between the Amstel and Schinkel rivers, on a strategic location between Schiphol and the Amsterdam city centre.

Ich bin Waldviertel

14 Feb 2018

303 files

Hannah and Alena are two sisters living in the small village of Merkenbrechts in the Waldviertel, an isolated rural area in Austria between Vienna and the Czech Republic. The story documents summer days around Austria as the girls grow up over the years 2012 - 2017.

The pictures Kim Jong Un doesn't want you to see

13 Feb 2018

60 files

Since 2008, photographer Eric lafforgue has visited North Korea six times. Thanks to the digital memory cards and their erased data retrieval system, he was able to restore photos that the guides had asked him to delete. These are images, according to the North Korean regime, you are not supposed to see.

Marker Wadden

13 Feb 2018

137 files

De aanleg van de eilandengroep de Marker Wadden in het Markermeer gevolgd vanuit de lucht. Een grootscheeps project van Natuurmonumenten, Rijkswaterstaat en Boskalis.

I am a Superhero

13 Feb 2018

41 files

A series of portraits of cosplay enthusiasts (costume play) creating their own costumes and portraying fictional characters (heroes from comic books, cartoons, video games, mangas or films) mainly during conventions and photo shoots.~Dressed in the costume of their alter ego, they are staged in a daily life situation that transcends the ordinary.

Carnival in Binche

13 Feb 2018

21 files

Gilles in Binche with Mardi Gras. The 600-year-old Carnival of Binche was added by UNESCO in 2003 to the List of Masterpieces of the Oral and Immaterial Heritage of Humanity. They are 3 days full of tradition, the costumes can cost up to 300â and it has its origins in the end of winter and announcing spring. All the Gilles are men and they can only move on music, they stomp with their clogs on the earth for fertility and carry oranges in a basket that they throw at the crowd.

Saudi Arabia

12 Feb 2018

69 files

Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, head of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, announced that Saudi Arabia will begin issuing tourist visas in the first quarter of 2018. up till now Saudi Arabia was the world’s most difficult country to visit for a non-Muslim for it did not issue tourist visas. Only Muslims making the pilgrimage to Mecca were allowed to enter.~A few years ago, the government issued tourist visas for a short time before doing putting an end to it. Eric Lafforgue was able to obtain a visum and had the rare opportunity to visit a country that regularly made the headlines. The trip allowed him to discover, over the course of two weeks, a culture preserved in a highly conservative society.~Before setting foot on Saudi territory, one must make sure to leave at home: any alcohol (including alcohol filled chocolates), all non-Muslim religious items, pork-based products, pornographic books, games of chance and any medicines containing codeine

Festival of Thai Poosam

11 Feb 2018

46 files

Thai Poosam Kavady is a Hindu religious festival, celebrated by the Tamil on the full moon in the month of Thai (falling in January/February).~The festival commemorates the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a Vel (spear), so he could vanquish an evil demon. It is commonly believed that Thai Poosam marks Murugan's birthday.~As there is a significantly established Tamil community in South Africa and South Africa has the highest concentrated Indian population after the mainland India. Thai Poosam is celebrated in Johannesburg with great abundance. Symbolism is one of the most important aspects of the Thai Poosam festival, for Kavady translates in Tamil as a pole slung across the shoulder to evenly distribute the weight of what is being carried, usually in bundles on either ends of the pole. The carrying of Kavady symbolises the carrying of oneâs burden and then resting it at the feet of the Lord.~At Thai Poosam the carrying of this burden and allowing it to be taken over is expressed by various symbolic gestures and habits. In some instances, the participants are brought into a trance, whereafter their faces are pierced and painted. When theyâve been geared up with piercings and body paint, they walk in a procession through the streets, physically carrying their burden. Some have a cloth tied around their mouths, for they canât speak or complain about the burden they are carrying. When their burdens are given to their Lord, the participants celebrate the rest of the festival freely and relieved. The Thai Poosam festival attracts a lot of visitors in South Africa, also non-Hindus. Due to the many different cultures and religions living in the country, other cultures are generally open and interested in each otherâs habits and beliefs

15 m2 of freedom

1 Feb 2018

20 files

On just a few squatted terrains in The Netherlands there are people who choose to live trucks, vans or trailers. It is fascinating to see how these people ‘obtain’ their freedom because it isn’t always that easy to live this way.~~There isn’t that much space, the water isn’t always running, a toilet (compost toilet) usually is a little further down the road, you have to chop wood to heat the stove before having a little warmth etc… Most of the terrains have evolved into cultural breeding grounds where festivals and concerts take place. In the Netherlands it’s a subculture that has become more and restricted because of the repressive policy of the government and project developers. It has become expected of everyone to live in a ‘normal’ way – in a house.~~‘15m2 of freedom’ is a search for freedom and the constant paradox that follows with it. Will you get a sense of freedom when you reduce your possessions and throw away all excess baggage? Isn’t it just a ‘state of mind’ that allows a person not to care so much about what one ‘should’ do, or is ‘supposed’ to do. And what if the terrain you are living on is maybe going to be evicted?

De kinderen van de St Maartenschool

24 Jan 2018

9 files

De St Maartenschool School in Nijmegen is een school voor zeer gespecialiseerd onderwijs aan leerlingen met een lichamelijke of meervoudige beperking en langdurig zieke kinderen.

Miss and Mister Albino Competition

23 Jan 2018

60 files

In the town of Geita, in the northwest of Tanzania, a Miss and Mister Albino election was held for the first time. Elizabeth James was elected Miss and Richard Feruz was elected Mister. The theme of the event was Out of the shadow/Into the Light. For many albinos, Africa is a curse. Due to their lack of skin pigment that offers protection against ultraviolet rays, they quickly develop skin cancer. The bright light cuts their eyes like a knife. Tumors easily occur in them. In Tanzania, only two percent of them are over forty years old. But albinos are also the victims of corrupt doctors. Driven by greed, they make their unscrupulous clientele wise that drinks, creams and powders made from the bones of albinos or their head hairs bring happiness. That those means provide protection against evil spirits. albinos were never previously killed for that reason. In some West African cultures they were worshiped precisely because they would bring happiness. But in Tanzania, the country with the most albinos on the African continent, they have to fear for their lives. In the region around Geita in particular, albinos have regularly been the victim of attacks, or even murder, in recent years, a survey of the aid organisation Under the Same Sun shows. Arms, legs and genitals can easily raise 50,000 euros on the black market. A whole body maybe up to 75,000 euros. For the replenishment of an albino, a thousand euros will soon be added in the region. Lately, serious attention has also been paid to the health problems of albinos. In hospitals they receive strong sunscreen creams for free. albinos are now in parliament in Tanzania and neighbouring Kenya. Last year, a Miss Albino election was already held in Kenya.

Atomic Surfers of Fukushima

23 Jan 2018

27 files

On 11 March 2011, Japan was hit by an earthquake which generated a tsunami along the coast. It hit the Daaichi nuclear power plant, a level-7 catastrophe that was the equivalent of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant meltdown disaster. In Tairatoyoma beach, a prefecture of Fukushima and some 50km from the nuclear plant, was among the most popular areas for Japanese surfers .Despite the presence of radiation in the sand and water, some dedicated surfers continue to come here to catch some waves.

Tourist in Badakhshan, Afghanistan

22 Jan 2018

31 files

There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace. Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.

Romeo an Juliet in Korea

22 Jan 2018

27 files

Romeo was born in a working class family in North Korea. In the 90's, he witnessed the devastating famine that hit his country. He decided to flee to China, then to South Korea. He had a hard life, and he even thought about committing suicide. He will marry his Juliet, a south korean woman soon. In this very conservative society, many South Koreans consider their northern neighbors as second-class citizens. But Romeo is someone really special: he is the first north korean defector who has an entrepreneurial vocation in South Korea. He runs two Cafés with North Koreans employees and has so many projects.

Grocery delivery service the old fashioned way

22 Jan 2018

10 files

The driving supermarket, that's the SRV car. Most of them have disappeared from the streetscape, but SRV-man Erik van Haren has been driving his regular tour of the city of Utrecht and its surroundings for more than 30 years. His regular customers are happy with him. The SRV-man is there during the weather, easily deciphers handwritten shopping lists and brings the groceries home. Moreover, the SRV man always has time for a chat. Come and find it at the new-fashioned delivery services.

Drought in Ethiopia

22 Jan 2018

31 files

In March 2017, the 71th Aba Gada was chosen among the Borana tribe in south Ethiopia. This ceremony celebrates the election of traditional leader, which is held every 8 years since 560 years ago. Lately classified by UNESCO, this event occurs in a very special context : the Borana tribe, part of Oromo people who make up around a third of the Ethiopian population, is suffering from drought for months. Cows are dying, meanwhile many people are complaining the lack of support from the government, thus generating massive uprisings, repressions and killing hundreds of protesters.

De minister treedt af

22 Jan 2018

11 files

De dag dat Minister van Defensie Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert aftreedt

Ashura

22 Jan 2018

30 files

No, you are not on the set of Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead. You are in Iran and the men in chainmail wandering through the streets or those covered with mud and walking like zombies are actually celebrating Ashura. Ashura is famous for the people practising self-flagellation but Ashura is more than that. For the Shia people, the Day of Ashura is the tenth day of Muharram (the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar) and commemorates the killing of Imam Hussein and his 72 relatives and friends by the Umayyad caliphate in Karbala, Iraq. In Iran, this is the time for unique celebrations all over the country. Very few foreigners dare to attend them as they are afraid of the atmosphere, which may seem gloomy or even hostile for those who do not understand the meaning of the event. In fact, people are happy to share their culture and everyone is welcome.

Mille Miglia

5 Jan 2018

54 files

The Mille Miglia (1000 miles) is a famous car rally for oldtimers en sports cars.The street race is in fact a driving automobile museum. The race was organised for the first time in 1927 and it was abolished in 1957 because of the large number of accidents during the trip. Since 1982 the Mille Miglia has been restored, with exclusive cars that also drove the old Mille Miglia, that is made between 1927 and 1957. All the well-known brands take part and every year there are also many famous participants from the sport and the showbizz. There are 375 cars allowed to participate in the rally and there are thousands of registrations every year from all over the world.~The selection is therefore strict. Only models of cars that have previously participated in the historic rally are allowed. Or cars of brands that have a great reputation for car and rally sports. Participation is not cheap, per car you pay 7300 euros, that includes all overnight stays and the meals along the way.

Red Utopia

1 Jan 2018

66 files

"The opinion that art should have nothing to do with politics is itself a political attitude."- George Orwell~~Red Utopia is a beautifully executed large format art photo book documenting communist parties and their iconography in India, Italy, Nepal, Portugal and Russia. The book contains 65 photos.~~Jan Banning, a non-partisan progressive, created Red Utopia as a non-propagandistic search for what is left of communism, 100 years after the Russian Revolution. The book contains photos of interiors of communist party offices - ‘museums of a future from the past’ as one young Italian communist said. It also presents environmental portraits of officials and activists in five countries: India, Italy, Nepal, Portugal and Russia~~For more than a century, communism was a source of inspiration for idealists and revolutionaries who sought a more just society. The struggle between communism and capitalism was a major theme in recent history, certainly between 1917 and 1989.~~In its practice of Real Socialism, the communist ideology turned out to be surely less than ideal; the Moscow trials in the late 1930s already shocked many believers; and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 seems to have delivered the final blow. Neoliberalism, with its worshipping of the Free Market, now appears to be the only remaining ideology.~~Even most of the five remaining dictatorships of the proletariat are communist in name only. With the demise of this political ideology, the need for capitalism with a human face has disappeared and the gap between rich and poor has widened in many countries. Since the crisis, which started in 2008, there has been a renewed interest in Marx as a political and economic thinker. It makes one wonder - just how dead is communism really?

Visit to North-Korea

28 Dec 2017

68 files

Illegally crossing the Alps

27 Dec 2017

15 files

More and more migrants are arriving in Montgenevre, a French winter sports resort, after crossing the border between France and Italy illegally. In solidarity with them, mountain guides from the area of Briançon bring them by car from Montgenevre to the city of Briançon. There they are housed in the emergency hospital of the old CRS barracks. Out of fear of border controls, migrants walk 4 hours through the snow to reach France unseen. Mountain guides have expressed their concern about the difficult conditions and the risks of migrants dying, who feel compelled to cross the mountain pass between Italy and France.

Prison a la Carte

5 Dec 2017

32 files

The San Diego Women's Prison is located in the historic center of Cartagena de Indias, a tourist town in northern Colombia. In this overcrowded and violent prison environment, the restaurant Interno opened its doors to the public in December 2016. Instead of the chaotic image of prisons in Latin America, the women's prison San Diego is a pioneer in rehabilitation and improvement of prison conditions. In addition to the unique experience of tasting gastronomic dishes served by detainees in prison, it allows the prisoners of San Diego to benefit from a "secundary oportunidade" (second chance), as indicated on the wall of the facade of the restaurant.~~The restaurant was founded by the Accion Interna Foundation, run by Johana Bahamon. This famous Colombian actress wanted to offer women prisoners new perspectives for the future. They are trained to work in the kitchen and dining room by local star chefs to restore their self-esteem. "Everything has changed since Interno, before we did nothing, and now we can use our hands to show the rest of society that we can do something. We feel useful,"says one of the women. For the prisoners, rehabilitation takes place through the courts, they have been deprived of their freedom, but all too often they have also lost their self-confidence. Just like visitors who eventually forget that they are in prison when they return to this warmly decorated restaurant, the prisoners see this place as a true escape route.~~Around 30 women work in the restaurant, allowing them to reduce prison sentences while earning a salary. The rest of the restaurant's profit is used to improve the quality of life of the 180 prisoners.

Gay Pride in Johannesburg

5 Dec 2017

32 files

Portraits during a Gay Parade in Johannesburg, South Africa.~During the Apartheids regime between 1948 to 1994, homosexuality in South Africa was a crime punishable by up to seven years in prison; this law was used to harass and outlaw South African gay community events and political activists.~Its the remarkable that after these strict laws South Africa became the first nation in the world to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in its constitution.

Powwow

29 Nov 2017

13 files

Adrianna Rouillard was a slender, serious eleven year old Native American girl when I first met her during the Northern Colorado Intertribal Powwow in the small town of Loveland. She wore a colorful Jingle Dress, decorated with metallic cones that made happy jingling sounds while she danced, and on her head she wore a crown that had been carefully beaded by her mother, Iris Rouillard.~Adrianna, who can trace her lineage to the Oglala, Lakota, Santee and Sioux Indian tribes, had been chosen Powwow Princess, and thus would represent this powwow for a year at other ones all over the United States.~A powwow is an event for Native American people to meet and sing and dance to the music of a ‘Drum’, to socialize, and honor their culture. There is a dancing competition, often with significant prize money awarded.~“The powwow is a way to celebrate our culture and keep it alive,” Iris Rouillard explained. “Especially for our children, many of whom grow up in the city these days. And with it, we show non-Indians that we are still there.”~Iris found it important to bring up her three children, Adrianna and the boys Tylor (7) and Teak (1), with American Indian values. She taught them how to dance as soon as they could walk. “We are so few,” she said. “It is important to pass on the stories, morals, customs and ancestry. It affords a basis.”~Ten years later I meet Adrianna (21), her mother, a new stepfather, two brothers and grandmother again during the annual three day Denver March Powwow. It is one of the most important events on the Indian calendar. Native Americans from all over the U.S. gather there to meet family and friends. I want to hear if her American Indian heritage and traditions still play a role in Adrianna’s life. She studies psychology and is training to become an officer with the U.S. Marines Reserve. She also has become one of the better Jingle Dress dancers, regularly winning prize money.~“Dancing is like breathing to me,” she says. “Every time I get on the dance floor and I hear that drum beat, I just feel elation. And I go with it. It’s a part of who I am.”~Being a Native American is at the basis of her existence, she explains. All her decisions and plans for the future derive from that. Her choice of wanting to be in the military stems from the Native American warrior culture. “I love the discipline. The respect that you have to give, just like with the Native tribes, to older people, or people in a higher rank, and to yourself.~“I take pride in being part of a people with an important heritage. One of my great great uncles is Crazy Horse. I know what I am, where I come from. I have many friends that don’t know exactly what they are. Yes, Irish or Polish, but they don’t have a bond with their people anymore. I feel bad for them. They are only Americans.”~~Photographer and writer Ellen Kok works since 1996 on the book “American Moments” with photo stories about young people in the United States. By photographing them in their daily lives, she is looking for an answer to the question: What does it mean to be an American? The young people in her photos are after all still finding out for themselves how to become a member of American society. “Powwow” is one of the stories from the book. A longer narrative is available with the photos.

A day in ballet school

29 Nov 2017

25 files

A report of a day inside the ballet school of the Paris Opéra.

Bialowieza forest

28 Nov 2017

36 files

The Polish government has ordered massive cuts of trees in the last European primary forest, Bialowieza, to stop attacks of xylophagous insects. Despite warnings from Unesco and the European Union, Environment Minister Jan Szyszko persists, endangering the ecosystem of the ten thousand year old Natural Park.~Regularly, activists try to delay these cuts by linking themselves to the huge machines accused of deforestation.~Over the past few months, people, polish activist and ecologists from others countries participate in various actions. The ranger intercepts them, monitors them and sometimes use some violence.

Behind the scenes at the Circus Romanès

24 Nov 2017

37 files

The small family cirrus Romanes originated from the meeting between Délia Romanès and Alexandre Romanes in 1994. The first is a gypsy singer, originally from Romania, the second one is actually called Bouglione, was acrobat, acrobat, balancing artist and stupid door in a "traditional" circus that he left later because it no longer corresponded to his values. Alexandre Romanès, who is also a novelist and poet, now presents a show that is more focused on their gypsy roots. The children of the couple, their grandchildren and invited artists perform in the small tent in the 16th district of Paris. The acrobats, jugglers and dancers are accompanied by violin, accordion, double bass and clarinet, creating a simple, warm and festive atmosphere.

Dutch Co-working spaces

14 Nov 2017

44 files

A growing number of self-employed, zzp-ers, freelancers and start-ups are looking for an inspiring working environment that encourages collaboration and the exchange of ideas. One of the benefits of a Co-working space is the attractive styled working environment and community building; it facilitates a hub, network, social and (in)formal meetings for its members. The offer varies enormously; meeting places, quiet areas, consultation booths and communal workshops. In addition to B-Amsterdam, Tribes, Spaces, Student Hotel and B-Amsterdam, there are also the small-scale' breeding grounds' that offer unique creative workplaces. Lolalik, for example, offers an original seventy year meeting room in the former Bijlmerbajes and flexible work places for rent. At the Ceuvel in Amsterdam North, office boats with flex spots are available and NieuwenMeer offers a floating stay including. sauna on. ~~Around 2006 Citizen Space opened in San Francisco as the first real Co-working Space. The concept started right away in Europe. Since the opening of La Boate Marseille France in 2007, the other European cities and regions have followed. The number of co-workings spaces in Amsterdam is growing by the month. Converting office space into flex-office is the current trend of real estate developers.

COP23 protest

8 Nov 2017

92 files

More than 2,000 demonstrators came to protest the impact of coal on the climate, the protest took place in a mine near Bonn on the eve of the opening of the 23rd UN Climate Change Conference. The lignite mine, located about 50 km west of Bonn in North Rhine-Westphalia, belongs to the German group RWE. After a long walk through a no-man's-land, the protesters, dressed in a white suit, positioned themselves at the edge and then inside the gigantic crater formed by Hambach's open-cast lignite mine. In front of the police officers, posted around an excavator more than 200 m long ("the largest in the world" underlines the mine site).

Pool

7 Nov 2017

250 files

The public bath in Amersfoort, the Netherlands is home to many different activities, clubs and groups. After 80 years the bath is now demolished.

Day of the Dead

7 Nov 2017

58 files

In the big cities of Mexico, Dia de muertos (day of the dead) is mainly a feast of painted faces, parades reminiscent of the one in the James Bond film 'Spectre' and element from the North American Halloween. ~In the villages it is still celebrated in a traditional way. On 1 and 2 November, deceased loved ones and family are commemorated there with a meeting at the cemetery. Where the graves are decorated with orange marigold, the traditional flower of the dead. People make altars at home with a photo and the deceased's favourite food or stuff. Tamales, a traditional dish of corn, are made and distributed to family, friends and neighbours who come by to pray together. In this way they hope that the soul of the deceased will not wander and make a good journey to the hereafter.~The 45 year old Delia is a cleaning lady in the city of Santiago de Queretaro. Every year she makes a bus trip to her cottage in the mountains in the village of Pinal de Amoles to celebrate Dia de los muertos with villagers and family. At the house altar she prays for two nights to ensure her father's soul a good trip.

Africlowns

3 Nov 2017

74 files

The Africlowns are three clowns from the Netherlands with a mission to bring fun and humour to all children, especially those who need it most. Every year, the Dutch clowns travel to South Africa to visit various orphanages, schools and hospitals for the disabled, mostly in and around the townships of Johannesburg.~Every Africlowns show is interactive and full of creativity and humour, accompanied by musical instruments and a heart-warming story.~Through their performances they want to make children laugh and let them forget their worries.~The Africlowns have been active for 15 years. In October 2017 they were in South Africa for the 10th time for their Africlown tour.

Ende Gelände summer 2017

31 Oct 2017

78 files

Mass civil disobedience action organised by Ende Gelände, aimed at blocking the lignite basins. More than 6,000 people took part in the action in the Rhineland and demanded the end of coal mining in Germany and worldwide.~~RWE produces lignite. It is extracting approximately 100 million tonnes per year from three open mines, Hambach, India and Garzweiler. These cover about 9000 hectares, twice as large as the city of Lyon. The fuel is used in RWE's coal-fired power stations.~~In order to extract lignite, fertile soils are excavated, important ecosystems are destroyed and important ecosystems are being destroyed, and all around these huge mine pumps are being installed to drain the water. Large excavators, which are about 90 m high and 200 m long, the world's largest machines, are used to attack the ground. To expand this mine, the motorway will be diverted a few kilometres. If you consider that a kilometre of new motorway costs 10 million euros, then this mine must be profitable for RWE.~~One tonne of CO2 is emitted per tonne of burned coal. Despite the German energy source, coal still accounts for 40% of the country's electricity production. The mines are in use until at least 2045.~~Germany has eleven active lignite mines. It is one of the world's largest producers of this type of coal. In total, according to the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs, the open mines in Germany cover 170 000 hectares.

Razorworld

25 Oct 2017

27 files

Historic electrical razors from the collection of the president of the Dutch Philshave Collectors Club.

Fishing with an ice drill and a fishing rod

24 Oct 2017

8 files

Once ice fishing was a survival strategy for Native Americans during winter time. Now it is mainly a weekend hobby. In the American state of Vermont there is even a temporary ice fishermen’s village.~The photo’s are accompanied by a written story.

Between the devil and the deep blue sea

24 Oct 2017

31 files

They are usually men, they are not addicted nor do they have psychiatric illnesses, but they do often have financial problems. Bad luck and bureaucracy are working against them. The so called new homeless are a group of people that don't belong in the Dutch shelters for the homeless, where they are often refused because they don't fit the standard. They got divorced, had a very low income, or are in debt. Other reasons for the rise in 'the new homeless' are lack of affordable housing, rising rents and cutbacks on social welfare. Some of them stay over with friends or family, others try to be self-sufficient and decide to sleep in a tent.

Single households

23 Oct 2017

15 files

Since last century the composition of households drastically changed. Traditional families occur less and more and more people live alone. In Amsterdam that rate is even 55%. Being one of them I was curious about how they live and visited them for a little peak in their lives.

Black Pete

23 Oct 2017

24 files

Every year around 5 December the Dutch and Flemish celebrate 'Sinterklaas'. Sinterklaas is depicted as an older white man with a beard dressed as a bishop. He is accompanied by helpers with black faces and colourful Moorish dresses, figures known as Black Pete. In recent years this tradition is under scrutiny because of it's racist nature. During a time of awareness about Dutch slavery history this series was made to illustrate this sensitive matter.

Tourist in Hezbollahland

17 Oct 2017

57 files

With the war in Syria, the whole Lebanese border has became a red zone where the western governments advise against all travel. But once in the field, only few military check points remind the rare travellers that the tension is high in the area as life goes on.~In the Beqaa Valley, Hezbollah -the Party of God- rules. It is a Shia Islamist political, military and social organisation which has became powerful in Lebanon and is represented in Parliament and government.~Hezbollah is called a terrorist organisation by western states, Israel, the Arab Gulf countries and the Arab League. They now control areas hosting a UNESCO world heritage site, and have built a museum to glorify the war against Israel.

Referendum in Catalonia

16 Oct 2017

24 files

Ducth Hiphop

13 Oct 2017

10 files

As I noticed a shift taking place at the image of Dutch rappers, I invited them into the studio for a portray. Rapping about rough streetlife? The new generation also talks about uncertainties in their lives and about love.

Mobile Vaccination Team

10 Oct 2017

53 files

The mobile vaccination team tries to sensitize insufficiently targeted target groups to the importance of vaccination. Set up by the Flemish government in 2015 it vaccinates them free of chargeto. Victims of human trafficking, Roma, Homeless people, refugees, jewish children and people without papers fall through the mesh of the net and are often exempt from vaccination or don't find the way to the health service. The vaccination is free.~The Team, Wim and Evelien accompanied by a doctor, set up their little vaccination corner in Red Cross centers, community houses, schools etc

A day with Paul Smith in Paris

10 Oct 2017

21 files

The famous British Fashion designer recently bought a house in the Marais in Paris.~When he is in the French capital he explores Paris by bicycle. We followed him on one of his tours.

African polo

4 Oct 2017

52 files

The Prince of Wales Cup is an annual polo event held at one of the polo fields in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is seen as the grandest polo event in the entire country. The tournament attracts a variety of polo fans and seasoned aficionados of the polo lifestyle looking to experience the sport in a prominent way.~Numerous people take the opportunity to see and be seen during this prestigious tournament, and the latest fashion and extravagant styles compliment the event. ~In 1925 His Royal Highness Prince Edward of Wales toured South Africa and played in a series of polo matches. At the end of his visit, Prince Edward himself donated the Cup that has become the centre piece of the entire event giving this tournament its prestigious name.

Referendum in Abrùcies, Catalonia

1 Oct 2017

48 files

In Catalonia referendum is held on independence. The central Spanish government has banned the referendum and does everything in its power to make voting impossible. Photographer David van Dam and correspondent Koen Greven follow Mayor Garriga, who organizes the referendum in his village of Abrùcies. He delivers voting booths via a secret route, sees that firemen make sure police officers can not enter the polling stations, and votes in the end himself, for an independent Catalonia.

Jeddah

28 Sep 2017

50 files

Jeddah is an old city on the Red Sea. It is an important city on the road to Mecca. In the past boats with pilgrims docked in it's port to start their Hajj. These pilgrims came from all over the world by sea and via land, on camel trails.~Makkah (Arabic for Mecca) is the most holy place in the Islamic-world and the Hajj is a big yearly event for Muslims. A pilgrimage all Muslims have to do, at least once in their life-time.~Jeddah is the commercial capital of Saudi Arabia and the largest seaport on the Red Sea, it is also the most easy going of the kingdom.

Incensitive to Red

27 Sep 2017

12 files

A series about Gingers made on an orthochromatic film. This black and white film is not sensitive to red, therfore accentuates hair, freckles and other unevennesses. The photographer, a redhead himself, asked every subject the same question: "What is the worst thing people said to you about your hair color?"

Earthquake hits Mexico

20 Sep 2017

26 files

A strong earthquake has struck central Mexico, killing more than 200 people and toppling dozens of buildings in the capital, Mexico City. The 7.1 magnitude quake also caused major damage in neighbouring states.

Fungi Disco

18 Sep 2017

51 files

Another kind of portraits, portraits of fungi. Adrie Mouthaan shows us the fascinating world of fungi through his macro lens. With the help of Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.

Kurdish Referendum

16 Sep 2017

55 files

The Kurdish Autonomous Region in Iraq has announced an independence referendum for September 25th. Iraqi Kurdistan is an autonomous region in northern Iraq. Although Kurdish parties control the area, it is officially still under Iraqi rule. In fact, everybody except the Kurds are against a referendum, the United Nations, the US, the Iraqi government in Baghdad and neighboring countries Turkey and Iran. The international community fears for confrontations between the central government in Baghdad, which is against independence, and the Kurdish residents of the oil-rich northeast. Tensions would distract from the current war against Islamic state according to the US. The extremist movement still holds parts of Iraq and Syria occupied.

Jolodibo

13 Sep 2017

48 files

Gerline den Hartog, Sam Diboma and their dochters Josline and Loïs moved from Amsterdam to Douala in Cameroon. Father Sam had a job offer in his homeland, the family moved to Africa.

Scroll down to load more items...