The stay-at-home photographer

How about going on a trip with me? We’re off to Southern Africa; right now it’s summer there. Imagine that the Corona virus doesn’t yet exist or has already been rendered harmless for humans and animals. Having safely arrived, we head to nature to see places where animals live in harmony with their environment.

A Utopian dream

Much to my regret this isn’t a real-time journey but simply a stay-at-home photographer’s fantasy. With these Utopian musings of my imagination, maybe I can brighten up your day a bit. I don’t know about you, but I suspect I’m not the only one impatiently peering into the darkness, hoping for a glimmer of light at the end of the Covid-19 tunnel.

Balance between experiencing and processing.

Photography is innately linked to travel, to discovery and encounters. Yet much of the work is actually done in isolation: previously in the darkroom; now at home behind the computer. Being a photographer is a fascinating and inspiring profession thanks to the natural balance between experiencing and processing. However, recent circumstances have disrupted this balance, which has led to additional challenges as well as new insights.

Longing to travel

The images you see here are from a 2016 trip I took to South Africa. It was an unforgettable adventure: everywhere we looked there were animals and the landscape was utterly breath-taking. But once I got home, I felt like the photographs I’d taken didn’t do justice to the magnitude of the experience. Perhaps this kind of disappointment feels familiar? At that moment, I decided to free myself from criteria of truth and to make images that communicate what I want to convey. A world of possibilities opened before my eyes!

Work goes on

These new prospects have made working from home a lot more interesting. And fortunately, almost a year into this pandemic, I’m still allowed to leave the house to shoot photos. While we’re out in the field, both my assistants and I abide by the corona rules set forth by the DuPho (Dutch Association of Professional Photographers). In this way, we can safely and responsibly keep working at something we love to do!

Thanks for visiting and hopefully we will soon meet again in real life!

Margareta