Under the Spotlight - Ivo

Venom · Under the Spotlight - Ivo

Full Name - Ivo van den Bergh

1) What gear do you use?

Olympus C-8080WZ

2) What got you interested in photography?

When I went on a holiday to Egypt I wanted a poster sized picture of the pyramids, so to be able to make that picture, I bought the Olympus C-8080. Since then I like photography.

3) Do you have a favourite category of photography and if so, what is it?

Travel photography, I don't have a lot of time to spend on photography when I'm working, so I am mostly taking pictures during my holidays.

4) What is your most memorable photographic experience to date?

During easter walking out of a restaurant right into a procession in Warsaw (Poland). Never been so happy to have brought my camera as then.

5) Do you like to manipulate pictures? Or do you prefer them as a true record of the event? What is your view on Photo manipulation?

Though I like my pictures to be as natural as can be, I tend to shoot more and more in raw and with that, I am more tempted to adjust bits. But that can also be seen as my incompetence to capture the right mood with my camera-settings. And i don't mind removing birds from skies or removing that annoying thing in the corner of the picture that you didn't see in the viewfinder. But the scene must always be recognisable and true.

6) What, if any, are your photographic ambitions for the future?

I keep learning more and more about the settings to use and different options i have, and i want to continue in that way. When I look at my pictures they keep progressing in time, so as long as i can keep that going I'll be satisfied.

Now for Ivo's favourite Five -

Prague, this is the view of the Charles bridge in the morning, i like the buildings in the background, the fog around the bridge and the shadow of the statue on the bridge.

Berlin, this is the roof of the Sony Centre, i really liked the shapes in combination with the Christmas tree.

Easter Island, these are the moai-statues at tongariki, the statues are just amazing, very mysterious

Rome, the Colosseum, a beautiful building, well lit in the dark, so making it a perfect building to capture in the dark, especially late at night when most of the tourists are gone.

Warsaw, at least 10.000 people gathered on good Friday, there was a procession through the streets of the old town which ended here, in front of the royal palace, which you can see on the background. The kneeling only happened for like 4 seconds, so i had only 1 chance to get it right. This is what i ended up with. Though the shot is not perfect, it brings back the feeling to me i felt at that time. Very special, a sort of togetherness.

Many thanks Ivo for sharing that with us.
OK the floors now open, do you have any questions you'd like to ask Ivo?
If so post them below.

hil26

Nice 5 images there, very much like the Sony one.

I think there is some great stories to tell with travel images and yours are doing just that.

pasvorto

I wish I was in a position to do that kind of traveling. Very nice.

Ivo

Evolution104

Ivo,
I really like your picture of the Charles bridge. It has such 'feel' to it. I love early morning misty/hazy/foggy shots, and this works well for me. I also love the pin sharp focus on the brick walkway in the foreground - a detail that makes this a beautiful shot!

Thanks for sharing.

Venom

Ivo,

Think my personal favourite is the Easter Island shot, but the silhouettes on the 'Charles bridge in the morning' are great.
Thanks for participating in this m8.

Mike

creators

Thanks for your spotlight Ivo, I love your pictures especially Charles bridge, Berlin Sony centre and the Colosseum.

Do you think you will keep to landscape/travel photography or are there other areas you want to explore, maybe one day if you had the time?

Ivo

well, travel and landscape are my main focus, but during a course i had to do some portrait photography and I must say i did like that too. So maybe one day with a willing model i might give it a try.

Abstract and macro isn't really my thing. I don't like setting things up for a shot, don't have the patience for it. And the photo's aren't what i look in a shot. I've seen some brilliant abstract photo's here, but personally, I wouldn't hang those on my wall, not matter how good it is. It is just not for me i guess. The picture doesn't do to me what a travel picture would do to me (for example, hil's pictures of venice i find very inspiring and it's making me want to go to venice myself hoping i could even come close to a shot like that)

My main ambition however will always be travelphotography, especially ancient / historical things. I would love to shoot maccu picchu, angor wat and stonehenge of course. So maybe when i'm finally going to vist stonehenge you could give me some pointers on what time to go and where to position, i've seen some great photo's from you.

creators

Thanks Ivo, if you come to Stonehenge and fancy some company it's only 36 miles from me and I am always up for a visit.

Stonehenge is a fiend, it's an incredibly austere place and you really have to stalk it. The opening times are a pain because you can't get dawn shots, so I tend to hit it late and go for sunsets. The shot I am after is a sky with broken cloud cover using sunbeams to paint the stones. I'm a twit because from where I live I can see exactly what days are likely to produce spectacular sunsets, but I forget to go. The stones are also roped off and I've never been happy with the shots from my kit lens, but now I've got the Tamron 70 - 300 I should really get my act together and go there.

Funnily enough, today is potentially exactly one of those days, so where are you?

Basher's Batey

WOW! Loved Rome, the Colosseum! That's the type of quality I am striving for!

Ivo

it's great for you to live so close to stonehenge. I see what kind of shot you are going for. I hope one day you'll make it. Unfortunattely for me it is impossible to just go to stonehenge, cause i live in the netherlands. So i'll just have to wait till i visit london one day, and make a sort of a day trip to stonehenge. I heard they were building a replica and wanted to close down the original. Is that true? Cause i don't want to see some fake crap of course, i want to see the original.

But when i visit your country, i'll definately contact you, can always use your expertise. thanks for the offer

creators

They built a mock up last year for, I think, a BBC documentary of Stonehenge, but there is no plan to close down the original. English Heritage are dumb, but I don't think they are that dumb.

GREENWIZARD

#1 for me ...would love to visit prague