Jos van der Blij Photography
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Me and my cameras
Back in 1976, eightteen years old, I bought my first Single Lens Reflex (SLR)-camera: a Praktica LTL3. A heavy but solid, cheap East-German product that produced quite a noise everytime the shutter was released. But the build-in light meter was okay, just like
the sharpness of the 50 mm Pentacon and 135 mm Tamron lenses. My father taught me the basic knowledge and techniques for SLR-cameras and I took thousands of pictures since then. In the beginning mostly B&W-films, to be developed and printed in my fathers homemade darkroom.
After a few years - working class hero in the meantime - the Praktica broke down and I replaced it by a Chinon CEII half-automatic SLR. Again: cheap, solid, easy to use and the Chinon had a really perfect light meter. The interest in photography further grew and finally in february '79, I fulfilled my dream: I was able to buy my first Nikon, model FM. In my opinion, Nikon was by far the leading SLR-producer in the world. Because of the Nikon-mount, I had to replace all my lenses - except the Tamron 135 mm which used a very smart adapter to mount on different cameras.
The FM was a fabulous camera that I don't use anymore. And the light meter doesn't work properly anymore. After the FM, only Nikon-SLR's came by. A 301-model (total failure, a very poor camera), a F50 and a F90X (excellent camera, still works perfect and the best till that moment). Then came the first digital SLR (I already used a digital Nikon Coolpix 5700: great digital compact camera in those days!): a Nikon D70s. A very good and easy to use DSLR that disappointed me nevertheless. After only 15 months - just outside the 12 month guarantee period - the digital sensor proved to be malfunctioning. To my surprise and disappointment, the Dutch Nikon-importer wasn't willing to replace it at their cost. It really made me mad, such a good DSLR more or less worthless after such a short time.
Luckily, I was able to buy a new DSLR at that time and since early 2008 I enjoy taking pictures with the marvellous D300. By far the best camera I ever had in my hands. Lots of setting options, but still very easy to use and really astonishing results. For example, taking pictures with high ISO-settings and still very acceptable pics. I hope the D300 will last for a long time!
During the years, I did a two years photography course with Dutch photographer Peter Muller, who definitely improved my photographing skills a lot.
Years later, I even taught about 50, 60 colleagues in the office I work the basic skills of photography: technique as well as composition. Nice to do, and my 'pupils' enjoyed it as well, I think!
But what about the pictures, Jos?
But this whole story is only about equipment. And of course, rhe far more interesting part of photography is taking pictures! In this website I show pictures in nine different categories to start with (in september 2010).
I dont't really think that I have a favorite category in my photography. For sure, I like to stroll in large, busy cities with my camera and take pictures of buildings,streets, parks and other objects. But I also like to use my camera in nature: forests, sea, lakes et cetera. And animals, in the wild or in the zoo: I do like them as well. But - to be honest - I mostly like the category which I gave the name Shapes. I do enjoy to take pictures of objects in a way, that you often have to look very precise to recognise it. I like to compose repeating forms and structures, and look for unusual combinations of colors and forms.
So I do hope you like the website and - off course - the pictures. Please leave a comment in the guestbook and also give me your opinion which pictures you liked and which pictures you disliked.
Best regards, and thanks for visiting my site!
Jos van der Blij
(Pijnacker, the Netherlands)
History of this website:
September 13, 2010: Re-launch with totally renewed look and 9 galleries containing 9 pictures each