woensdag 8 april 2015

City marketing

How my hometown Breda struggles with city marketing since 2009
Living in the Netherlands, I belong to one of the happiest people in the world. Our kids are even the happiest of the whole wide world. Amazing figures. And yes, we Dutchies in general feel very happy to live in a free country, in Western Europe, in between Germany, Belgium/France (Paris is only 2,5 hours away!) and UK.

I am proud to be Dutch. I wish I could say I am proud to be a Bredanaar too.

I live in the city of Breda, Noord-Brabant, or as we call it: Brabant. Brabant is a province, a small, state like region of the Netherlands. Brabant, in the South of the Netherlands, welcomes you. Antwerp (Belgium) is only 45 minutes by car.
Breda is also the home town of DJ Tiësto and Hardwell, really! Famous Bredanaars, but I guess you didn't know that?
DJ Hardwell & Tiesto: Ambassadors of Breda?

This wonderful, fabulous Dutch city in Brabant, is not getting the world wide attention it deserves. Due to lack of proper city marketing, we are not known to many tourists. Amsterdam is overcrowded by tourists, Breda is only a 55 minute train ride away from our capital Amsterdam.
Traditional Dutch culture (like the ancestors of the present king lived here, Breda is a 'Nassau' city) combined with modern life. Check out the old city centre and new architecture, theatre, music and a lot of pubs and heaps of cafe terraces. All in walking distance. You can take a boat tour or hire a bike and cycle through the city via our wonderful bike paths. We have beautiful nature like the Markdal and Mastbos, and much more.

So with all the above and so much more, why isn't Breda 'on the map'??

Until 2010 we had a city marketing project called Expeditie Breda. In Breda we like to use the term expeditie (expedition) e.g. Expeditie Belcrum en de Linie. Breda has many more cultural platforms like Culture Shop Breda. This website is for cultural education mostly. There's an annual Culture Night and Redhead Days, next to the many music events like Jazz Breda or Breda Live. Breda wants to be a city of events.
Well, we got that one covered quite well. Breda has 175.000 inhabitants, the Netherlands 16,8 million. People from Brabant and beyond are visiting all our festivals, like Breda Barst, our free pop festival, and the more commercial ones 538 and Breda Live. (both sold out) We are the city of (dance) music!?


City marketing in the making
Breda wants to be the city of events. Breda wants to be the city of image culture. What else?

Breda Next made an adviesrapport about city marketing in 2014. Sorry, in Dutch only I went through all the themes. From the biggest annoyance (the vacancy of many business and shop properties) to the (lack of or wrong) ambition.
The answer to draw more attention the Breda was, and still is, in my eyes, simple: better social media marketing. Breda is not using all of its potentential. Like Why is Amsterdam mentioned in an Australian news item about our redhead days? 
City of Imagineers is wants to be a union of visual and culturtal artists and other platforms. CultuurBreda (Breda Culture) tries to connect quartermasters with the Bredanaars:


Why do we need an extra platform (CultuurBreda), with City of Imagineers being able to do all of the above? City of imagineers has such great potential. Sir Ken Robinson at TedX Oklahoma, State of Creativity: 
'Did you just say Imagineers?....That's awesome!' 

And another great talk of this man: 'How schools kills creativity.'

Kunstkameraden, 2014 - kids made their own art coached by local artists
"Imagination is the art within you. If you let your imagination take off, you will feel free."


City making
BredaNext picked 3 terms to describe our city center, Historisch (Historic), Bourgondisch (Burgundian) and Creatief (Creative). Boring!... Let's think about this like a true marketeer and then I came up with this:
Breda is Culture, Food & Imagination .
Culture (instead of History), Culture can be both old and new Breda,
Food, 'Dutch Food' or perhaps 'Organic (or true?) Brabant Food' (instead of Burgundic)
Imagination (instead of Creative) involving all art, including music!

According to the Breda profile
'we need to start up a tourism & citymarketing organisation again'

YES, please do so. Let's make Breda a tourist hotspot with Culture, Food & Imagination!

City of Imagineers in Oklahoma, USA - TedX



Manifest Breda

BREDA, ATTRACTIEVE STAD DIE VERBINDT 
Strategische contouren voor een toekomstig Breda

Uitdagingen voor de netwerkstad Breda 
Breda is in potentie een ontmoetingsplaats en netwerkstad van internationale dimensie. Dit dankt zij aan haar geografische ligging en infrastructuur die een snel en effectief transport van mensen en goederen mogelijk maakt. Door het wegvallen van nationale grenzen kan de stad haar internationale potentie nog beter gaan benutten. Niet voor niets speelt Breda een toonaangevende rol op het gebied van logistieke processen.

Daarnaast is Breda een stad waar het prima wonen en recreëren is, waar historie en hedendaagse cultuur elkaar ontmoeten, waar een Bourgondische inslag de maat is voor menselijke interactie. Het is dé uitdaging voor Breda om deze onderscheidende positie naar een hoger plan te tillen. Als netwerkstad bij uitstek is Breda geknipt voor een focus op Supply Chain management,: het hoogwaardige en integrale management van goederen- en informatiestromen. Deze focus stelt de stad in staat zich staande te houden in een economie die een snelle overgang doormaakt en waarin kwaliteit en duurzaamheid steeds belangrijker worden.

Kernwoorden zijn: hooggeschoolde kennis- en dienstverlening, kleinschalige en middelgrote bedrijvigheid, innovatief ondernemerschap, specialistisch en internationaal onderwijs, hoogwaardige werkgelegenheid, een prettig, dynamisch en rijkgeschakeerd woon- en leefklimaat in een attractieve stad die haar historie en cultuur koestert. Door een scherpere positionering en profilering op dit gebied kan Breda haar wervend vermogen als netwerkstad ten volle uitnutten.

Pijlers en concrete speerpunten
Dit doel te bereiken, vraagt een gecoördineerde inzet van alle betrokken partijen: politiek, overheid, ondernemers, onderwijsinstellingen, maatschappelijke organisaties, bestaande samenwerkingsverbanden en betrokken burgers. Het roept om versterking van een aantal pijlers die de concrete dragers zijn van de focus op Supply Chain management en die voortbouwen op de ontwikkelingen die de afgelopen jaren in Breda zijn ingezet.

1. Het stimuleren van de ambities van de instellingen voor hoger onderwijs, wellicht onder een gemeenschappelijke koepel, toegespitst op management van goederen-, informatie- en personele stromen. Concreet: het opbouwen van een Bredase academische koepel met een scherp profiel dat in Nederland nog niet aanwezig is: Supply Chain management, hoogwaardig onderhoud (maintenance), verkeer en vraagstukken van veiligheid en beveiliging, met daarnaast een aanbod in toerisme, vrijetijdsbesteding (leisure) en beeldcultuur. In samenwerking met andere universitaire instellingen aan te vullen met een ondersteunend aanbod in recht, economie en management, maar toegespitst op dit profiel en met een praktijkgerichte oriëntatie. Daarbij hoort ook de fysieke infrastructuur (campus) om opleidingen te clusteren en deze koepel optimaal te laten functioneren, in samenhang met het verbeteren van de studentenhuisvesting.

2. Het bevorderen van innovatief ondernemerschap. Dit maakt het mogelijk te profiteren van de aanwezigheid van bovenstaand kenniscluster en de daarmee steeds hoger geschoolde beroepsbevolking, met name op het gebied van Supply Chain management. In samenhang met het fundamentele en toegepaste onderzoek van de “kenniskoepel”, kan de bedrijvigheid op dit terrein de kennis verder voeden en een aanjager van de lokale en regionale economie zijn. Maar die vruchten worden pas geplukt bij een gunstig klimaat voor kleinschalig ondernemerschap, en startende ondernemers, met name in de hoogwaardige dienstverlening. Concreet: het ontwikkelen van vestigingslocaties, zo mogelijk ook geclusterd, voor kleinschalige bedrijven, herstructurering van bestaande bedrijventerreinen, het uitbouwen van netwerkplatforms, het bevorderen van creatieve economie en van kleinschalige initiatieven in wijken.

3. Het versterken van de schoonheid van de stad, het culturele leven en de uitstraling van stad van Beeldcultuur en Erfgoed, met de bijbehorende kleinschalige creatieve bedrijvigheid. Via de beeldcultuur, die specifiek is voor Breda, is ook de link te leggen naar de virtuele samenleving. Maar nodig is ook de versterking van het beleven van de stad, haar schoonheid en haar culturele dynamiek. Concreet: het vergroten van het culturele aanbod, het positioneren voor Culturele Hoofdstad 2018, het verbeteren van het gastronomische aanbod, het stimuleren van evenementen, het vergroten van een gevarieerd winkelbestand met kleinschalige winkels, het vergroten van de schoonheid van de openbare ruimte, het beter beschermen en uitnutten van het historische erfgoed.

4. Het versterken van het leef- en woonklimaat in de hele stad. Concreet: het verder investeren en wegwerken van beleving van tweedeling in de stad, als ook het wegwerken van de achterstand in de fysieke en sociale infrastructuur tussen specifieke wijken. Het bieden van goede onderwijsfaciliteiten inclusief een Internationale School, het verschaffen van kleinschalige zorg, ook voor ouderen, het op peil houden van voorzieningen op wijkniveau, het laten participeren van inwoners van achterstandswijken in de nieuwe economische profilering, het aanbieden van een gevarieerd woonbestand.

5. Het uitbouwen van de (internationale) potentie als plaats van samenkomst. Hierbij gaat het vooral om het verbeteren van de fysieke netwerkfaciliteiten in de stad en het versterken van de bereikbaarheid, met een zo gering mogelijke milieubelasting. Concreet: het verbeteren van de bereikbaarheid via spoor en weg (verbreden A27, A58, spoor Breda-Utrecht), verminderen autoverkeer binnen de stad, het opzetten van HOV in het stadsgewest, het opzetten van een of twee transferia, het verbeteren van hotelaccommodatie, het realiseren van evenementenvoorzieningen, het uitbreiden van congresruimte.

Appèl tot beweging
Veel van de dynamiek die Breda in de afgelopen jaren kende, was gestoeld op de algemene economische groei in Nederland. Die groei is vooralsnog voorbij. Takken van economie waarin Breda en West-Brabant sterk zijn, de logistiek en de bouw, worden zwaar getroffen. De groei van de logistiek bracht en brengt bovendien ook ruimtebeslag en vervuiling met zich mee, die het woonklimaat aantasten. Het feit dat Breda een typische autostad is, draagt 3 nog meer bij aan congestie en milieuproblemen. Door het grote ruimteslag van de huidige activiteiten worden nieuw te ontwikkelen bedrijventerreinen bovendien steeds schaarser.

Problemen zijn er ook op sociaal gebied. Met name de scherpe polarisatie tussen rijk en arm baart zorgen. De leefkwaliteit in verschillende wijken staat onder druk en Breda zakt op dit punt in vergelijking met andere steden weg. Maar vooral is het de vraag of Breda is voorbereid op de toekomstige economische ontwikkelingen, die vooral zullen plaatsvinden in hoogwaardige dienstverlening, in een netwerksamenleving die minder fysieke economische activiteiten vraagt. Deze ontwikkelingen moeten kunnen steunen op een hooggeschoold arbeidsreservoir, met liefst een helder profiel. Weliswaar heeft Breda niet weinig hooggeschoolden, maar minder dan de universiteitssteden. Bovendien vinden de hooggeschoolden in belangrijke mate buiten Breda hun emplooi, terwijl de pendelaars die naar Breda komen vooral laaggeschoold zijn.

Wij zijn ervan overtuigd dat de vijf benoemde pijlers de stad Breda een sterke positie kunnen geven in de netwerksamenleving die nu ontstaat en haar in staat stellen hierin een (inter)nationale rol te spelen. De regio profiteert hiervan in het kielzog nadrukkelijk mee en kan hierbij haar eigen specifieke rol invullen. Dit moet helpen de economische dynamiek te genereren die nodig is om de gesignaleerde problemen op te lossen, een aantal grootschalige projecten in de stad succesvol te realiseren en het huidige welvaart- en welzijnsniveau te handhaven, of liefst nog te verbeteren.

Dit manifest „Breda, attractieve stad die verbindt‟ willen we met de stad en samenleving delen. Het is een appèl aan politiek, overheid, ondernemers, onderwijsinstellingen, maatschappelijke organisaties, bestaande samenwerkingsverbanden en betrokken burgers om „Breda, attractieve stad die verbindt‟ mede gestalte te geven. Wij vertrouwen erop dat velen in beweging zullen komen.


Namens het Netwerk Strategisch Beraad Breda: 
Dhr. B.J.P. van Bavel Hoogleraar Economische en Sociale Geschiedenis UU, vice-voozitter NAC
Dhr. W. Bens Directeur Dinalog
Mw. J. Cortlever General Manager Abbott Logistics B.V.
Dhr. P.H.A. Frissen Hoogleraar Bestuurskunde UvT, Decaan en Bestuursvoorzitter NSOB
Dhr. S. van Groningen Gouverneur KMA
Dhr. W.P.J.M. Kriek Directievoorzitter Rabobank Breda/Voorzitter Kring directeuren Rabobanken Zuid West Nederland
Dhr. C. Langeveld Directeur Chassé Theater, Bijzonder Hoogleraar Economie van de Podiumkunsten
Dhr. E. Martens Communicatiemanager Amgen Europe
Dhr. N. van Os Lid College Bestuur NHTV
Dhr. P.L.A. Rüpp Voorzitter Raad van Bestuur Avans Hogeschool
Dhr. J. Schipper President Commissaris BOM
Dhr. O. Suttorp Bestuursvoorzitter Amphia Ziekenhuis
Dhr. E.J.C.E.M. Westenburg Bestuurslid VVV/Lid Brebux

BRON: Breda.nl
Breda - citymarketing

maandag 6 april 2015

Specialties of Melanie E. Rijkers

Social Media Expert on a Budget | New Media Marketing Concepts | Visionair | Storyteller | Writer | Photo & Art Studio in Breda, the Netherlands since 1996. Independant fine art photographer since 1992.

#ikzieikzie follow my hashtag for epic photography (zien = to see in Dutch, ik zie = I see)
Organising workshops as ZIENer, als coach | Fotography = Therapy | Storytelling | Guiding in creative marketing processing | Personal Branding | Social Media Concepts | Art of visualisation

Visionair: world wide recoginition by Trash The Dress events - over 150 brides ran into the Northsea 9 September 2009 in Scheveningen! In 2010 Trash The Dress events in Adelaide, Australië + 2011 Niagara Falls, Canada.
Photo shoot initiator at the annual readhead days in Breda, the Netherlands (2007-2008)
Art route organisor/curator: Halte Vlaszak 2008 (CLiB) and Bredaphoto Open Studio Route 2008 and 2010.

A few projects:
Sold out photo book PUUR. Trotse tienermoeders, with unretouched photography (I am now a local photographer for Jade Beal)+ exhibition in Melkweg in Amsterdam in 2009
International Scott Kelby’s Photo Walk Leader Breda in 2013 en 2014
Other involvements:
Belcrum400, Belcrum Beach and Backer & Rueb building in Breda, the Netherlands.

Member of DuPho Dutch Photographers (Fotografen Federatie Amsterdam)

‘Doing good’: Stichting www.PUURZien.nl e.g. helping Zo Niet Saar a young mother with Neuro Borreliose Lyme Disease and EDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome)

Artstudio23.com | MeRy.nl | Twitter @mery71 | Facebook: Artstudio23 | Twitter @artstudio23 | Google+ +MelanieRijkers | www.flickr.com portfolio with most recent work | Blurb online (e)book store | Art for sale via Werkaandemuur.nl | Instagram @mery71 | Pinterest: Artstudio23

History & Flowers #breda - Blurb Book Store

vrijdag 6 maart 2015

Bali Retreat 2015 - Let Nature Guide You

Straight To The Heart Bali Retreat 1-7 October 2015
Straight To The Heart  Bali Retreat 1-7 October 2015
Ubud, Sudaji, Sanur

- Guided by Antonetta Fernandes and Melanie E. Rijkers -


Daily morning and evening check-ins, meditation, (photo) walks & workshops, purification water and fire ceremonies, temple visit, exploring villages, nature, waterfalls and much more


7 Days Straight To The Heart Retreat $1950,-


Short daily programme:
Morning check-in and sharing
Evening check-in and sharing
Day 1 visualisation exercise
Day 2 to 6 guided meditation with energy medicine exercise to clear blockages
Photography workshop
Organic meals

Bonus: One session of 20 minutes Angelic Reiki healing per person

Straight To The Heart Bali Retreat 1-7 October 2015

Straight To The Heart Bali Retreat 1-7 October 2015

Straight To The Heart Bali Retreat 1-7 October 2015

Straight To The Heart Bali Retreat 1-7 October 2015
Ubud 1-3 October (2 nights). Arrival and welcome at Ugung Raka 2-4 PM, a wonderful resort with rice fields on our doorstep. Ubud once was the highlight of cultural Bali, so next to the wonderful garden and pool of the hotel there’s plenty for you to do.

Sudaji 3-6 October (3 nights) true rural Bali. Omunity Bali, founded in 2010 by ZANZAN. This is a special place in the middle of lovely Balinese villages. It’s not like any other resort. Living with and amongst the community and local people of Sudaji. 

Sanur 6-7 October (1 night) Hotel Segara Agung, Sanur beach. Closure of our journey with walks and talks, mostly at the beach. End of our journey: 7 October noon.
Of course you can extend your stay if you wish to!


Be, See, Zen

Join us if you would like to experience first-hand real Balinese people and culture, taste the very good organic food and receive all other gifts from nature. It's al about being in the moment ♥

Come to this beautiful island and meet the locals, no crazy tourist stuff.

Straight To The Heart Bali Retreat 1-7 October 2015

7 Days Straight To The Heart daily programme: 


Day 1, Unwind - arrival at Agung Raka Resort and Villas, Ubud. Enjoy this oasis of peace as Ubud itself is a very busy place. Take a dip in the pool, a walk through the rice fields or just enjoy the views and details of nature in the garden. 

Welcome meeting and a short introduction. Dinner in Ubud.

Day 2, Exploring Ubud - Ubud once was the highlight of cultural Bali. Visit a museum or art gallery. There’s also the monkey forest or watch a Balinese (fire) dance at night. 

Antonetta daily: Guided Meditation (30 mins). Energy Medicine Exercise, to clear blockages (20 mins) Body Alignment - clear blockages (10 min) - 1st time may require a bit longer. Evening Check-in and sharing 30 mins.
Melanie: An introduction to Straight To The Heart Photography (1,5-2h) with a photo walk through the gardens of Agung Raka. Daily photography workshop or walk, ending with a beach walk day 7.

Afternoon: free time. 

Day 3, Rural Bali - Omunity Bali, Sudaji.
Staying in Sudaji area, meeting the locals will create inner peace. You Are, you See, you become Zen, just by being there. Lunch & Dinner.

Day 4 & 5, Exploring rural Bali 
- Waterfalls & ricefields adventure. Earth with unspoiled nature of rural Bali.
- Local Traditional Market 
- Canang/ Traditional Balinese Offering Making
- Cleansing and Purification Ceremony - You will experience a real Balinese cleansing and purification ceremony at our local “holy spring” accompanied by a local priest. You will recieve pure energy from the spring to cleanse your body and mind. Participants must be dresssed appropriately.
- a journey to one of Sudaji’s most powerful temples to give thanks and gratitude
- Spiritual (Fire) Ceremony
- visit a local school
- Spiritual Dinner: This dinner is a teaching… in order to maximize learning experience exact details are kept secret. This dinner will nourish much more than your body. It is a spiritual journey of awareness.

Day 6, Beach time! After breakfast transfer to Hotel Segara Agung, Sanur. Check-in from 2 PM.

Day 7, Closure at the Beach - Sunrise Meeting to share experiences and maybe a dip in the ocean. 
Photo walk. Breakfast. End of our journey together: noon.

$1950 incl. breakfast, lunch, dinner 
day 2-6, all group transfers & trips


Straight To The Heart Bali Retreat 1-7 October 2015

Of all the places I have visited in the last 15 years, Bali is undoubtedly the best. It has everything: sincerity, simplicity, purity, humility and peacefulness. 

Even outwardly it is so beautiful. You can see how beautiful the little cottages and villages are. They have such simplicity!

Bali had maintained most of its pristine purity. You don’t even have to meditate here; nature will meditate on your behalf. Early in the morning if you walk around the villages, their divine qualities will enter into you and you will become a different person. Here in Bali, nature itself will accelerate your inner progress!

Sri Chinmoy - ‘Heaven On Earth’ 



Travel details & bookings
The group will be 8 to 10 people max. As this is a popular retreat destination we may sell out quickly. If that is the case we will publish more dates asap. Please email us to register you interest: e-mail Melanie or e-mail Antonetta.

Your passport needs to be valid at least 6 months after your return flight from Bali. We recommend you to book your flights only after we confirm your booking. We recommend you fly in a day (or two) early so you can adjust to the hot and humid climate.

We’ll share twin and double rooms, if you are booking as a single person please consider sharing a room. It depends on the hotel what the extra costs will be for single occupancy.

$1950,- per person

$500,- deposit due immediately after booking (no refunds)
$1450,- to be paid no later then 1 September 2015.

Paypal: info @ mery(.)nl 

Nederland: you can also pay via NL41ABNA0607286849 t.a.v. Artstudio23 
BIC/Swift code: ABNANL2A

By booking this retreat you support the local community of Sudaji and the children of rural Bali. We e.g. will donate English books to the school libraries and the public library of Omunity. 

Straight To The Heart Bali Retreat 1-7 October 2015


Itinerary
Ubud 1-3 October (2 nights). Arrival and welcome at Ugung Raka 2-4 PM, a wonderful resort with rice fields on our doorstep. Ubud once was the highlight of cultural Bali, so next to the wonderful garden and pool of the hotel there’s plenty  for you to do.

Sudaji, rural Bali 3-6 October (3 nights). Omunity Bali, founded in 2010 by ZANZAN. This is a special place in the middle of lovely Balinese villages. It’s not like any other resort, e.g. they are concerned with providing a future for their children, in a world without plastic, dangerous chemicals and fertilisers. Returning to basics – what the anchestors understood and practised. Omunity seeks to educate and inform both locals and visitors. To bridge the gap between environmental concerns and human interests through practical education and sustainable Sudaji community involvement. The concept for Omunity Bali is living with and amongst the community and local people of Sudaji. 

Sanur, Hotel Segara Agung 6-7 October (1 night). Closure of our journey with 
walks and talks, mostly at the beach. End of our journey: 7 October noon.


Straight To The Heart Bali Retreat 1-7 October 2015
Antonetta is: An Author, Life Coach/Mentor, Public Speaker and Angelic Reiki Practitioner. Additionally she also graduated at the Academy of Wealth & Achievement as Master Results Coach, NLP Master Practitioner, NLP Trainer, Hypnotherapist and Performance Consultant. Antonetta continues to enter un-chartered waters from practicing energy medicine to getting her messages across the global showing her appeal is universal and her inspiration has no boundaries.

London, UK. Feel free to contact her via e-mail

Melanie is: ZIENer. Photographer. Mother & Wife. Teacher of Miksang Contemplative Photography. Inspirator & Storyteller. Living in the Netherlands, traveling all over the world to spread  PURE vision. Photo Therapy Coach. Zien means ‘to see’ in Dutch. ‘Ziener’ also means prophet. #ikzieikzie 

Breda, the Netherlands. Feel free to contact her via e-mail 


ZANZAN is: our Balinese spiritual guide and founder of Omunity (day 3-6). A highly experienced Yoga instructor (traditional Maha Patanjali). He loves to share his knowledge. Father of three, married to Putu Shelly. You can ask him anything!

Sudaji, Sekumpul and Lemukih - Bali, Indonesia www.omunitybali.com 
Straight To The Heart Bali Retreat 1-7 October 2015

You can also follow our event on Facebook.

donderdag 14 augustus 2014

English will be Dutch

My name is Melanie E. Rijkers - pronounce Rikers - I am a ZIENer. Ziener is a Dutch word for prophet. I am not the prophet who predicts, but I am a human being who SEES what other people don't (see).

ZIENer in Dutch is also 'person who sees'. ZIEN = to SEE. Capitals, as people often look at the world, but don't really SEE it. My faith is to make all of you see, the beauty of this world. SEE and feel its positive energy.

Mindful? Yes, very. But also very Miksang. In Tibetian "Good, Pure Eye". Pure contemplative photography.

My photography shows subjects of life as they are, SEEN as they are. Struck by its beauty or remarkable appearance, in detail often, life is photographed by me. Pure, real people and places. I love the world - and yes, I travel a lot. Check out my photos on my Flickr account.

Follow my Tweets and Instagram. I will keep you posted and hope to inspire you by my positivity. 

Just my brain - photo: Julian Cash - light painting of me at a SFMusicTech in San Francisco



zondag 5 januari 2014

I am now a Photographer at A Beautiful Body Project

YES, I am now a photographer of the Beautiful Body Project by Jade Beall.

#ikzieikzie (wat jij niet ziet) - Let's Celebrate Life! Contemplative Photography from the ♥

Looking at life, I SEE. I SEE you. And YOU are so worth it.

When I first saw Jade's photos, I immediately had to think of my PURE. Proud young mothers series 2006-2009 - nude portraits of teenmothers 16-22 years old, posing pregnant or with child, 100% Photoshop free.

Since my days as a student at the Academy of Arts ('96, St. Joost, Breda) I've been taking photos showing the beauty of the female body. Je suis belle, ô mortels! comme un rève de pierre - taken from Charles Baudelaire's poem La Beauté from the book Fleurs du Mal, is my guideline ever since.

I am beautiful, oh mortals! like a dream carved in stone

Jade is a beautiful and PURE mother, and she made the headlines with her photos showing PURE beauty. I am proud to be a Beautiful Body Photographer and share all beauty with the world. Melanie Rijkers at A Beautiful Body Project

donderdag 31 oktober 2013

Vivian Maier

http://www.vivianmaier.blogspot.nl/

"I acquired Vivian's negatives while at a furniture and antique auction while researching a history book I was co-authoring on Chicago's NW Side. From what I know, the auction house acquired her belongings from her storage locker that was sold off due to delinquent payments. I didn't know what 'street photography' was when I purchased them.

It took me days to look through all of her work. It inspired me to pick up photography myself. Little by little, as I progressed as a photographer, I would revisit Vivian's negatives and I would "see" more in her work. I bought her same camera and took to the same streets soon to realize how difficult it was to make images of her caliber. I discovered the eye she had for photography through my own practice. Needless to say, I am attached to her work.

After some researching, I have only little information about Vivian. Central Camera (110 yr old camera shop in Chicago) has encountered Vivian from time to time when she would purchase film while out on the Chicago streets. From what they knew of her, they say she was a very "keep your distance from me" type of person but was also outspoken. She loved foreign films and didn't care much for American films.

Some of her photos have pictures of children and often times it was near a beach. I later found out she was a nanny for a family on the North Side whose children these most likely were. One of her obituaries states that she lived in Oak Park, a close Chicago suburb, but I later found that she lived in the Rogers Park neighborhood.

Out of the more than 100,000 negatives I have in the collection, about 20-30,000 negatives were still in rolls, undeveloped from the 1960's-1970's. I have been successfully developing these rolls. I must say, it's very exciting for me.
I found her name written with pencil on a photo-lab envelope. I decided to 'Google' her about a year after I purchased these only to find her obituary placed the day before my search. She passed only a couple of days before that inquiry on her.

I wanted to meet her in person well before I found her obituary but, the auction house had stated she was ill, so I didn't want to bother her. So many questions would have been answered if I had." - 
John Maloof

Wow... how can you do that, take 25,000 photos and not develope them... in this days of age we're able to immediately see what the photo looks likt, as it appears on the lcd screen of the camera... how exiting this must have been for Mr. Maloof. 25,000 Undeveloped negatives... wish I has been there to see it all with my own eyes.
Am a sucker for old photos...just love 'em!

Vivian Maier - New York