Will Lew

Keukenhof – Pictures of people taking pictures of other people/flowers

Posted on May 9, 2011 | Comments Off

Tulips everywhere. Oh my! If you know me, then you might know I’m not that big into flowers. So when my girlfriend asked me if I wanted to go to the biggest flower festival in Holland, I said “Yay!” and “Woopie!” because I love her. Anyhow, it took us over an hour just to get on the shuttle bus. Line after line and so many people you could have mistaken it for a sardine factory, we finally made it there. I mostly took photos of all the tourists taking photos of flowers. They were the most interesting subjects of my day. “Flowers. YAY!”

: over an hour wait just for the shuttle bus to the Keukenhof. not a good start.

: Finally there!

: People taking photos of flowers #1

: People taking photos of flowers #2

: People taking photos of flowers #3

: People taking photos of flowers #4

: People taking photos of flowers #5

: People taking photos of flowers #6

: When you see this, you know what kind of crowd you’re gonna expect for the day…

: People taking photos of flowers #7

: People posing #1. lots of squatting poses.

: People posing #2

: People taking pictures of flowers #8 + people posing #3

: People taking pictures of flowers #9 + people posing #4

: People taking pictures of flowers #10

: People taking pictures of flowers #11 + people posing #5

: People taking pictures of flowers #12 + people posing #6

: People posing #7

: People taking pictures of flowers #13

: People taking pictures of flowers #14

: People taking pictures of flowers #15 + people posing #8

: Flower fields

: Lonely flower all by it’s lonesome.

: A flower mass grave. hidden away from the tourists and flower fields in the background. how horrific.

: Crowd waiting for parade #1

: Crowd waiting for parade #2

: Crowd waiting for parade #3

: People taking pictures of flowers #16 + Crowd waiting for parade #4

: Is it mean that I kinda wished that this little girl fell? I wasn’t in a good mood…

: Yay! Canada!

: After a 3 hour ordeal to get out of the Keukenhof, we finally get home and enjoy the flowers in our apartment. ahhhhhhh…

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Posted in Dead Plants, Main, Travel

BEZET!

Posted on May 6, 2011 | Comments Off

Here is a before an after look of “Bezet” or occupied plots on sidewalks around town in preparation for Queen’s Day (Koninginnedag). These Bezet plots are reserved days, sometimes weeks, ahead of time for the annual city wide free market / flea market. People of all ages try to sell off their goods and sometimes services.

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Posted in Main, Travel

Applied Arts 2011 Winner! Twice!

Posted on May 5, 2011 | Comments Off

You can see the winning entries here:

“Paris Streets” in Photography Book Category:
http://www.appliedartsmag.com/winners_details.php?id=38&headerName=h_awards_winners_photography&clip=1&year=2011

and here:

“CRuSHeD” in Still Life Series Category:
http://www.appliedartsmag.com/winners_details.php?id=128&year=2011&headerName=h_awards_winners_photography&clip=1

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Posted in Main, Work

Boat ride

Posted on May 4, 2011 | Comments Off

If you’ve ever been to Amsterdam, you know that canals are everywhere. Living this long here, (first day tourist boat tour aside) I hadn’t yet experienced a private boat ride in the canals. We were lucky we had great weather. A must if you ever visit.
Check out this fun time lapse I made of the ride.

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Posted in Main, Travel

Leaves

Posted on May 1, 2011 | Comments Off

Every spring, Amsterdam is covered with little golden seed leaves from the local Elm trees. They make the city even more dreamy and wonderful as they fly around in the wind.

Here’s a short video I made dedicated to these seed/leaves.

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Posted in Dead Plants, Main, Travel

Koninginnedag

Posted on May 1, 2011 | Comments Off

My first Queen’s Day. It was awesome. So. Much. Orange.

: Techno Orange

: Loved seeing people dressed head to toe in Orange. she’s a red head on top of it!

: Missed on the focus here but this guy was sporting one awesome suit.

: Mock marriage for fun.

: So. Many. People.

: So. Many. People.

: So. Many. People.

: So. Many. People.

: So. Many. Boats.

: Queen’s Day isn’t Queen’s Day without beer.

: The down side of Queens day is all the garbage on the street. That’s a lot of beer, or what I call breakfast.

: This little girl had enough of the celebrations. nice orange boots.

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Posted in Main, Travel

Copenhagen

Posted on April 28, 2011 | Comments Off

Visited this gorgeous city in a small country, Easter weekend. It was apparently the best weather they’ve had in a while. Sunny for all four days spent there. The only downside was how expensive the city was. 10€ for a beer! Yikes!

: Nyhavn

: Nyhavn

: Carlsberg. Locally brewed tradition since 1847.

: the famous little mermaid

: Den Sorte Diamant (The Black Diamond). The Royal Library

: View along the harbor

: Elephant butt

: Inside the Rundetarn

: Inside one of the green houses @ the botanical gardens

: Portrait of a pug

: Portrait of a pug in the Rosenborg Slot

: Christian IV’s diamond encrusted crown. I’ll take two please.

: a guard @ the Rosenborg Slot

: a view of the Marmorkirken from the Amaliehaven

: @ the Kastellet

: @ the Kastellet

: @ the Kastellet

: Christiansborg Slot. Wasn’t supposed to take photos in here. Got in trouble but was worth it. 😛

: @ Tivoli amusement park

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Posted in Travel

Photo in Die Presse, Austrian newspaper

Posted on April 26, 2011 | Comments Off

Top photo by yours truely! Whoohoo!

Here’s the story: http://diepresse.com/home/panorama/welt/651038/-Leben-mit-Tschernobyl_Verlorenes-Paradies?from=suche.intern.portal

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Posted in Main, Work

Chernobyl

Posted on April 19, 2011 | 2 comments

April 26th marks the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. With the ever growing concern of the reactors in Fukushima, Japan, attention has risen on the eve of the Chernobyl anniversary.
Last week I visited the power plant and the surrounding area known as the exclusion zone, a 30km circle around the Chernobyl plant. I met with “re-settlers” who moved back a few months after they were evacuated in 1986. Mostly consisting of the elderly, these re-settlers returned because they had no where else to go. They have lived in the area all their lives.

(*please click on thumbnails to see un-cropped version of the image*)

: People in different shades of pink. On the way to Chernobyl exclusion zone.

: First checkpoint before entering the exclusion zone

: Stray dog in Chernobyl

: Radiation levels (mR/h) were about 10 times the normal levels near the now defunct Chernobyl plant

: Chernobyl Reactor #4

: The construction of this reactor near Chernobyl was terminated shortly after the nuclear disaster in 1986

: Inside the unfinished reactor.

: On my way to the ghost town of Pripyat.

: Reading of the ground in this part of Pripyat was 15 times higher than normal background radiation levels.

: Jars of preserved fish

: open air view of Pripyat

: Chernobyl power plant seen in the distance

: Trees growing in this abandoned penthouse apartment in Pripyat

: Auditorium

: gymnasium

: swimming pool

: At a Pripyat kindergarden

: animal footprints incased into cement

: a basketball court over run with vegetation

: book on posture

: bare road on our way to see “re-settlers”

: pictures of Vasil and Motia’s grandchildren

: Vasil and his white horse

: Motia frying up some fish

: Motia prepared lunch for us

: Motia pouring some homemade distilled strawberry drink.

: Vasil and hit gold teeth

: “It is my home. I was born here, I will die here.”

: Motia and Vasil

: Meter reads close to normal background radiation levels

: Maria

: Ivan

: cat and rooster sharing a bed

: Some shacks belonging to Ivan and Maria

: Maria petting one of her many kittens

: Maria

: Ivan and Maria

: Ivan saying goodbye

: Tanks in the exclusion zone.

: Checkpoint guard reading radiation levels off the van.

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Posted in Travel

Rene Van Zeventer

Posted on March 24, 2011 | Comments Off

I first met Rene while picking up a pair of my girlfriend’s boots. He and his mother were super kind, even though I couldn’t make out much of their Dutch. Luckily they understood me!
Rene was kind enough to let me into his shop to take some photos. The shop has been around for over 30 years. His father was also a cobbler and he’s been in the business for over 20 years. Both their diplomas for clobbering are on the wall. Love family businesses!