14 January, 2016 - Comments Off on Behind the lens: Interviewed by Very Rare Ams!
Behind the lens: Interviewed by Very Rare Ams!
A couple of weeks ago I had an interview with the nice folks of Very Rare Amsterdam.
Check the interview here: http://veryrareams.com/behind-the-lens-pim-hendriksen/
Pim Hendriksen, Photographer, Amsterdam.
Journal: First things first, how are you doing Pim?
Pim: Good. I’m working on a lot of interesting projects.
Journal: I’ve read that you’ve studied technical business management. What’s up with that?
Pim: I used to work for Volkswagen Nederland and I realized that nearly all jobs require you to sit behind a desk emailing, going to meetings and becoming an excel guru.
Something had to change, but I didn’t know what until photography came to my path.
Journal: So, during your study time, you weren’t really into photography?
Pim: No, not really. My father used to take photographs as a hobby and I did enjoy watching him. I always thought photography was interesting.
At one point, I decided to purchase a camera and I just started taking photographs of everything around me.Not too long after that, I switched over to photographing hiphop and rock concerts and I started working with artists, but it was still a hobby.
Journal: Interesting! How did your hobby turn into a successful career?
Pim: After a year of photography, I was addicted to it. It was the only thing I wanted to do.
I quit my job and I gave myself a half a year deadline to make something happen.
Journal: So you made a pretty courageous decision. Do you think it’s important to take risks in the creative scene?
Pim: If you don’t take risks, you’ll never get anywhere.
Journal: I’ve seen your ‘transportation’ album on your website. It seems like you’re still interested in cars and things that move.
Pim: My love for cars and motorcycles was always there, it’s great that I can incorporate them into my work.
Some people that I know of my previous work, are now clients of mine.
Journal: How do you try to get noticed by big brands?
Pim: I try to meet a lot of people and I’m very active on social media.
I think the most important thing is to create work you want to create and work that attracts clients.
Journal: So do you always think twice before you put something online?
Pim:Definitely. I am very critical about my own work and only upload the best images.
Journal: Something else, if you could go back in time, would you change things, perhaps go to a photography school?
Pim: Well… I don’t think so. I wouldn’t want to have missed all the great times I had while I was studying.
I do think that I’d start experimenting with photography a lot sooner.Journal: I’ve noticed that you also do film projects every now and then. Is that something you’re also passionate about?
Pim: I am definitely interested in developing myself when it comes to video and film but right now, the main focus is on photography.
Journal: Do you think it’s important to focus on one thing and to specialize in one thing?Pim: Yes, I think so.
Journal: If you were a photography teacher; what would you teach your students?
Pim: I would tell my students to start specializing in the technique, lighting and all the basics before they start working on all kinds of difficult projects and concepts.
Journal: Are there any goals on your bucket list?Pim: I’d love to keep on doing what I’m doing right now. I’d also love to go a little bit more global.
I’m a huge fan of New York; we did a project over there about a year ago.
I’d love to head over there again.Journal: Speaking about future projects, are there any future projects you can tell us about?
Pim: There are some interesting projects coming up but unfortunately, I can’t tell you about them.
I can tell you that we’re working for Transavia. It’s a huge project and we’re having a lot of fun.
Journal: Lastly, how do you stay motivated to do what you do?
Pim: I just really like what I do. I see places that I normally wouldn’t see and I meet people I normally wouldn’t meet.
Every day is different and that’s what I love about it.
Author: Fares Masharawi