About

- Klik hier voor de Nederlandstalige versie -

Hello.

I'm Gert Jan Kole; a storyteller, an amateur, a nerd and an artist.

A storyteller.

I weave tales with light. To me, that's what photography - from the Greek φωτός (phōtós; light), and γραφή (graphé; writing) - is all about. I particularly love telling stories about the beauty that surrounds us; for what you focus on, flourishes and grows.

• As a portraitist, my aim is to reveal the essence of the person in front of me, seeking beauty within. That's a joint effort: "A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it." (Edward Steichen)
• 'Close to My Heart' participants share a part of their life's story, as they're portrayed with something near and dear to their heart.
• When shooting bodyscapes, I focus on the diverse and intriguing shapes of the human physique.
• In my macro photography and the images I create during my local photowalks and travels, I’m exposing the splendour I see in nature. To quote Vincent van Gogh; "Als iemand echt van de natuur houdt, vindt men overal schoonheid." (If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.)
• In the backgrounds section you'll find a collection of free 16:9 4K images that you can download to use as a backdrop for your desktop, Teams or Zoom.

An amateur (again).

Born as a son of an avid photographer, I've had a passion for photography for as long as I can remember. So I attended Fotovakschool and became a professional photog. Long story short: I ended up in a creative cul-de-sac, quit my job and pursued a different career path. Once my livelihood no longer depended on it, my passion for photography was rekindled, transforming me into an amateur in the truest sense of the word - a 'lover [of something]' - once again. Ever since I've enjoyed making photographs, increasingly honing in on the human form and nature. I still accept payed assignments from private clients, corporations and magazines, but most of what you'll find here is free, uncommissioned work.

A nerd.

I'm constantly exploring new creative applications for technology, and new technology to support my creativity. Anything that aids my 'writing with light' process (yes, that wording intentionally excludes generative AI) is welcome. I've embraced the digital workflow since its inception but still remain fond of artisanal analog film photography. Hence, I use both digital and analog cameras, both on location and in studio.

An artist.

According to Dr. Edith Eger, the opposite of depression is expression. My main means of expression is creating art, musically or photographically. Using skill and imagination, I strive to compose something beautiful and meaningful, working with either melody, harmony and rhythm or their visual counterparts: lines, shapes and patterns. And this process becomes even better if people can connect with each other and work together. So if you want to express yourself too, and you're looking for a non-commercial creative collaboration, please explore my 'Time for Picture' Model Release (English / Dutch) to see if that concept fits your plans. And if you would like to work with me, shoot me an email to see if there's a click!

Gert Jan Kole.

All images on this website with people in them are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. All other photographs on this website are published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license. That basically means that you may use the images freely (as long as you mention me and link to this website), with two restrictions: you may not use them commercially, and you may not alter, remix or modify them. If you want to use an image commercially or change it in any way, or you're not entirely sure whether your intended use is covered by this license, contact me.