Hi from Holland

[Andy ter Borg]

Hello everyone,

I'm Andy, 49 years young (life starts at 40 they used to say and 50 is the new 40, so...;)...from The Hague, Holland.

I stem from a photographers family (an uncle who used to be a travel photographer for a large travel agency, who photographed Spain and Greece in the late sixties and throughout the seventies and relatives in the east who had a photog business....hence a long list of equipment -bought at dealers' rates- mind you). I started with a Nikon FE, then (in random order) Pentax 645, 6x7, Hasselblads 500 C/M, 202FA, Nikon F100, Leica M6, Contax G2, fairly recent a Voigtlander Bessa III 667 and even more recently I sold my Plaubel Peco Profia (which belonged to the uncle mentioned and which I used in the studio) and bought a Chamonix 045F1.

I'm somewhat of a photographic 'wh*re' (excusez le mot), will shoot anything, dead or alive, from landscapes to portraiture, also using digital but to me that's much like music on a computer (or love in a canoe?). I still prefer the look of film, love (and sometimes hate) the process (while digital leaves me...cold). Not -always- into 'picture perfect'; the right moment, improv ideas on the spot are just as important to me. Or as my uncle used to say: "It's not about image quality but the quality of the image."

Been reading some great stuff here already (on gear and hiking in the US for instance, no such thing here) and it's great to see the 'old skool' skills are still very much alive (I've never seen anyone with a LF camera out here so far, nor MF for that matter except once). Looking forward to reading more!

Anyway, for an impression: http://www.andyterborg.4ormat.com (LF section needs attention, scanning.....).

LF-lenzes by the by are: Schneider Super-Angulon 75mm f5.6, Sinar-Sironar S 135mm f5.6 MC, Schneider Apo-Symmar 180mm f5.6 & Schneider Apo-Symmar 240mm f5.6 MC

[Rollinhofuji]

Dag Andy!

Welcome here, you show some great shots on your website!

Tot ziens,
Jan (not speaking Dutch, although the name may suggest it)

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

Welcome to the LF forum and glad that you join the European band here ;)

[Andy ter Borg]

Hi Jan, thanks & you're doing pretty good with your Dutch. If not Dutch than probably German? (I know the name Jan is used in the northern part, part of my family originates from Kiel -and is surnamed as such-). I'll check out your work later on.
Thanks Emmanuel, seems we need more LF-users in this part of the world.

[Rollinhofuji]

Hi Andy, West Germany - close to Duesseldorf/Cologne :-)

[Andy ter Borg]

Ok! Duesseldorf I've visited many years ago, some beautiful old parts remaining (despite the war), I recall.
Do you go out much in the area photographing?

[Andy ter Borg]

And do you have a website? (Can't find more info,I'm on my mobile phone)..

[Andrew O'Neill]

Hi Andy from Andy!

[Andy ter Borg]

Thanks Andy

[Rollinhofuji]

And do you have a website? (Can't find more info,I'm on my mobile phone)..

Hi Andy, check out www.keyling.com - I am not happy with the layout. Anyway, it shows my abilities (especially the lack of).

I am very much active in the bigger area - reaching from the Ruhr area (Duisburg, Essen) to Cologne and the area clsoe to the Dutch border (Schwalmtal, Nettetal, close to Roermond). Sometimes I do some small trip to Belgium (like next Sunday), but currently I am mostly active in my near surrounding. You will see that I predominantly shoot landscapes and "industrial architecture" (have no better description) in LF.

How about you? I guess you travel to several locations for your shootings? I have to say that I really like your portrait series - never got the chance to try something like that for myself.

[Andy ter Borg]

Hi Jan (thought I had replied but it's gone). Anyway, I'd seen your site (but with your 'nick' here being different it didn't register. But some wonderful shots, especially industrial and sculptures! And yes, I do travel: working on a series of the Antwerp region (east) at the moment and I've been a prolific Urbexer (Urban Exploration), mainly in Wallonie, Belgium (Clabecq steel mill, a crystal factory south of Liege, cokerie, a huge US 50's & 60's car cemetery near Luxembour, several 'chateaux'. Arrested twice, handing over film :( Getting up at half past 3 in the night, a friend of mine driving, entering the location before sunrise, that sort of thing.
I've a cousin who used to work in the Venlo area, still has a house there, which we use as a holiday pied-à-terre sometimes. Maybe we can meet up one day!? There's an abandoned factory near Liege for example (one of the few Urbex sites I've never visited), I forgot the name (have to check my notes....Hasard Cheratte comes to mind now), it can be spotted from the motorway. You probably know Zollverein (and may even have been there)?
As far as portraits are concerned (thanks for the compliment); just ask people; get them near a window, against a white wall (watch your metering, spot metering is often best as matrix or centre weighed will cause under exposure of course, a black dress the opposite, avoid direct sun if you can, place the model/person under a tree -if enough foliage that is-), a great thing to do working with people, very rewarding.

[Rollinhofuji]

Hi Andy,
sounds great! In fact I will visit Liege this Sunday wiht some friends. I guess the Hasard Cheratte could be the old coal mine or something like that? A frined of mine lives close to the Belgian border and knows the Wallonie quite good. You can find his work at www.joerg-bergs.de . Belgium seems to be very interesting for Urbexers.
For sure I know Zollverein! It has lost much of its fascination through the last 5 years, since they are either restoring everything (so it looks fancy and new, I hate it), or put fences around all the interesting areas. Really a pity!
There are some interesting buildings left in Duiesburg harbour area, I have to get there again soon. Urbexing is a challenge with LF, because there is no way to get in and out very quickly.
We can definitely meet some time! This friend of mine and I are thinking about to set up a meeting for analog photographers, and want for example Wolfgang Moersch to attend it. Probably mostly German photographers, but all should be capable of speaking English. When we have a final schedule, you are of course invited to join us! Will probably be in the area around Aachen/Cologne/Düren.

Regarding your portrait shooting tips, that really sounds easy...but I guess might be more challenging than it sounds :-)

[HoodedOne]

Hi Andy,

Greetings from the Netherlands :D
I live in Oisterwijk (near Tilburg), and have been experimenting with LF for a couple of months now. There's still a lot to learn. But I'm really liking it so far.

Cheers,
Hans

Btw. Are you familiar with the AFF (analoog fotografie forum).
It's a Dutch only forum, dedicated to analog photography.

[Andy ter Borg]

Yes, Hasard is a former coal mine plant I think. There is (or used to be, I'm no longer up to date on Urbex) a 'care-taker' who'll let you in for a small fee (might I say a bribe? ;). It's a good excuse in case the police show up so probably worth the investment. My friend and I somehow just never got around to visiting it. But Wallonie is -or used to be- a great area for Urbexing indeed (looks like your friend Joerg has been to quite a few of them too), although -especially- the Belgian-French police don't like Dutch and prob Germans as well roaming around. And indeed, rather awkward with LF-gear, although, once being spotted it's best to act the innocent/unwary instead of making a run for the exit :) (I almost managed to talk ourselves out of an arrest, stating there were no fences on one side of Clabecq, the guard -who had reported us to the police- acknowledged this to the police. But the police wouldn't budge, saying 'au commissariat' as I refused to hand over the film -but my friend didn't want to take the chance-). After that I switched to digital (making a few shots on one card, then the real stuff on another, which enabled me to come home with a full series -having switched and deleted the first card during the second arrest, although I later learned that the files can still be retrieved). But no fun in digital.
I'd gladly join up any meeting if I can and I do understand German (had it in school) it's the speaking I'm not that good at (it's the 'Mit Nach Bei Seit' that makes me a little insecure :)
And yes, portrait work isn't as easy as it sounds, quite a challenge even, doing both the technical aspects and instructing the model, more of a psychological game in a way (much like roaming around a chateau ('Miranda' I think it was) with hound dogs barking, echoing in a Wallonian valley or footprints in the snow at the Cristallery (not ours!) or military police driving around a building (as we watchhed from above....at footprints which were ours!). You may not always end up with photographs but stories a plenty!

[Andy ter Borg]

Hi Andy,

Greetings from the Netherlands :D
I live in Oisterwijk (near Tilburg), and have been experimenting with LF for a couple of months now. There's still a lot to learn. But I'm really liking it so far.

Cheers,
Hans

Btw. Are you familiar with the AFF (analoog fotografie forum).
It's a Dutch only forum, dedicated to analog photography.

Hi Hans, thanks and yes, I know the AFF, although I'm not much of a forum-visitor (this one being the exception). Check out my conversation with Jan (Rollinhofuji) though, as regards to a meeting of sorts. And maybe we can up sometime too?
Best,
Andy

[Rollinhofuji]

Hi Andy, it definitely sounds thrilling! Although I am not keen on meeting the Wallonian police, I would be tempted to try the old joke "hoe laat is het?" with them. Maybe you know it? I got it from a Vlaams guy (or do you say Vlaming?)...

Hans, if you like you are of course also welcome to join the meeting!

Tot ziens,
Jan

[Andy ter Borg]

No, I don't know the joke Jan :) (And yes, we say Vlaming)

[Rollinhofuji]

OK. Remember me to tell it when we meet - it's best when you can show it (like pantomime) :-)

[Andy ter Borg]

ok, will do