After the article about his photographic work, Jeff was so kind as to grant us an interview. You can get a glimpse of his photographic work here.
Could you please tell us something about yourself?
I’m Jeff Krol (39) from The Netherlands, I ‘m married have two kids and my regular job is technician.
Can you briefly tell us about your photographic background? When did you start taking photographs, how did you start?
I started with photography in 2008, mainly because I wanted a new hobby and photography was something I found interesting at that moment. I read some books and along the reading I started learning and shooting. Mainly landscapes and some selfportraits, but a year later I won a price and I knew I was doing something right! After that I stopped for a year because I was to busy with our first child. But I picked it up again and started to study cinematic and street photography.
What photographic style do you prefer? Would you like to specialize in a specific area, such as street photography or portrait photography?
Streetphotography is what I like and in the cinematic style. Not just regular streetshots but I always try to find something special on the streets: a vibe, a mood, just something that looks interesting and pops a question or tells a story… or a interesting character ofcourse!
Can you tell us how your work flows from the moment you get the idea to the stage of final presentation?
I don’t get an idea… I capture mostly streetscenes and things just happen all around me/us/you, so you have to be quick and keep your eyes open. It took a while learning to see these ‘moments’ and I’m still learning, but I seem to have a keen eye for shooting into direct (sun)light.
Could you possibly provide a tip to the amazing street photograph style, how much the pictures are processed afterwards, and what else one should take into consideration?
Try to shoot wide open and try to add a line in the composition. Processing is always different because of the light in the picture, but I try to change the colors to match the (or a) mood. I love black and white pictures too, but these are more dramatic instead of mood giving.
In your opinion, what constitutes the art of producing extraordinary street photographs, and what are the characteristics of a good picture in this field?
There are so many discussions about this ‘good’ or ‘bad’ streetphotography, mainly because there are no rules. But as you ask for my opinion I can always quote myself: If there’s nothing to capture, you can always try creating a mood or scene with almost nothing. The viewer will make a story from a personal memory…
What equipment do you use and what are your favorite focal lengths?
I used so many cameras en lenses that I lost count. Check my sets on flickr and you see… at the moment I use a Canon MKII with the new Sigma Art 35mm F1.4 lens which is brilliant! My fave focal lengths are 35 and 85mm.
What characterizes your work in comparison to other street photographers / cinematic photographers?
Shooting into direct light.
Were there interesting incidents in your photo shoots, whether funny, embarrassing or sad?
Well I can tell you that every time I take a up close photograph of someone in public, I get a rush, with up close I mean within two meters. I love to do that: aiming my camera, choosing a focus point and wait for the person to make eye contact with me through my lens! *click*
You can imagine that sometimes I get a weird look or a few questions but 99% of the time I just walk on. No questions: just a smile J
What advice would you give to a newbie for his/her photographic career?
Buy a book about photography and also study your camera.
Were you inspired by other photographers, and if so, which ones?
Oh this is so hard, there’re so many! I just give one name: Bruce Gilden. He was the trigger.
Do you have a dream for photography that you would like to fulfill?
I wanna be famous and a billionaire! Hahahaha!
Would you like to tell us about something that is important to you?
If you’re out there on the streets, have some respect, be positive and keep smiling; You can photograph everything you want, without questions afterwards.
Thank you very much for this interview. We will follow your progress in photography and will continue to be inspired by it.
