Winter Princess

To say goodbye to lady winter(*), I am sharing this winter princess and I booked a ticket to California .. more news about this trip will follow. Photo taken during strobist class.
(*) a bit early, but I want her to go away and make room for the warmer seasons

Model: Carly Mollet
Canon 40d, Canon EF 70-200mm IS USM,
1/200s exposure, f/2.8 aperture, 200mm, 100 ISO Speed,
Lightroom & Photoshop processed.

Thanks for everything ...

Soon these tears will have cried, all lonelyness will have died.
Recently, I 've lost a friend, may he rest in peace.

In memory of my dad, 11 June 1939 - 19 Nov 2009

Erik Linder's awesome and creative a capella interpretation of Sinead O'Connor's "In this Heart" was also used during the funeral service .. it was such a wonderful music moment.

Volvo P1800 ES

A good friend of me bought this classic Volvo. It 's such a cool and rare car and I was lucky to do a small photoshoot. It's a Volvo P1800 ES of 1973.

Volvo P1800 ES at Middelheim Park in Antwerp
Canon 40d, EF 50mm USM,
1/200s exposure, f/2.0 aperture, 50mm, 400 ISO Speed



one more with the Tokina fisheye 10-17mm
1/25s exposure, f/5.0 aperture, 17mm, 400 ISO Speed

Europalia International, the largest cultural festival in Europe!

Europalia, the international arts festval in Brussels held every two years to celebrate one invited country’s cultural heritage, celebrates its 40th anniversary by inviting a truly fascinating guest: China.

Europalia is one of the leading arts festivals in Europe and each edition attracts more than one million visitors. During four months, Belgium and its neighbouring regions celebrate the diversity of Chinese culture by hosting hundreds of breathtaking events.
More information about the exhibitions, the music, opera and other events, please check out the official website mentionned above. (english-dutch-french)

Detail of the Tea House
at Mont des Arts (aka "Kunstberg") downtown Brussels.
Canon 40d, EF 70-200mm USM IS,
1/5000s exposure, f/2.8 aperture, 73mm, 400 ISO Speed

Antwerp old Harbour Cranes

Canon 40d, Exposure 1/1000, Aperture f6.3, Focal Length 10mm (Tokina AF 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 Fisheye), 200 ISO speed

Customs

A fine tune from a Belgian band to start the summer of 2009 .. may I present to you : the Customs ! (check out their myspace too)

Carwash

Waiting at the carwash can be creative too ...

(photo made with my old ixus 40)

Today I went to the shop to get a new p&s camera, the Canon Powershot SX200 IS. Here is a first shot with the new point & shoot camera, taken at Park Spoor Noord in Antwerp.

Exposure 1/1250 sec, aperture f/5.3, focal length 60 mm, ISO speed 160

Beaufort03

From March till October 2009 the third edition of the Triennial for Contemporary Art by the Sea, called Beaufort03, takes place at the Belgian Seaside.
With this coastal art project, artists from every corner of the globe are making a beeline for the Belgian coast, intent on finding the perfect place to show their work. Some are creating new work, others are choosing to work with an existing piece.

My favourite installation, is Untitled #143 from Aeneas Wilder (UK) situated at Westende. It reminds me so much of the 2006 edition of the Burning Man Festival (Festival Info on Wikipedia) in the Nevada Desert in which the Belgian Artist, Arne Quinze, displayed his Uchronia Project.

Buscemi, my favourite Belgian dj was there too ..check it out!

Models Inc.

Some time ago, I created an Eye-On.net account. Some friends introduced me to model photography which I quite like. For the moment I prefer portraits above the catwalk stuff. Hope to experience more shoots so I can develop and learn. If interested modelling or do you want a portrait of you, your family, etc. you can always send me an email.

model : Natasha Henry, shoot @ old brewery in Leuven, Belgium (March'09)
Visit my Eye-On.net account to find more photos of the shoots.

Soy Vay

Ever wanted the perfect marinade for your BBQ party? Let me introduce you Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki. It's an all natural teriyaki sauce made from the finest kosher ingredients: preservative free soy sauce, fresh ginger and garlic, onions, expeller pressed soy and sesame oils and bursting with sesame seeds. The marinade goes perfect with fish and meat ; I prefer to use it with scallops, shrimps and beef on the grill. Sometimes I add some peppers, extra sesame seeds and fresh coriander to the marinade. This marinade is hard to get in Europe, don't know if that's a good or a bad thing, but you can always scontact me for further information. On the Soy Vay website, you can also find a list a yummy recipes.

Soy Vay Hoi Sin Garlic Marinade & Veri Veri Teriyaki


Grilled scallops with veri veri teriyaki, fresh chaopped thai peppers & coriander.

Television chefs part three -Gordon Ramsay-

Next to Nigella Lawson and Rick Stein, I choose Gordon Ramsay to be the next "tv-chef" I mention on my blog.
Gordon James Ramsay (born 8 November 1966) is a chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded a total of 14 Michelin Stars and in 2007 became one of only three chefs in the United Kingdom to hold three Michelin stars at one time. Ramsay currently ranks 3rd in the world in terms of Michelin Stars behind Joel Robuchon and Alain Ducasse.
I have to admit I haven't always been a huge fan of his work, but you can't denie his dedication to the kitchen. On the other hand hand I do am a huge fan of "dim sum", and I recently found some videos on youtube where Gordon Ramsay tries to make his own in one of London Chinatown's restaurants ; he 's got bollocks!

part one

part two

Here's some more information of Gordon Ramsay on Wikipedia. I also wanna mention a restaurant of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares television show : Momma Cherri's Soul Food Shack in Brighton. Nowadays it's called "Momma Cherri's Big House". I would love to get a food experience overthere.

Best wishes!!

For all friends and family all over the world, I really wish you all a warm & cosy christmas and a happy and healthy new year ....
HAPPY 2009!!

HBO's John Adams Visual Effects

John Adams is an Emmy Award-winning 2008 American television miniseries directed by Tom Hooper. The screenplay by Kirk Ellis is based on the book John Adams by David McCullough.
The biopic of John Adams and the story of the first fifty years of the United States was broadcast in seven parts by HBO. The first episode aired on March 16 and the final episode aired on April 20.
Check out the amazing visual effects feature!! (6:39)

Uncertain future.

2008 will be bookmarked as the year of the financial crisis, the US subprime mortgage crisis, or whatever ... but what will 2009 bring us?
Hopefully everyone will find the spirit and the courage to go to a higher and more secure path, fingers crossed and may you all be safe, cheers!

Taken with a Canon EOS 40d, EF 50mm, exposure 1/25, Aperture f/3.2, Focal length 50mm, ISO 400

Funky design for a camper (by Verdier)

Based on the old "hippy" classic VW Westfalia camper, Alexandre Verdier has completely redesigned the Volkswagen Westfalia into a modern, green camper with major appeal. This camper is powered by a 200 hp hybrid (fuel or diesel) + electric engine. Some other features include solar panels on the camper roof (40 watt - 12 volt), GPS navigation, wireless internet, and a sink with 4 spots for cooking. Off to the Canyons and coastal highway one ...

Antwerp in ‘Lonely Planet' top ten.

The international travel guide publisher Lonely Planet has added Antwerp to its prestigious list of the world’s ten most interesting cities. Each year Lonely Planet publishes a top ten of cities that are worth a visit during the coming twelve months. Lonely Planet writes that Antwerp has a rich history and the port is city is the most underrated tourist destination in Belgium.

Taken with a Canon40d, EF-S 17-85mm USM IS, exposure 1/400, Aperture f/5.6, Focal length 59mm, ISO 200

Few places offer such an appealing mix of classic and modern features. Eclectic art nouveau houses right next to neo-classic villas and medieval castles provide a fantastic backdrop to the many bars and pavement cafés.

Antwerp is in good company with cities such as Beirut, Chicago, Glasgow, Lissabon, Mexico City and Sao Paolo also featuring in the top ten.

Cherry Clafouti

Clafoutis or clafouti (pronounced kla-foo-TEE) is a French country dessert from the Limousin region. Traditionally it was made with the first sweet cherries of the season and the cherries were left unpitted so the kernels could release their delicate almond flavor as they baked.
Today, most people prefer this dish with pitted cherries, which makes the clafoutis much easier to eat. Of course you can use different sort of fruits but when other kinds of fruit, such as plums, prunes, apples, cranberries or blackberries are used instead of cherries, the dish is called a "flognarde" (sometimes spelled "flaugnarde").
I want to share this recipe because this cake is so easy and quick to make. Try it, you will love it.

Ingredients
400 gr cherries
4 eggs
125 gr sugar
50 gr butter
75 gr flour
250 ml milk
a few drops vanille extract (and I use coconut extract too)
nutmeg (optional)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven at 190 C (350 F).
2. Beat the eggs and sugar in a big bowl using a mixer.
3. Add the flour slowly and continue to beat the mixture.
4. Add the butter in the mixture and continue to beat.
5. Add the vanilla/coconut extract and a little of nutmeg if wanted
6. Add the milk slowly and continue to beat the mixture for a few more seconds.
6. Take an oven dish ..some people choose for butter, I choose for baking paper.
7. Spread the cherries in the oven dish (make sure the fresh ones are cleaned or they’re drained from the syrup), beat the mixture for 5 more seconds, and then spread that mixture atop the cherries.
9. Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes until golden
10. Best way it to eat it warm (not hot and not too cold either)… you can also use icing sugar to finish the cake (I never do)

Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clafoutis

the End of Summer

Short session in b&w at "Park Spoor Noord" (Antwerp) to say goodbye to the summer of 2008.

Kraak & Smaak

Let me introduce you some funky shit : "Kraak & Smaak"

Here's their official website, a smashingly wicked collection of mixes on their podcast and of course they're on MySpace too. Keep the funky vibe goin'!!

Restaurant "Huis De Colvenier"

I would like to share an excellent address for dining in Antwerp : "Huis De Colvenier" dutch / english.

“Huis De Colvenier” in the very centre of Antwerp is a real tastemaker having class and quality as a motto. The restaurant has been located here for 17 years in a tromphant Patrician house.
The most exquisite room is certainly the winecellar (+20.000 bottles). This one is impressive and has a very special atmosphere. Especially aimed at the aperitif with owner – chef Patrick Van Herk. In his open kitchen, you smell, you see and you taste the flavours of goose liver, shellfish, fresh vegetables, cheese and all that depending on your taste, time , budget … Discover and live “Huis De Colvenier”. This will be a personal and surprising experience.
Patrick Van Herck is a top chef de cuisine. He gained inspiration at Bruneau, at Scholteshof, Belle Epoque in Leuven and even at Robuchon in Paris. His kitchen is French tinted but Patrick knows how to put a personal touch on it. Trust him only season-tied ingredients and you will be surprised about the smashing result.
A weekend ago I had the privileged to have an excellent super during a wedding party.