Meet the Artists in Web3 — Photographer FotoGraaGHanneke
Hanneke was born and raised in the Netherlands. As a child, she always saw her father tinkering with his camera and spending long hours in the darkroom. Little did she know that this was to become her biggest passion in life.
As she grew older, Hanneke started to show a keen interest in her father’s hobby. However, the technical terms that he used always left her confused. But she never gave up on her dream and continued to learn from him.
Years later, Hanneke bought a mobile scooter, and that’s when her love for photography really took off. She would venture out into the great outdoors, taking in all the natural beauty around her. From big landscapes to the smallest of details, Hanneke’s camera captured everything in stunning detail.
The natural light was her best friend, and she used it to bring out the best in her photos. Through her lens, she saw the world in a different light, and it was a sight to behold.
Hanneke suffered from small fiber neuropathy, which was a constant source of pain and discomfort for her. However, when she was behind the camera, she forgot all about her troubles. Photography and editing were her escape from the daily grind, and they brought her immense joy and happiness.
In her photographs, Hanneke found solace and a sense of purpose. She could showcase the beauty of the world around her and share it with others. For her, photography was not just a hobby, it was a way of life.
In this interview, Hanneke shares with us her inspirations, motivation and approach to photography.
Tell us a little bit more about yourself?
I’m Hanneke and I’m from the Netherlands. I am married and have 2 daughters who are now both married and have children of their own. Which gave me my favorite role, that of grandma! Until a few years ago I worked as a nurse and confidant and my hobby was photography. In my spare time I took a lot of pictures of my children, family and holiday pictures. Because of my health I can no longer do my work as a nurse and confidant and I have been rejected from work. Photography has become very important to me. It gives me a distraction from the daily pain, I have from Small Fiber Neuropathy, and a purpose.
What inspired you to start photographing nature and flowers, and what do you find most fascinating about these subjects?
The love for photography, but also for nature, started at a young age. My father had photography as a hobby and made black and white photos, which he developed in his dark room (a large closet in the living room). Around the age of eight I had my own simple camera. Occasionally I was also allowed to shoot with my father’s camera and help with the development.
I inherited my love for nature from my grandfather. I used to often go to stay with my grandpa and grandma. And my grandpa would go cycling with me, pointing out and naming everything in nature along the way. Bunnies, hares, deer, birds, insects, types of flowers, types of trees and you name it. I went out with my children myself and taught them what he had taught me. They also received their first cameras at a young age and lay on their stomachs (just like their mother) to photograph the flowers and insects up close. I absolutely love that!
I can be intensely happy and amazed when I look at the smallest flowers (and the big ones too, of course), their colors and structures and hear the insects buzzing that fly from flower to flower. The scents that meet you in a field full of lavender, wonderful! But I also really enjoy the beauty of landscapes. How they change, when the sky or the light changes, fascinates me. Often when I edit the photos afterwards, when I zoom in, I see a lot more in the photo than I originally saw.
How do you go about selecting the location and time of day for your nature and flower photography sessions, and what factors do you consider when making these decisions?
For me it depends on how I feel, in terms of energy and pain and what the weather is like whether I can go out or not. Because I can’t walk far, I use a mobility scooter. This keeps me mostly close to home. Now I am lucky that I have quite a few locations to photograph here. Even closer to home, I also have nature to photograph in our garden. Flowers, insects and birds, I can indulge myself. Especially during the corona lockdown time I did this a lot. Together with my husband I also sometimes travel at homeland and abroad. Then he pushes my wheelchair and I also try to take nice pictures of other locations. I like that variety and it’s challenging, but I sometimes feel burdened towards my husband, because it means a lot of waiting for him until I have my photos on them the way I want them.
What equipment and techniques do you use to capture the intricate details and textures of flowers and the natural beauty of landscapes in your photographs?
I have an SLR camera with different lenses. The lens I use the most is the 18–270mm and of course the macro lens. At home I sometimes use a tripod to photograph flowers in a vase. This is an old tripod from my dad and it is quite heavy for me to use. A new one is on my wish list. Outside I regularly photograph against the light to create Bokeh effect. I try to make good use of sunlight and shadow to show off the colors and structures when photographing.
I use Photoshop to edit the photos. I remove imperfections and bring up the colors a bit. For my Lighten up after the dark collection I light up the nature photos, creating a very nice effect.
What has it been like being an artist and navigating Web3?
I had been on various socials, including Twitter, for several years. On Twitter, I mainly shared tweets about B12 deficiency and Small Fiber Neuropathy, to raise awareness and help others. Occasionally I also shared a photo from my print shop. This changed in 2021. I started sharing more photos and got more and more followers and followed more people who also photographed. For example, NFTs kept passing by and I eventually started to delve into the possibilities. A year ago I made my first collection on Opensea and sold my first work within a week. Since then I have made several collections. I now have work on Opensea, Objkt, and on my own Manifold contract with claimable editions and on Foundation. I have sold works, but I am always looking for what the next step can be. Not long ago I joined Rafflegraphy, where I learned a lot. I’ve been with the Dutch Art Community for a while now and have a gallery with my work in the OM district. We are in the process of organizing an exhibition irl. I’m very much looking forward to this. And then there’s #Floral World. My work has been selected along with the work of 20 other great artists. I still feel honored to be able to participate in this. It is a growing process and I feel more and more secure and valued.
Have you ever encountered any challenges or difficulties while photographing nature and flowers, and how did you overcome them?
My biggest challenge is myself. I cannot stand, walk, lie down or climb for a long time. And my energy level is low. I had to find a way to shoot anyway. This is often from the mobile scooter, so that the viewpoint is already lower than when you are standing, for example. Sometimes I do bend my knees to take a picture, then try to get up again… With my mobile scooter I sometimes brave muddy paths and hope that I don’t get stuck anywhere. And I can’t hold a heavy camera in my hands for long. I therefore have a light SLR camera and no heavy battery underneath. I can therefore not use a very large telephoto lens. I sometimes regret that, because of the distance to what I want to capture. Also on the wish list is a mirrorles camera. They are very light and would be ideal for me. Plenty of challenges while shooting.
What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out in nature and flower photography, and what do you think are some of the key skills and qualities that are necessary for success in this field?
My advice for someone just starting out would be: Look at the flower from all sides, see how the light falls, what does the shadow do? Also pay close attention to your own shadow. A flower, large or small, is always beautiful. Even when they have finished flowering, they still have the most beautiful structures. So keep snapping that camera and enjoy!
