In MASTERS GALLERY, exceptional art works by prominent artists 'hang' weekly. Bas Meelker left the business world in 2002 for his greatest passion: landscape photography. Today he is one of the leading Dutch landscape photographers and his work is internationally acclaimed for its dramatic impact.Online Editorial: Larissa Schaule Jullens
Image: Bas Meelker
"Emotion and feeling plays an essential role for me in landscape photography. Wherever I am, something has to happen to me. A feeling or emotion, aroused by the landscape, the beautiful skies, the atmosphere or the light. Experiencing a combination of those aspects at the same time is very rare. But with this photo it came close to it. It was a lovely balmy and warm summer evening near Hindeloopen on the IJsselmeer. Slowly the sun sinks below the horizon. The colors come alive and there is not a breath of wind. All around me I hear only the birds and the gentle scratching of the water. In the distance, an occasional car drives by. The water of the IJsselmeer is a big mirror, reflecting the beautiful light and colors in the sky. As I take the occasional photo I am captured by the serenity and stillness of the moment. You only experience moments like this once in a while. And I realize that. Landscape photography means above all being able to deal with disappointment and frustration. But once in a while everything falls into place. It's good that such moments are sparse. Because that makes them extra special."
"This photo is special to me because it keeps reminding me how special the Dutch landscape can be. That we don't have to travel all over the world to capture spectacular or special landscapes. The photo shows creeping ice on the shore of the IJsselmeer near Stavoren. In 2014, this photo won me third prize in the International Landscape Photographer of the Year competition. However, this photo also caught the judges off guard. It looked so "icy" that, according to the judges, the photo was undoubtedly taken in Iceland. And so the photo also won first prize in the 'Iceland' category. Of course, everything was nicely corrected, but it shows me how exotic the Dutch landscape can still look. Dutch light is world famous for a reason. Finally, the photo always makes me realize that as a landscape photographer you are more of a weatherman/woman than a photographer. Seeing and anticipating these kinds of conditions remains every landscape photographer's greatest challenge. In the end, it's only about one thing: being in the right place at the right time."
"This photograph, titled The Long March, carries a special story. It was taken on the south side of the Lauwersmeer National Park on the border between Groningen and Friesland. It is an area where you can still see the 'old' landscape of the former Lauwerszee (now the Lauwersmeer). Herds of Koniks and Scottish Highlanders graze in the area. On a cold, foggy winter morning I walk through the area, searching for a suitable composition. In the distance is a herd of konik horses. They are curious animals and as soon as they see me, a dominant mare decides to investigate. What follows is a surrealist image. In a long line, the whole herd follows the mare. They cannot walk directly to me because of a ditch and they decide to take a detour. In a flash I realize what is happening and have just enough time to pick the right position before they run perfectly into my picture. The run-in lines in the field, the position of the lone tree and the row of Konik horses completes the picture. Everything is falling into place. A few minutes later, the entire herd stands curiously around me. I just smile and know that I have been able to witness something special."
© 2024 MASTERS EXPO. All rights reserved.
