This year, I once again had the opportunity to work as one of the official photographers at the Grolsch Dragon Boat Festival in Apeldoorn. The 20th edition kicked off on Friday evening with a performance by Zoë Livay, followed by artists including Anouk. With thousands of visitors, a fantastic atmosphere and a true festival vibe, it was another memorable edition that was a pleasure to photograph.
Puglia is a beautiful region in southern Italy, often referred to as the "heel of Italy's boot". The region is known for its sunny climate, its extensive coastline, centuries-old olive trees and fairytale-like architecture. Its characteristic trulli houses, charming historic towns and rich culinary traditions make Puglia a wonderful destination to explore and photograph.
At the beginning of 2026, Paleispark Het Loo in Apeldoorn was unexpectedly transformed into a beautiful winter landscape. Whereas the traces of autumn are usually still visible in early January, the park was suddenly covered by a soft blanket of snow. The park wasn't quite "ready" for winter yet, and perhaps that was exactly what made it so special: autumn and winter briefly overlapped. Here and there, leaves were still visible beneath the snow, a reminder of the season that had only just come to an end.
One of the most enjoyable photography projects I have had the opportunity to work on in recent years was a photo shoot at the beautiful Van der Valk Hotel Apeldoorn. Thanks to one of the hotel's managers, I was given permission to photograph several locations throughout the hotel. Among the places I captured were the lobby, the hotel bar, the restaurant and the swimming pool.
For me, 2025 has definitely become the year of Barcelona. It wasn't planned or something I had deliberately chosen; it simply turned out that way. The reason was that my daughter left for Barcelona at the end of August to start her internship. In the months leading up to her departure, everything revolved around planning and preparations. Fortunately, Barcelona is a city I truly enjoy visiting, so I gladly took every opportunity to explore it with my camera.
Something that had been on my photography bucket list for years finally became a reality in 2025: photographing Apeldoorn's biggest annual event. A large-scale festival with live performances, a vibrant atmosphere and thousands of visitors. And what could be better than doing that in your own hometown? Every year, during the third weekend of June, Apeldoorn is transformed into a festive spectacle for the Grolsch Dragon Boat Festival. This year, I had the opportunity to be part of it as one of the event photographers, capturing the atmosphere throughout the festival..
At the end of March, I was approached by Yvonne Drenth-Voorhorst, the initiator of the first Avond4Daagse Osseveld-Woudhuis in Apeldoorn, with the question whether I would be willing to take photographs during the event. This gave the Avond4Daagse a wonderful local character, with children walking a route through their own neighbourhood. A year earlier, Yvonne had already organised a successful mini four-day walking event for thirty children, which eventually led to this first official edition.
On 7 February 2025, I set off on another photography trip to Iceland. After my previous visit in March 2024, it didn't take long before I felt the urge to return to this extraordinary island. Fortunately, my photography friends Hans and René felt exactly the same. Together, we hoped to experience an even more wintry Iceland than on our previous journey. Although that wish was only partly fulfilled, the trip once again rewarded us with breathtaking landscapes and unforgettable photographic moments. Just as we had done in 2023, we travelled around the island – this time in a 4x4 instead of a campervan.
