Three questions with Leo Schindzielorz
All about his passion for photography
The work of Diana van Tankeren
At the age of twelve, Diana van Tankeren was already crazy about photography. Even when she went to see her biggest idols in concert, she took her analogue camera along with her. Diana offers us a peek into her creative process and is happy to share her story with us.
Love at first sight
Sadly, her first, much-loved camera was stolen. She eventually replaced it with other cameras, but they never quite managed to live up to that first one. "They just didn't match the quality that the first camera had, so I gave up on photography," says Diana. Fast forward a decade. By now, Diana was a fully grown woman. Music was still her thing, but photography hadn't yet returned to her life. "That was until a guy in a band asked me if I'd like to take some photos at his concert. He had a digital camera with him and I'd never held one of those before. I was hooked right away and, as soon as I got home, I bought a professional camera!
Macro photos
Diana started out taking macro photos. "At first these were of insects," she explains. Since then, she has broadened her horizons; also offering pieces featuring animals with a beautiful painterly effect, as well as illustrations. "My style is quite diverse and I particularly love creating something new from an existing photo. The kind of thing that doesn't exist, that isn't real, but still looks realistic."
Just a case of trying
You could definitely say that Diana is critical. But that's just as well because it keeps her on her toes. "For me, it's mainly been a process that starts with me saying 'I'll do things this way or that way', and then I'll end up trying something different again. Sometimes that works out really well, other times not so much. For me, it's just a case of trying and adjusting where necessary and then adjusting again, etcetera..."
Diana's favourite piece
Diana is a hard worker. She's up bright and early every morning, ready to tackle the day, and she slogs away until at least 2am. And she does all this despite her illness. "I really wanted to work, but I kept ending up on sick leave. That's why, in agreement with the Dutch Employee Insurance Agency, I registered as a photographer with the chamber of commerce. This allows me to sell my photos commercially. My life revolves around my business, it's my baby." Diana's favourite piece is The Scottish Highlander. And rightly so! He's just the cutest, isn't he?! The image has a painterly effect, as if he's walked straight out of the photo. "Each time this image is sold, I send a 'MOOOOO! to a good friend of mine! It's an old joke now but we still keep laughing at it".
Want to see more works by Diana van Tankeren? Check out all the artworks of Diana van Tankeren.
