"My strength is to use the location." That’s something what clearly can be seen in Jeroen’s multi-purpose work. “First I meet the person whom I will photograph, then I assess the clothing and in a glance I evaluate the use of light. After that I always search for a location, where I try to recognize a shape or color. The background of a photo must work reductively in order to get the attention to the person, but at the same time the background has to attract attention as well. In fact, the person and the background have to reinforce each other.” An example of a photograph in which the context plays an important role, is the photograph of musician Stijn. “This photograph has been made on its attic where a chair stood under a window. When I saw that, I saw the composition for me in a glance. In the photograph I wanted to make the suggestion that Stijn was playing keyboard.”

Not everyone feels comfortable in front of a camera. “Each time I must obtain the best from someone to get him well on the photograph. For me it’s a creative challenge to photograph someone in the way that his of hers primal character is recorded.”

Mondriaan

Striking in Jeroen's work is the use of light. “I pay attention to pleasant light, a fine look in the eyes and I try to make the composition as accurate as can be. When I shoot a good photograph, I literally feel a physical shock through my body.” Besides the light, Jeroen’s photographs include other striking characterizations. “I try to use as much color as possible and further I love austere lines. A little bit like a Mondriaan painting.” Furthermore Jeroen tries to fix an expressive character in a photograph. “I’m never searching for a second story in a photograph, but at the same time I don’t just simply shoot a photograph. From behind my camera I’d like to use a look or a color to bring an expressive character to the front.”

Inspiration

“Early in the morning I see images. I see a photograph with shapes and colors. When such an image stays with me in my mind all day, I try to make a photograph exactly that way.” Cuddling trees or a walking down the city is not the way for Jeroen to feel inspired. “Of course I look around me to find some ideas, but most of the inspiration I swipe from newspapers. By journalistic photographs I get inspired because I find it very striking that someone can make those pictures, because you must frequently react in a split-second.”

Profession or your life

“On a relatively young age I carefully started with photographing. I passed more time in the darkroom than in a mathematic-class. At that time I lived for photography. Money and work really couldn’t interest me. But at a certain point, I wanted to live from photography. Then you deal with things differently. But when photographing becomes to much your profession, it becomes statically: you come to location, open your case, take your camera, etc. Therefore I live for photography again now by doing especially the things I really like to do. Such as my free work. I do that in order to release my daily photographing. My profession is a large component of my life and I find it genially fun to do.”

Besides shooting the photograph, you expand certain privileges as a photographer. “Certainly, because you see places other people don’t. Photography is in my view also an alibi to meet people. You come to meet people from all layers of society and I find that very interesting. Meeting people is therefore one of the nicest facets of my profession for me.”