Robert Volkerts

August 27th 2010

Aruba is knocking on my door.

It has been almost a year since I have visited the one and the only happy island. And they have seriously started missing me.

Now I was planning on coming down in September 2010, but there has been a change of plans as so much has popped up here, and I have so much I need to get done, that it is almost impossible to go there in September.

So…I have some good news and some bad news for all of you.

Let’s start with the good news first.

I am coming to Aruba. When is this you ask?!

Well this will be in either November or December. And that is a sure thing.

The bad news?

It will be more play than actual work.

My latest vacation to Europe really shed some light on how over worked and stressed I really am, so I have come to really appreciate the value of some good time off.

So if I am going to take one trip to Aruba this year, I will not spend that trip working 18 hours a day as I have done in the past.

But I will do some shoots, but I will be very particular about the shoots I end up doing there.

I am willing to do 3 shoots there.

I accept booking as of right now. You can book a shoot with me 5 minutes from the time you read this article, but you will have to make a down payment of AFL. 150.00 to confirm it. Without this down payment, the shoot is not confirmed. The first 3 clients to make their down payments first, have a shoot with me.

You can make these down payments through paypal, or through bank wire.

If you’re interested in a shoot by the end of the year when I am in Aruba, e-mail me so that I can give you the information you need to make your down payment.

You may cancel up to 48 hours before the photoshoot. If you cancel on me within the 48 hours before the photoshoot, I keep the down payment.

So that is the news I have for all of you in Aruba who wish to shoot with me at the end of this year.

For all of you who don’t make it for the end of this year, we can try for next year, as I fully intend on visiting a bit more next year again as I have last year.

Want to shoot in Aruba near the end of the year?

Contact me through e-mail [robert@robertvolkerts.com] -or - through Facebook.

Posted at 1:05pm and tagged with: Photography, Travel Plans, one column,.

August 23rd 2010

My Eurotrip. My Opus.

So here it is….the long awaited article covering everything that was my Eurotrip.

Let’s start with the basics.

On the 20th of July 2010 I went to Europe on vacation, and I arrived back on the island on the 7th of August 2010.

I went to the following places.

Rotterdam
Amsterdam
Groningen
London
Countryside of London
Stonehenge (one of the seven wonders of the world)
Bath

I shopped, saw a whole many things I honestly didn’t think I’d see, some of which I wasn’t aware existed, met new people, saw old friends, bonded with family, got inked, got pierced, made possible business contacts and discovered possible business ventures and last but not least, I bore witness to wonderful art. And of course, by default, soul searching and deep contemplation.

Even now as I am about to embark on this article, and reflect upon my trip, I still feel raw about it. It’s almost like a dream, like I never went, and I’m still overwhelmed by all of what I did, and saw. But if I don’t write this now, God knows when I will.

And for all of you who have been hoping, praying and anticipating that I took a shitload of pictures on my trip..I hate to disappoint, but I didn’t take a shitload of pictures on my trip. I took a few sure, but not all that many. Why?

Well, because this was my first actual vacation in 4 years. All other “vacations” I took, was work related, I took time off to do shoots either here or somewhere else.

And this trip was all about exploration and familiarizing and expanding horizons. We were always on the move, seeing things, debating, discovering..

If I were to stop all the time to take pics the way I like to take pics, that would have slowed me down way too much, and I could not have that, so I did take some pics, but not all that many, simply because I wanted to enjoy my vacation as much as I possibly could.

I did plenty of filming though, I did that on the go.

So here goes nothing, undecided and incomplete, I embark…

Now what I will do is write as much in a nutshell as I possibly can my trip from start to finish and then through bulletpoints, name random things I think, feel or experienced on my trip. Because I cannot possibly but all this in a single coherent article. Only way to go is with bulletpoints on this one.

So!

I arrived in Holland, and the first things that struck me about this place was the weather and the greenery. It was sunny out, but it felt like I was chilling out in the AC, which I must admit I rather enjoyed. And the greenery was awesome! I’m a big fan of nature and all this, so I absolutely love the feeling of a big city that has greenery wherever you turn. So that was something I definitely loved.

I immediately loved the place, had a good feel to it. It has a very laid back feel to it. Very easy…

So I was with my cousin Danny in Rotterdam, he picked me up at Schiphol and we went to his place, which was a really nice apartment right across the street from a park. I thought that was absolutely fantastic. His neighbour grows apples and grapes! I was in a really nice Twilight Zone for a bit there.

He just became a father a few weeks prior to my arrival, which was awesome! So I met his beautiful baby, and I got to see his girlfriend again after quite a while. We immediately went out walking and exploring the city. Trams, skyscrapers, trains, funny cars, cafes, hobbyists, couples, different faces, ages, ethnicities, stereotypes. One thing in common, it was all, really really wonderful.

I got blisters my first day. Thanks Converse.

The following days it was all about museums, galleries, eating here, eating there and you guessed it…more walking and walking and walking.

London!

Damn. What a place. Take me there like yesterday please!

Ferrari’s driving around like you would see Toyotas down here. Landmarks. Busy busy, so hustle boy hustle!

I had a blast. I shopped. Eeeeekk! Way more than I was supposed to..but I like my new threads cuz they make me look like a fly guy. Yessir.

I know how to travel the underground. I read maps. I get from A to B like a big boy now. Give me a cookie. Two? Okay.

The countryside of England was a dream. We ate fresh veggies from the yard, now THAT was a treat. Walks in the forest, little cottages, woah it’s a deer! Crows?! Where!? A fox!

The London Zoo! Is that an Okapi? Giraffes are really that big? The Gorillas are asleep, piranhas are bigger than you think, I’m surrounded by birds, fresh cherries and berries, it’s an aardvark and a pygmy hippo-hippo…hip-hop anonymous, bugs!

Stonehenge? Really!? It’s not that huge…but Christ! how did those monumental boulders get there, and why here, why that big and heavy, why that shape!? Why am I standing here, at the Stonehenge!? Miles away from everything I have ever fathomed, and here I am…Stonehenge…

A place called Bath….it’s the most fantastic place…ever..google it.

Oh would you look at that…I have the best ink ever!

Woah, is that a new piercing? Yes.

Groningen! 3 hours in the train, really!? Hi friend whom I haven’t seen in 8 years, how have I missed you.

Why is there baby shit in your house?! Say what!? You’re gonna be a daddy!? Drinkfest. Shitfaced.

I was in love and then she was taken from me..

I am back home.

Bulletpoints.

The people in Europe, I love the way they eat. Here we eat big meal for lunch, big meal for dinner, big meal as a midnight snack, and then we shit a lump of butter and our blood turns to monkey grease. We die. There, eat light all day till you are satisfied. Super healthy fresh bread, with super healthy veggies, fresh fruit, fresh flowers, fresh attitude serving you fresh everything. And you are active as hell there. Walk here, bike there. Lovely. Healthy by design.
I like the fact that everyone minds their business. You can burst aflame and run nude proclaiming Hitler as the Messiah, good luck getting anyone to look at you. I walk with my cameras and my gear and my video camera, no one cares, I laugh my obnoxious laugh all over, not a soul stirs. My big holes in my ears, my inked body..ho hum…just another meat bag. In a place like that…I feel like I am a ghost. And I love that. I am left alone to my devices. To study people, to sit in the park and just chill, and meditate and ponder to my heart’s content. I can be a fly on the wall there, whilst here I am a freak that people simply cannot take their gaze off of. The fact that I exist is a strong taboo.
Art is an integral part of every day life there. A very prominent cog in the big machine that is Europe. Don’t believe me? I saw a Picasso next to a parking lot. Buildings adorned with art. Art shops, artists on the streets filling the alleyways and subways with gorgeous soulful music. They breathe life into this concrete behemoth. I was overwhelmed with art there. I feel like I have something to give there. My little pebble of creativity has a place in the world. That trip has taught me this. I have a place.
There are amphibious buses. They drive you around the city, and then they drive into the water and become a tour boat. Boom! Awesomeness.
They have mosquitoes as big as wasps. Scary.
Friendly people, openminded people, interesting people. They do exist.
My next trip up will not be all play and no work. I have made sure of that.
The French are hardcore drunks. Rubianonan bai kassss!! =D
History is as prominent as art there. Everywhere you turn you are faced with things that have been there long before your grandmama’s grandmama. That is overwhelming. Funny thing is, you turn around and you see something far more modern than you have at home, and you realize that you are standing in a place where the sky is the limit. Time is everything and nothing in this place.
London has a far superior public transportation system than Holland.
Italians make the best subs.
Our Zoo here is an embarrassment. I always knew that the animals here that are in the zoo are living under unfavorable conditions, but Jeezus H Jamima Christ! Over there every single habitat of every singe animal, is tailored to be exactly as their natural habitat. The people have made sure of that, and I who know plenty of animals can confirm, that these animals have a nice life there. Maybe not as great as in the wild, but I can swear that the difference can be disregarded. It’s wonderful. Please learn from this. Please help make our zoo better. It’s about quality of life. If they are going to be an entertaining muse for us to gawk at, and point fingers at, make sure the animals like it as it is.
I miscalculated the taste of the Europeans when it comes to body mods. Their ink pretty much sucks. I didn’t see all that many tattoos worthy of my respect up there. Turns out that I came back with the nicest one I saw there; My own.
Europe is expensive, but you get fine quality in return and friendly service. If that is the price I pay, I really don’t mind it.
Family is the most important thing one can have. Ever.
Life is beautiful.
Milk is a nice drink to have with lunch.
The island has a negative effect on me.
There is such a thing as a hobby. On the island unless you are into sports or attend a gym, people don’t have hobbies. There, everyone has hobbies. Anything, everything. There are hobby shops. There’s a market for it. It’s booming. It’s throbbing. It’s wonderful. Hobby is a reflection of passion. Which means people are passionate and ambitious over there, and well…over here..you get the picture.
All people can coexist. Respect and honor can reign.
Woodpeckers are big birds.
Giant anteaters are giant.
One cannot live his/her life, learning from books and film, and music. It’s what I have done all my life. I know so much, and yet I know nothing at all. I was constantly surprised and rediscovering things I was already very familiar with. It makes all the difference in the world that you can stand and touch, taste, smell something. Scale enough is reason to get out and live. Let’s not even talk about everything else. Travel or die a slow death.
To live life any other way than the exact way you want to live it, is a complete waste and you are spitting in the face of life, and scratching its eyes out.
Riding the underground is jolly fun.
Fresh veggies taste a million times better than the frozen mulch we get here.
I saw Brad Cooper, Jessica Biel and Sharlto Copley.
I bought fine art, and had many interesting conversations with many inspiring and aspiring artists. Some of the best conversations I’ve had.
I like myself a little bit.
Fish and chips is shit.
H&M is a gift to mankind.
Now I know what it’s like to fall in love with a landmass.

That is it for now, but keep in mind that if I think of something else along the road, I might edit this post and add more bulletpoints! I told you I felt Raw about it! Fools…

As they say in the loveliest country in the world; Cheers mate!

I’d also like to thank everyone who were a part of my trip, you guys made me feel alive for a little bit. I love you all.

A special thanks goes out to Daniel and family, Daisy and Jean Louis, Shirley and Tony and Edison!

And a special shout out to Yannich who’s about to be a dad! All the best man. You’ll be a great dad!

Thank you all again for reading. It lifts me up.

Posted at 9:31am and tagged with: Rambling, Travel Plans, one column,.

June 28th 2010

To all you Arubians wondering…

Last year I flew to Aruba roughly 3 times on business..

This year..none.

I have been getting plenty of shoot requests and inquiries as of late from a bunch of you in Aruba, asking “When oh when will you be back!?”

The answer as it stands right now is September of 2010.

Now this isn’t written in stone or anything, but I will try to make it back down to your lovely island before years and, and at this time it looks like September.

Now things will be a bit different this time around, because when you book with me, you will have to make a down payment in order to confirm your shoot.

I have tried to do this before, but people didn’t take to it.

I can understand that in this part of the world people aren’t used to this, and it scares some people off because you’re going to have to go the extra mile to get what you want, but you know what, that’s the way business works.

The rest of the world does it this way, it works, and it really benefits both parties, both the client, and the service provider.

For example, I’m getting inked in London this summer, I made my down payment online already, no down payment, no ink. Same with all of this.

Why? Well because if you say you want to shoot with me, and I save you a slot, and then you cancel on me, I lost money. I could have given that slot to someone else who would have gladly paid, and attended the shoot.

This has happened one to many times with me already, not only in Aruba, but also here in Curacao. So from now on, I’ll need a down payment.

This can be done via Paypal or bank wire. And the remainder of the sum will be paid either at our preliminary meeting when I’m on the island, or on the day of the shoot, before the shoot starts.

If you cancel the shoot 48 hours before your shoot date, you get your down payment back, if not, I keep it. No buts, no nothing. You have been warned.

If you are going to be late for a shoot, you must notify me an hour before the agreed upon shoot time, if not we might have to reschedule or cancel the shoot altogether. There is a reason we agree upon specific times for the shoot, this is to ensure the best photos possible, due to the quality of light at that time of day, if you are late, your pictures will not be as great, so in the end, you’re the loser. So be on time or suffer the consequences.

So be on time, and follow the rules. It’s very simply.

As for when you guys can start booking with me. Well you can start right now. If you know you’ll want a shoot in September, e-mail me at robert@robertvolkerts.com or contact me on my Facebook account.

We’ll settle on a price, I’ll inform you of the downpayment that will need to be made to ensure a slot during my stay on the island. Once the down payment is received, you will be notified and you will be scheduled in for a shoot.

Also to those of you in Aruba who want a shoot, right now I have sent Kristen Haime down with a limited number of shirts, she is there as we speak promoting and selling these shirts for me. They cost AFL. 35,-

So if you want one, I would suggest you contact her asap here!

You’d better hurry because the shirts are very limited, and I’m almost out.

So get ‘em while they’re hot.

There you have it my awesome people of Aruba, all the news you’ll need to keep you in the loop for now, so get busy buying shirts or booking shoots now.

Much love,

Rob.

See you all soon enough.

peace out!

Posted at 1:49pm and tagged with: Travel Plans, Merch, one column,.

June 12th 2010

My Summer Vacation.

So this summer, I will be headed for Europe for the first time. Specifically Holland and London. God save the Queen.

My ticket is bought for the 20th of July to the 7th of August. I should say I’m fairly excited about my trip. Never been that far away form home before. I’m well aware it will be a hectic trip. I already have a shoot planned for when I’m up there, specifically a shoot in the woods.

I can’t even imagine what that must be like, but I guess I will soon find out. The particular shoot I have up there is sort of my own concept with some pre requisites from the model. There is also a second shoot planned with the same model, but I’m not sure we can do both shoots during this one trip, as one of the ideas requires allot of prepping. So I might have to split the two ideas between two trips.

I know I’ll be back next year, because on the third of August I will be getting more tattoos. It’s been a long time coming, and I am finally getting more ink, in London. I’m getting so much in fact that they won’t be done in one trip, I’ll have to come back next year to finish up or continue. So I’ll have time to play around with my photoshoots in Europe.

I also have a vague idea of starting a series of photos which will ultimately end up in an exposition of mine. Half the photographs will be made in Europe and half of them in the islands. But it’s merely a sketch at this time, and I’ll have to work out the kinks. If it turns out to be any sort of a solid plan, I’ll let you guys know what it’s about on here, and of course you’ll get a sneek peek too.

I have more offers for photoshoots in Holland but I’m not sure I want to swamp my schedule shooting, after all this is a vacation for me. God knows I haven’t had a vacation in years. Anytime I’ve traveled in the last 2 odd years was on business. So no vacation for me. So I want to make the best of it this time around. See old friends and family. See the country, travel some.

When I think of the trip, I see myself with my big golden headphones on, listen to the sweetest tunes humanity has every mustered up, taking pictures to my hearts content, and having plenty of laughs and relaxing times.

I have to figure out stuff to do in London. Holland is covered, I have so many friends and acquaintances in Holland that I’m sure they will take up all of my time, and they will provide me with my fair share of stuff to do. But London? Not so much.

A piercing and ink is in order in London, and so is the London Zoo, one of the oldest zoos in the world. But beyond that, my time in the Queen’s country is a blank canvas. Any suggestions? Bring it on.

I’m also looking to maybe trickle my way into the media in London, introduce them to my work. Maybe radio, a magazine, a paper, an online interview, whatever. And maybe my next time down, I can do some shoots up there. That would be fantastic.

Can anyone get me in the media up there? A friend of a friend? Put in a word or two. Thanks.

Of course I will be blogging daily with pictures and all, to let you all know what I’m up to on the other side of the world. So stay tuned.

So there lies the heart of my summer. In Europe! What about you guys? What are you doing this summer?

Posted at 10:16am and tagged with: Travel Plans, one column,.