Artist statement
Daily life in the western world is overflowing with stimuli that continuously force our senses to the limit of their abilities. In my photographs I seek to capture the simplicity and tranquility of natural environments and to share my experience of nature's soul.
I paint with light. My camera is my brush. My work is often described by others as abstract, impressionist and painterly. My style is distinct and pure, characterized by coarse grain, overexposure, soft focus and the effects created by how I move my camera during the shot.
I work in nature where I immerse myself in the sights, colors and sounds of natural surroundings. I am a purist and choose to create the abstract and impressionist effects as seen in my photographs, using only camera settings. Photo software is used only to remove dust or to adjust brightness, contrast and cropping to improve my compositions.
I do not use digital editing tools or filters.
The titles of my photos are an important element of the entire work of art. In addition, I often write a short poem to a photo.
Biography
Jacob Berghoef is an autodidactic fine art photographer from the Netherlands, with extensive experience in analog photography, developing and printing in his own darkroom, as well as working with digital cameras.
In the past few years, after quitting his demanding job in facilities management and real estate, he focused on simple, natural living. This new way of living is reflected in his work; he is exploring the simpleness and the stillness of pure, natural environments with his camera.
Jacob was born in Gouda, the Netherlands in 1959. He currently lives with his wife and dog in Nijmegen and partly in a small farmhouse in the Danish Thy region in North West Jutland.
The special light and colors in this coastal area of Denmark inspired him to develop his current style. His photographs are being exhibited around the world and have been sold to collectors in The Netherlands, Denmark and the Unites States.