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My travel art spans almost 200 prints from over 25 destinations around the world... and counting

June 20th, 2016

My travel art spans almost 200 prints from over 25 destinations around the world... and counting

My inspiration comes from traveling all over the world: I fell in love with the exceptional things I saw and the remarkable people who crossed my path. My photographic art is my way of giving some of my travel memories back to the world.

Check out my new travel map on my fine art photography website:

VISIT MY TRAVEL MAP

About the artist

WILKO VAN DE KAMP is the author of #1 international best seller The Freedom Project and several other books and e-books. He's also an award-winning photographic artist, and professional world traveler. His inspiration comes from traveling all over the world. He calls the Canadian Rocky Mountains his home, and the rest of the world his office. He has been capturing our wonderful planet, and it's beautiful inhabitants, for more than half his life. Wilko has spent his life traveling the world to capture awe-inspiring images for those who wouldn't see them otherwise, and to inspire others to embark on their journey of a lifetime. Through his art, writing and appearances as a keynote speaker he enjoys sharing his colorful experiences with the world.

Posing tips and photo tips for models

April 22nd, 2016

Posing tips and photo tips for models

Most photographs don�t come naturally even with the most beautiful models. A good, professional photographer can give you some photo tips and guide you through a variety of model poses throughout the photo shoot. But whether you aspire to appear in print magazines, do high fashion shows, or just want to improve your next �selfie�, these modeling poses and photo tips will help you achieve much better photographs � both when you�re the model or the photographer taking the shots!

Do not always look directly into the camera. To enhance the quality of your photo shoot, look away from the camera with a mix of head and eye poses. Your head and neck can remain stationary and your eyes can do all the work. Look off to the right or left side. Tilt your neck. Try different facial expressions.


Breathe

Do not hold your breath for a pose; always remember to breathe and appear at ease.


Keep your back straight and your shoulders up. Slouching affects the mood of the photograph and enlarges the appearances of your stomach. Flex your stomach muscles. This will make your abdomen appear more toned despite your weight or state of shape.

Limbs

When posing, make sure to differentiate your arms and legs with asymmetrical poses. If you have one arm long and straight by your side, make sure the other arm is bent. The bend will make the modeling pose look more real, less artificial. Continue the asymmetry to your legs. If one leg is locked straight, give the other leg a casual bend.

Sitting Poses

Don�t slack off during sitting poses. If you are sitting down or reclining, put your weight on the back of one thigh, rather than distributing your weight equally on both thighs. This pose will result in a slimming effect!

Cleavage

While leaning forward bring your arms together at your waist, keep your arms straight at the elbows and clasp your hands together below your waist, or simply cross your arms. When leaning backward, raise your arms about your shoulders and head, keep your arms apart. Both poses will help maximize your cleavage.

Last, but not least: Smile!

To add variety to your modeling poses, try switching up your smile with a cute frown, a bratty bout, a friendly laugh, or even an edgy scowl. Your facial expressions can make or break your modeling poses.



Want to learn more? Check out my Portrait Photography Made Easy e-book!

Discover how to capture the perfect portrait photo, and take your photography skills to a new level in Portrait Photography Made Easy.

Are you getting the best use out of your camera?

February 29th, 2016

Are you getting the best use out of your camera?

In one of my photography events, someone said �these days everyone calls themselves a photographer�. In a way it�s true. It doesn�t take much to head over to some big box store, buy fancy camera and call yourself a �photographer�. I wrote another post about that a while ago, and you can read it here. At the same time, I see a lot of fellow travellers who are trying to capture some amazing scenery or city skyline with a decent camera, while shooting on �full auto� � sometimes even with flash. It makes me cringe a little every time. It�s like buying a Porsche (or another fancy sports car brand of your choice) but only driving it in first gear around the block.

Most people enter the field of photography with the hope that the advertised magical features of their brand new camera work as advertised, helping to achieve good quality pictures without having any training or knowledge of specific photographic techniques. Reality is that these features really do work, but they�re not enough to ensure professional quality photos.

You�ve probably taken pictures of family and friends on holidays, on vacation, and at special events. Maybe �point and shoot� has worked great for you so far. But some of us enjoy looking through the lens and want to get more out of the camera, and shift it to second gear, so to speak. If your ambition is to eventually handle the photography at more formal occasions, such as weddings or graduations, you�ll need more than a cell phone camera, but today�s technology has made quality equipment more affordable than ever before. With the right tips you can be well on your way to taking some quality pictures. There�s real value in learning more about photography, even if you don�t aspire to become a professional. The memories you�re preserving will literally last a lifetime!


JOIN THE CLASS TODAY


Join award winning photographer Wilko van de Kamp on this online journey to discover the secret tips & techniques on how to be a professional photographer, start producing high quality pictures and skyrocket your photography skills today!

You�re about to discover the powerful methods to start taking sharp, clear and high quality pictures like a professional photographer. This course is created with years of experience in digital photography and it will share the secret techniques to help you getting started on your photography journey, in a way that actually works!

When you join �Digital Photography Mastery�, you will be taking the first step on a path that will have you shooting a much better picture with every step. Go over the fantastic topics of my class yourself, and get a clearer picture of just how much it has to offer you.

JOIN THE CLASS TODAY

My ode to Canada, for cage free humans everywhere

October 30th, 2015

My ode to Canada, for cage free humans everywhere

It all began in 2008, I was 26 at the time. Young, green, and very naive. I knew I wanted something different. Not because the life I had in Europe was so bad. It was pretty great, actually. The ability to just get in a car and drive to Paris is one of the many great perks of living in the hustle and bustle of West Europe. But my sense of adventure kicked in, and I wanted a change of scenery. Well, if you�re looking for scenery, Canada is definitely a place to consider.

And I did. Six years ago I left behind everything familiar to me. I moved across the Atlantic Ocean to start a new life in Canada. I adopted Calgary as my new home base. Shortly after getting my feet on the ground I bought a motorcycle, to explore Western Canada in style.

Canada has been called one of the most beautiful countries on earth, and I would have to agree. I fell in love with the exceptional things I saw and the remarkable people who crossed my path. Spending hundreds of hours on the road collecting images for this book has changed me. Photographing the stunning beauty of this country has made me feel more inspired than ever before. I�ve had close encounters with bears, roamed mountain roads lead by a pack of wolves, and I found many other little tiny wonders of nature. A View to Take Home is a celebration of life in Canada, in all it�s forms.

Today, I want to invite you to ride along with me as I explore the awe-inspiring beauty of Western Canadian provinces Alberta and British Columbia. Learn more about my journey and watch the video at www.viewtotakehome.com. This book has been about six years in the making, and it�s been a journey in itself making that dream come true.

The book is now available through www.viewtotakehome.com and in stock at Amazon. Books are shipped within 1-2 days and make a great gift.

The story behind the Lady in Red

October 25th, 2015

The story behind the Lady in Red

This image takes me back to Paris. It was late summer of 2011 and I went back to Europe for the first time after relocating to Canada a few years earlier. I had been to Paris many times before, and it�s one of those cities I�ve come to love. Now that sounds pretty exotic from a North American perspective, but keep in mind I grew up much closer to Paris them I am now. The ability to just get in a car and drive to Paris is one of the many great perks of living in the hustle and bustle of West Europe. The endless rain, never ending traffic congestion are a few others. But in deciding to leave all of that comfort and familiarity behind, it wasn�t the reasons that pushed me away from there that were most compelling. It was the reasons that pulled me towards change. My sense of adventure kicked in, and I wanted a change of scenery.

And so it all began. I packed my bags, and left home to never unpack them again. Before crossing the big pond we know as the Atlantic Ocean, I went on one more trip to Paris � just to say goodbye to a place I�ve visited so often. I never expected to return, thinking the distance would be too big to overcome with a new life, and new priorities. But Paris has a way of getting under your skin, and against all odds I managed to squeeze in a weekend in Paris on my first ever trip to visit the homeland. I still remember the afternoon I arrived in Paris once again, it was like a reunion with a long lost loved one you�d never imagine to see again. I had never been happier. I now understand what Gertrude Stein really meant when she said �America is my country, but Paris is my hometown�.

The Lady in Red is one of the photographs I took on that trip to Paris. It was just at an outdoor arts festival, in the beautiful Montmartre area, close to the Moulin Rouge and the Sacre Coeur. I just walked by the event, which featured several people in costume, and tried to capture some of it. Contrary to what most people believe, the photograph I took away from that precious experience is not posed, or edited afterwards. The result is the true shot as I saw it myself in real life. This photograph has become a personal favorite that makes the walls of my living room smile. Many other people have come to love it and continue to share their stories with me about how they are attracted by the emotion in the image. As Chris de Burgh said � �I never will forget the way you look tonight� my lady in red�.

My pictures, and in particular this one, carry an important invitation: to go see all the beauty this world has to offer for yourself. That�s what prompted me to write my book about the zen approach to travel. I now know Paris is just another place to go, and I�ve already been back since. Distance is more or less relative, and if you really want to go somewhere � you�ll get there sooner or later. Moving to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean literally turned my world perspective upside down. One of the things I took from this eye opener is that every destination I perceive to be �exclusive� or �exotic�, is �just another place to go�. The world is a huge place, but no matter where I decide to go next, it�s only a plane ride (or two) away. Bon voyage!



The Lady in Red is part of my 2015 fine art photography collection. Exclusive edition art works of this photograph are available through Creative Windmill Photography.

This post contains excerpts from travel book The Freedom Project and photography book A View to Take Home. Both titles are in stock on Amazon and at finer book retailers worldwide.

Living by Experience

October 25th, 2015

Living by Experience

I share a lot of my travels around the world as well as my journey in photographic art on my blog Living by Experience.

Living by Experience is a weekly Travel, Lifestyle and Photography Magazine. Living by Experience shares my story of living the dream and following my passions - not based on any particular model or structure, but by trying out and experiencing different things and see what sticks. Follow me and join me on my journey!

 

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