This was an event that redefined insanity. In my eyes, the entire escapade is totally reckless yet at the same time, it’s entertaining and awe-inspiring to watch. I massively enjoyed my time at the Red Bull X Fighters in Dubai Marina recently.
I captured some unbelievable stunt work that more resembled aerobatics than motocross … think back flips, side flip, triple flips. Flipper at its best. Check out my favourites in this speedroll.
On BIG occasions we pack the flagship Hasselblad H4D 50, especially when size matters. Fifty megapixels in each individual frame makes for an insane amount of detail. For this shoot, we were filling up a 64m x 24m billboard so yes producing a substantial file was paramount.
We were shooting the new little red Skoda Fabia. I did some extensive location scouting and the rugged mountain backdrop is what matched the brand positioning best. I’m a strong believer in early morning light so subtracting the 1 ½ drive to get Read the full post >>
The Power of Dreaming I spent a great morning with friends seeing Robin Sharma speak at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. I’m a big fan of Robin’s work. In fact, his book, ‘The Monk that sold his Ferrari’ is what gave me the initial impetus to do what I do now. For that alone I am eternally grateful, because nothing beats making a career from what you love to do.
Last summer, I spent a wonderful few days in Toronto attending Sharma’s Entrepreneurial seminar. I did a great scribble post event here http://www.wouterkingmablog.com/?p=1. I guess my excitement proved contagious as this time, with Robin being only an hour or so drive away, we collected a crowd of nine and headed down to Abu Dhabi. A two-hour presentation was without doubt Read the full post >>
Rather than watching CNN news every morning > kick start your day with this inspiring work from LiveUnbound. Trully moving.
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it. You’ve gotta find what you love. And most important have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. STAY HUNGRY. STAY FOOLISH” Steve Jobs.
We Have No Limits from LiveUnbound on Vimeo.
Yes admittedly, my blog posts have been scant of late … but for very good reason! I’m currently existing in survival mode thanks to the marvelous new addition in the Kingma household … baby Chris. A true explorer already, in photography terms little Chris would be the Canon EF 55mm f/3,6L USM manual focus. Translated? In need of lots of TLC … or in Tim’s words, ‘a great portrait lens as he makes everyone smile.’
I’m delighted to welcome him into the world and am now a very proud dad of two awesome boys … Koen & Chris. I feel curious about how Read the full post >>
Valentines Day! An entire day dedicated to love (just like the other 364 in the year) More by coincidence than prior planning, it also turned out to be the day our new direct mailer campaign was delivered. I hoped Cupid’s arrow would reach far and wide, helping to spread our love for what we do.
Possibly far fetched but the idea was to have our artwork, a nice big poster, on the office wall of the key decision makers within the industry. Personally, I think it’s an awesome piece of promo work, perfectly personalised and inviting recipients to respond with a pre-paid reply card. It couldn’t be simpler … Read the full post >>
It was 5am on the second day of an awesome advertising campaign and PR shoot for the McLaren MP2 12C when the pieces finally started to fit together. It’s damn early, still pitch black and shivering cold, as we pitched up at the Bahrain Grand Prix Circuit. A shooting sequence was planned the night before and the car now awaited its return to the track, polished and gleaming to perfection.
Looking back at Adobe Lightroom (my photo editing software), I took the first picture at 6.10am. The sky was still a little too dark so I brought in some flash making the car pop out nicely. Sixteen minutes later and the magic really happened thanks to a pre-dawn sky that failed to disappoint. The next ten to fifteen minutes involved a hectic Read the full post >>
Next month, Dubai will have been called home for ten years. Wow … how time has flown! At the back end of some recent commercial photography assignments, I’ve managed to capture some stunning aerial cityscape imagery that I would love to share. If you live in the UAE and if you see it as a proud place to live and work, you will know that just ten years ago, little here existed.
Abu Dhabi Corniche
I find it fascinating how the more you work with a brand, the more intimate your understanding and appreciation becomes. One brand recently added to my list of favorites is Magnolia; a family run bakery hailing originally from New York.
They now have a stunning store in Bloomingdales at Dubai Mall. I love how they Read the full post >>
I don’t do many book reviews for a number of reasons. I buy more books than I can possibly read, those I start I rarely finish and I’m a damn slow reader. At the end of last year, my friend Don Mann sent me his latest book ‘Inside SEAL Team Six’. I’ve worked with Don and his wife Dawn on a number of occasions shooting their Primal Quest Adventure Race in the US. It’s a thrilling hard-core adventure race, classified as one of the toughest human endurance races in the world. Completing the Gobi March does in a way make me feel part of this unique clan of adventure seekers.
Christmas brings a downtime to the business so I tend to start the season with great intent to finish a (new) book. My choices this past Christmas were Andre Agassi’s Open, Steve Jobs Biography, Robin Sharma’s signed copy of The Leader who has no Title and Don’s aforementioned book. Not an easy pick. Most of them being biographies mean it’s like having a conversation with the author. Whilst flicking through Don’s book, I noticed lot’s of Read the full post >>
An annual highlight of my year is shooting the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon. This past weekend was the third year running. The event has got bigger and bigger, offering distances for all, from those who just want to give it a try to those who love a serious long course. For me, contrary to previous years when I was shooting from a helicopter, it was great to taste the actual atmosphere on the ground. This blog post takes a slightly different take from the norm, recording my day in chronological order.
02.00: The alarm goes off, or rather, I find myself waking one minute before the alarm goes off. With only 2.5 hours of sleep, shall I name the day a graveyard shift or one that follows a red eye flight? A giant yawn and a long shower follow and I’m into gear. Read the full post >>
These are home to eight years of mind maps, meeting notes, funny quotes and anecdotes, web links, contacts, late night thoughts and early morning notes. They are the output of my mind, from my brains left and right … my creative hub, my agendas, my to do lists … all blend together and become one.
We are swamped by today’s digital age, immersed in tapping away on our keyboards and staring at computer screens. I however, remain a firm fan of the written word, recoding things on a tangible object. A notebook is the ideal but anything goes be it store receipts, cinema tickets, parking fines or Read the full post >>
Being the 20-year anniversary of the Dubai Tennis Championship meant that some super cool promotional gig was inevitable. Seven years previous, they had Agassi and Federer playing a match on the rooftop heli pad of the iconic seven star Burj al Arab hotel. The imagery hit the world press with aplomb. Times have moved on now with Novak Djokovic taking pole position in international tennis rankings and a new angle was sought to create some buzz to mark the tournament’s 20th year.
The shoot tied in with VIP interviews on the helipad, followed by Djokovic and Federer spending some quality time together. The million-dollar question had to be what they were talking about. Was Roger sharing his Read the full post >>
My presence at this years Ras Al Khaimah half marathon was not on assignment but rather to support my dear friend Chris. I have no doubt he’d agree that I’m better at taking pictures than keeping his track clear.
Just before the water station at 15 kilometers, I went ahead on the bike to take some action shots of him coming through the checkpoint. Meantime, little did I know that Read the full post >>
Brrrrr. At minus 5c, this must have been the coldest I’ve been for a while. I was in Dubai’s iconic fridge aka Ski Dubai, shooting nine adventure ladies, testing gear for Rip Curl in preparation of an Arctic adventure next month.
Expedition leader Julie Lewis runs Mountain High, a company specialising in unique trips around the world with one single ingredient; the joy of Read the full post >>
I am amazingly proud of the team thanks to a great idea, a client who loves groundbreaking products and a team who more than delivered. What more could you want? What resulted was a Gold Award at the Middle East International Print Awards, a step up from the Silver awarded last year. Entrants came in from the Middle East, India and Levant with masses of great work.
A big thanks to the amazing group of people who made it happen. The benchmark has now been set and the only way is up …
WK.
How odd … the moment my camera came out of my bag, the wind kicked in like crazy. There I was with Karin, stunning in her wedding dress on the outskirts of the big dunes. We had only just talked about how nice and peaceful it was, a pristine quietness that starts to feel almost spiritual.
I had in mind three locations to nail this one shot Karin wanted to print in large for her new hubby. All good, we had a plan but as I said, no sooner that I opened my camera bag did the wind make itself known. Ladies in beautiful wedding dresses and expensive photo gear don’t handle sand storms Read the full post >>
The annual Wadi Bih run is a great gig comprising the perfect balance between sport and entertainment, social runners and competitive athletes. The 72km out and back course is generally run as a relay in mixed teams of five; I say generally as there are always a handful of hardy soloists.
Starting in the small Omani coastal town of Dibba, the first few kilometers of tarmac are fast replaced with a track leading into the mountains, followed by a dried wadi canyon with a kick ass hill at the end. An exhausted arrival at the top however, Read the full post >>
Organised by Gulf Photo Plus, the screening of James Nachtwey’s ‘War Photographer’ proved to be an eye-opening evening.
It’s a touching film about the life of a dedicated war photographer. Indeed if ever you find yourself wondering what it takes to deal with the emotional burdens that come hand in hand working in conflict or war-torn territories … if ever you wonder how a war photographer deals with maintaining some sanity amongst such insanity … if ever you want to find some meaning behind the words “take the express elevator to hell” … then this is the film to see. In fact, I recommend it full stop as a reality check to put some perspective into our every day lives.
James’ imagery is truly stunning with strong black and white story telling frames. He’s worked, among other places, in war zones throughout Africa and in areas of great social poverty around Asia. An interesting quote I picked up was Read the full post >>
Pulling off this PR shoot to promote the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship was, for my client, six years in the making. And last Tuesday, it finally came together. The world’s greatest player in the world’s greatest bunker.
I was first called in for a recce early January under the guise of the expert in dune photography … a nice sub to have, which pays dividends in these parts of the world but may render me homeless back in Europe. We met up at the amazing Qasr al Sarab resort in Liwa. Sitting on the border of the Empty Quarter, the landscape is vast, stunning and without fail awe-inspiring. I’ve shot here on many occasions yet it never Read the full post >>
New Year. Fresh thoughts. We’re very keen to get YOUR opinion on our blog and website. We strive to continually move forward, with giant leaps rather than small steps. Got an interesting subject you’d like us to talk about? We’re ready to take a beating … the crash helmets are on. There’s even a FREE poster up for grabs for the first 25 constructive suggestions so get your thinking caps on …
Wk
Now here’s a man with an extended working title … Gillette Local Hero. Being named so was a great acknowledgment to an awesome running gig never mind the pleasure of sharing the same hero status as past polar explorers, Everest conquerors and Iron man fanatics.
And then me with my humble 250k run! Life is bliss yet it passes us by at a pace we can hardly keep up with. Great things happen yet they’re fast stored at the back of our minds and are soon after forgotten. I recently did a quick Google search with my name and my Gobi race just to remind myself what a great experience it was. I continue to feel blessed with the support of Karin at Audi and the PR team at Greyling Momemtum in generating such extensive exposure for my chosen charity in Uganda. With feature spreads in Men’s Fitness, Four Man, Sports 360, various regional news papers and live on air, the PR value alone exceeds $US 40,000. And … thanks to my friend Anne’s consistent push, Read the full post >>
5.30am and I found myself running around Bastakiya with Victoria Leckie. Victoria is a local legend when it comes to running. She proudly promotes the three stripped fashion brand and has completed more than a few ultra distance races. I’d been keen to shoot some personal stuff in old Dubai for some time.
I’d shot some cultural stuff previously but no action-based imagery. After a recce the previous morning, I had a solid feel for the light, angles and workflow. Read the full post >>
Where to start? I’ve been blessed with a fast forward-moving year full or awesome projects and an abundance of fun. 2011 has had its fair share of challenges too but I’ve lived to tell the tales, managed to pay the bills and expanded the business by hiring a business manager. Danya joining the team has given me a new perspective of the business. She’s enabled me to look at my own imagery with a fresh pair of eyes, brings valuable experience on the production side (hence the transition from WK Photography to WK Productions) and together, we’ve worked hard to fine tune our branding and communication strategy.
An odd highlight perhaps, but I knew that I was very much alive and kicking when my insurance company increased my premium and changed the terms & conditions of my policy to exclude aerial photography and water damage. They had clearly been to my website and felt it appropriate to review the risk of such happening. My thanks go to AXA for acknowledging Read the full post >>
2012. Bring it on! I’ve just returned from an invigorating escape to the Hajar Mountains. After lacing up my red Salomon XT wings, I was all set for a solid 1.5 hour hike up the mountain towards a little ancient village. I packed light, taking only water, homemade sandwiches, my Stanley full of hot coffee and most importantly, my notepad. That’s all. No digital distractions. No noise.
Why? Because there’s no better way to clear the mind and seek some solitude … give me a few color pens, the fresh mountain air and some awesome views … and ideas will u Read the full post >>
Travels are great. They inspire and inject energy (despite an often exhausted return). When it comes to my travels, I jump at every given opportunity to include an element of art, design and architecture. We flew back to Europe for Christmas, taking the opportunity to spend time with family and friends back in Holland. Despite being hectic as ever, we did manage a mini visit to Maastricht … a chance to absorb the atmosphere on every street corner and enjoy some authentic food.
A particular highlight was a visit to Bonnefanten Museum where we were introduced to the work of Sol Lewit. Wow! We watched a short ‘making of’ movie of this great artist. I’ve just pulled these images off the web to share. His flow of lines, the intricate details, an immense simplicity that outshines the complexity … Read the full post >>
Life has a habit of throwing everyone the odd challenge, normally just when everything seems to be running so smoothly … a happy family, a great house, a fulfilling job, awesome travels …
And then there are times in life when the shit hits the fan. Big time. In this case, the shit happened on an otherwise regular Friday morning, a morning spent riding out with the boys in the desert, getting up to the usual tricks on dirt bikes. Then all of a sudden … BANG. Read the full post >>
On Tuesday 13th December, the boys rolled into town. As they entered Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, they could see the skyscrapers rise from the horizon as they made their steady 6km per hour camel-backed approach. Under police escort, they crossed the busy Maqta bridge towards the corniche, where the 44 day, 1,600km-long expedition finally drew to a close.
It has been an awesome journey that will remain forever etched on their memories. They have successfully relived Thesiger’s original adventure … same routes, same experiences, original companions, similar challenges … Read the full post >>
Some shoots come together. Other do not. I‘ve just returned from what was intended to be a unique caving expedition, shooting new content for the next Petzl catalogue. They’ve just launched a series of new head torches and I was keen to use them as light sources inside the cave, shooting ‘available’ light as an alternative to flash heads. In theory it’s easier to focus and build the shot as you move head torches around, creating great shadows as you go. The seventh hole is part of the Selma Cave Plateau, which also includes Majlis al Jins, the world’s second biggest cave and one that could accommodate 50 jumbo jets. Seventh hole is as special as it is unique.
Access alone is tricky, starting with an amazing 200 metre abseil through a crack into a huge chamber followed by Read the full post >>
The boys are getting closer to home. Al Ain, the garden city, from Dubai, is just a little over a 1½ hour drive. In his book, Thesiger referred to as Jebel Hafeet as a dominant mountain rock in the midst of the dunes.
A formal gathering was organised at the Jahili Fort involving two former companions of Thesiger himself, their names Salim bin Ghabaish and Salim bin Kabina.
