My name is Leon Hermans, nice to meet you...



I was born in 1951 in the Dutch city of Eindhoven.
Meanwhile, however, I have lived for many years in the centre of Rotterdam, (too) far from nature.

As from my youth I have been photographing, starting with a simple Agfa box camera and then the more serious work like slr and medium format. However, as during the years my job demanded more and more of my time, photography moved slowly to the background. After having worked for many years as a scientist in the oil industry, around the turn of the century I decided for a career switch, starting as a (nature) photographer.

In photography I am a self-taught man. As opposed to the rectangle that is more or less the standard in nature photography, I usually work with a square format. For me this gives a more “contemplative” view. It has its own intimacy and something of integrity. My aim is to bring the atmosphere experienced, when taking the picture, into my work; that’s my style and it fits in with my equipment. You won’t see much of animals in my photographs. Landscape, detail and “nature as art” are my favourite subjects.

It may sound old-fashioned in the digital age, however, I (still) work with film, hence without digital aid. For my style and choice of subjects, digital photography certainly would be an option, but for me at the moment it has not enough added value. That is also because I use a larger format, which enhances the amount of detail and the experience of ‘being there’, considerably, especially when projecting medium format slides.

For those of you interested in the equipment, I use Hasselblad cameras with lenses (and converters) from 38 to 500 mm.

As one of the few remaining, for my prints I use the durable, colour resistant, super-high gloss Cibachrome, nowadays named Ilfochrome Classic. It is processed in my own studio for the purpose of exhibitions and sale. I sell my photographs in a limited edition, either on aluminium or Reynobond© or put in a frame.

I am a member of the Dutch Natuurfotografengilde and CameraNatura. Since 2002 my work is shown at exhibitions.

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