my story
&
my wish -and bucket list!
I've always been an 'artist'; as a kid my parents had to watch this one-woman- show every other Sunday. It started even before I could walk...
And as I grew, and my sister taught me how to walk (yes, I was too chubby to even lift up my feet) I started dancing and loved to play on stage. Years later, when I was 18, it brought me to Amsterdam. I auditioned for the ballet academy and got accepted!
Jump for joy, jump for joy!
I fell in love with the city, and still am! But after two years of almost 24/7 of dancing my body started to protest. To make a long story a little less long I was diagnosed with an injury in my spine so I had to quit. That turned my world upside down, my dream to dance with Madonna on a worldtour was instantly over. Ofcourse that summer was a very sad one but my dad used to tell us:
"no matter how bad it is, it tells or teaches you something".
Not really a simple quote to embrace but over the years it became my mantra,
I had to, because losing faith doesn't bring you anything.
So I decided to audition as a host on national television, 'the artist' needed a stage, the fun I had to entertain people was still there of course. So after some sessions with the language therapist, I come from the south of Holland, in other words with an accent that is not highly recommended when auditioning for a host, I became a tv-presentator.
I hosted several shows and programs,
traveled the world and felt on top of the world!
Worked with wonderful cameramen & women, who became my teachers when it comes to photography. I met the love of my life, who was besides a cameraman also a photographer.
The love we shared for 'nice sceneries' was immense.
Then, due to a tragic disease I had to say goodbye to him way too soon.
And even though I wanted see and feel my dad's creed as a mantra, this time it was quiet hard. But even in the darkest days you have a choice and even then, there is power within you. It's up to you if you listen to yourself, your body and your intuition.
The love for photography, pictures, an image is so big, that it feels that I have no choice then to just capture it and that feels darn good.
Sometime I feel as if it is a heritage. No matter if it's a human being, a flower, a random scenery, if it's captured in a way that it touches you, it is there to stay.
And that is what I intend to do; touch you.
Love, Stella
p.s. there is this thing I have with flowers.
Every Friday I put them in the spotlight on my social media.
If you want to receive some 'fresh flowers' every first Friday feel free to subscribe via the homepage and I will take care of the rest.
My bucket/wishlist
In random order:
-
see, smell & capture the lavender fields in the Provence
-
have coffee with Idris (Elba! What else...)
-
expose my work abroad, New York? That would be great!
-
eat sushi in Japan
-
paragliding
-
enjoying my heart out in New Zealand
-
holding a Leica M9 occasionally
-
attend in the Dutch-series Wie is de Mol?
Things I like & things I love
In random order:
-
coffee, good coffee!
-
evenings filled with friends, dinner & wine
-
Netflix
-
sushi
-
almost every movie from the master Quentin Tarantino
-
Wie is de Mol?
-
Italy
-
cremes, lotions, serums
-
a good massage
-
Amsterdam
-
flowers!