Meet the Press, Flanders Fields

As a New Zealander, I find the people of the Westhoek remarkable in the way that they care for the memory of the young commonwealth soldiers who died on the battlefields of Flanders Fields.

But there are also the experiences that these guardians of the past have given me over the last 5 years. I have met historians, guides, prime ministers, curators, actors, a director, Governor Generals, some remarkable military men and woman and truly lovely everyday Belgians too.

And then there are the days where I have looked up from my work in the press area and discovered I'm alongside the 'big boys' ...

I don't think we realise how many people there are behind the scenes. I hope to introduce you to some of these people in our exhibition.

Tot straks.

Hill 145… Vimy ridge

Dit beeld is een detail van het Canadian National Vimy Memorial ontworpen door Walter Seymour Allsward. Het beeld symboliseert de jonge natie Canada die rouwt over haar gevallenen.
De foto werd genomen met mijn Canon 5D MrkII – Lens 70-20-0 @73mm – f2,8 –1/50 – Iso200

This statue is part of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial designed by Walter Seymour Allsward. The statue symbolizes the young Canadian nation grieving over her soldiers killed in action.
The photograph was shot with my Canon 5D MrkII– Lens 70-20-0 @73mm – f2,8 –1/50 – Iso200

Sandy Evrard, Burgemeester Mesen

Sandy Evrard is mayor of Belgium's smallest city and the most popular mayor in Flanders, according to polls taken in November 2009. Not only that, the service offered by his personnel came in at number two in Flanders.

I returned to the Westhoek yesterday, just out of my three-month stint as documentary photographer in Berlin.

It's good to be back.

This image was taken using a Canon EOS 5D Mk II, with a Canon EF 70-200mm 1:4L lens.

Oude getuigen… Old witnesses...

Op vele van de militaire begraafplaatsen in Flanders Fields staan mastodonten van bomen.
Deze statige bomen hebben zeker al een respectabele ouderdom, en zijn als het ware stille getuigen van alle bezoekers die daar ooit gepasseerd zijn. Zij hebben ongetwijfeld met hun fluisterende takken en bladeren de vele opgevangen gesprekken verder gedragen in de wind.

De panoramafoto is een sectie uit een vol sferisch panorama. Ik gebruikte een Canon 40D met lens Tokina 12-24mm @12mm – f11 – 1/15 – iso125

On many of the military cemeteries in Flanders Fields you can see huge trees. These majestic trees have undoubtably reached a respectable age and are, as it were, silent witnesses of all visitors who passed by them. Undoubtedly their branches and leaves, whispering in the wind, have passed on the many overheard conversations.

This panoramic photograph is a section from a full spherical panorama. I used a Canon 40D with lens Tokina 12-24mm @12mm – f11 – 1/15 – iso125

Freddy Declerck

You meet some of the best people out on Flanders Fields and Freddy Declerck is surely one of them.

There's a long list of Westhoek people on that 'some of the nicest Belgians I know' list but over the years, I've taken so many photographs of Freddy, guiding people from all over the world across WW1 battlefields that it seemed like an idea to pop at least one photograph of him up here on the blog.

It makes you wonder… Je vraagt je af…

The new year has brought some sulky days so far. And wandering around in the Westhoek makes you wonder… how all these soldiers must have felt in weather like this… and often the “boys” were from very exotic countries… not used to the cold and the snow…

It makes me shiver..BRRRR.

Tot zover waren het in het nieuwe jaar maar wat sombere dagen. En terwijl je dan door de Westhoek trekt vraag je je af... hoe zouden die soldaten zich gevoeld hebben in zulk weer...dikwijls “jongens” uit zeer exotische landen... niet gewend aan koude of sneeuw...

Het geeft me rillingen...BRRRR.

The Royal Band of the Belgian Airforce, Flanders Fields