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20 Questions to... Michael Wehkamp

What goal did you set for yourself as a photographer?

Ha, Ha, well my first 'goal', is to reach as many people with my photography as possible, and with 188.000 portfolio views here at MuseCube (April'04-March'08, avr. of 128 views per day), I think I am on the right track... Also I like to be in the "Most Popular" list on a permanent basis (my highest 'ranking' so far is 6th on 31st of July), this espescially because this list is made, based on the quality of your portfolio, the opinion of the other members, etc.. Further more, I would like to win as much contests as I can and get as many pictures in the Spotlight Gallery... They've chosen 17 so far... :-)

From the year 2007 onwards, I will publish my own very handy Desktop-Calender. The second one, for 2008, is out (if you would like to receive one, just send me an e-mail :-)

If you would be a photograph, what would you be?

A yet to be developed one... I think that I have still a lot to learn.

When did you make your first photograph?

That must have been when I was around 8 or 9 years old. My father gave me my first camera, and thought me all about photography. When I was 12/13 years old I became a member of the junior photography club at the boarding school I was at the time. Learning more about black and white photography, dark rooms, developer, fixing and finishing a photograph. The tension when I developed my first own role of film... the disappointment because it off course failed... The miracle of seeing a picture beiing developed and come to life... In short, it was, and still is, a great hobby :-)

When did you shot your first nude picture?

I developed the first one around 1987 when I was working in a Studio as a black and white photo-laboratory assistant. It was shot by my colleague though. The first one I took myself was in april 2004, because I only started with model-photography when I bought my Nikon D70... It was a shooting with Noeska (off course you can still find her on this site :-)

Which photograph are you most proud of?

Really, really hard to choose, because I made so many good ones... (ahum :-) It’s a little bit like Sophie’s Choice I guess, but with lesser consequences. I have a few favourites and about seventeen of them you can see in the Spotlight gallery here at MuseCube.

What would you do with your last roll of film?

Actually I have one lying on my shelf for more then a year now... so I guess the correct answer is: “nothing” :-)

Which photographer do you admire?

I don’t know that many photographers, really. But I always liked the photographs of Paul Huf. Although our methods couldn’t have been more different :-)

I don't admire that many people any way. I guess the only one is my father! What he accomplised by the time he was my age, is way beyond me. Allready when he was 35 he had founded the biggest Mail-order company in the Netherlands ("Wehkamp"), he started that company in 1952 in being a succesful pioneer in direct-responds mailings, and in the sixties also introduced the phenomenon of "delay payments". After that he started to build and develop recreational parks, and by this time also that company is the biggest in its field in the Netherlands... Besides that, he was always a great father and thought me all about photography, so you might say that he is also the photographer I admire... :-)

How do you go about during a shooting then?

Which model would you like to work with most?

A well, since I was a kid, my all-time favourite model/actress was Nastassja Kinski, so if she ever will find herself to be in front of my camera, it would be a dream come true :-) I think that she is an example of how a woman can really flourish once a camera is pointed at her. In life she is only of an average beauty (I mean, just take a good look at her father and you understand :-), but once captured on film Nastassja can/could really make your heart turn...

Which model would you never work with?

Well I could, but will not mention names here. You might say that I don’t like the princesses; you know, the ones with an attitude. I mean, when you're a top-model then you perhaps (perhaps!) are entitled to have an attitude... but even then I will not work with such a model! It should feel like a privilege to work with each other, an attitude makes it one-sided!

What do you love about model photography?

I really love the interaction with the models. It’s always a pleasure to meet new people. But if on top of that, they are beautiful enough to be a model, it goes way beyond pleasure :-)

What do you hate about model photography?

Of all the shootings I have planned, at least 15% of the models didn’t show up at the right time, or not at all. I have rented boats and hotel rooms, sometimes in foreign countries, for nothing. All because the models involved didn’t have the decency to cancel or even explain. So you might say that I hate that!

How much are you getting paid and are you worth it?

Ha Ha, It’s all still only a hobby of mine, so a better question would be “How much are you paying the model, and is she worth it?” :-) I am looking for ways to combine my work (Print buying and Graphical Design) with my photography, but I haven’t succeeded yet...

What is the silliest thing you ever did... eh concerning photography that is?

That would be the nude shooting with Dafna in the middle of the town of old Schiedam. It was early in the morning, but there were already a few people on the street. Dafna was great. At one time an elderly couple who was enjoying the early morning sun on their balcony spotted us during the shooting, and pleasantly start talking to Dafna all across the other side of the canal we were standing next to... and all the time off course Dafna was totally naked :-)

As Monty Pighton used to say "And now for something completely different": What kind of music do you listen to in your car?

I am an apple fan since the early eighties. So when they came with the original iPod in 2001, I got one straightaway. I have my fifth version now :-) It is really great to have all of your music (and pictures and movies) in reach wherever you go. So I listen to all of my own music in the car, in shuffle-You-don’t-know-what’s-comming-but-you-know-it’s-good-mode :-) What kind of music? Very divers, from Mozart to Motown, from Latin Quarter to Leonard Cohen, from Opera to Ozzy and from The Beatles to Boudewijn de Groot.

You were saying earlier that photography wasn't your profession. What is it then?

I have my own company in which I provide my clients with the Graphical advice they need or ask for. So it is mostly about design and printing stuff like posters, flyers, books, magazines, (counter)displays, mailings, etc.. About half my time I do this work on my clients location (on a freelance basis), but also I service my own projects out of my own office. That's also why I would like to publish my own Calender someday, because it would combine my two passions "Graphical design" & "Photography" :-)

Two passion's you say. Do you have any other?

Well I am single right now, so that's about all the passions I have :-).

If you could change your career, what would you be doing?

I think I would be a writer. Yeah, you might say that is indeed my third passion! I like writing a lot, and I have a few published articles to show for it :-) So maybe, one day... a novel?

What was the last book you've read?

Let me think, that would have been “The Pension Grillpartzer” of John Irving. It was recently published in the Netherlands as a separate novel. I’ve already read it years ago, beiing a part off course of “The World According to Garp”, but I had to have this copy as well, Irving is one of my favourite writers :-) Some others are AJ Quinnell, James Patrick Hogan, James Clavell and Stephen King.

Finally, what should it say on your bariel gravestone?

... His last wish was to be cremated!