Project specs
Name: Stilte voor de storm (calmness before the storm)
Type: autonomous | commissioned
Location: Mediterranean Spanish coast
Gear: Yashica FX-3 + Carl Zeiss 50mm 1,4 + Kodak portra 800 film
Project description
While van-living in Spain I very quickly developed an admiration for the so-called chiringuitos; small beach bars that pop up on along the coast during the summer season. This admiration not only came from its aesthetic appeal but mainly from nostalgic feelings they gave me. Growing up in a beach town in the Netherlands I worked at the Dutch version of those chiringuitos – in this case called strandtenten – during high season. I loved a lot about that job and especially cherished the days where I was scheduled to open the bar in the morning. With a blanket of pre-dawn calmness wrapped around me I would open all doors and windows, de-sand the floors and tables and prepare the terrace for another steaming summer day to come. Gazing into the wideness of the still empty beach I found a lovely feeling of peace in the softness of the yet sun-less sky. In the still stacked beach-beds. The silence. In that calmness before the storm.
Creative process:
While basically based in Valencia there is a place out of town I love to go every now and then for a few days. Playa L’Olla. I’ve been there a handful of times and it never disappoints, this time however a beach bar was planted right in front of my usual parking spot. The spot that used to have an unobstructed ocean-view – one of the reasons it is a place I love to go every now and then for a few days. After swallowing the disappointment I decided to stay anyway and when I woke up the next morning there was a force that got me out of bed. Something restless, an unconscious curiosity maybe? When I stepped outside for a walk I noticed the empty beach bar, the stacked chairs, its sleepy vibe. It caught my attention and while at first I didn’t fully understand why, I soon realized what and why I started to feel for this cute looking chiringuito. When it all clicked I – as always – instantly felt the urge to capture it. An urge that made me set my alarm pre-sunrise for the next day. An urge that developed into a craving to create a whole series out of it. I started pinning all the chiringuitos along the coast on the route back to Valencia, and eventually ended up working on this project while driving all the way up to the border with France – before embarking on the journey back to the Netherlands.
Behind the scenes clip – click for video I absolutely adored this project, probably because I love being up before sunrise, where my surroundings and all it’s delicate sensory inputs feel completely for myself. Where the light is often magical and the air feels immaculate. I loved that I made an analogue series out of it, because what is there not to love about getting your hands on your most loved craft, first thing in the morning? I loved going for afternoon strolls after having driven to a new spot, to judge the new collection of chiringuitos and pick the one that I was going to capture the next morning. I loved the excitement and rush I got to start my days with, brought to me by the fact I only had a short window of time where there was enough light to shoot by hand on film. Right before the sun would pop above the horizon to deliver another bright and busy day.
