© Jasper Doest, Netherlands, 1st Place, Professional competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2019 Sony World Photography Awards

You are here

Blog listing
Blog

Q&A with 2019 Sony World Photography award winner Jasper Doest

Share
  • Facebook logo
  • Twitter logo

30 Apr 2019

We chatted with Jasper Doest, winner of the Natural World & Wildlife category in the Professional competition of the 2019 Sony World Photography Awards. His series Meet Bob can be found in the West Wing Galleries.

Congratulations on being awarded first place in the Natural World & Wildlife category in the 2019 Sony World Photography Awards. Your award-winning series features Bob, a Caribbean flamingo from the Dutch island of Curaçao. I believe there’s a funny story of how you and Bob came to meet?
My cousin Odette Doest is a veterinarian on the island of Curaçao. She contacted me to ask for photographic work to decorate the waiting room of her practice. She has this funny sense of humor and thought it would be nice to present photographs of polar bears, arctic seals and arctic foxes in a Caribbean veterinary practice, but I convinced her that she needed to show local wildlife in order for her clients to engage with the natural beauty that the island has to offer. She agreed, and I booked a ticket to Curaçao.

The day after my arrival a flamingo walked into my bedroom. The bird had crashed against the Hilton Hotel Curaçao the month before and although it had fully recovered, Odette recognised it wouldn’t be able to survive in the wild. So, she took him in, named him Bob and made him an ambassador of the conservation charity she runs to educate children about nature conservation and animal welfare on the island. 

"Immersing yourself in the natural world takes you into another time-dimension where you just have to accept that things do not happen the way you’d normally plan your day. "

Your series Meet Bob brings together heart-breaking wildlife photography and thought-provoking documentary of human life in Curaçao, a stunning mix that brings feels like a fresh, more narrative-based approach to wildlife photography. Did you begin with an idea or the narrative, or did it emerge through the shoot?
I just started to follow the bird in its new habitat. I think the narrative-based approach came naturally as I didn’t want it to be a series of funny photographs of a flamingo totally out of context. The humor is definitely a way to attract people to the story, but  I needed to explain the importance of what Bob and Odette were doing from a conservation standpoint and to show the difficult choices within wildlife rehabilitation as well. That was only possible by taking this documentary approach.


When watching a David Attenborough series, one wonders how much waiting must go into capturing the perfect shot in wildlife photography. What has been the most challenging shoot or subject you’ve photographed? And is there an animal that you’ve always wanted to shoot but haven’t had the chance to yet?
I always get many questions about patience. I don’t see it that way. Immersing yourself in the natural world takes you into another time-dimension where you just have to accept that things do not happen the way you’d normally plan your day. You’re not in control at all and you can only anticipate to what might happen anytime. If you’re able to accept then it becomes super exciting! And while you’re there, there are so many things happening that trigger your curiosity so it’s never boring.

"Once you have finished your edit, the next day you shuffle the pieces again and try to come up with a different version, using slightly different pieces. It’s like playing sudoku, where the numbers change every time."

At Somerset House we’re committed to developing the next generation of creative professionals, with our Creative Job Studio initiative opening up the talent housed within our building to young people. Do you have any advice for young photographers wanting to make a successful career in the field?
It’s exciting to see so much young talent these days, but it also makes it very challenging for them to make it in what can be a very competitive field. In the end, I think it all comes down to following your curiosity. Don’t copy what has been done –be curious and follow a path that provides answers and opens up new questions. That way you’re able to contribute something to the conversation, instead of repeating what has been said before. Having that intrinsic motivation will allow you to walk that extra mile without it taking too much effort.


We’ve been told that you find editing photos like playing sudoku. Sounds very relaxing. Could you explain to us your process once you’re back from a shoot? How do you sift through all the photos that you’ve taken, and how do you know once a project is completed?
It is … it’s fun to do, and I think it’s an important exercise for any photographer. Every story has its own essential elements, puzzle pieces you need in order to tell the story properly. Sometimes this is something you think of in advance, sometimes it comes afterwards. I try to create as many different versions of these essential puzzle pieces and once I’m back from a shoot I start to put the pieces together. Sometimes a piece doesn’t fit, and the story doesn’t really flow, and then you try to replace some of the pieces until it works. That doesn’t mean that is the perfect edit, I don’t think that exists. Once you have finished your edit, the next day you shuffle the pieces again and try to come up with a different version, using slightly different pieces. It’s like playing sudoku, where the numbers change every time.

And finally, how have you found exhibiting here at Somerset House?
It’s been a pleasure to present my cousin’s conservation work at Somerset House. Of course, Bob is the star of the story, but to me the story is also about an incredible woman who gives her life to rescue these animals. To her it ain’t nothing special as it is her daily life. However, it inspires other people to stand up and make a difference. Only through empathy we can initiate positive change and I’m most grateful for the fact that this was recognised by the jury this year.



 

BOOK NOW

The 2019 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition is open now until 6 May 2019

You Might Also Like