The 23 of 2020

The last day of 2020 is a good moment to look back at the last year and all the species I could add to my project. Because of the situation with the Corona virus, it has been a very difficult year for photographers and this was also the case for me. But fortunately this also had a positive effect; especially during the first lock-down in the spring, I didn’t have to reserve time for commercial work, because there wasn’t any , so I could work full-time on my project. This led to the most series I’ve ever done in one year, 23 different species or breeds.

A lot of mammals and insects

For the first time in three years, I was able to add new mammal species to the project. Mostly with the help of Kinderboerderij Klaverweide in Capelle aan den Ijssel. Between early March and July, I was able to, almost without any interruptions, photograph five different farm animals, a pygmy goat, a Dutch pied goat, a lamb of a Dutch spotted sheep, a Lakenvelder calf and two Kunekune piglets. I also added two new bird species to the project, a budgerigar and a Campbell duck. I photographed a lot of different insect species, a leaf insect, a laby bug, a few different butterfly species and some stick insects. The other new series are two new fish species, a gecko, a slug and an aquatic snail. Other highlights of 2020 were the publication of an article I’ve written about the project, together with some of the pictures in the German magazine ‘Amazonas’ and handing out school posters to all the schools in Zuidplas for the Culture award I won the year before.

Plans for 2021

I already have lots of plans for the coming year. Hopefully, I can start a new bird series of a Gouldian finch in the next couple of weeks/months and there have recently been some good contacts with the Dutch association of Bird breeders, so with a bit of luck this will lead to more cooperation with bird breeders in the future. I found some eggs in my garden, a couple of weeks ago. These could possibly be slug eggs. Hopefully they are of new species and not the same slug I photographed before. I’m also planning the photograph different dog breeds and hope to add some rodents and new butterflies to the project. An Axolotl salamander and a native toad species are also high on my wish-list.

I wish everyone a happy new year and a good and healthy 2021. Hopefully everything will get back to normal soon.

See you next year!