Photographer Profile: Karel Delvoye

Where are you based?

In 2006 we moved to Castricum, the Netherlands, it's a small village close to the beach. We bought an old house, which needed a lot of work. It is actually still a work in progress, but we are very happy here.

What's your preferred subject matter?

I mainly shoot athletics, tennis, soccer and rugby. As a sports photographer I work with a group of long-distance runners, which gives me a great opportunity to learn from the athletes themselves.

What first got you into photography?

After reading a book about ‘how to use a camera’ my father let me use his camera. At that time I was about 16 years old. 19 years later, keeping my job at Shell was difficult so I decided to start my own business and to study portrait photography. When Canon released the first EOS 1D, I sold all my Mamiya equipment and got into sports photography.

Are you a digital or film photographer?

I love digital; the quality is superb and with 10 frames a second you only have to concentrate on the action. With today’s computers and software you can work fast. Newspapers (they all have websites) want their pictures as soon as possible and with digital you can deliver pictures even at half time in a soccer match.

Where do you go to shoot and how do you prepare?

I mainly shoot in the Netherlands, about 60% athletics and the rest is soccer, tennis and rugby. I’m connected with the Netherlands Sports Journalists Association (NSP) and they provide me with a sport calendar and accreditation forms. Preparation depends on the sort of event... With soccer it’s always sitting on the sidelines with a long and short telelens and you have to deal with the restrictions of the clubs, but with athletics you can get closer and sometimes there is a motorcycle to use. Before every event I check the internet for information about the event and the weather forecast, be prepared.

What equipment do you use?

I work with professional Canon equipment; two bodies EOS 1D mark III and an EOS 5D. Most of the time I use the new 200 mm f/2.0L and the 400 mm f/2.8L, but also in my bag are the second edition of the 14mm f/2.8L, 16-35mm f/2.8L, 85mm f/1.2L and also two 580EX II flashlights. My studio lighting equipment is simple, only a Elinchrome Ranger battery and one flash head.

How does Pixaria fit into your workflow and what other tools do you use?

After using EOS Template for about three years the call for downloading high-res images gets louder. I have used Pixaria now for about 3 months; it is very flexible and easy to use. My website is simple and to let visitors know to which event I’m going to I had to add a event calendar. Aperture is the main software that I use to store, edit and send my pictures both on MacBook Pro and Mac Pro. If needed I can correct a pictures with Photoshop CS3.

What features do you like most about Pixaria?

I like its flexibility to create your own layout and display your pictures to the clients. Uploading is easy and with the new Java FTP also fast. Support is great, if you have problem, one email is all you need to do.

What has been your greatest achievement (in photography) to date?

What has been your greatest achievement (in photography) to date? I have made two wonderful trips with my father; one to Iceland and one to Spitsbergen. And both trips resulted in beautiful pictures, like a polar bear with two cubs dining. But when my photos were first published in the newspaper or used for advertising material I realized that I am a professional photographer.

What are your plans for the future?

Be even more creative during events, which should result in photos that stand out from regular sport photos.

Has your work ever been published?

Yes, many times. Work is published in Dutch newspapers, all sorts of (sport) magazines and business folders.

How is the internet changing your business?

As with digital photography I was one of the first to use the Internet, but over the last 6 years I've combined photography and the Internet as part of working for a photo agency. I've created a new Internet site, with Pixaria, recently and it now has a gallery available enabling clients to make a selection of pictures they want to buy and they happy with this function.