antwerpalan. Get yours at bighugelabs.com/flickr


The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. Marcel Proust

Once a correspondent of several major UK, US and Australian newspapers in Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, I am now settled in an Antwerp loft in a monumental building dating back to the 16th-century, which I use as a base for writing and photography and some fairly extensive travel.

What you will find here is a somewhat eclectic collection, a little bit like a bric-a-brac shop, where you are sure to see something that you enjoy, that amuses you, or may even strike a chord. I try to think "outside of the box" in much of my work, looking for the quirky side of life.

But please do not forget, no commercial use without my prior permission -- illegal usage will incur a penalty more painful than Miami Vice re-runs.

My 'workhorse' is a reliable Canon 300D with 18-55 and 90-300 lenses, plus a Canon Speedlite 550 EV (which I hate using as I do not like flash). Rarely used these days is my Nikon F601 (35-105 lens) -- as I am primarily a writer and find digital photography frees me up (a heresy according to friends who have yet to convert their darkrooms into wine cellars).

All the photos in this growing portfolio have been taken by me during my travels, or while exploring the lesser known parts of the city in which I live. Some are recent, others are gradually being hauled out of my computer files and loaded on Flickr.

One of the hardest things about photography is understanding that your work is not about how you see it, but how it is perceived by others. With that in mind, I welcome honest comments.

My philosophy : You lose, you smile, and you come back the next day. You win, you smile, you come back the next day.

On Twitter: @alaninantwerp



View my DNA at bighugelabs.com

antwerpalan's favorite photos from other Flickr members (170)

  • Going home by riopel2dali
  • Pat O'Briens on St. Peter's Street by 0zzie
  • By: Rodney Smith by Kelli Jo.
  • 7430 by .tyler. - Claudio Martella
  • . . . . . . . . . . . i c a n ' t s e e c l e a r by Charles Machado
  • Leaving The Vault by Zior_
  • checking out eBay by bunchadogs & susan [off for a couple days]
  • by riopel2dali
  • 5c. scars by © Tatiana Cardeal
  • is this where it ends? by brendan ó
  • watch your step by pirano Bob R
  • Foot Traffic by 0zzie
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Contacts (226)

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Testimonials (4)

  • view profile

    Voodoo Plastik says:

    "Alan is one of Flickrs finest... he has a very beautiful, unique and true way of capturing the world and the people in it.
    An amazingly talanted photographer whom I admire more than I can say and a wonderful person full of encouragement...
    Thank you for sharing your world with us, we are truely lucky!!!"

    22nd November, 2007

  • view profile

    iewa says:

    "I’ve found Alan´s photo stream occasionally and was fascinated by his creativity, clarity of vision and infinite enthusiasm he has. His deep pictures inspire me and get me motivated. Every photo is concentrated and has a sense. It seems Alan doesn’t upload images that have no significant message. He knows perfectly how to capture the essence of the moment that is expressed on his stream. People portraits are awesome! Alan´s every photo is a gallery-worthy work of art.
    It is an honour to have you in my contact, Alan. Keep on posting! P.S. that was such a surprise to see Lithuanian words, u have brightened my day:)"

    20th October, 2007

  • view profile

    Bob in Darwin says:

    "Alan is a creative person -- which is obvious from the photographs he
    > shares
    > in his growing portfolio, and his favourite shots from other photographers
    > around the world. I have known him for some time in his role as editor of
    > www.sellingdownun..., an online travel publication that reaches travel
    > agents and savvy travellers around the world. Strange, he does not have a
    > wide selection of shots from Australia on show (he often looks out for the
    > Blots on the Landscape, and adopts the warts-and-all approach). Having
    > said
    > that, I hope he spends more time in the Outback with his camera next time
    > he
    > drops by Down Under -- especially in the very photogenic Northern
    > Territory,
    > home of the king-size crocs.
    bob ib darwin"

    15th August, 2007

  • view profile

    CAMERAMIKE says:

    "Alan is first and foremost a writer, and his photography is just an extra
    way of expressing himself. He is very active in digital publishing, and
    edits an on-line magazine about travel in Australia that uses a nifty
    turn-the-page format.He has an entrepreneurial skill that has led to the launch of several successful publishing projects in the past, and he is currently working on producing a book, digital naturally, that shows some lesser known facets of the life around us. Alan has a strong eye for composition, and has learned a lot in his days in journalism about photo cropping. While most of his work is in colour these days, he is still a black-and-white freak."

    4th August, 2007

Joined:
July 2007
Hometown:
London
Currently:
Antwerp, Belgium
I am:
Male
Occupation:
Writer