Just enjoy visiting epic places and creating epic images!
Albert Dros is a Dutch photographer who is addicted to landscape photography and capturing the beauty of the world. His work has been published on some of the world’s biggest media channels, such as Time, Huffington Post, Daily Mail, National Geographic and so on. He is also a Sony Global Ambassador of imaging. NiSi has the great pleasure of interviewing Albert about his creative journey.
Z for Zoe and A for Albert Dros
Z: Hello Albert, thanks for being with us here! Firstly, could you share us three random facts about you?
A: Sure! I really love cats and follow a lot of cat pages on Instagram. 10 years ago I was a techno producer and I have some vinyl out. When I was about 15 years old I once was first on the world ranking ladder with the C&C game Tiberian Sun.
Taken with NiSi S5 + Landscape CPL
Z: I have read some of your interviews and it seems that the ‘photography fever’ in Hong Kong has inspired your passion for photography. Can you talk about what kind of culture that is? And what does it mean to you, to capture something with a camera?
A: When I was living in Hong Kong in 2012 I got really addicted to photography. I always say that that city really has ‘photography fever’. Basically everyone walks around with a camera. It’s really a culture. You can also find little labs everywhere and analogue photography is still really popular there. I guess this comes as no surprise. Hong Kong is an incredibly photogenic city with impressive skyscrapers, lots of interesting people to photograph on the streets on all the street markets, reflective neon lights everywhere, beautiful skylines and spectacular hiking areas around the city. There’s something for everyone. When I lived there I just wanted to capture everything I saw. I developed myself as a very all round photographer in the beginning. And even though you see mainly landscapes from me, I still love to photograph everything! I love when I capture a moment and see it years later, and it brings me right back to the moment when I captured it. It’s a memory that lasts forever.
Taken in Hong Kong
Z: What part of the creative process do you enjoy most? Do you have an idea of the final result when you are shooting, or do you prefer to improvise?
A: Really both. Sometimes I take the best shots when I least expect it. And sometimes I plan shots considering every little detail. This is also a creative process I really love. I can really dream for hours envisioning shots in my head. Sometimes I never succeed in capturing them, but if I do, the satisfaction level is very high.
Taken with NiSi S6 + Landscape CPL
Z: When did you start using NiSi filters and why?
A: I can’t remember that well. I think it was around 2014-2015. At that time almost no one knew NiSi as a brand. I liked that their filters were already very neutral at the time. That was not that common during these times, and most people were using Lee filters. I was always surprised that lee filters had quite a strong colour cast (at the time, not sure how it is now) and NiSi had next to zero. And I was surprised almost no one knew the brand. I met with Peter Wrong (NiSi Distributor) in Hong Kong at the Rainbow Camera Store. He gave me a bunch of filters and the new holders. Nowadays NiSi is very popular and a big brand amongst the filter business.
Taken with NiSi S6 + ND (6 Stops) + Landscape CPL
Z: Which NiSi products do you usually use in your work?
A: I currently use the S6 holder for the 12-24 Sony GM Lens, with the Landscape CPL and a 6 and 10 stop filter.
Taken with NiSi S5 + ND (6 Stops) + Landscape CPL
Z: Among all the photos you took with NiSi filters, which one is your favorite? What went into creating it?
A: I think my favorite image is this image from the Laguna Amarga Lake in front of the peaks of Torres Del Paine Patagonia. Only a simple polariser was used, but it just works so well to see the stones at the bottom of the completely still lake. I remember that morning very well. I was there with my tour group and despite Patagonia being often very windy, that morning was a rare morning with absolutely no wind at all. The lake was completely flat, reflecting the amazing backdrop. But the most amazing thing was the stones you could see at the bottom of the lake. The atmosphere was very calm and serene and I was happy to experience it with people on the tour, who all became friends.
Taken with NiSi holder + Landscape CPL
Z: What excites you the most about the future of photography? What do you find the most troubling?
A: I don’t see any trouble actually. I’m very positive minded. I’m excited to see what the future will bring in terms of technology. Technology is currently moving at a rapid pace. Things we consider normal now are completely outdated a few years from now. I really wonder how things will look like in 10-20 years. And yes, this excited me. I love innovation and I love new products. This is also why I liked NiSi from the start. They always innovate and come up with new products. Now they even released a lens!
Taken with NiSi S5 + Landscape CPL
Z: Is there any advice you would pass on to new photographers that you think could help them avoid some of the pitfalls you might have made growing in the medium?
A: Yes, the most important thing is to enjoy photography. I see way too many people ‘getting caught’ in the social media aspect, or trying to push too hard to do it professionally. That’s not the right approach. I remember when I started social media barely existed. I just enjoyed being outside and taking pictures. And that’s still the same thing. I just love photography.
Taken with NiSi S5 + Landscape CPL
Z: What’s your next step in 2021, photographically?
A: I don’t know yet. I have some plans but with the current situation it’s not that easy to plan ahead. But my plans are always simple: Visiting epic places and creating epic images! It never changes!
