Times of Oman - Picture perfect with aerial shoot - Jan 22 2012 by Swati Dasgupta
22 01 2012
Photo delight: Mirande has toiled for months, and now hopes to see her captured works in print soon. Her photographs express her discovery of nature’s varied hues. Above, Face in the Snow and below, Golden Eye.
MUSCAT: It’s all about taking photography to artistic heights, says Mirande Phernambucq, a well-known aerial photographer from the Netherlands who is currently on a visit to Oman. Though she is an all-round photographer, her speciality lies in aerial photography and is now compiling a book on it.
“This is my first visit to Oman, truly the land of beauty, and I must say that it seems that I have been here since ages,” says the exuberant photographer.
Having graduated from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, Mirande is the founder of a company called Horus Photography in Holland which takes up important projects from several clients including the Urban Planning for Regional Development Amsterdam, the Amsterdam Historical Museum, travel magazines and various other institutions.
Talking about her maiden visit to Oman, Mirande says that when her photographer friend who is a resident here, informed her about the official visit of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands to Oman she suddenly decided to come. “I came during the Queen’s visit as I wanted to meet crown prince Willem Alexander, who was also on a visit. I wanted to request him to write the foreword for my book,” she says.
Though Mirande could not meet the crown prince owing to his prior official engagements, she certainly has no regrets.
“It’s sad that I could not meet him but I would still say that my visit to Oman has been really fruitful. If I hadn’t come here I would not have known that such a picturesque land existed in this world. It’s beyond compare,” tells the photographer.
Speaking about her book that is still in its assemblage stage, Mirande says that the book would have aerial shots taken in Netherlands and all the photographs have water in it.
“That’s because our country is full of water. Most of the photographs I have taken is during the winter time and you can also see the dikes. Since the water in Holland is higher than the land, flood control is an important issue there and hence natural sand dunes and dikes, dams and floodgates prevent the water from flowing into the country.”
Mirande, who has toiled for months, hopes to see her captured work in print soon. “Aerial photography is certainly a visual delight but you need the eye of a bird to get it picture perfect,” The shutterbug, who has won several accolades for her work, feels that photographers should be abreast with all the aspects of the cameras and the features and it’s just not about going on clicking. She strongly feels that whether it is aerial photography or general, one should have a thorough knowledge of composition, background and lighting.
Mirande’s stint with aerial photography began in 1997 and her aerial photography is represented nationally by the Hollandse Hoogte Agency and internationally by the Altitude Agency of Yann Arthus Bertrand, based in Paris.
Are the landscapes of Oman interesting enough for aerial photography? Mesmerised by Oman’s natural beauty, Mirande says: “I have a deep desire to fly over Oman and take pictures of the deserts and the mountains.
“It would be completely different from the pictures that I have been taking in Netherlands. But I need to work out on the possibilities. It might not be feasible this time but I would surely look forward to be here soon.”
