The Photographer

When he was a young boy Jaap de Bussy started taking pictures after his father showed him the book “Met andere ogen gezien” by Andreas Feiniger.  He was interested in the way an image can express his personal view of the world and he tried to avoid taking the common picture. Photography always kept his interest, both active and passive. Others would visit the church on their trips abroad in search of culture, but Jaap’s preference was to find the nearest photo museum or gallery and search inspiration and for knowledge, especially about the roots of so many photographers from the mid-20th century, that elevated the art of photography.

In 2013, after retiring from his lifelong career in the IT business, he enrolled in the Photo Academy in Amsterdam, to enrich his skills as a professional photographer. His development began as a portrait photographer and is now moving to a more social and documentary approach. His first book, called #1 was published in 2014. In 2017 he graduated and published his second book, called Vervreemding (Alienation). The third book, ’t Hof Ravestein – meer dan een tuin was published in 2021.

Jaap is working from his own studio located in Amsterdam as well as outside on location. He also works as an assistant for the famous portrait photographer Koos Breukel. In 2022, he set up a course for amateur photographers to extend their creativity and become more focused.

Besides making pictures, Jaap has a broad interest in the history of photography and he is regularly seen in museums and galleries. He is building on a collection of books about photographers as well as about the history and the philosophy of photography.