Dolf Vermeulen aims his lens at an exciting range of natural subjects: mountains, animals, seascapes, forests, scenes from high above, even scenes from under water. The viewer might feel right away the photographer’s enthusiasm, a frisson of excitement in each shot, and an almost painterly approach to composition—planes of light and dark, surprising dollops and bands of colour, lots of motion—as the eye is sent first in one direction and then the other, the energy often continuing beyond the frame. This kind of work invites the viewer to notice and experience much more than just subject and scene.
That Dolf Vermeulen should have an expert eye so young isn’t very surprising. His mother, Marleen Vermeulen, is one of the Coast’s most beloved and well-known painters. Her large, realistic, detailed paintings of our forests and seascapes are collected around the world.
Dolf Vermeulen, too, is passionate about capturing our natural surroundings and about showing the human connection to these scenes. “Having that human element in a photo is a great tool to show the incredible scale of our natural environment here in BC. I think it also allows viewers to put themselves into the photo (or video), and this makes the scene a little more relatable.”
His commercial work also has a large scope, including a range of services such as tourism/outdoor/lifestyle, boats/yachting, architecture, real estate, product photography, and more. He identified a need for videography and has added that to his services, saying that although the learning curve has been steep, it has been rewarding.
What excites Vermeulen is exciting others. He strives to put the viewer there on the spot. “Any project where I can incorporate natural elements or a sense of adventure is one I’m stoked about! A good example is working within the boating industry with some incredible local companies like Jasper Marine and Coastal Craft. I strive to not only capture the product itself (the boat) but also to have the images communicate the incredible feeling we can all relate to when boating around in the beautiful waters that surround the Sunshine Coast.”
Vermeulen is grateful to the Sunshine Coast community for the support and enthusiasm he has experienced in starting his business.
Like for so many of us, travel has not been a possibility for Vermeulen for some time. He is sure to make the best of the situation. “I’ve chosen to see it as a wonderful opportunity to travel more locally and explore new areas of BC and Canada. We truly do live in one of the best spots in the world!”
