https://www.ilsekoks.com/about daily 0.75 2026-03-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/a65a712a-9f58-4a72-aa62-a1893acac843/Shadowlight20.jpg https://www.ilsekoks.com/contact daily 0.75 2025-11-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/da5c695c-8525-4615-84d6-41484bd13e6c/Shadowlight20-3.jpg https://www.ilsekoks.com/prints daily 0.75 2025-11-11 https://www.ilsekoks.com/artist-statement daily 0.75 2025-11-11 https://www.ilsekoks.com/portfolio daily 1.0 2026-03-30 https://www.ilsekoks.com/portfolio/project-one-ephnc-nhktj monthly 0.5 2026-03-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/0e014392-89f8-4601-adc6-a08159de46d9/chasing+motion1.jpg Portfolio - CHASING MOTION A red deer running through Richmond Park, with autumn ferns in warm brown-orange tones in the background. Captured at 1/15 sec with a panning motion to convey the movement and atmosphere of the moment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/89de3197-82d7-4893-82c4-175c1428d3e9/chasing+motion.jpg Portfolio - CHASING MOTION An African elephant moves through the landscape. Motion blur dissolves the elephant into layered shapes and textures, lending the photo a painterly, abstract impression. The iconic tusks, exaggerated by the movement, provide a visual anchor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/ad8e64db-66b6-4fbc-b8d2-e4918180afaa/website.jpg Portfolio - CHASING MOTION A European hare moving between open ground and vegetation. Motion blur emphasizes its movement and elongates its ears. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/15d72898-ed05-43a2-a1e4-f67a33fd4b38/chasing+motion-5.jpg Portfolio - CHASING MOTION A red squirrel captured at 1/10 sec using panning to follow its movement. The slow shutter transforms the motion into a painterly scene, as the squirrel’s reflection stretches across the water and its tail seems to detach. An unexpected, artistic twist that conveys both energy and speed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/bde5b142-14d5-4ab8-94ed-13eb9c29c45c/Chasing+Motion-8.jpg Portfolio - CHASING MOTION Two fallow deer clashing antlers during the autumn rut, when males compete for dominance. Using a slow shutter speed and following their movement, the motion blur conveys the force and intensity of the encounter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/f863e297-cf1c-41e5-9eeb-f91c97a38618/Chasing+Motion.jpg Portfolio - CHASING MOTION As the flock of starlings passed during the golden hour, I used a slow shutter speed and followed a single starling in flight. Matching its speed, the starling remained sharp while the others blurred into motion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/3e0c5bae-a22a-41a1-8d85-8b01abc0b1b0/Chasing+Motion-3.jpg Portfolio - CHASING MOTION This Purple Sandpiper was moving fast along the pier. I used a slow shutter speed and followed the bird with my camera. By moving at the same speed, the bird stayed sharp while the background turned into motion lines. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/52cd65c6-76a3-4492-b9f0-3329c7f066a7/Chasing+Motion-6.jpg Portfolio - CHASING MOTION A coyote moves along the snow-covered forest edge. Motion blur emphasizes its movement through the winter landscape. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/8dac637a-210d-469d-a6df-b35137504d4b/chasing+motion-8.jpg Portfolio - CHASING MOTION The warm light and slow shutter speed combine to reveal the rhythm and fluidity of the starlings’ synchronized flight. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/712a00fc-af91-4099-8926-1f4741f239e2/Chasing+Motion-10.jpg Portfolio - CHASING MOTION A Purple Sandpiper forages on the wet surface of a pier in IJmuiden, the Netherlands. Using a slow shutter speed and vertical camera movement, the bird dissolves into soft streaks, reflecting its constant movement. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/d51b0e02-502b-4615-8907-629eb7a1d39c/Chasing+Motion-2.jpg Portfolio - CHASING MOTION A Ruddy Turnstone runs across the algae-covered basalt blocks at the edge of the South Pier of IJmuiden, while waves break and water splashes upward. By using a slow shutter speed and following the bird during its movement, the turnstone remains sharply visible while the surroundings blur into streaks. This reveals the energy, motion, and rugged character of this dynamic coastal environment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/d03e83cd-d187-43c4-ae7e-f1cc116c3556/Chasing+Motion-4.jpg Portfolio - CHASING MOTION Four great egrets fly low over the water in the Caroni Swamp, Trinidad. A slow shutter speed shows their movement against the horizontal lines of the water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/fc59b1fa-18cf-4acd-91d1-d11af032e1b7/Chasing+Motion-7.jpg Portfolio - CHASING MOTION Silhouettes of common starlings in flight at the end of the day. Using a slow shutter speed, their movement becomes layered lines and shapes, forming an abstract pattern that reflects the collective rhythm of the flock. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/15d1499a-38a2-47b3-a059-f17af549aa3e/chasing+motion-10.jpg Portfolio - CHASING MOTION Greylag goose goslings running ahead while the adult follows behind as they cross a road toward nearby grassland. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/b52947f2-2627-474f-b836-534a3282676b/rhino.jpg Portfolio - CHASING MOTION A rhino captured at 1/5 sec while panning with its movement. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/fea843dc-2936-41ad-95c7-dc0afae8aec9/Chasing+Motion-5.jpg Portfolio - CHASING MOTION A great egret in flight over the Caroni Swamp in Trinidad. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/966f7d5e-54b8-4516-9a5d-22eefa45baa2/Chasing+Motion-9.jpg Portfolio - CHASING MOTION A cheetah moving through tall grass in Naboisho Conservancy, Kenya. Using a slow shutter speed, motion blur reflects the animal’s movement through its habitat. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/465ab754-d0f8-4629-a056-0f4f0ab99a11/Chasing+Motion-11.jpg Portfolio - CHASING MOTION Silhouettes of common starlings in flight at the end of the day. Using a slow shutter speed, their movement becomes layered lines and shapes, forming an abstract pattern that reflects the collective rhythm of the flock. https://www.ilsekoks.com/portfolio/project-one-ephnc-nhktj-tmb6f monthly 0.5 2026-03-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/050c0932-d12e-4cde-a64c-5236905f7b8e/chasing+motion1-4.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED Two cheetahs share a grooming moment, one gently licking the other with a tuft of fur caught on its tongue. A tender display of care and connection, highlighting the close bond between these predators in the wild. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/b7c4d826-36e1-4cb1-8b08-9041ae2333e3/chasing+motion1.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED A leopard rests in the V of a fig tree, its spotted coat blending with the bark around it. Almost hidden in plain sight, it watches closely with sharp, focused eyes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/e768f3eb-76f7-4be8-8954-91b3b35f6cd7/chasing+motion1-6.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED Just before the day came to an end, this leopard appeared. Moving silently around the vehicle, the leopard looked me straight in the eyes, an unforgettable ending to the day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/51a1aafe-4703-4cac-a841-897d931d7985/chasing+motion1-5.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED As the day ended, a leopard stepped out from behind the bushes and looked straight at me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/1b8d995f-b172-446b-b584-f1e923a791a9/chasing+motion1-17.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED A lioness shakes her head after a rain shower, sending droplets flying in all directions. This natural behavior, known as “head shaking,” helps her dry off and refresh. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/5c758888-facd-4a44-9d85-e69e7614dd75/chasing+motion1-3.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED Partially concealed by the foliage, a cheetah locks eyes with the camera. Framed naturally by the leaves, this eye-level perspective creates a sense of intimacy, drawing the viewer into the moment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/821870aa-47c3-4762-8c15-7ad77cd8554b/chasing+motion1-10.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED Two male giraffes, engaged in “necking”, a display of strength and dominance where they swing their long necks in powerful, rhythmic movements. Small flies buzz around their heads, a familiar presence in the wild, drawn to the soft skin near their eyes and ears. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/5383454f-2251-476c-bb2d-e9ad4d8c942e/Connected-2.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED A juvenile pied avocet steps forward through still water, its reflection mirrored beneath it. By photographing at eye level, I was able to align with the bird’s perspective. Juvenile avocets are often found in shallow wetlands like this, where they learn to forage and gradually become independent. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/e6c4629e-dc1a-4fdc-9b8d-ef50a5a392ee/Connected-5.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED A Eurasian coot crosses a snow-covered wetland during heavy snowfall in the Netherlands. Reduced to a small dark form within an almost endless white landscape, the bird emphasizes the scale and stillness of the winter scene. Extended periods of snow like this have become increasingly rare here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/c6779557-80dd-4f7e-aa75-beb98c6105a9/website.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED In the false dawn, with a full moon completing its weary cycle, a male lion patrolled across the eastern quarter of Naboisho Conservancy, Kenya. Everything about his gait said he was ready for a long rest so we only had seconds to line up the frame with the ivory moon, acacia and alpha male. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/3c26b521-a7df-4761-930d-843abdae339e/chasing+motion1-16.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED A grackle pulling grubs from a rain-filled puddle in Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Toronto, Canada. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/fc5f8187-6229-46f1-a778-fad972cb9293/Connected-3.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED A Eurasian oystercatcher submerges its head while foraging on a tidal flat on the island of Düne, Germany. The translucent nictitating membrane sweeps across the eye, protecting it as the bird searches for prey beneath the surface. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/49ea6c36-fae5-43f1-90eb-110e81e1182a/chasing+motion1-8.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED An oystercatcher on the shoreline at the moment of catching its prey. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/b4c04279-850d-4313-a2d3-96b6575fdeab/Connected-4.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED A young pied avocet chick lifts an insect from the surface of shallow water in De Nieuwe Driemanspolder, the Netherlands. Droplets scatter from its bill, marking a brief moment during its early attempts at feeding independently. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/b9282486-3035-43f7-b46f-b6290597c6ad/Connected.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED A young avocet approaches its mother, ready to slip beneath her protective wing. The air was completely still, leaving the water as smooth as a mirror, perfectly reflecting the soft blue of the sky. The gentle evening light cast a warm glow on the avocets, illuminating this intimate moment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/f32912ec-284d-4d81-b489-2a235e7fe950/chasing+motion1-2.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED A Northern Gannet in extreme close-up, its piercing blue eye revealed as it peers through the soft, warm blur of another bird. A moment of stillness and focus, hidden in the warmth of the colony. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/62d91073-9f0f-4286-ab55-9980a52c2801/chasing+motion1-15.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED This is a close-up of a young Northern Gannet chick. Surrounded by its soft white down, it is safe and warm in its first weeks of life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/8cf8eaf7-40a9-493a-82cb-9563b7c95f3a/chasing+motion1-14.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED On Helgoland, a young gannet touches beaks with its parent. This gesture is part of their bonding and care, helping the chick grow strong until it can live on its own. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/a827fd15-82f9-4a85-bb39-4a117ff06a26/chasing+motion1-18.jpg Portfolio - CONNECTED This hummingbird repeatedly returned to the same plant, eventually pausing in the perfect position. A moment that combined patience, timing, and a little bit of luck. https://www.ilsekoks.com/portfolio/project-one-ephnc-nhktj-tmb6f-5t6dm monthly 0.5 2026-03-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/b132f5a1-18fa-440d-83d8-9d73738328ca/Shadowlight.jpg Portfolio - SHADOWLIGHT Two Northern Gannets share a quiet moment of connection during sunset, their silhouettes softly touching in the warm, fading light. These monogamous seabirds typically mate for life, forming strong pair bonds expressed through gentle physical contact. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/42af0b67-8e5b-423c-8681-5a2ec9fe298e/Shadowlight-11.jpg Portfolio - SHADOWLIGHT Two Northern Gannets share a quiet moment of connection during sunset, their silhouettes softly touching in the warm, fading light. These monogamous seabirds typically mate for life, forming strong pair bonds expressed through gentle physical contact. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/ff8f7a6c-0e1a-4fbb-9e31-4d66fd37cce4/Shadowlight-8.jpg Portfolio - SHADOWLIGHT A zebra in silhouette stands before the full moon, with streaks of clouds crossing the moon. The cloud stripes seem to echo the unseen stripes of the zebra, creating a striking and poetic scene. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/6207ad1d-6368-4d38-af78-9b022eb79e03/shadowlight2.jpg Portfolio - SHADOWLIGHT On a calm spring morning, low mist drifted over the water. A black-headed gull passed through the warm light, with soft silhouettes of reeds in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/43093764-8afd-4ced-ae94-a1bdf0982f2a/Shadowlight-2.jpg Portfolio - SHADOWLIGHT Starlings in flight at sunset over the Dutch landscape. The warm evening light paints the sky in shades of gold as the murmuration swirls above the windmill in perfect harmony. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/4baf68ce-5066-4b93-b936-c59addb538e4/Shadowlight-3.jpg Portfolio - SHADOWLIGHT Starlings flew past the windmill as a rain shower moved in. The turbulent weather painted the sky in warm, dramatic tones. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/0d56c44d-33d3-4a36-abd6-5f8c613dd669/Shadowlight-13.jpg Portfolio - SHADOWLIGHT A row of trees emerging through the morning mist at sunrise. The soft haze and warm light create a calm, almost dreamlike atmosphere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/1b463a38-3703-4846-8a52-98c5795ccb7e/Shadowlight-7.jpg Portfolio - SHADOWLIGHT At sunset, a lioness watches the Grant’s Gazelles on the horizon, their silhouettes standing out against the golden sky. The photo sparks curiosity about what will happen next. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/39e38177-dce6-498c-bb4f-9fadfd5de476/Shadowlight1.jpg Portfolio - SHADOWLIGHT A group of starlings sitting on the blade of a windmill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/a933f895-f226-4124-840d-4837820159a3/bird.jpg Portfolio - SHADOWLIGHT A group of starlings sitting on the blade of a windmill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/e91f9f60-fadd-4128-b699-4ba967bb9eb4/Shadowlight-15.jpg Portfolio - SHADOWLIGHT On a sunny beach, a flamingo bends its head down, its curved beak close to the sand. The light creates a clear shadow, perfectly reflecting its shape. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/9e05792d-e0c0-4634-863b-36b5e05d5d4a/crea.jpg Portfolio - SHADOWLIGHT In the early morning, an avocet stood in calm water as the rising sun turned the surface into liquid gold. Light, water, and the silhouette of the bird came together to create a striking, artistic impression of a Dutch wetland morning. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/538a7241-563d-4091-a99b-98525906a039/moon.jpg Portfolio - SHADOWLIGHT In the early morning, just before sunrise, a flock of birds flew across the sky in the Netherlands. As they passed the bright moon, one bird perfectly aligned with it, creating a striking silhouette. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/9e3aecea-c316-4065-a5c6-474aeda734ba/Shadowlight-17.jpg Portfolio - SHADOWLIGHT During sunset, a giraffe stood perfectly framed between the leaves, its silhouette against the colorful sky, with its head centered in the light breaking through the clouds. https://www.ilsekoks.com/portfolio/project-one-ephnc-nhktj-86ps9 monthly 0.5 2026-03-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/b7edad36-d8dd-45b9-a302-899ed46a3029/website-+een+terugkerend+vertrek.jpg Portfolio - A RECURRING DEPARTURE For five months, from August through December 2025, more than 55,000 starlings roosted every night in the reeds of the Hooge Boezem behind Haastrecht. Even before sunrise, the area was quiet, until the soft murmur of starlings gradually became audible. The chirping intensified and revealed where they were located in the reeds. Shortly afterward, the beating of thousands of wings could be heard as the starlings took off and then departed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/c9790d79-52ba-4586-b4e9-73970475f52e/website-+een+terugkerend+vertrek-2.jpg Portfolio - A RECURRING DEPARTURE Before sunset, the starlings returned from different directions to the Hooge Boezem behind Haastrecht. As a hot air balloon hovered above the landscape, the starlings passed by it. From this viewpoint, it seemed as though the flock was flying around the balloon, and one starling flew directly beneath the basket. Though in reality, this was simply a matter of perspective. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/adc77805-4a7a-4860-9081-15aed9d4b0a4/website-+een+terugkerend+vertrek-3.jpg Portfolio - A RECURRING DEPARTURE Above the Hooge Boezem behind Haastrecht, birds of prey are regularly active, including sparrowhawks, harriers, and occasionally a peregrine falcon. When a raptor appeared, unrest immediately arose within the flock, and the starlings remained in constant, alert motion. This made it clear how the flock responded to the presence of a hunter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/ea6a138e-b1ed-4a1e-afa4-7e569577d44f/website-+een+terugkerend+vertrek-4.jpg Portfolio - A RECURRING DEPARTURE As the flock flew above the Hooge Boezem behind Haastrecht, its formation constantly shifted under the influence of a nearby hunting raptor. It became clear how the starlings pulled together into a compact group and then spread out again, creating ever-changing patterns in the sky. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/6cc2a25a-eecb-423f-a93f-891a04601757/website-+een+terugkerend+vertrek-5.jpg Portfolio - A RECURRING DEPARTURE The starlings regularly settled on the blades of Windmill No. 6, the last of the seven mills that once drained the Hooge Boezem. By framing the image around a single blade, a graphic composition emerged in which the starlings were scattered across the windmill blade. Here, they rested briefly before continuing on toward the reeds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/01e704a1-8a03-4fb3-bee4-de5126787d19/website-+een+terugkerend+vertrek-6.jpg Portfolio - A RECURRING DEPARTURE At the edge of the reeds in the Hooge Boezem behind Haastrecht, I sat with my camera low to the ground to capture the starlings from the perspective of their roosting site. Reed stems formed a natural frame, with an opening in the center of the image. Because the flock moved differently above the reeds each evening, several attempts were needed. In the end, the flock flew precisely through the opening. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/14e9264a-a1ab-4f9c-923a-b774901924b8/website-+een+terugkerend+vertrek-7.jpg Portfolio - A RECURRING DEPARTURE Against the evening sky above the Hooge Boezem behind Haastrecht, the starlings appeared as silhouettes against the warm glow of the setting sun. By using a slower shutter speed and not fully freezing the motion, an image emerged in which form and movement came together. This revealed how the flock moved through the evening sky. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/a860867c-d052-4b38-ae4b-b6ddc19b698a/website-+een+terugkerend+vertrek-8.jpg Portfolio - A RECURRING DEPARTURE In the trees along the reeds of the Hooge Boezem behind Haastrecht, starlings often rested before diving into the reeds. By using a slower shutter speed, I captured both the stationary birds and the movement of incoming starlings. This revealed stillness and motion within a single image, as the last birds joined the group before they entered the reeds together. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69108eb377afd30ed032b977/774d09fe-2d72-41d0-b376-4014dbd9fd13/website-+een+terugkerend+vertrek-9.jpg Portfolio - A RECURRING DEPARTURE In the Hooge Boezem behind Haastrecht, I discovered that starlings sometimes departed in the morning from a different part of the reeds than where they had settled the evening before, suggesting that the flock had moved later on. For this reason, I often remained after sunset, usually in vain. Until this clear evening, when the flock shifted position and flew low over the reeds past my camera. A final movement before the recurring departure at sunrise begins again.