About Me
A little something about me.
My name is Rense. I’m a Dutch hobbyist photographer, born in 1967 and raised in
Franeker — a small town in the north of the Netherlands. I created everything you
see on this website, and on this page I’d like to tell you a little more about who
I am.
Growing up, I was a true outdoor kid. My parents had more than a few anxious
moments when their oldest son was nowhere to be found. Let’s just say they
weren’t looking in the right places.
Photography — A Lifelong Passion.
My love for photography started early. I began shooting with old Kodak cameras
and flash blocks — first in black and white, later in colour once colour film
became available.
At 17, I bought my first serious camera: a Minolta 300s. I was incredibly proud
of it. I went through roll after roll of film, photographing everything I could.
At some point, I even started developing my own film and making my own prints.
It was absolutely fantastic.
Aviation Photography — More Than Just a Hobby
Alongside nature photography and wildlife, military aviation photography is one
of my greatest passions — and that passion has a very personal story behind it.
At 20, I entered the selection process to become a helicopter pilot in the Royal
Netherlands Air Force (KLu). In the 1990s, the Netherlands chose to purchase the
Boeing AH-64 Apache, and new young aviators were needed. We started with a group
of over 1,500 candidates. Eventually, I made it into the final group of 20 — an
achievement I’m still proud of.
The final decision didn’t go my way when I was around 24–25 years old. Not
because of my abilities — when you reach that point, you know you belong there.
But choices had to be made, and I wasn’t one of the twelve selected. My world
fell apart, honestly.
Through my career in the offshore oil and gas industry, flying remained part of
my daily life — I regularly boarded a helicopter to reach work locations. But the
camera? That stayed in its bag.
Until I saw the light again.
A New Beginning — Back Behind the Lens
In 2016, I picked up photography again — and it felt like coming home.
That same year, I bought my first digital camera: the Nikon D7200. Blood crawls
where it can’t go, as they say. I was back in business. Later I expanded my kit
with the Fujifilm X-T3 and the Fujifilm X-H2.
Inspired by a friend, I started sharing my photos online. First through a simple
free webpage, and eventually through this very website with its own domain —
ShiftyNL Photography.
My main areas of focus as a Dutch nature and aviation photographer are:
• Aviation photography — with a special love for helicopters and military aircraft
• Nature photography and wildlife
• Close-up and macro photography
• Street photography
Every month I post a new photo on social media — you’ll find all my platforms in
the menu below. After a month, the photos are bundled into a gallery right here
on this site.
If you want to explore everything in one place, start with my overview page Photography Galleries Netherlands.
Aviation — Staying Close to the Sky
Over the years I’ve become a member of several organisations connected to Dutch military aviation.
The Dutch military has gone through enormous change — budget cuts and the sale of key assets made for a difficult period.
Fortunately, there has been renewed attention and investment in recent years, even though the reasons behind that are serious and tragic.
That’s me — at least a little bit.
I hope you enjoy the work displayed on this website. Feel free to come back and
have a look, or follow me on one of my social media platforms. You’ll find my
full galleries and portfolio via the links below.
If you’re new here, the galleries are the best place to start — they show my work month by month.
Take care!
**— Rense**