Before I started working on the film Portrait of Henk van Kooten I had already made several films about photographers. This was partly due to my own interest in photography and because it gives you the chance to "peek into the kitchen" and study the craftsmanship of a photographer.

In preparation for the film I went to Henk without preconceived ideas. I know that Henk has a passion for his trade and could tell me a lot about it. For me that is a prerequisite when making a film.

So I set out unprepared

I am at my best when I have to improvise: look at a situation and respond directly. This way there is very little room for doubt and for a film I want to use the situation to the fullest. This way you get a more natural film. I am not an advocate of doing something over again - it goes as it goes. If you repeat a shot it will always be different from before, and you see the despair on the faces. "How did I do it just now and what went wrong?" You can't help but worry that you will make the exact same mistake again.

Beforehand I always have a little chat with people to put them at ease. With a joke and an attitude of: I feel at home here and we are going to make something beautiful, it (nearly) always goes well.

I wanted to use the style of the photographer in my own work and that is just the job for me. It's a challenge for me to use creative photography, follow the movement and stay with the action. I listen carefully and let the camera follow the words. This is hard to do from a tripod. The tripod is a wonderful invention but it often limits your camera-movements. So I like to film handheld and fortunately I have a steady hand.

He doesn't do it all alone and that's why I thought it necessary to involve his wife in the film. They really work as a team to get the best result.

This holds promise

Because of this the film was shelved for two years.

Finally I did start editing. I chosen in this case to go for parallel editing. The one side of the story is Henk's vision (colour images) and on the other side there is his studio where everything is made (black and white images).

To finish with

Video and photography is my passion and my life.

Wherever I am, everything is caught in frames in my mind. To me the most beautiful thing on Earth is creating a tension within a framework. That can be achieved in several ways, for example through light, but also of course through composition and colour.

The movement makes it a fascinating whole.

- Ton van Kan