About Me

Hallo, I’m Coen! My name gets butchered more than the meat in a hotdog, don’t worry. If you need a hint, think of the cute domestic pig in NZ, the Kune-Kune. Originally from the Netherlands, I’ve called New Zealand home for over 20 years now. My passion for photography started early, inspired by a mother who loved capturing every moment and a father who always had the latest computer technology. That early exposure gave me a creative outlet I’ve carried through life. From photographing holidays and science projects to documenting my own travels and move to NZ. A few Weddings, and parties, with the occasional wildlife outing all adding to a crazy mixed IG account.

Find me in tags or accounts; Coeny or Coeny79

Today, photography is my hobby. My way to share stories and connect with others. I love teaching and inspiring through workshops at the Whangarei [PSNZ] Camera Club. My journey has taken me from sneaking box-cameras into festivals before smartphones were a thing to scoring backstage shots through cheeky comments on social media and brute persistence. Capturing emotion, especially in music, is what drives me, and that passion only grows stronger with every click.

I’m drawn to creative techniques like ICM and macro photography, and I’m now diving deeper into portraiture, learning to love the art of capturing people as much as places and capture the performances in detail that some miss during a wild show. Music is another big part of my life. My playlist is a mix of classic rock, nu-metal, EDM, and even some lounge, jazz, and blues. It’s the weirdest mix tape, but that’s what keeps me inspired.

I love that with a photo you can tell a story, almost make the viewer hear the environment and capture those short-lived emotions. My goals are simple: to enjoy this photography journey fully, capture more and capture better with each passing year, and build portfolios that become a record of the time we live in. Some photographers hate looking back at old work, but I admit a few of my older pictures are still among my best. If only we had the technology back-then that we have today!

“Capturing emotion, inspire by creativity, and create a 2D rhythm…one frame at a time!”