INTRO – We’ve been working with Ydwer van der Heide from Holland for several solid years. Constantly capable of finding new and unique angles where most can only recreate what’s gone before, it’s not surprising he’s had a stack of covers around the world and is in constant demand for private hire by the world’s best riders and their sponsors. We’re sure you’ll enjoy this interview and incredible selection of images that Ydwer has selected for our enjoyment here. 

I do a lot of work with Airush and they are always keen to experiment and try new stuff. For this photoshoot we attached flares to Alex’s board and captured it with a long exposure and filled it in with a flash. This shot was used for their product brochure cover that year

Alvaro Onieva and Forest Bakker got it touch while shooting their movie project “Color Your Life” in Brazil. This was a really fun project where they used different colours of 100% natural paint powder. I used a flash to kill the daylight completely in this shot

A couple of years ago I did a little road trip with a few riders to some spots north of Fortaleza in Brazil. This particular spot was a cool with the windmills in the background. The further north you go from here the windier it is. Here Bas throws one of his kite loops with a late back roll

We dragged a palmtree to the side of the lagoon and waited for the right moment at the end of the day. This is one of the first shots I took. We got the set up right!

Searching out new places with interesting backgrounds is always a big challenge in kiteboarding photography. This little lake next to a pickled onion factory was so gusty that it was almost impossible to ride. Fortunately Bas is always keen to giving it a go!

Bear Karry is a really fun rider to watch. His strapless airs make it look as if his feet are glued to the board. I like this spot a lot with the railway in the background

It doesn’t happen very often, but once in a while I’m able to drag an athlete out of his bed to get that magic moment of light. Johnno Scholte was one of them and it definitely paid off

Having such a massive lake just for just Youri and myself is a rare thing. I like the simplicity in this shot

This photo was shot during a big winterstorm in November. Standing on a big dyke which was prohibited in these conditions gave me an impressive backdrop of this industrial environment at Wijk aan Zee. What I really like about this shot is that it captures a windsurfer and a surfer as well, with Ruben Lenten of course being the main subject

We usually see Ruben Lenten doing massive kite loops in extremely windy conditions. On this evening we had a nice sunset and some good kickers. He can also do some impressive big flat tricks off those as well

I was invited as a photographer to capture the Kite Ride Bonaire event where some of the best riders in the world hit obstacles with lots of style. This shot shows Rick Jensen hitting the obstacle for the first time to test it

This is one of my favourite shots. Timing and positioning was crucial. I put pretty much put all my knowledge and experience that I’ve gained so far into this shot… and it earned a Kiteworld cover! 😉

It doesn’t matter if it’s waves, freestyle or big air, Kevin Langeree is probably the best all-round kiteboarder I know; a true waterman. In Cape Town you can witness the biggest jumps ever made. This shot was taken during a windy session where Kevin was pushing the limits while training to defend his Red Bull King of the Air title in 2015, the biggest kiteboard event of the year. It featured on the contents shot in Kiteworld issue #73

He’s almost thought of now as one of the Cape Town locals and is usually first in, last out. If you see a big spray, it’s most likely Kevin Langeree. He knows how to find and hit the spots on a wave that most people can only can dream of reaching

It was the last day of Sam Medysky’s trip to Cape Town and to get this shot we had to wait for the light and for the tide to drop. We literally shot it just before he had to go to the airport to catch his flight. I don’t think he even took a shower. I usually try to avoid having to much Table Mountain in the background. I like it here though, as it’s not too obvious

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in the northern part of The Netherlands.

Where do you live?
Good question hahaha, I don’t really know anymore. I still have a base in The Netherlands but this season I ended up spending most of the time in Cape Town. I don’t really like the winter back home, Cape Town has a nice vibe, good food and many things to do. During January and February it becomes the kiteboard capital of the world. For me a good place to be.

How old are you?
37

What was your first camera?
I started shooting my first photos with my dad’s camera. I think it was a Nikon F1.

What is your current camera set-up?
Trough the years I ended up with quite a heavy camera bag. Things I always take with me when I travel for a photo trip: Canon 5D MKIII and a Canon 5DMKII as a back-up. 15mm fish-eye, 24mm, 16-35mm, 50mm, 135mm, 70-200mm, 400mm and 1.4 extender. A sturdy Manfrotto tripod is a must for the long lenses. When I started using more flash into action sports photography I added a Elinchrom Quadra and later on also it’s bigger brother the Ranger for more power during daylight. A bunch of memory cards, battery packs and Pocket Wizards to fill up the gaps in the bag. My Aquatech warehousing fits my 5DMKIII and I have a lens port for pretty much all my lenses from fish-eye up to 200mm including a housing form a Canon 580EXII flash. To process my photos I use a MacBook Pro.

How did you get into photography?
Photography somehow came back to me a few times till I actually realized that this was the thing I wanted to do for the rest of my life. My dad played around with photography back in the days. He used to shoot black and white on a large format cameras and developed his own films. At high school we had some introduction classes where we developed and printed our own work in a dark room. This was a really cool thing to do and I think this was the time I got fascinated by capturing the right moment. After high school I finally made the decision to go on with photography. About one or two years later the next passion came into my life. I was always triggered by extreme sports and kiteboarding was the next step. I lived in a place with plenty water and wind. When I met Bas Koole, professional kiteboarder and one of my best mates right now, I stared combining both passions into what my life is now. I truly can say that my daily job is born out of passion.

When did you become a professional photographer?
It’s something that has been growing throughout the years. I know that there was a point where dedicated to it. After a while you have the feeling that you have enough experience to take certain job and that you can guarantee good work to customers. Not sure when I realized that I was a photographer. I don’t think it was after my studies, I’d rather think that it was after a few years and a few jobs.

When did you get into shooting kiting and how did it come about?
My first photo of a kiteboarder must have been around 2005. I know I started shooting a lot with Bas Koole around 2007. I remember the first photoshoot with him at our local spot. I was standing in the water with a camera I borrowed from someone. That was funny, if I look back at it, a lot of stuff could have gone wrong. From that point I was totally hooked with capturing kiteboarding. Bas is still a great rider in front of the camera and trough the years we learned a lot.

Can you remember the first shot you got published?
Not sure what the first shot was. I do remember my first cover on a Dutch kiteboarding magazine. Obviously it was with Bas throwing a kiteloop with a stylish late back roll. It was shot from the water in typical Dutch conditions.

Which is your favourite shot ever?
Trough the years I have a couple of favourite shots. An outstanding shot for me is one of the shots I took last year in Brazil during an Airush photoshoot. We shot it when it at night when it was pitch black, used flashes and moment the moment of the shot was very crucial. It also took a lot of effort from the rider (Oswald Smith). Taking off half a meter later or earlier made a big difference in the composition of the shot. I was happy to see the shot on the cover of Kiteworld #69.

Who is your favourite rider to shoot with and why?
Bas Koole is one of my favourite riders. It’s easy to shoot with him and he’s always in for some experimental stuff. As we worked together so many times, communicating with him is very easy. I like to shoot with people that are extremely passionated in what they do.

Where is your favourite place to shoot and why?
I don’t have one specific place. I’m always looking for new interesting spots.

Where is the most terrifying place you’ve ever shot?
I’m not getting scared to easy, but Mauritius gave me one of those moment I’d never forget. We were shooting in the waves from a boat, at a not well known spot 2km from the shore on an outside reef. An unexpected wave caught us and capsized the boat. All my gear was gone and we had to swim about an hour on open ocean just before sunset till we got rescued. This moment learned me a lot made me respect mother nature more than ever.

Do you have any advice for aspiring kiting photographers?
Do what you love to do. Know your gear and what it can do for you. Try new things and don’t be afraid to fail. Know your subject so you can anticipate. My biggest advantage is that I’m passionated about kiteboarding myself. If you wanted to do it professional, see it as a job. It’s not just shooting, it’s also running a business.

Ydwer is an all-round creative. Please visit his excellent website: www.ydwer.com