Crossing Europe's Crossings

Crossing Europe is a photo project made my dutch photographer Poike Stomps (Amsterdam) who covered 42 European Countries and took in each Capital City photo's of people Crossing the street on busy intersections trying to capture the city and the country each-self and discovering how Europe is based and seen with his own eyes. The photo's are showing the similarities and the differences and hopefully it makes you more aware how great big strange and special we are despite all the easy judgements we developed. I'm currently working on getting the project published in a photo book. If it is final I'll proudly scream out the date. If you have ideas or are interested in participating or if you have extra funding to speed up the proces, don't hesitate to contact me. [email protected] 42 Crossing photo's of 42 European Capital Cities by Dutch Photographer Poike Stomps.

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My first book "Crossing Europe" will be presented at the Photo Festival Paris Photo from November 12 until 15 in Paris.

On Unseen Photo Fair in Amsterdam, September 18 until 20 I'll show a luxury dummy for inspection at the Book Market. There is also the opportunity to subscribe at a discounted price. From now on this can also be done by email and it will possible until 20 September 2015.

An impression of the front book cover "Crossing Europe" Order the book here! I can proudly tell you that my book "Crossing Europe" is now about to appear. For my project I photographed busy intersections in 42 European capitals. Years of intensive work led to a concrete result, a large format book. It has been like a real discovery trip, but all the bumps have been taken. Now I can finally present my book to all my sponsors, supporters, followers and other interested parties.

A hand made luxury dummy will already be available for inspection at: "Unseen Photo Fair" from 18 t / m 20 September 2015 in Amsterdam. (in the Book Market). Here you will also have the opportunity to order the book at a reduced price.

The actual presentation will take place at: Photo Festival "Paris Photo" 12 t / m 15 November 2015 in Paris. For visitors to this festival the book is available there. (more info soon)

After "Paris Photo" I'll organize an additional presentation in Amsterdam. I hope to meet many of you your there, to hand over your copy personally. More information will follow later. But of course your copy can also be sent to you, anywhere in the world. Please read the information below.

Specifications   Design: Kummer & Herrman Photography: Poike Stomps 44 photographs, 8 spreads with maps and texts Introduction: Poike Stomps Contribution of Tomas Vanheste, journalist  at De Correspondent Translation and correction: Cecily Layzell, Erica Moore and Marianne Beuken Print: Die Keure Size: 27 x 32 cm portrait, hardcover Contents: 120 pages Edition: 1,500 copies ISBN No: 978-90-824261-0-6 Language: English

Sales and Pre-ordering Pre-sale via the Internet has started and runs until 20 September 2015. During this time you can order the book at a reduced prize: € 39.90 instead of € 44.90. And your name wil be mentioned in the book. The payment can be done via these pay-links on my website. And do not forget to send me an email [email protected] with your home address, so I will know where to send the book.

You can also choose to transfer the amount directly to my bank account at: NL16ABNA 0418490767 quoting: "Publication Crossing Europe" There is an additional charge for postage: € 5.95 in the Netherlands. Presale at 39.90 + 5.95 = € 45.85 After presale: 44.90 + 5.95 = € 50.85 Western Europe: 39,90 + 10,0 = € 49,90 For information about shipping to other countries, check my website: www.poike.nl I can send you an invoice it you prefer.

Special Edition The book Crossing Europe is also available in a special edition. Then you will receive the book together with a photo print of your choice: Glued on dibond and framed. Format: 40 x 60 cm. Five prints in the book are in different size: 40 x 50 cm. This applies to Amsterdam, Berlin, Madrid, London, Paris. The Special Edition prints have a limited edition series of three pieces and can only be elected three times. The choice is determined by the moment of your registration/order. Each Special Edition is numbered and signed. An example of a photo print is available for review at Unseen. Price: € 499, - (after the pre-sale period € 550, -) Note: All prices are 6% VAT inclusive . When you are interested in a Special Edition please email me: [email protected]

Please don't hesitate to forward this email to friends, acquaintances and other interested parties.

Have A Nice Day! I hope to see our paths will cross.

Poike Stomps

Share Tweet Forward Pin Share Copyright Poike Stomps © 2015 Poike Stomps Fotografie. All rights reserved.

My mailing address is: [email protected] www.poike.nl Poike Stomps Fotografie Bloys van Treslongstraat 22-3 1056XB Amsterdam, The Netherlands [phone]

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Book in sight!

To all the followers, supporteres and friends of the project Crossing Europe. Finally an update. I overcome all the delay, and distracting moments of the past 1,5 year. A year ago it was nearly finished but I had to take a break. Get some distance of it all. But I have good news. The book is getting more and more to his final design. Some of you have already seen a glimpse. Me and my designers are working hard to get the book ready in time, yes September 2015.. Soon I will show a mockup online so you can have a look how the book will appear in the open finally. I hope it is all worth waiting for.

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UPDATE! Working hard on the Book again, Its a whole new creative process. More info very soon. The goal is to show it to you all at Unseen Photo Fair in Amsterdam starting at 18 Sept 2015.

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I’m Proud to tell you that my photo book will be presented during the Unseen Photo Fair in Amsterdam from 18/ 21 September 2015

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A long awaited update: Prints the Book and my beloved Dad. In my European shirt with my International crossings at a huge Bank/ Insurance office in Amsterdam who has offices in 16 other countries in Europe. Some prints are made for some special donators and will be delivered to them shortly. 

The book design if finally starting and more plans will be announce soon! I decided to make my book a little bit more complex, since i will put in a few of the 42 postcards I send to my father from all the Capitals visited.

My great father and friend past away 20-03-2014 after many many years of Alzheimer's. My life completly changed but I will honor Barend to make and even nicer book since he was such a huge part of this project too.

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This is Kiev also, I can't choose witch photo to use as a final image for Crossing. This is even harder because Ukraine is on my mind  and even more since the last 2 months. We all know things are changing fast but I can understand one thing for sure: 'The hope for a nice Summer' is clearly not only my hope!

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Where was my focus? This is the final chosen photo of Warsaw of course. No rainy shots in may, sun suits the city more and so do the people on this street on this moment. Nothing seems about to happen. It is seconds before the only accident happened during the whole trip. The girl was slightly hit by a distracted car, she most likely broke here ankle cause i still hear the sound of the crack. Of course I stopped taking photo's, I helped her,  and her mobile phone landed in front of my feet. No other car crashes happend in front of my eyes while shooting on the streets, no further injuries. I still have to say Europe street's are a safe place.

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Although Crossing is not on the real roads of Europe anymore, it does not mean that all the work has stopped. I’m working hard to get this in perspective, to organize a book and many different exhibition in hopefully a lot of countries.

And the final selection of all the photo’s changes every day. Today I finally got convinced by Zagreb.

More updates soon but I will also try to keep some secrets for when it’s out there in Europe and further! Ow and in the last months 5 out of my 22 posted postcards out of Tirana finally arrived. Only 17 to arrive one day hopefully.

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A small sneak peek of all 42 cities. That's all Europe, more information soon. all images are © protected by Poike Stomps 

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Country nr. 40 was Kosovo. The capital city of Pristina gave me 294 photo's in a day and it is still so hard to choose which one is best... It could be this one or ... Besides the difficult choice I have to make there is a lot to say about Kosovo, about the money going in, about the EU, about how friendly the people are, or about how it should be. Sometimes I feel that I'm not in the position to discus whats should be done. This day I just enjoyed it here. I hope you see the photo's a made today. It is my little attempt to come a little closer and see how much we are alike.

Nice fact while I am counting: I work on a short timing, most pictures where shot on red light second 73 en 71. This one is in between. All made possible in Pristina by my great assistant Habip Hakareti who also assisted Bert Teunissen a while ago. An other proof Europe is getting smaller.  

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Useful facts or not... I made it home safe and healthy and in the last city of Tirana this man on the photo made me celebrate with him. Birra Mirra - Gëzuar!! After this great year of traveling and shooting I arrived home with lots of photo's and also a lot of facts and number because I created this excel-sheet to keep it all well-ordered and not to forget most of the details, names locations and number of people who got involved in this social media Europe. It is also an extra logbook next to my journal. 

Well here some of them. It took at least 482 AA batteries to do this project in 42 capital cities.

Besides this I used 2 Canon flashes, 2 packs of Lumedyne ( who died of age),  1 Elinchrom Range Quadra pack (still working good) and 1 old Metz flash (who died to). 1 Mamiya 7 II and 1 Canon camera ( gladly they both work still but they are very worn out.) 1 set of pocket wizard's, a pack of Elinchrom skyport and many plugs and cables for the 2 Godox propac, computer and flashes.

My 5 external hard drives, studio computer and my laptop are all FULL now. And this is only my gear, not to talk about the pairs of shoes I killed, my worn out clothes and jackets, my damages back and my burned skin and 8 pairs of cheap sunglasses. I am still counting how many pictures I made, but I'll might keep this as a secret to myself ! At the moment I am working on the final selection. In some cities that is a difficult job with so many great options but a little step back does usually the trick !

Counting continues. I used a car 4 times, a camper 1 time, I hitchhiked 1 journey with wouter, made 3 ferry trips, 1 long taxi ride,(because there isn't other transportation possible between Podgorica end Albania), and had 26 short taxi trips, 18 airport busses to the center of cities. 11 train journeys took me to 9 countries and back (including a very hot one like 46 degrees celsius ) 10 bus routes ( sometime very dangerous and many at nig

ht time) and yes yes shame shame shame on me, I made 57 plane flights, but thats also because I did it on a low budget and some european cities are hard to reach. I tried to make it up and compensate. In most cities I didn't use the public transport but walked. I walked about 2500 km, on average 15 km every day, 4 days per city and that makes 60 km per city x 42 makes 2520 Kilometers. And yes I know I have been using to many batteries. They are all in the recycle process or still ticking as the motor of my assistants clocks because most of them I gave away so that didn't have to trow it in the bin. I'll try to make my book a little green and next year I'll do most with my bicycle again. I'll stop eating meet for one year to compensate. Endless counting.

107 assistants helped me with orientation, interpreting guiding and with photography by protecting me from traffic, fools and language difficulties. They all where more then my moveable tripod holding my bright flash.  It also means my backpack has absorbed a lot of different sweat from all those hard working great enthusiastic people. Besides this assisting jobs they were also 

good company and very helpful to show me where the nice places for a lunch coffee or beer were. I would have never find those local cuisines otherwise. Oh one other fact and 73 assistants smoked out of those 107. Not me, only some of my flashes smoked every now and then. About those batteries again, those 482 batteries weight in total 11,7 kilogram. Now I really sound bad, again.. More numbers will come. The total covered  kilometers for example.  

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Safe the best for lest ! Almost done. Safe the best for lest. I can’t believe it stops so soon. I’m gonna miss this way of living, traveling, having my camera always around my neck. 

Soon the fun part starts, finding fundings to publish my first book. All types of help are welcome of course. Perhaps you have the right connection/ person to talk to ? First i’ll concentrate on Tirana, and I better pay attention to the traffic because YES it is specific here, the whole street is a zebra here, without lines.  Crossing fingers !

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21 September 2012, Copenhagen- København (Koopmanshaven), is a city where you could meet people you met before in other travels.  In a short few days I meet a friend from Denmark who I encountered in Svalbard, friends from the Faroer Islands, and people from Iceland on an earlier Crossing expedition. I just missed out on a meeting with a Swedish friend and former school mate Linda-Maria Birbeck, I hope you recover soon, w'll find an other project to work together one day. The project attracts attention more and more, not only online, but on the streets to. A Dutch HKU student yelled my name on the street, Hey "Poike, are you doing this Intersection project in Europe", "Yes I am working on it now", she unfortunately had to follow her group of friend. (she is not on this picture) I do not know here name, but contact me if you can, I got a nice photo for you.

Wow Europe is small and especially here, on this strategic geographical location in Scandinavia. A real crossroads or should I say Crossing. I just made this picture hours for the rain came in, autumn has arrived in the northern part of Europe. I guess the person with the laptop does not try to search for Wifi internet while it rains like it does now. Thank you Veronika Vidø Abrahamsen for your great assistance and Vibe Aarøe Drostgaard for connection and the coffee at Kaffe Kunsten.  Would it be nice weather in the south of the Balkan now?

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The Balkan has it all and they played a huge role in European history.  It is for many of us still a little bit an unknown area of Europe. But don't be scared of it, it is a very wonderful place and people welcome you with a least two open arms. On this picture we see the capital city of Serbia: Belgrade. On my trip to the north side of the Balkan I visited Ljubljana, Zagreb and Sarajevo to. All with their own stories and special encounters. I loved it there and I will be back to to cover the south part of this region of Europe.  More to follow soon. Now of to Copenhagen, preparing for autumn  

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36 Done 6 To Do 

My and Crossing's first taste of the Balkan was a very welcome and interesting one. I just came back from my first trip there, but still have 4 countries to go to in that region. Most of us don't know the area so well so here is a little bit of help of Wikipedia. Now days former Yugoslavia counts 7 countries. 

But let's not forget Albania to.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Former_Yugoslavia_2008.PNG

A crossing photo will follow soon. Which one do you prefer to see already:

Ljubljana, Zagreb, Sarajevo or Belgrade?

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The capital of Ukraine is Kiev. Ukraine is a country with a population of about 50 million and in size to compare with France. Kiev is located in the middle of northern Ukraine. The city is cut in half by the river Dnjepr. Also the Desna river flows through Kiev. The landscape, particularly on the right bank of the Dnjepr is green, with a lot of forest and hills, small rivers and ravines. Kiev has an area of 836 km ² and around 2.7 million inhabitants. It is one of the unknown area of Europe, but Euro2012 did a lot of good and more tourist are finding their way to Ukraine. I liked my days in the city a lot, found within a day 4 different assistants al very enthousiastic and proud of their country and they really liked hearing that the women are very beautiful here. And I can confessed easily: yes they are. They women are always in a rivalry with each other since there is such a big concurrence. In Ukraine women 'usually' dress up to buy a loaf of bread or a ice-cream, you never know who you'll might meet, It could be the man of your dreams... or maybe you walk in the streets where this crazy dutch photographer is showing us to the world!   

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Time for an update: Where did I go after posting the crossing photo from Ankara. I went to Vienna, Bratislava, Bucharest, Sofia, Chisinau, Minsk and Kiev. It's such a nice experience, I'm learning so much about Europeans, about countries, languages and cultures, seeing rare specific habits in all cities, but also seeing a lot of similar behaving, brands, banks, drinks/food and women in dresses. Some of these things are visible in the photo's, at least I hope so. One thing in all these places was all the same and I heard it is a bad summer in Holland, well not is these Cities of Europe: It's usually hot here.

Ljubljana is going to be the next city where the temperature are hot as well. The search of crossings continues to Zagreb and is followed by Sarajevo end Belgrade. The next few trips will go to Bern, Podgorica, Skopje, Tirana, Pristina and Copenhagen. Thanks for making it all possible followers, donators, assistants, Voordekunst and friends! Can you guess where this photo is been taken?