… the author
Well, Robin van der Peijl was born on the 2nd of September, 1980 in a small town (+/- 20.000) called Terneuzen. Which is in ‘Dutch Flanders’, which is in the province Zeeland (ever wondered where New Zealand got it’s name from?), which is in The Netherlands, which is in Europe. Get the picture? Since the last century (sounds cool huh? Actually: 1999) I am living in Eindhoven.

The reason for moving to Eindhoven was my study. I went to study electrical engineering, found out I don’t like electrical engineering and ‘bend’ my study as much to the commercial side as I could, resulting in a stretch of my 4 year study to 6 years and finally a bachelor degree ‘Commercial electrical engineer’. After that I decided to do what I like, which is organizing events and I started my own event company. With this company I did some nice events around a barbecue specialism - yes, barbecue! In the picture you see me firing up the barbecue in a not so professional, but oh so fun way. Typical case of: do not try this at home.

My interest in photography emerged about the same time I officially went into business with my company - around February 2006. With money of my company I bought a good ‘compact’ camera, the Sony DSC R1. I bought this camera figuring my company should have good pictures made of the events I was about to organize. After all an ‘event’ isn’t a well defined product so I’d best show my prospects what I’ve done, I decided. Hiring a professional photographer to do this would have cost me many times the price for a good ‘prosumer’ camera, so there you go. I started photography.

When a supposedly intermediate side-job turned sticky, my event company slowly moved to the background. Since May 2008 I’m with a Project Management Agency, basically still doing what I like best: organizing things! Just not around the barbecue anymore, rather in big companies that want to get some changes done. So, basically nothing is changed… people still have very much different tastes and if I mess up, I can still get burned!

Photography isn’t my only hobby, actually I would say it comes in second, after volleyball. I’ve been playing volleyball since I was nine and have been lucky enough to end up at students volleyball club Hajraa. Here I’ve learned incredibly much, both in sportive as in social respect. I made it to the first team and got to play three years at the second-highest Dutch competition level, plus two times participation in the European University Championships - coming in 4th and even 2nd place!

Really awesome memories that I happily look back at. I’m still with Hajraa, for the last year now. After a few years with the easy-going team of former students, I’m now back with the first men’s team, doing my last tricks among the students before the inevitable switch to the ‘civilian’ volleyball life.