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Portraits of Wood

Sensibility meets skills in the hands of portrait photographer Ruben Duipmans. For once, he diverted his attention from people to wood, and aptly named the series Portraits of Wood.
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Continental Oak

Continental Oak represents European forests at its best. Imagine a thick forest somewhere in central Europe – a wonderful scene with many mature trees, easily over 80 years old. Cold winters, warm summers. Says Duipmans: I was fascinated by the long pure grain of this timber. I took time to find the right angle and light that will enhance the exceptional pureness. ’From this long-lived European oak, Quercus Robur, we are able to craft exceptional wide and long planks. The true hero is the clear grade: our purest selection in the most uniform grade.

American Walnut

Known by the Latin name of Juglans Nigra, American Walnut is one of the most sought-after species in the world. To find the purest selection of these magnificent trees takes a proper journey through responsibly managed forests in the north midwestern states of the USA. Finding good quality, uniform grade Walnut is challenging. The fact that walnut trees don’t grow tall and straight and don’t get to a decent diameter is just half the story. The other half is the fact that high-quality logs don’t often make it to the sawmill, but instead are sold to cut veneers. American Walnut in our clear grade selection in wider boards is even scarcer.

Bog Oak

Take wet bogland, logs and a lot of time. What you might end up with after roughly 4000 years is truly unique. We say might, because true bog oak is hard to find. It’s a rare gem: incomparably exclusive, desirable and valuable. Deprived of oxygen, the wood undergoes the process of fossilization and morta formation. Our bog oak trees have been buried under water or beneath wet soil for thousands of years. Transformed into shades of dark green-brown and deep black, they are supremely dense, highly durable and beautifully refined in grain. Dating back to 2000 – 5000 BC, they tell the story of old-growth forests from the remote past. ‘When I learned about this wood’s history, I started to see it in a different light. Literally, I’ve been trying to bring that element of time and the movement of water to the surface. Bog Oak deserves that.’’

Continental Ash

Mind you, the strikingly darker beige-brown heartwood wasn’t there when the tree began to grow. Only after several decades does the heartwood almost miraculously start to darken in colour, as the presence of the sapwood is revealed through the light, almost white parts. At Ebony and Co, we source our premium selection of ash from both continental Europe and the United States. Our Continental Ash can yield a little bit more colour contrast then our American Ash.

Antique American White Oak

Basically, Antique American White Oak is a living heritage. Carefully reclaimed from old American barns, mills or homes, the boards are cut from very old and dense beams, floors or sidings. As it has been used for anything from 80 up to 250 years — as beams, floors or sidings — traces of its previous use are everywhere. The imperfections created by the nails and hinges only add to its beauty. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, agrees Duipmans, but it’s hard not to be charmed by its intriguing appearance. ‘The abundance of worm-, beetle- and nail holes, but also knots, cracks are captivating; they represent little stories,’ says Duipmans. ‘Playing with the incoming light, time and speed, I tried to do justice to the beautifully aging patina.

Continental Oak

Continental Oak represents European forests at its best. Imagine a thick forest somewhere in central Europe – a wonderful scene with many mature trees, easily over 80 years old. Cold winters, warm summers. Says Duipmans: I was fascinated by the long pure grain of this timber. I took time to find the right angle and light that will enhance the exceptional pureness. ’From this long-lived European oak, Quercus Robur, we are able to craft exceptional wide and long planks. The true hero is the clear grade: our purest selection in the most uniform grade.

American Walnut

Known by the Latin name of Juglans Nigra, American Walnut is one of the most sought-after species in the world. To find the purest selection of these magnificent trees takes a proper journey through responsibly managed forests in the north midwestern states of the USA. Finding good quality, uniform grade Walnut is challenging. The fact that walnut trees don’t grow tall and straight and don’t get to a decent diameter is just half the story. The other half is the fact that high-quality logs don’t often make it to the sawmill, but instead are sold to cut veneers. American Walnut in our clear grade selection in wider boards is even scarcer.

Bog Oak

Take wet bogland, logs and a lot of time. What you might end up with after roughly 4000 years is truly unique. We say might, because true bog oak is hard to find. It’s a rare gem: incomparably exclusive, desirable and valuable. Deprived of oxygen, the wood undergoes the process of fossilization and morta formation. Our bog oak trees have been buried under water or beneath wet soil for thousands of years. Transformed into shades of dark green-brown and deep black, they are supremely dense, highly durable and beautifully refined in grain. Dating back to 2000 – 5000 BC, they tell the story of old-growth forests from the remote past. ‘When I learned about this wood’s history, I started to see it in a different light. Literally, I’ve been trying to bring that element of time and the movement of water to the surface. Bog Oak deserves that.’’

Continental Ash

Mind you, the strikingly darker beige-brown heartwood wasn’t there when the tree began to grow. Only after several decades does the heartwood almost miraculously start to darken in colour, as the presence of the sapwood is revealed through the light, almost white parts. At Ebony and Co, we source our premium selection of ash from both continental Europe and the United States. Our Continental Ash can yield a little bit more colour contrast then our American Ash.

Antique American White Oak

Basically, Antique American White Oak is a living heritage. Carefully reclaimed from old American barns, mills or homes, the boards are cut from very old and dense beams, floors or sidings. As it has been used for anything from 80 up to 250 years — as beams, floors or sidings — traces of its previous use are everywhere. The imperfections created by the nails and hinges only add to its beauty. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, agrees Duipmans, but it’s hard not to be charmed by its intriguing appearance. ‘The abundance of worm-, beetle- and nail holes, but also knots, cracks are captivating; they represent little stories,’ says Duipmans. ‘Playing with the incoming light, time and speed, I tried to do justice to the beautifully aging patina.
Asking photographer Ruben Duipmans to describe himself takes time. The Amsterdam-based artist is careful in answering too quickly, consciously overthinking his replies' whys and hows. It makes the talk refreshingly personal, a talented creative who aims to explore his answers in a truthful, honest way. Similarly, he treats his own subjects. Models, mostly. And now, this first time around, wood.
Ruben Duipmans with his analogue camera in the studio in Amsterdam.

A self-taught fashion and portrait photographer, Duipmans always shoots on film. Often in black and white. His work bears a striking character. Call it pure, natural, close, honest, maybe. Usually, there's movement involved. Always, there's a play with light.

You're an analogue guy in a digital world.

I work in a very traditional way. Ten frames, that's what I'll have to get it done with. If it works, I'll know when I develop the photos. There's no editing afterwards. It forces me to go back to the basics. Before I even click once, I have to get the story right. Not that I know the story beforehand. I let the subject guide me. Moving around it like a dancer almost, observing the different angles. I move at a slow pace.

How do you find what you are looking for?

It's a very personal thing. It has to do with beauty, what I conceive as beauty. I start exploring how the light falls when I move around. I study the gestures and the expressions of someone. Maybe there's a breeze in the space that affects the subject. I like that there is an element of surprise to it. Spontaneity. Also, with me. It's like starting this journey, and then along the way, things happen.

Portraits of Wood was commissioned for Ebony and Co's magazine. Can you give us some behind the scenes?

I was immediately captivated by the idea of creating lifelike portraits of the distinctive hardwood samples. Each wood bears its own character, grain structure, and history. As a photographer, to be able to capture that essence and at the same time create a new narrative was intriguing. When I learned about Bogwood and how it's been hiding underwater for decades, lying there in moist, dark muddy surroundings — this knowledge made me look different to the species. With the Portraits of Wood, I tried to surface this narrative by translating it into how I used the light.

You made a flat surface come alive.
Was that challenging for you?

I wanted it to become a body that expresses the story and character behind the material. It took me a while to get it right. I quickly saw that placing it flat on a surface didn't work at all. It was a matter of time. Finding the right angle. Allowing merely a ray of light in the studio. And long exposure times. Time affects the quality of the light; it seems to tuck around the object. Or at least that's what I see.