Behind the camera

My name is Daan van der Heijden, a Dutchman living in Haarlem, The Netherlands.

I am a graduate engineer in Aviation Logistics and graduated from a full-time course with L3 CTS (through EPST BV) to become a commercial pilot. In 2019 I got hired as a Second Officer on KLM’s Boeing 777 fleet. Currently I am a Captain on Embraer 175/190/195-E2 with KLM Cityhopper.

Aviation started as a hobby when my dad took me on a day out to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport when I was at the age of five. Ever since that moment I have been "infected with the aviation virus" and it has never left me. At the age of fifteen I got my first DSLR camera, a Canon EOS Rebel, from my parents as a birthday present. I started making trips to Amsterdam Schiphol more often with friends that I met in high school.

After finishing high school and starting the BSc Aviation Logistics at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, I met even more aviation enthousiasts that were also interested in aviation photography. Throughout my whole career as a college student these friends helped me improve my photography skills for which I am deeply grateful. I started learning how to edit pictures in a more artistic way than I used to back in the days, which have been the building blocks for my current style of photography.

In order to be able to do so I am currently using a Canon EOS R6 with several lenses ranging from fisheye to mid-range zoom. The equipment helps me in achieving the quality and experience I am thriving towards in my photography work. As per 2016 I also am a contributor to AirTeamImages.net, which is known to be the biggest company in the world when it comes to providing companies with the biggest online library for aviation photo's.

I am striving to continue to provide you with my work throughout my career as a commercial airline pilot. Most images are for sale. Please feel free to reach out if you have any inquiries!

I hope you enjoy my new website!

Yours truly,

Daan van der Heijden