Ivan Babko

Seeing Differently

Fri, 01 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000

This short film tells the story of Parham Doustdar, a blind programmer at Booking.com. After relocating from Iran to Amsterdam, Parham navigates both code and life through sound, intuition, and creativity. Between writing software and composing music, his story invites us to look beyond appearances and recognize the many ways people build their own perspective on the world.

People of the world

Sat, 24 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

When I'm travelling with my camera, I take photos of local people. The way they dress, walk, spend their time, talk to each other speaks much more about the place than some monument or a building. These photos capture the spirit of the place and later remind me how it felt being there.

Porto, Portugal

Nice, France

Stockholm, Sweden

Zalsbourg, Austria

Nice, France

San Francisco, USA

People and nature

Sat, 24 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Sometimes when I photograph landscapes, people get into the shot without knowing it. I love when this happens. It makes the image complete. It also puts things into perspective and reminds me how small we are compared to the power of nature. Realizing this may be a bit unsettling, but if there is someone next to you to hold on to, you know you'll be fine. Just like people on these photos.

Storm on Zakynthos island, Greece

Foggy morning in Amsterdamse Bos, Netherlands

Windy beach on Texel island, Netherlands

Snowy morning in Munich, Germany

Magical dawn in Amsterdamse Bos, Netherlands

Amsterdamse Bos

Mon, 12 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Amsterdamse Bos is a vast park in the south of Amsterdam — a place I’ve grown deeply fond of. And, in a way, I feel the feeling is mutual. Each time I visit, the park reveals itself in a new and beautiful way. I might be sitting on a bench, lost in thought, or cycling along its winding paths under a dull grey sky. Then, almost suddenly, the light shifts — the trees glow, the water shimmers, and everything falls into place. I lift my camera and capture the moment before it fades back into ordinary grey. It happens almost every time I’m there, as if the park and I share a quiet understanding.

The Designer’s Fight

Mon, 12 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Designer Phil Hammel finds inspiration in an unlikely place — the boxing ring. Between jabs and design sprints, he explores how discipline and resilience can make you sharper both in life and in design. Created as part of the Designing at Booking.com series, this short film captures how creativity often grows from challenge. Created as part of the Perspectives series that celebrates diversity and inclusion at Booking.com through the personal stories of its employees.

Nice, France

Sat, 18 Jul 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Nice a city with my kind of energy. I just feel good there. Some people see it as overpriced or pretentious, but to me, it’s the opposite. Yes, it has its share of grand boulevards, luxury boutiques, and royal charm, yet beneath all that, Nice feels grounded and full of soul. These photos capture the side of the city I know — warm, honest, and effortlessly beautiful.

Texel Island

Fri, 27 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Sunlight on the Garden

Sun, 18 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +0000

The Sunlight on the Garden is a 24-line poem by Louis MacNeice written in late 1936. It explores themes of time and loss, along with anxiety about the darkening political situation in Europe following the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. It is one of the best known and most anthologized of MacNeice's short poems. George Macbeth describes it as "one of MacNeice's saddest and most beautiful lyrics".

From Munich to Salzbourg

Sun, 28 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Part 1: Munich

Part 2: Salzbourg

Zine Jam: Felix Meritis Edition

Sun, 16 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +0000

My second film about the annual gathering of zinesters and zine fans in Amsterdam. This time it took place within the hallowed halls of Felix Meritis – building with a soul that deserves a documentary of its own. In this film we get to know members of the amazing ReKult group who organized the event, as well as the artists from all over the world who came to showcase their zines, run workshops, and just have fun.

Wrap-up

Once the event was over and the doors were closed, we could finally breath out. After a few beers, the cleanup turned into an impromptu photo session with the ReKult group. Good that I had my lovely Sony A7 and Zeiss 55mm 1.8 with me.

B.Smashing Meetup

Fri, 10 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0000

B.Smashing is a professional meet-up that was organized by Booking.com and Smashing Magazine. Everyone interested in web development and UX design was welcome. It took place in splendid Booking.com headquarters in Amsterdam. Special guest was Vitaly Friedman — the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Smashing Magazine. This video features event highlights together with Vitaly's interview.

Plastic Fishing in Amsterdam

Sun, 03 Aug 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Short film created for Booking.com about environmental project carried out within Booking Cares program in Amsterdam. Company employees partnered with Plastic Whale and set out on a mission to clean the canal belt from plastic waste.

Zakynthos, Greece

Wed, 28 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Zakynthos is a lovely Greek island in the Ionian Sea. Went there on much needed vacation for a week and truly enjoyed its simple beauty.

Stockholm, Sweden

Fri, 02 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000

A few shots from a long weekend in Stockholm. Went there in spring to watch some ice hockey and enjoy walks in lovely Galma Stan.

Ice hockey

So the goal of the trip was to visit couple of ice hockey games. It's the sport that I miss here in the Netherlands. It's also one of few games that looks way better live than on the TV. Here's how it was that day.

Christmas in Amsterdam

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Our first Christmas in Amsterdam. Together with friends we I set out to get the Christmas tree and then spent evening decorating the house. All this was perfect setting for warm family photos. I shot this story with vintage Rokkor 50mm f1.7. Focusing is always a challenge with these manual lenses. For me the secret is to relax and let go. I used to delete many shots because they were not perfectly in focus. Once I stopped striving for clinical sharpness and started to embrace the imperfections, it all fell into place.

P. S.

After holidays are over, people from all over Amsterdam bring their christmas trees to Museumplein. This tradition is called Kerstboomverbranding — Christmas tree bonfire. They make a huge pile from their trees and set them on fire. The view is mesmerizing. And warm.

NDSM Warf, Amsterdam

Sun, 01 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000

NDSM Warf is a former shipyard in the north of Amsterdam. Nowadays it's a venue for various festivals, performances and exhibitions. It's also an office space for artists and craftsmen. This place is amazing. It's so much different from the rest of the city. It's industrial and raw with a touch of creative craziness. I shot this story on a manual Minolta Rokkor 50mm f1.7 which was a fun (and a challenge) of its own kind.

Amsterdam Zine Jam

Sat, 05 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Zine Jam is a celebration of self-publishing and DIY book-making that takes place every year in Amsterdam. I was commissioned by ReKult to make a short film about the event in which I tried to capture the spirit of the zine culture.

Preparations

I went to the venue before the event to check the light and plan the shots. The test footage turned out to be good enough to become the preview video for the event.

Cote d'Azur

Thu, 12 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The Bodybuilder

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Dmitry Klimov is a winner of many international bodybuilding championships. I met him in the gym when I was recovering from arm injury. He became my coach and taught me everything I know about proper weight training and healthy nutrition. This little film is about him and his passion.

Courgette Studio

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

My good friends Sergey and Diana regularly host cooking master classes on their kitchen. It is a great way to get together with friends, learn new cooking tips and enjoy the food. This video is about one of such gatherings where Sergey and Diana tell the story of the idea.

Summer Stillness

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Highlights from a company outing that took place in a very beautiful area near Finland. We found ourselves in a very peaceful environment which I tried to capture in this video.