Testimonials
“Karel your work is great, but you need to sell yourself more.” Words from a client who had correctly observed a few years ago that I wasn’t very aggressive in promoting myself and my work. I really dislike talking about myself and praising my work and this is largely due to my personality. So on this page I let others do the talking. Continue reading to find out what some of the people I’ve worked with in the past have to say about me and my work.
I think Karel Donk is one of the best software developers in Suriname. He is a true perfectionist. It’s a pitty that nowadays he is more a photographer than a software developer. Because of his need for perfection he is a very good artist also.
You would imagine that interpreting a client’s brief must be one of the toughest challenges that a professional photographer can face: and this brief was indeed tough. I wanted to show what an extraordinary environment we work in yet also the demands placed on our officers and crews. Having commissioned shoots this specific before, and having not got the results, I knew that being precise as to what was expected would be critical, but would ultimately still be an act of faith!
Well, Karel handsomely repaid that faith and more…
In his blog, Karel describes how he went about the two shoots in disarming and electric detail so I won’t go into that in this post because what really must be said and noted is the literally jaw-dropping images Karel captured.
Some history first though; JP Knight is after all 122 years old!
From the 1930s to the 1950s, JP Knight commissioned the celebrated photographer Beken of Cowes. His monochrome images have become some of the most iconic maritime images ever captured and the studies he made of our tugs from that era to this day defy description. They capture much more than the subject, more than just the light, they convey an emotion and a serious understanding of the subject’s environment. In my view such maritime sensitivity is only now matched in each and every one of those respects by Karel’s unbelievable skill.
But what is so remarkable in Karel’s work?
First, the lengths he goes to get ‘the shot’. We discussed plane v ’copter, but Karel was insistent that paying that (little!) extra for the helicopter was the only way to capture with total clarity the images I sought. Act of faith number one. In fact the act of faith was his, as his vivid description of the waterline shot proves.
Second, Karel’s determination regardless of circumstance. The ‘industrial shoot’ really provided challenges. Torrential rain, awkward timings, working amongst a risk-strewn situation, coping with equipment failure: quite a list! Another act of faith — should we cancel? But no, Karel said he could do it despite the worst conditions. He was right.
Third, he captured the heroic nature of our crews, the focus and the will to deliver. Karel showed empathy with the men and like a great painter melded the circumstances to his advantage to create mood and atmosphere.
Karel is also a consummate professional in his business-like attitude. No grey areas, all costs are very clearly set out and agreed beforehand: no surprises, no extras.
Ultimately, Karel is that most elemental of photographers, a story-teller. He is a communicator — and isn’t that what a picture ultimately is? A story.
In my attempts of finding a professional Analyst and Developer for the redevelopment of one of our banking applications, I searched the internet and noticed Karel Donk’s website and résumé. As I was at first sight impressed by the professionality and quality of the information provided, I then decided to contact Karel. In working with Karel I noticed his good knowlegde and expertise within the area of software engineering. Apart from that his professional approach in terms of thinking along with us, his advice and recommendations were of great value and support. Also his punctuality was very much appreciated. The results of his work furthermore convinced me that the professional I was looking for has been found. I must say that we are very pleased with Karel and would certainly recommend him to others. Karel, keep up this good job. Thanks!!
Working with Karel gave me an opportunity to experience what real photography is all about. Karel’s pictures are unique and he has an unquestionable talent to capture exactly what shows best. His pictures gave us the competitive edge compared to other photographers I experienced, his talent to edit pictures through Photoshop are state of the art and unique. I would recommend Karel to anyone who wishes to get the very very detail out of everything you want to capture, in fact he actually can bring out details you were not even thinking about. Karel is also very pleasant to work with and he shows patience in his approach of getting the best out for you.
I can remember my first assignment to Karel like it was yesterday. It was to design a Christmas card, which had to pass on the, to me, deep and powerful Christmas message as well as the corporate identity of the company. Since I am a little critical, I was surprised that Karel delivered a fantastic product within a very short amount of time. It was clear that a lot of thought went into each element appearing in the design. His eye for detail, his out of the box thinking, his empathy and his professionalism appealed to me very much and obviously he got more assignments from me afterwards. I found the perfect match in Karel and apart from the business assignments, I recently also hired him as the photographer on my wedding. The results were again “sublime”. Keep up the good work!
For years the Children’s Book festival in Suriname was searching for a dedicated person to host the organizations website. We were looking for a website with perfect quality to promote our education work and to stimulate reading among children.
We hired therefore the most professional software engineer, designer and photographer in Suriname Karel Donk and from the very first festival year, 2013, he was responsible for hosting the website of the National Foundation Children’s Book festival Suriname. It was a great success! We received lots of compliments from website visitors around the world.
Many Surinamese people living in the diaspora enjoyed stories, pictures, reports and films of the Suriname Book festival with an enormous variety of activities. It became easier for us to get funding by referring to our website.
We are thankful to Karel Donk and we recommend other organizations to contact him as soon as possible for their web hosting affairs.
On behalf of the board of the National Foundation Children’s Book festival Suriname,
Karel Donk is along with Elwin Sodikromo and Patrick Molijn one of the best C/C++ programmers I know of in Suriname. Being articulate would distinguish Karel from the other two. He knows precisely what he wants to say when he wants to say it and does what he wants to achieve.
This has made him a very accomplished programmer but also accomplished in his artistic skills. It is often said that to be a good programmer you have to be an artist. That is what Karel is. Take a look at his website/blog and you will see what I mean.
One very uncommon aspect about this “artist” is that he is not a soloist. He can function just as well in a group. In that regard he would be an invaluable addition to any programming team. He has no limits on what he wants to accomplish and what he believes a team can accomplish.
Finding a professional photographer for our wedding was a great challenge. We were looking for someone who had done weddings before and was capable of delivering high quality pictures that captured our emotions and feelings during the wedding.
We wanted nothing but perfection for our wedding and luckily we came in contact with Karel. He has a calm and modest personality and a flow of healthy energy surrounding him making this the first reason we chose to hire Karel.
Also his eye for details and the experience he has in editing pictures made us feel very comfortable with our choice. We have no regrets hiring him and are more than pleased with the work he delivered. We’d surely hire him again for another occasion and already recommended him to our family and friends.
The Suriname Atlantic Seabob fishery is certified against the international standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). To celebrate this important occasion, a certification event was organized at the Torarica Hotel in Paramaribo. The photos Karel Donk has taken of the event catch the joyful atmosphere of the event as well as the official ceremony in an excellent way, with eye for detail and timing and high quality shots. It was a pleasure working with Karel Donk and we would definitely hire him again for future occasions.
I have been doing business with Karel since 2008. He not only built my website but also designed my company logo, sign and stationary. Karel is very dependable and always follows up on his work by giving fresh ideas to improve business and exposure. He is always there when I need him.
Karel Donk took terrific photos on Cactus triggers. When I saw them I simply couldn’t resist but to ask him for a licensing agreement. Karel is an excellent partner to work with. He listens and he responds. The professionalism, creativity and originality made a picture that has been an enormous benefit to our company. I recommend him wholeheartedly for all professional photographs you may need.
When I needed to create a visual identity for my company, I knew Karel was the one for the job because I had already seen some of his work. I was looking for something unique that I’ve never seen before. It had to be an eye catcher. Karel is punctual and goes for perfection. I mostly valued his advice, since I had no idea of what I was looking for. He did all the thinking for me and in the end I was astonished. A visual identity which I am proud of. I still get compliments, even for the design on my envelopes. I would recommend Karel. Although his prices are higher than others, his work is worth every penny.
As the organizer of an event with very high media exposure we were looking for a photographer who could capture moments of our event, which would simultaneously be useful for all our media channels such as social media, website, publications and the international TED platform. The pictures we received were usable in a variety of ways because of the perfect finish and unique shots that just gave that little extra, so that they didn’t just look like a regular reportage, but by themselves also provided compelling visuals and atmosphere. Thanks to Karel’s reportage TEDxParamaribo has enough footage for all our media channels and we can ensure a high-quality appearance and consistency in all our visual communication. Karel’s graphics are also very creative and original such that our visual identity, theme and design reinforce each other. I would definitely recommend Karel. Originality distinguishes him from every other company, and eventually it will pay for itself because quality visuals automatically generate confidence.
We were looking for a programmer to build a custom application embedded in a professional user interface with an important emphasis on graphical design. Although time was not always on our side, the final results were well programmed and accepted by our customers. Karel provided us with a strong combination of structured, functional programming and graphical design and, as a result, we were able to extend our core products with custom functionality, embedded in a contemporary design. I would recommend Karel, good programmers with a strong affiliation for graphical design are hard to find.
As Beauty and Home Systems Inc. grew, so did our clients. We found that there was a need for a website. However, the question which arose was who we could get to create a website that would speak to the customers not only about our products, but would also show the quality and finesse that Beauty and Home Systems possesses. This Mr. Karel Donk was able to do, he was able to bring forth the CEO’s website vision and present it on the World Wide Web. The virtual view has been to this day one of the best additions to our website for which we are often complimented about.
I would recommend Mr. Donk to other people because of the quality of work that he delivers. It is something that you do not come across very often. The ability to sit with the client and at the end of the meeting be able to present the client with their vision is simply remarkable.
UNIQA was looking for a professional photographer. One who thinks with the organization. Karel is in one word professional. He really understands the needs and actively provides solutions. What we valued the most was the process of going through all the changes and the fact that he is self-assured about his opinions. The results we got were beautiful photos. We don’t want to stop using them. If you’re looking for a professional photographer who can think with you or who can visualize your ideas, then Karel is the man for you.
When I thought about my wedding day, I realized I could only experience it once. Because of that I wanted every moment to be captured in high quality in a way that the pictures alone would make me relive and enjoy every detail of that day forever. Working with Karel was very satisfying. I felt he was really open for our thoughts and suggestions, without any judgment. Karel provided trust and professionalism, we soon discovered we could totally trust him for his experience to make sure the photographs for our wedding day were totally covered; just the way we wanted it too. The result of his work was amazing. He captured every peek of the day, the expressions of joy in the faces of our most important people. The finer things were also captured to have a sense of every detail of our wedding. The colors were so bright and clear. The quality was perfect, today we are still overjoyed and grateful. I would definitely recommend Karel to anyone for any occasion. Because I think that he would work his hardest to capture the moments, the feel and with the purpose just like the customer requested.
We were looking for a professional for designing our marketing collateral, with a strong feeling for quality and service. Karel knows exactly what we prefer and what we don’t like. Once he knows your style or preferences, he will consistently deliver in the same style. Designing our new corporate identity is the first job Karel got from us. We like the total package Karel supplied (design for envelopes, business cards, Powerpoint etc.). We are very satisfied with Karel’s work. We would recommend him for his quality and service.
In working with Karel as a photographer for my website and for my other marketing tools I found that he put real effort and passion into his work. This resulted in some of the best shots of models that I have ever seen here in Suriname. Utilizing finesse and at the same time simplicity he was always able to get the most out of the models, and they definitely also appreciated working with him. In addition we had an excellent choice of models which made the end result nothing short of breathtaking. All in all I hope to work with him again soon, and can recommend him to anyone who needs a professional photographer.
Hi Karel, just starting with WOW, WOW & WOOOW! We are so glad we booked you for the biggest day of our lives! Thank you for sharing your wonderful talent with us & creating such stunning images that will forever remind us of our wedding day. You truly captured the emotion of our day in ways we never expected. Simply amazing photography! We will recommend you to everyone we know. Thank you so much!
When I looked for a photographer to cover my wedding I looked for someone that could make pictures that capture the mood, emotion and atmosphere in such a way that makes a video recording obsolete or unnecessary. My experience with Karel is that he’s professional and unobtrusive. He captured the correct emotions at the correct moments. In the end we got beautiful, bright, colorful pictures that represent the atmosphere the way it should. Karel has a good eye for situations and moments that need to be captured. Very often photographers tend to dwell off to unimportant subjects and tend to miss the moments that matter. This was not the case with Karel. He was on top of every moment.
I was looking for a logo for my company that would appeal to my (potential) clients and would create the right image of the way we conduct business. What I like the most is that Karel feels what the client wants and knows how to fulfill that need. The logo he designed for my company was both simple and still very modern. I got on time delivery and got exactly what I wanted. I’d recommend Karel because of the high quality of his products and services.
We have been looking for someone who is very good in his field; someone who really listens to the client’s wishes and on top of that gives his honest advice. Some of the other persons we have worked with, not all of them, are somewhat “narrow minded” concerning daring to try new things for promotion or they try to push their way of how it should be instead of trying to work on a solution to really satisfy the client. This can be very dissatisfying and annoying. I think that they should work on a mind shift, because sometimes it is obvious that they really do not understand what it takes to satisfy the client by reaching the goals for the client’s promotion.
With Karel, it’s always a pleasure to work with. He makes room to discuss the goals we want to reach with a certain kind of promotion. One of the things we value most is Karel’s dedication in accomplishing the best in his work. Up till now the result of having worked with Karel has been satisfying which triggers us to go to new heights every time we go to him for another promotional solution.
We would definitely recommend Karel Donk, because he, with his promotional skills and computer skills, goes for the best! Karel’s dedication and excellent skills in his work are quality elements which we really treasure!
Karel Donk is the most creative photographer whose work I’ve seen and whose work I’ve been able to experience myself through a photoshoot. Apart from his expertise in photography, I am also very impressed with his programming knowledge. He’s always busy with work and rarely has time to go out, because of his dedication to his work and to his clients. I ask him for advice when I’m stuck with work, or even if it’s something personal. Karel Donk is someone I ALWAYS recommend to companies or friends who are looking for services.
I worked with Karel for an article for United magazine. It was a pleasure working with him. He had patience with me even though I was in a hurry. I received the pictures the way I like them. I would recommend Karel because he comforts his customers and makes them feel at ease, he gives the results as requested and he has a lot of patience doing this.
I wanted to capture the progress during my pregnancy, which was a very emotional experience for me. I had seen beautiful photos made by Karel and I knew that he would be able to give me what I was looking for. I’ve had a very fun and enjoyable experience and I am very satisfied with the results!! Karel has captured the most beautiful moments of my life in a perfect way. I definitely recommend Karel to you!!
For our international Round Table event I was looking for a photographer who could capture our gala dinner the right way. I wanted someone with a creative eye who could deliver excellent output. Karel works well prepared and needs very little attention. I most appreciated his knowledge and flawless execution and delivery. His work has high value and in the end we got great pictures. It’s very pleasant working with Karel and I can certainly recommend him to you.