After finishing the MTS Photography and Fotonics in The Hague in 1989, Jaap started working as photographer. At first he mainly did studio work, but midway the nineties he decided to focus on photography on location. Jaap is fascinated by social themes and subjects. For his uncommisioned projects he goes out into the streets, in The Netherlands and foreign countries, to photograph people: from passers-by to people in their home environment. He displays this work in various exhibitions: OUR GRID, his uncommisioned series on teenagers in the Amsterdam suburb IJburg, will be incorporated in the Amsterdam Municipal Archive. Jaap’s style is best described as 'staged documentary', he records what he sees, but stylizes the picture with the use of flashlight. This working method shows his background in advertising. Early 2008, Jaap moved to Barcelona for three years, where he also worked in photography. Upon return to The Netherlands, he noticed that, apart for the demand for photography, the demand for video was growing and therefore he started diving into filming and since then has been making commisioned documentaries and corporate films. His films have a strong photographical character. Besides the content, he also pays much attention to composition and lighting, which results in visually attractive portraits. For Jaap, an interesting aspect of filming is to fully engage in the subject's life and to build a relationship of trust in a short time. He therefore prefers to work alone or in a small crew, as to not disrupt the intimate atmosphere.