dutchlandscape

Westpoint in the Mist

Last week, I heard on the news that there was a good chance of mist around Tilburg. My first thought was: I really don't want to get up that early.

But apparently my curiosity won.

So at around 6:30, instead of grabbing my car keys, I grabbed the doorknob of my front door and stepped outside into my own hometown.

It had been a cold night, while the air remained moist and relatively warm. As the air cooled enough to reach its dew point, tiny water droplets formed and filled the landscape with mist. Suddenly, familiar Tilburg looked like somewhere else entirely.

And then I saw Westpoint.

The tower was still illuminated, its colourful lights disappearing upward into the mist. The combination of the blue-hour darkness, the glowing colours and the obscured top of the tower gave it an almost spooky appearance—as if Westpoint had suddenly wandered into a science-fiction film.

Blue hour itself helped complete the scene. With the Sun still below the horizon, the ambient light had that deep blue quality, while the tower's artificial colours became much more prominent.

I took the photograph with my Canon 5DSR and Sigma ART.

I sometimes think we photographers make things unnecessarily complicated. We search for distant landscapes, special locations and places we've never seen before.

Sometimes, all you really need to do is open your front door.

And perhaps get up at 6:30.

#Westpoint #Tilburg #TilburgNetherlands #TilburgInMist #Mist #MorningMist #BlueHour #BeforeSunrise #Dawn #Cityscape #UrbanPhotography #DutchLandscape #NetherlandsPhotography #AtmosphericPhotography #MoodyPhotography #UrbanLandscape #MorningPhotography #LightAndAtmosphere #WeatherPhotography #NatureAndCity #ExploreTilburg #TilburgPhotography #Photography #Photographer #Canon5DSR #SigmaArt #WonderingLens #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography

A Wagtail at Marker Wadden

Last Monday started with a little more stress than I had planned.

My father-in-law invited me to Marker Wadden, the remarkable new nature archipelago in the Markermeer. It is one of the Netherlands' most unusual nature-restoration projects: islands built largely from sand, clay and silt dredged from the lake itself. Material that had accumulated and contributed to the ecological problems of the Markermeer is being given a new purpose—creating islands, shallow water, marshes and natural shores where life can develop again.

Getting there was an adventure in itself.

It was Monday morning, rush hour, roadworks everywhere, and about 140 kilometres to drive. We had originally planned to leave two hours before the boat. When I checked the traffic forecast that morning, I decided that wouldn't be enough.

So I left even earlier.

And somehow, despite all that extra time, we arrived with one minute to spare. O.o

Once aboard the boat, I could finally relax.

The islands were quiet during this time of year, and there weren't nearly as many birds as we had hoped. But sometimes one encounter is enough.

From a partially submerged viewing point, I spotted this little wagtail working along the water's edge, searching for food. I got down low and photographed it almost at water level, letting the lake become part of the image.

I chose my Canon 7D Mark II with the Sigma 100–400mm for the trip. The crop sensor effectively gave me the field of view of roughly a 160–640mm lens, giving me that extra reach without carrying something larger.

I came home with three images from that viewpoint.

This was my favourite.

#MarkerWadden #Wagtail #Kwikstaart #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #BirdsOfTheNetherlands #DutchNature #NetherlandsPhotography #Markermeer #WildlifePhotography #Canon7DMarkII #Sigma100400 #SigmaPhotography #NatureAndScience #Ecology #Wetland #DutchLandscape #Wildlife #Photography #WonderingLens #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography

A Bird of Prey!

During our guided tour of Marker Wadden, I was listening to our guide.

Mostly. >.>

Because even when someone is explaining what makes a landscape special, the photographer part of my brain doesn't really switch off. I'm always looking around. What's moving? What's flying? What just changed in the corner of my eye?

And then I pointed upwards.

“Look! A bird of prey!”

That was as far as my identification skills went at that particular moment. ^.-

I quickly raised my Canon 7D Mark II with the Sigma 100–400mm and managed to get a few photographs before the bird moved on.

Only afterwards, when I zoomed in on the camera, could I properly investigate what I'd actually photographed.

A **Western marsh harrier** (*Circus aeruginosus*), or *bruine kiekendief* in Dutch.

It was a particularly appropriate bird to find here. Western marsh harriers are closely associated with wetlands, marshes and reedbeds, exactly the kind of habitats that Marker Wadden is creating.

That is one of the things I find fascinating about this place. The islands may have been constructed by people, but once you create the right conditions, nature starts writing its own story.

And apparently, sometimes you have to interrupt the guide for a moment to notice it happening above your head.

I may not have known what bird it was when I pressed the shutter.

But at least I knew it was worth photographing.

#WesternMarshHarrier #CircusAeruginosus #BruineKiekendief #MarkerWadden #Markermeer #BirdOfPrey #BirdPhotography #BirdsOfTheNetherlands #DutchNature #NaturePhotography #WildlifePhotography #Birdwatching #Wetland #WetlandBirds #NatureRestoration #NewNature #BuildingWithNature #Ecology #NetherlandsPhotography #DutchLandscape #Canon7DMarkII #Sigma100400 #SigmaPhotography #NatureAndScience #Wildlife #Photography #WonderingLens #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #MaikyNisute