Uploads from Bas Meelker, tagged groningen

A shed, a chair and a sun - Lake Lauwersmeer, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 02:22:19 -0700

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

Nothing much to say about this one. Just watching another day end. Have a seat and enjoy your weekend.

Mirror harbor houses - Zoutkamp, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 06:23:34 -0800

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

Dockside Dawn - Zoutkamp, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 05:45:09 -0800

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

Another early start this morning. Once or twice a year I teach landscape photography at the school of photography in Groningen city. It includes seven evening courses and two field trips. This morning we had our second and last field trip. We had postponed it several times due to bad weather but this morning our timing was spot on with beautiful light. I took the students to a small waterfront village called Zoutkamp on the edge of Lauwersmeer National Park. It's a picturesque fishing village with countless opportunities for good compositions and great views. So it's a great place for practicing your skills as a landscape photographer. Lead-in lines can be found everywhere and there's a great mixture between wide open views and more enclosed compositions. Furthermore the sun is rising more in the southeast this time of year which suites this location better. Thanks everyone for participating and happy shooting! We'll meet again!

Canon EOS 5D Mark III + Canon Ef 16-35mm f2.8 L II at 20mm, f/13, iso 100, 30sec. exposure, Lee ND9 soft grad, tripod and cable release.

November Reflections - Sleattemeer Gat, Sloten, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 01:20:23 -0800

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

It's just past three o'clock on a november afternoon and all is quiet and serene. Clouds are rolling in from the north and the sun is slowly setting in the west. It's an hour and a half before sunset and I'm driving around somewhere in Friesland province in the north of the Netherlands. I love days like these, roaming the countryside in search of great landscapes and light. It's as if time slows down. Everywhere I come, it looks like people are preparing for the harsh winter months ahead. I've ended up in small town called Sloten and the skies are great. The plan is to make some images of the town center but I never make it off the car park. It's right at the northern edge of the town and overlooking a small harbor. The light is getting better by the minute and I decide to set things up right here. There's some great side-lighting so I grab my polarizer and a graduated ND and start exposing. 10 minutes later and the clouds and the mood are gone. An old man approaches me and starts telling me some great stories about the sailboats and the races they've had this season. We've talked for so long that I know I'll be missing out on the sunset, but I don't care. There will be another one tomorrow. As we say goodbye he urges me to come back in winter when snow and ice is covering the landscape and people are ice-skating on the small canals and lakes. I promise to do so. What a great day.

November reflections - Sloten, The Netherlands - Canon EOS 5D Mark III + Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II, f/13, 0,4 sec. exposure, iso 100 at 17mm, tripod, cable release, Lee ND6 hard grad + Lee polarizer.

The Twins - Oosterhaven, Groningen, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 04:03:34 -0800

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

First morning light captured for my ongoing personal project 'Groningen'.

Canon EOS 5D mark III
Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 L II
Lee ND6 hard grad
f/8
30 sec.
20mm
iso100

Northern Skies - Lauwersoog Harbor, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 04:42:44 -0700

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

I've been to Lauwersoog Harbor many times but never during morning light. No idea why. It's a great place to watch the sun slowly climbing it's way into the morning sky. Everything is still calm and quiet as the first fishing boats leave the harbor. One of the things I love about landscape photography is that no matter how well you know your home patch, every now and then you can still find different viewpoints. Have you noticed the skies lately? Northern winds are back!

Northern Skies - Lauwersoog Harbor, The Netherlands - Canon EOS 5D Mark III + Canon EF 24-70mm F2.8L USM, f/14, 6 seconds exposure, 27mm, ISO 50, Lee ND6 hard grad, tripod, cable release, mirror lockup.

Drifting and Dreaming - Lake Zuidlaardermeer, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 04:59:08 -0700

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

It is not often that I visit the same location for a second time shortly after the first. Perhaps I should do so more often. It's just that at this location, I still had a composition in mind which didn't work with the light at my first visit. So last friday, I gave it another go at dawn. This time, things worked out as I had hoped. As always you just have to stick with it. To some of you these type of shots may be a little bit of a cliché. A lake, sunset, dramatic skies and some boats. Nothing new. And yes, it is important to try new approaches and different points of view to keep developing yourself as a photographer, but these kind of images will alway be a part of my photography. I just love them to much. And remember that's the only thing that counts. In the end it's not about taking images you think other people will like. It's about your own enjoyment and doing the things you love. Nothing more, nothing less. But for now it's back to my Groningen project. Have a great weekend!

Drifting and Dreaming - Lake Zuidlaardermeer, The Netherlands - Canon EOS 5D mark III + Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 L II at 16mm, f11, 0,8 sec. exposure at iso100, tripod, Lee ND6 hard grad, cable release, mirror lockup, no coffee.

Light of the Dinghies - Lake Zuidlaardermeer, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 02:21:57 -0700

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

There is something about those tranquil and calm early morning sunrises that keeps getting me all choked up. I think it's one of the reasons why I started landscape photography in the first place. You get up early and while it is still dark outside you drive to a location with that anticipating feeling, hoping it will be something special. You never know how the light will be and if the shoot will turn out to be a good one. All you can do is be there, wait and take another cup of coffee. And when the light starts to play along, you get to work. Exposing, composing, enjoying. This morning was one of those mornings. I call them 'wide-angle-warm-coffee' mornings. Big skies, beautiful light and a great scenery. It's cold but with such a view, who cares? I'm just happy to have been there, even if it cost me one of my Lee filter holders. Yes, dropped it straight into the water..I think I got a little bit to excited.

Light of the Dinghies - Lake Zuidlaardermeer, The Netherlands - Canon EOS 5D Mark III + canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 L II at 18mm, f13, 0,3 sec. exposure at iso 100, Lee ND9 hard grad, tripod, cable release, mirror lockup.

Groningen railway station, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:43:50 -0700

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

I am still working on my series on Groningen and it would not be complete without a view at the central railway station. Designed by Isaac Gosschalk in 1896, it still is one of the most beautiful railway stations in the Netherlands. The square in front of the station was redesigned a couple of years ago giving the area a nice mix between classic and modern architecture. Underneath the square there is room for 4,500 bicycles. To me, it was only logical that this had to be a twilight shot as well and I'm now thinking about making the complete series on Groningen a 'twilight' series. Am I happy with the image? Well, yes and no. There is another image of this location still brewing in my mind...so I'll be back.

Groningen railway station, The Netherlands, Canon EOS 5D Mark III + Canon TS-E 24mm f3.5 L II tilt shift lens. Panoramic shot made up out of 4 vertical shots at f11, 15 sec. exposure, iso 100, tripod, cable release, mirror lockup.

Night of Arts - Groninger Museum, Groningen, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 13:08:16 -0700

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

Night of Arts - Groninger Museum, Groningen, The Netherlands

As my photographic exploration of my hometown Groningen continues, I knew there was one spot I just had to visit. The dilemma was that is has been photographed a thousand times. And for a very simple reason. It's one of the most striking architectural landmarks of Groningen. So the decision had to be made to include it in the series. Not just because of it significance for the city of Groningen, but also because I love it. I think its design by Philippe Starck, Alessandro Mendini and Coop Himmelblau is exquisite. But not everyone in Groningen thought so. Protesters even managed to halt construction in high court for one year. It stands in a canal almost at the heart of the city directly opposite the main railway station and can't be missed when visiting Groningen. It's a must see. Not only because of it's architecture, but also because of the variety of exhibitions by local, national, and international artists. Most of them modern and abstract.The last time I visited an exhibition in the museum was just two weeks ago. The exhibition is called 'Painting Canada' and shows the work of the Group of Seven. A group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920 to 1933. They believed distinct Canadian art could be developed through direct contact with nature. If you have the chance, go and visit the exhibition. It is alway very inspiring and educational to study landscape painters and how they worked with composition and light. And this was no exception. I was especially blown away by the work of A.Y. Jackson. Beautiful!

Night of Arts - Groninger Museum, Groningen, The Netherlands - Canon EOS 5D Mark III + Canon EF 24-70mm f2.8 L at 28mm. F11, 30 sec. exposure, iso 100, tripod, cable release, mirror lockup, Lee ND9 hard grad.

Descending calmness - Reitdiephaven, Groningen, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:21:05 -0700

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

I promised myself to finally make some work of capturing my hometown Groningen and this was second one on the list. This location is only a short walk from my home so it was an easy one. To make this image work, I needed a couple of things. Firstly as less wind as possible to make the most out of the reflections. Secondly some interesting clouds to emphasize the reflections and to make for a more dynamic image. And last but not least I needed the right light. As always timing was crucial and although there was some wind, I was happy with the scenery. It was also satisfying to know that a re-shoot would be easy being so close to my home. The technical execution of the image was pretty straightforward. f16, 30 second exposure, Lee polarizer and Lee ND9 soft grad. Tripod, cable release, mirror lockup....you know how it's done. All in all I had a great evening and it was a welcome relief to be back home within 5 minutes instead of having to drive for a couple of hours. On to the next location!

Descending calmness - Reitdiephaven, Groningen, The Netherlands - Canon EOS 5D Mark III + Canon EF 24-70mm f2.8 L, f16, 30 seconds exposure, 24mm, ISO 100, Lee polarizer and ND9 soft grade, tripod, cable release, mirror lockup.

City Twilight - Oosterhaven, Groningen, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 10:17:45 -0700

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

Same place, same evening, half an hour later than the image I posted earlier today. Isn't it great how light transforms a scene? Over the years I've learned the hard way that you have to hold your ground when photographing a sunrise or sunset. Never go home until it's definitely over. How will you know? The light will tell you. With a sunset shoot, I'll only pack my things when it's completely dark and all the gradient in the sky has gone. This shot turned out to be a tricky one as there was minimal movement with the boats on the water which would result in an unacceptable amount of unsharpness with a long exposure at ISO 100. So it's up with the ISO again and with an ISO 800 a 2,5 second exposure was just short enough to get the ships acceptably sharp. It's a four-image vertical stitched panorama at f11. The stitch wasn't 100%. Can you spot the error? Same equipment and setup as the previous image.

City Harbor lights - Oosterhaven, Groningen, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 01:24:16 -0700

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

Groningen, my hometown. And hardly an image of it in the archive... I've been wanting to photograph Groningen for a long time now, but somehow it never materialized. It's been long overdue. So for the next couple of weeks, I've planned several cityscape shoots in and around Groningen city. This is the first one. It's the Oosterhaven (East harbor) on the east side of the city. Needless to say I had a great evening. The light was amazing with streaks of pink and red blazing through the sky. This image was taken, standing on the Oosterhavenbrug (East harbor bridge), which will be a familiar spot to many photographers in Groningen. It gives a nice overview of the city to the west. The panorama consists of five vertical images taken with my Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Canon TS-E 24mm f3.5 L II tilt and shift lens. I used a 4 mm vertical shift in this case. I know I've said it before, but man, what a great lens this is. It gives you so much flexibility and in situations like this, with strong vertical lines, it's a dream to work with. I love it so much, I'm more and more thinking about adding the 17mm TS-E as well. Especially now that I've seen some great solutions on the internet for adding a filter set to this lens. Have a great weekend everyone!

Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon TS-E 24mm f3.5 L II, f11, 0.6 sec., iso100, tripod, cable release, Lee ND9 soft grad.

Fields of light - Rural Groningen, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 01:38:46 -0700

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

It's a rainy day and I am stuck at the office again. But I know there are better times ahead. There is a northern wind blowing and looking at the weather maps, I know the skies will clear in the evening. During my workshops and talks I often teach people how important it is as a landscape photographer to know about weather systems and wind directions. Yesterday was a prime example. It had been raining all day so the atmosphere is cleared of dust and other particles so there's a good change the light will have a bright and sparkling feel. On top of that, there is a northern wind blowing which often brings interesting skies due to colder temperatures. As is often the case in summer, on a hot day clouds build up which dissolve in the evening when temperatures plummet resulting in uninteresting clear blue skies. But with a cold northern wind, differences between day- and night time temperatures are minimal and cloud formations keep rolling in. Ideal weather to play with the wind and some side-lighting on the wide open green fields north of Groningen city.

On assignment for National Geographic: 10 page photo essay on the north-east corner of the Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Thu, 31 May 2012 05:30:49 -0700

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

In june 2011 I was asked by National Geographic to do a photo essay on the eastern region of Groningen province in the north-east corner of the Netherlands. This region, which often gets 'under exposed', holds some true hidden gems. It truly was a dream assignment as national Geographic basically asked me to capture the region 'my way'. No strings attached. As landscape photographers, we all know that the key to success is in preparation and in predicting the weather forecasts. So in the next couple of weeks I spent a lot of time exploring the region I already knew in detail, scouting locations, looking at weather maps and waiting for the right light. I really felt like a nomad strolling through the wide open landscapes, villages and towns searching for the decisive moment. As with every assignment you need some luck. Some months were lost due to bad weather and sometimes the light was magical and everything fell into place. In the end I got the job done. I am very happy with the results and with all the positive feedback I got from the editors at National Geographic.
The article I wrote and the images are published in the June 2012 edition of National Geographic (Dutch/Belgium edition). It's on sale know. For a sneak preview visit National Geographic online.

Harbour light - Lauwersoog harbour, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Sun, 06 May 2012 23:44:02 -0700

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

This is a panorama of Lauwersoog Harbour in the Netherlands made up out of 5 vertical shots stitched together. For me, Lauwersoog harbour sits right in the epicenter of a fantastic photographic area.Go west and you will find several triple-A landscape spots at the Wadden coast. Go east and you head into the 'vast open plains' of north-eastern Groningen. Go south and you are right in the center of the Lauwersmeer National Park. And finally to the north to one of the most beautiful Wadden islands, Schiermonnikoog.

Nature's deep freeze - Ezinge, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:04:27 -0800

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

At -23〫C waiting for the light isn't the most pleasant thing to do. The morning of February 4 was the coldest sunrise I have ever experienced in the Netherlands. It was also the most beautiful. This is a stitched panorama made up from 3 horizontal exposures at 70mm.

Frozen dawn - Zoutkamp, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:55:23 -0800

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

Sea of yellow - Nothern Groningen, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Sat, 05 May 2012 10:07:50 -0700

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

I don't talk much about equipment. My equipment has one simple task and one task alone: deliver the best possible image quality. But every now and then something strange happens. It happened with my Canon 24mm TS-E tilt and shift lens. I completely fell in love with it....It has quickly become my favourite lens. It is incredibly sharp and the tilt and shift function gives me a degree of control no other lens can give. Here's an image taken this afternoon with a couple of degrees of shift and one degree of tilt.

Frozen Village - Ezinge, The Netherlands

nobody@flickr.com (Bas Meelker) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:54:43 -0800

Bas Meelker posted a photo:

This is a stitched panorama made up out of 5 vertical images.