Category Archives: Shot With

Diemerbos

On a rainy Sunday, I headed to explore this little forest, which I only recently discovered despite having lived in my current neighbourhood for the better part of a decade.

Koffie met appeltaartje was delightful despite the crowded restaurant, which I nibbled while sitting at the bar, as that was the only spot available.

It was loud with noise from the nearby motorway and railway tracks, but it was quiet and quaint. The damp weather elevated the saturated green grass tones, making it stand out against the muddy grounds.

These trees reminded me of Speulderbos – Forest of dancing trees. It also reminded me to consider getting back onto road biking, which I fell off seven years ago after that bike went missing.

It brings me great joy to see well-behaved dogs, off-leash, merrily exploring around, occasionally waiting for their owners to catch up to them.

Photographing dry reeds is always fun, and all appear just as same as they are different.

A bridge emerged from the foilage, and I had to go up for a peek.

It was a relaxed 45 walk, though the trails website described it as a 2-hour circuit. It is close if you were herding a few restless kids and a dog or two with every step you take.

Road trip to Brugge

It’s been yet another strange year. It was filled with fewer dramatic shocks but with more sustained anxiety levels. I can confidently say I wasn’t alone in that, at least not outwardly. The internal ruminations were more active than ever, partly attributed to shit tons of therapy.
Yet another lockdown (I’ve lost count) was imposed in the country around Christmas time. This is the time enjoy the festive vibes that other people give, more than celebrating it (which I don’t). So all I wanted to do was just sit in a cosy cafe or a bar and see people. Luckily, some close friends agreed to jump on a drive towards Brugge.

I’ve been to Brugge probably a dozen times; the town was pretty as ever and quiet as never. It was a shame that most cafes were closed. And I enjoyed it just the same.
After a long hiatus from the camera, I managed to take some pictures and had moderate success shooting my favourite freelensing style.

We started by walking along the cobblestone streets.

The square at the center was devoid of loud parties and only had people casually strolling about.

The lights suspended the place in time and space, or so I felt. However the daylight proceeded to wane past us oblivious to my feelings.

Lit Christmas trees transforming into surreal bokeh in the pictures had me feeling nostalgic.

A note “A world without covid-19” hung on a wish-tree gave us a chuckle.

We sat by a cafe for some hot drinks as the night dawned and the winter chills took hold. 5:30pm felt like it was 9pm as we slowly started our long drive back to Amsterdam

Dark Foilage

It’s bright, it’s sunny, it’s green. The mood is not so. It’s been a challenging year of self-realization and acceptance or meagre attempts at it. However, after almost a year of hiatus, I picked up my camera with the intent of taking at least half a dozen pictures and post something. That is progress, a high point of the year so far.

Black and white just seems appropriately poetic to acknowledge the summer’s wildflower blossom, changing season and sombre feels of what looks like yet another lost year due to the-virus-that-shall-not-be-named

Grove walk and foliage in black and white

There is a small park with narrow paths cutting through groves of planted trees where I often go for a walk. Right within one of the copses is a spot where the treeline is just dense enough to isolate oneself in greenery. I love standing there, taking a moment for myself, while briefly enveloped in complete calmness.

I have only started doing this during the last six months, though I’ve been living here for almost 4 years.

Occasionally, I wander a bit further towards a pier with sailboats parked on calm waters, to have a sit down and relax.

Winterparadijs

Christmas is here, which means lots of fun markets and fairs, which translates to expensive food, shitty drinks, random music but good company of friends and excellent opportunity for capturing some photos. That last two bits usually makes braving the cold on a weekend afternoon, quite worthwhile.

Winterparadijs event is one of the largest that happens in Amsterdam and despite me living in this city for almost 7 years, its the first time I ended up there.

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