I at all times take pleasure in tulip season within the Netherlands. As a panorama photographer from the Netherlands, I’ve been photographing them for a few years each attainable angle. I’ve written a number of articles about them (discover them within the article checklist right here), however the final ‘actual’ informative article already dates from 5 years in the past. I figured it was time for an replace, as occasions have modified 🙂
UPDATE 2023:
I printed a video on YouTube on edit your tulip pictures:
Over the previous couple of years native ‘Tulip Tourism’ has exploded. Essentially the most well-known place within the Netherlands to {photograph} flowers is Keukenhof. (I shot a photograph sequence of the place throughout COVID with none individuals). The tulip fields round this place had been exploding with individuals lately. Sadly, many tulip growers needed to take motion and put fences round their fields and actively shield them from vacationers ‘destroying’ their fields. The unhappy reality is that there are lots of people (positively not everybody) that haven’t any respect for the tulip fields, stand on the flowers whereas taking selfies, and even take the flowers from the fields. I might usually finish my article with this, however I really feel it deserves additional consideration in the present day: Respect the growers’ fields! Extra on this later.
As a neighborhood photographer who has been photographing the fields for a few years, I’ve made pals with tulip growers (of PolderPride and different native grower firms) . I take pleasure in seeing them yearly and taking stunning photographs of their tulip fields. After I {photograph} the fields, I at all times ensure I’m cautious. And after I enter the fields, it’s with their permission.
Now let’s get to the enjoyable stuff, as a result of photographing tulips and flowers is FUN! There are many totally different angles and situations to {photograph} tulips in. Right here is a few inspiration:
– Use the apparent main strains: The best method is to only use the main strains of the tulips in your composition. These photographs at all times work effectively and are quite simple to {photograph}. Be sure to activate the grid in your digicam. This fashion, you ensure that the strains are completely going tho the precise center of the picture.
main strains between the flowers are simple to make use of in a powerful composition.
– {Photograph} with a number of totally different situations! In fact, a spectacular sundown or dawn is gorgeous across the tulip fields. However darkish skies, storms and even a blue sky with puffy clouds seems stunning above the tulip fields. There’s actually at all times one thing to {photograph} on the fields!
In 2021 I lastly photographed tulips together with a thunderstorm. One thing that was on my checklist for years 🙂
– Use a Drone: Photographing with a drone provides you a unique perspective. Prime down views can provide very stunning summary photographs of tulip fields. Simply be sure you’re allowed to fly on the area. It is not allowed in each space within the Netherlands.
– Use Complimentary and Contrasty Colours: A Tulip area typically has many rows of various colours of tulips. You need to use that to your benefit if you wish to match the tulips to the colour of the sky. Shiny purple tulips work effectively with a darkish blue sky for instance.
The darkish blue within the sky works very effectively with the purple tulips as a complementary colour palette.
– Use a bit bit of a better ISO: It will possibly get windy within the Netherlands. To ensure the flowers are sharp, you typically have to make use of a barely larger ISO (particularly when photographing at sundown or dawn) to verify the tulips are sharp.
– portrait orientation: Experiment with portrait orientation. Do not solely shoot in panorama mode. Portrait orientation can often give extra depth and layers to a picture.
– Get tremendous shut & use focus stacking: You will get very low and near the flowers. It takes a while to search out ‘the right tulip’ on the foreground, however it may be very rewarding once you do. With this system, your picture will look very 3D. You get so near the tulip on the foreground, which you could’t get every little thing in focus. Mainly, you are close to your most focus distance of your lens. If you cannot get each the foreground and background in focus, you need to use a method referred to as ‘focus stacking’. With this, you’re taking a photograph of the foreground, mid-ground, and background, and merge them collectively in postprocessing to get a pointy picture from entrance to again. Word that this system can solely be finished with mainly no wind. I additionally train this post-processing method in my modifying course.
By getting tremendous near the foreground tulips you create a 3D impact.
– Discover fascinating tulips that stand out and take shut ups: Intently stroll previous the rows of tulips and see which of them stand out. And attempt to take a photograph of them with a telezoom. I typically even use 400mm and get fairly far-off. This fashion you may take a brilliant dreamy picture of a single tulip. In fact, you may also use a macro lens. Enjoyable reality: Whereas the tulips that stand are stunning, they’re normally ‘sick’. The tulip growers all take away them from the fields earlier than they do their harvest.
It is not a tulip, however nonetheless a really fascinating little flower in the midst of the row between the tulips!
– Get even nearer: shoot macro or particulars of the flowers: You will get tremendous shut with a macro or telezoom to {photograph} the little particulars of the tulips. Dew drops within the morning for instance, or just the elegant shapes and colours of the flowers. Generally I can spend an hour photographing a single tulip from all angles.
When?
In the event you go to half April you are normally good to go. We will by no means make certain when the primary tulips pop up, and totally different components of the nation blossom at totally different occasions. The tulips weeks earlier or weeks later relying on the climate of the season. Because it’s fairly heat initially this yr, we’re at present anticipating to see the primary tulips to start with of April or possibly even a bit bit earlier.
The place to search out essentially the most stunning tulip fields within the Netherlands?
It is a query I get requested loads and the reality is: I can by no means be precise. The tulip fields are at all times totally different yearly. In fact there are areas within the nation with quite a lot of tulip fields, however you will must verify them out yearly to see what precise area seems the very best. Additionally they typically change barely, because it’s troublesome to develop the identical flower on the identical area for a number of years in a row. That might imply that you’ve a gorgeous tulip area proper in entrance of a windmill in a single yr, nevertheless it will not be there the subsequent.
In my 5-year previous article I am displaying you some areas the place to search out the tulips. There have not modified a lot. There’s additionally a tulip route within the Noord Oostpolder of the nation, which is a chosen route with tulip fields which you could drive by automotive. I might suggest doing that if you do not know the place to begin.
Guidelines
I would like to shut off this text by referring again to the start. Photographing tulips is nice, however consider you are on somebody’s property.
DON’T entry tulip fields which have a fence spherical it. That fence is there for a motive.
DON’T stroll into the tulip fields when you do not have permission from the tulip grower. Generally they’re engaged on their land. In the event you see individuals working, merely stroll as much as them and ask who’s the proprietor of the sphere. That is how I made pals over time. I like to speak with the growers about their flowers. They at all times speak with ardour. Then merely ask if they do not thoughts that you take some photographs of their flowers. Ask their e-mail tackle and e-mail them a few of your photographs. This fashion you will at all times be welcome on their fields.
DON’T take flowers from the fields. They don’t seem to be yours!
DO at all times watch out when strolling within the fields (with permission). Deal with the sphere prefer it’s your individual backyard. Respect the fields.
DO take stunning photographs!
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Photographing the tulips is totally different every year. Totally different situations, totally different flowers (do you know they provide you with fully new tulips yearly?), totally different climate, totally different fields. I can actually by no means get tired of photographing the tulips! Let’s all keep on with the foundations and be good to our tulip growers. And benefit from the magnificence AND the scent of those stunning flowers!
In the event you’re thinking about how I edit all of my pictures (together with classes on edit tulip & flower photographs), please try my Full Modifying Course on Panorama Pictures
Gear used on this article:
mainly all my lenses and cameras!
Any questions? Be at liberty to drop them within the feedback!
Thanks!
Albert
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