Favorite Moments of 2023

On this article I wish to let you know about a few of my favorite moments from 2023. I say moments and never images, as a result of I all the time hold saying that the second is typically (and sometimes) extra useful than the image itself. WIth every picture comes this vivid reminiscence of being there and capturing that second. Every of those images give me that particular feeling.

One other affirmation when seeing my very own images of this 12 months is one thing I additionally usually say: The sunshine and situations are extra necessary than the precise location for a wonderful {photograph}. But when each are nice, you may have one thing particular. Capturing an ideal lightning strike above a crimson tulip discipline was one thing on my listing for some time, and I’m pleased to have that included in my favourites of this 12 months. It has additionally been the 12 months of the aurora with aurora exercise reaching its photo voltaic most. In consequence, we see robust aurora exercise an increasing number of in The Netherlands. A spectacular aurora picture from my homecountry was on my listing for some time, and I’m pleased to have added to my portfolio as nicely. Nonetheless, I wish to goal larger in 2024.

Another favorite moments in The Netherlands embody capturing the windmills with stunning situations: blooming blossoms, and people magic mornings that I can merely by no means get sufficient of. And my new sequence about mushrooms of their pure surroundings: A special technique to seize the gorgeous mushrooms we see each autumn within the Netherlands. My pictures in The Netherlands in these sequence show to me that I’m merely by no means carried out capturing my homeland.

In my favorite moments are after all a lot of images from different international locations: some moments with nice associates, and a few throughout my picture excursions. A morning in Japan with Majestic Mount Fuji reflecting within the nearly nonetheless water, with the twilight glow of the very early morning, spending nights on the very best factors of La Palma Island within the freezing chilly, however with the perfect evening skies of Europe capturing the Milky Method and the spectacular Tajinaste Flowers, Going to Thailand and exploring some new locations and capturing the elephants and their mahouts, my yearly Greenland excursions the place we all the time discover new spectacular icebergs and every week stuffed with rain in Scotland to {photograph} promotional materials for my very personal Haukland Parka Professional jacket.

All in all I look again on a good 12 months of images. There are numerous extra moments that aren’t even in these pictures, like my Kyrgyzstan Exhibition on the Xposure Competition within the UAE in Sharjah earlier this 12 months.

However everywhere in the above is totally overshadowed by our little child Gaia that was born in the midst of this 12 months and is now greater than 5 months already! Time flies, and I’m grateful for nonetheless with the ability to journey and {photograph} a lot. After all, I’ve my spouse Bermet to thank for that  She permits me to maintain doing what I really like a lot in life: taking images

I hope you take pleasure in these sequence. I wrote a small description under each picture with some background data.

I needed to take a shot like this for a few years. On this night, all the things aligned completely. I used to be photographing thunderstorms over the tulip fields within the Flevoland provence that afternoon. Sooner or later it appeared like all of them handed, however there was nonetheless some flashing and rumbling within the distance. It was getting darker and I made a decision to reposition myself for the thunderstorm within the distance. Upon checking the climate radars, I noticed that this thunderstorm would cross this tulip discipline from left to proper, so i positioned myself and waited. For me, these plans usually go unsuitable and the storms would cross by way of one other angle. However not this time! I took a bunch of pictures with lightning strikes and the picture above was the most effective one for me. When i noticed it pop up on the digital camera display screen I used to be pleased as somewhat child. After a few years of attempting, I lastly did it!

As talked about above: This 12 months was additionally the 12 months to see nice auroras in Europe due to the photo voltaic most. But it surely’s nonetheless not that simple to seize, particularly as a result of it is usually cloudy within the Netherlands. So all the things wants to come back collectively, and that is what occurred on this night in February. An attractive show with vivid reds might be seen with the bare eye stuffed the evening sky. These colors solely lasted for about 10 minutes. However I used to be there to seize it!

One of many highlights of the 12 months was visiting the elephants in Thailand. On this specific a part of Thailand, Mahuts (caretakers of elephants) spend their lives in concord with their elephant. It is a custom that already begins as a child. Human and elephant are related. This picture is a single shot with none tips: A flash behind the tree, lighting the scene for only a fraction of a second whereas the digital camera exposes for for much longer to seize the milky method above.

This 12 months I spent some weeks in Japan for a photograph tour with my buddy Daniel Kordan. Earlier than and after the tour I spent a while capturing for myself. This was one of many mornings the place I used to be on their own at one of many lakes round Mount Fuji, capturing the gorgeous calm twilight temper. This shot was carried out with a CPL (Round Polarizer) to seize the leaves on the backside of the lake. One in every of my favorite moments this 12 months! Not solely due to the images, however primarily due to the reminiscence of being there on their own within the morning silence.

You may be part of me later this 12 months in Japan! I there are nonetheless some spots accessible. Click on HERE.

This 12 months I went for a brief solo journey to La Palma island for a private mini-project: capturing the gorgeous Tajinaste flowers. These crops can rise up to three meters tall and are full of little flowers. This composition was actually particular to me, capturing it at 14mm tremendous huge, creating this framing composition with the sundown proper within the center. These crops solely develop on excessive altitude, on the high of the island.

In autumn, I created a photograph sequence known as ‘Mushrooms of their Pure World’ , displaying the various mushrooms we’ve in our forests another way. By utilizing a large angle lens with focus stacking, I present how the mushrooms develop with their surroundings round them. I actually loved creating these sequence and can proceed to take action within the upcoming years.

I can by no means get sufficient of photographing foggy mornings within the Netherlands. Particularly together with windmills. This was considered one of my favorite foggy windmill pictures from this 12 months. The two windmills of Uppel in an x-stand (this doesn’t occur usually) with a flock of geese flying on the good place. Some individuals may assume these geese are photoshopped in, however that is one thing I by no means do. Throughout these mornings there are a whole lot of geese flying on the Dutch countryside. By simply patiently ready, you’ll be able to seize them precisely the place you need!

An ideal calm morning on the gorgeous Khao Sok Lake in Thailand. It was so good to chill out and discover there. On this morning me and my associates Jabi Sanz and Daniel Kordan rented a ship and explored among the stunning corners of this lake. The solar got here up right here and the mountains created a wonderful reflection within the water. This can be a nice instance of a photograph that immediately brings again that reminiscence and provides me that good calm feeling when trying on the picture.

This picture was captured throughout the blossom season. I all the time like to be artistic with framing windmills. This was a shot I already tried years earlier than, however I by no means actually bought the nice mild to make it work. Till this 12 months, once I figured I really wanted a darkish stormy sky with mild on the foreground to make the flowers pop.

Regardless of what number of years I’ve photographed tulips, I by no means become bored with them! This was considered one of my favorite mornings within the season, with the rising solar casting a golden glow over the skinny layer of fog above this crimson tulip discipline. There was completely no wind so I used to be in a position to make use of focus stacking to get a 3D-feeling to this shot. This morning was very calm, chilly and delightful.

One in every of my favorite summary pictures this 12 months, taken in Iceland. Presently the final golden mild of the day was hitting these moist basalt columns creating this stunning colors on them. I took this at 400mm. It all the time jogs my memory to take a look at the tiny particulars of the large stunning landscapes.

I spent just a few weeks in Greenland once more this August to information picture excursions for Iceland Photograph Excursions . I all the time actually take pleasure in doing these excursions. Although we’re all the time crusing in Disko Bay, it is all the time completely different with many alternative ice bergs. This one was one of many highlights from this 12 months: an enormous ice berg with a gap in it. For scale, you see our crimson sail boat subsequent to it.

For a few of you possibly an odd forest shot, however for me it is particular. I’ve been attempting to get good situations on this forest for years already. It is a small forest and one of many only a few forests within the Netherlands that has blue bells. And so they solely bloom for about 2 weeks. I needed thick fog right here for years, however by no means managed to get it, till this 12 months! So to get the mix of those fascinating timber, lush greens with a flooring lined with blue bells, was wonderful for me!

La Palma island has among the clearest evening skies of Europe. I deliberate a brief journey right here in Might to {photograph} the Tajinaste flowers. Throughout this time I additionally spent a whole lot of time at evening on the highest of the island, excessive above the clouds. This place has among the finest evening skies and you’ll see the gorgeous milky method right here together with your bare eye. For me, wandering in these locations at evening on their own within the chilly offers me the final word feeling of freedom. I took this self portrait by utilizing an interval timer.

I’ve photographed this tree for fairly some occasions. To me, it’s totally photogenic. It additionally has these many branches round it of useless timber that can be utilized as foreground parts. On at the present time thunderstorms have been predicted and I made a decision to {photograph} them at this tree, because the angle appeared respectable in keeping with satellite tv for pc forecasts. Upon getting there, I really did not assume I used to be going to get the shot. The storm did not have many lightning strikes. I merely put the digital camera on interval and stored capturing hoping to catch some lightning.

Sooner or later, the climate turned actually unhealthy with lightning and a whole lot of rain and I needed to run to the automobile. Within the automobile, I used to be checking all of the pictures and located this one which had an ideal strike in it. The lightning really hit fairly shut. There’s a television tower there (framed behind the department) and the lightning hit that tower. A spectacular shot that’s positively considered one of my favourites this 12 months. It actually brings again that adrenaline expertise.

Throughout a photograph tour within the Icelandic Highlands we additionally did fairly some droning. The highlands of Icelands are unbelievable from the sky. Right here you see the Ljótipollur crater, that has a really vivid blue color with crimson rocks round it. This surroundings was on my listing to seize for some time, and regardless that it is fairly a easy shot, I actually find it irresistible!

I spent every week within the Scottish Highlands with the Haukland staff this 12 months to do promotional materials for my Signature Haukland Parka Professional Jacket . Humorous sufficient, we had loopy rain and wind for the entire week. It actually nearly by no means stopped. But it surely was nice for moody pictures and to check out the jacket, which carried out nice!

This shot proves you may get good pictures with any form of climate. In truth: I believe this specific scene seems to be finest with this very dramatic climate. It is the fairy swimming pools in Scotland. I additionally assume there may be not a lot water in these swimming pools usually. There have been little waterfalls all over the place and I actually like this composition of a number of layers of water.