Quintessential Dutch Sunrise, a photo from Noord-Holland, Sud

Photographer's Note

Windmills and land flat like a pancake - surely it must be Holland? ;-)

When I see sunrise images like this one I always envy the photographer and imagine him or her standing their with a tripod waiting for the sunrise and quietly absorbing the atmosphere of a peaceful and enjoyable morning...

Not so in this case. I got up late and was planning to give, what I thought would be not a very interesting sunrise, a miss. Instead I was planning to photograph Texel Island's most famous landmark, De Cocksdorp lighthouse, in the morning light. I was driving to the north of the island when the sun started rising. I saw the mist and the windmill and I just couldn't resist it. There was nowhere to park, so I left the car in the road and ran across the fields to find the best viewpoint. As I was climbing over a fence (some barbed wire involved) I could here a local taxi driver blowing his horn angrily as he had gone past my car taking up half of the narrow country lane.

I managed to quickly shoot three frames before the sun became too bright.

More Texel views in WS.

cornejo, dcole, SnapRJW, williewhistler, PiotrF, sevy, timecapturer, annjackman, macjake, CLODO, GyurMaster trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

lousat (139308) 2014-08-21 8:57

Hi Kasia,a very nice lighthouse and a beautiful cottage too in the WS,but the main pic is absolutely fantastic! What a masterwork,a monochrome sunset played with the windmill silhouettes in the fog under a spectacular sun,the best exposure to take the best of this great spectacle,i like it! Have a nice evening and thanks,Luciano

dcole (281) 2014-08-21 9:16

Hi Kasia,
This is beautiful. Very lovely silhouette scene at sunrise.. excellent composition, color and sharpness. TFS
Best regards
-Dorian

rychem (72187) 2014-08-21 9:25

Nastrój jak marzenie, ten wiatrak wyłaniający się z mgły jest niesamowity, sama romantyka
pozdrawiam Ryszard

cornejo (61504) 2014-08-21 9:28

Hi Kasia, excellent photography of this beautiful unique moment, very well composed and perfectly captured in this super-beautiful image with good sharpness, wonderful light and color. Excellent and interesting job perfectly done, congratulations my friend. Thanks for sharing this beautiful work.

Good afternoon and happy weekend.
Warm greetings from southern Spain.
Angel.

SnapRJW (31631) 2014-08-21 9:47

Your note belies the serene moment you present in the gorgeous shot Kasia! The atmosphere of the misty sunrise is tangible .... I have to shade my eyes against the bright ball of the sun; brilliant! Did you use the longest end of your 300mm?

Well worth raising the ire of the taxi driver!

Warm regards

Rosemary

PiotrF (54758) 2014-08-21 11:24

Czesc Kasiu,
Eh ci paskudni kierowcy nie rozumieja duszy artysty i potrzeby chwili. Wiatrak napedzany mgielkami ciekawie uchwycony, a slonce faktycznie w ostatniej chwili zlapane.
Piekne poranne swiatlo na tych fotografiach w WS, tylko mi przy latarni morza brak. Dobra koncze bo wybredny sie robie. Super prezentacja
pozdrawiam
Piotr

willperrett (14215) 2014-08-21 11:27

Hello Kasia

Despite your claim that you got up late, I know you are a morning person - I remember your photographs from Bushey and Richmond Parks. So this really comes as no surprise. But it was certainly worth it: the sunrise and mist create magical photographic conditions. The iconic (or stock) Dutch landmark is of course placed with masterly precision in the frame to counterbalance the old currant bun. Lovely work.

Kind regards

Will

holmertz (102760) 2014-08-21 11:35

Hello Kasia,
This photo might even have been worth a parking ticket and torn trousers. With all respect for Ukrainian frogs this will surely please more people :-). It's a masterly exposed photo and as perfect a composition as could be demanded, especially considering the short time you had to find the best place. Yes, this is very Dutch, and the morning haze seems to have been here since the 17th century painters last captured it. And how did you manage to find those fantastic clouds at the top? The WS photos are very neat and pretty but can't match this one.
Kind regards,
Gert

williewhistler (16606) 2014-08-21 11:40

Hello Kasia,
after all of your endeavours it would appears to be well worth it,the early morning light that is enhanced by the mist is divine.
Despite your haste it`s well balanced and beautifully composed,my congratulations.
Warm regards Les.

InasiaJones (31566) 2014-08-21 11:42

Hello Kasia,

Shooting windmills with originality is easier said than done, first because they are a very popular and iconic subject, and master painters and talented photographers have already pushed the envelop to come up with something fresh and inspired.

But you have pulled up a very interesting approach by using the windmill as a silhouette against a wide landscape, capturing both the morning fog and the mighty sun in a powerful manner. And despite the reduced size of the windmill, it is still the eye magnet in this composition, standing out the rest of the scene with a darker colour and a more elaborate level of details. I can also see that you have framed the ethereal clouds in a meticulous way that can't be the result of pure coincidence.

Very well done!

André

carlo62 (81265) 2014-08-21 14:33

Ciao Kasia
spesso quando siamo a caccia di un obiettivo lo perdiamo di vista perché un altro soggetto si presenta davanti a noi, inaspettato, probabilmente migliore di quello che stavamo cercando. Questo è quello che ti è successo e il risultato è veramente bello, l'atmosfera è fantastica.
Saluti
Carlo

jjcordier (79299) 2014-08-21 23:42

Kasia
Magnifique photo de ce moulin sous l’œil de l'astre solaire. L'effet de brume apporte un plus supplémentaire à l'image.
Amicalement
JJ

sevy (58) 2014-08-22 0:30

Hello Kasia,

An original shot for a subject very often taken in photo. There was a challenge.
Of course there is the sunrise, but it is more the composition of the shot which is making the difference. I like the large view making tiny the windmill inside the landscape, but still having it as a main element of the composition through the graphism of the silhouette.
There are few elements in the frame and each of them is at the right place.
A shot I would have been happy to take.

Yves.

Hanssie (11022) 2014-08-22 1:32

The nice island of Texel.....
Wonderful photo, beautidul light

timecapturer (49288) 2014-08-22 6:20

Hello Kasia
this is glorious! So beautifully controlled considering the pressure you were under with angry taxi drivers. It is as you say quintessential Holland and so simple in elements and that is what makes it so powerful, arty and compelling. Love it!

Enjoy your weekend - B.

alvaraalto (42804) 2014-08-23 2:07

Hi Kasia,
Indeed, this must be Holland, but not at this moment. The weather is so bad that there is now no change for beautiful pictures like this. But dark clouds can also give special effects.
Your picture is perfect with the slightly changing of the “Orange” colours.
Groet Rob

marabu61 (11587) 2014-08-23 7:15

Witaj Kasia
Superb silhouette of the lonely windmill and the farm house, shrouded in a pleasant mist. The big blob of the sun and the warm morning light makes this truly pleasant to look at. It radiates a true calm and tranquillity.
have a great weekend
Daniel

emka (158204) 2014-08-23 23:48

Czasami cos co nie jest zaplanowane jest ciekawsze. Przyjemna ta latarnia morska w WS, ale duzo ciekawszy, bajeczny jest ten widok typowo holenderski. Fantastyczne swiatło, ta mgiełka i kolory. No i oczywiście wiatrak w miejscy, gdzie powinien być. Mistrzostwo, holenderscy pejzazyści bylby tez zachwyceni.
M.

siudzi (34141) 2014-08-24 2:02

Witaj Kasiu,
Cudny widok! Doskonale wybrałaś moment oraz punkt widzenia, aby złapać tę uroczą scenę. Brawo! Jestem pod wrażeniem jej piękna!

Miłego dnia!
Gosia

annjackman (23019) 2014-08-28 4:22

Hello Kasia,
This is a very evocative photo with the colours of sunrise, and the windmill surrounded by a layer of mist. Beautiful!
Kind Regards, Ann

Waylim (25436) 2014-08-28 10:34

Hi Kasia,

Gorgeous photo of the sunset, love the POV and the zoom include the windmill and that hazy and misty quality, classic Dutch landscape and that big ball of sun dorminating the composition. Excellent quality maintaing the light and contrast, not over expose the light or under exposure the landscape.

My complements.

Way

Gerrit (62042) 2014-08-28 17:54

Hi Kasia,
It was a difficult shot, I read, but very much worth the trouble.
Magnificent composition in delicious tones. I' m glad you visited my country.
Regards, Gerrit

macjake (98456) 2014-08-29 4:15

Hi Kasia
so you were climbing over barbed wire fencing eh?
thats fantastic!
haha....you have to do what you have to do in order to get your photo :)

i'm glad you went that extra mile to obtain this photo.
and i like the words you used "absorbing" the atmosphere, thats a perfect description.

lovely mood with the orange glow dominating the scene.
cheers
craig

CLODO (45116) 2014-08-29 11:08

hi Kasia

excellent note to describe how to take this unexpexcted picture, good mood and management of the light in a misty morning.
cheers
CLODO

daddo (28748) 2014-08-31 2:11

Photography is a risky business Kasia. I once had fish thrown at me by a fisherman at the shores of the Sea of Galilee. As for barbed wire, we all have had some encounters with it in trying to get THAT POV. The whole episode was worth the special result.beautiful. I do wonder what the ISO must have been since the shutter speed was 1/2500! Pozdrav. Klaudio.

GyurMaster (24838) 2014-10-23 4:34

Dear Kasia,

Really impressive photo, with perfect tones and colours!

Best Regards,
György