What's (in) the Picture?

Chris Breebaart Photography – finding stories

Posts from the ‘spring’ category

Shed and Hyacinths

A vibrant field of purple flowers lined in neat rows, with a barn in the background and blue sky above.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – March 2026

Time is something I sometimes can not grasp. On the one hand it is always the same: a second stays a second, a minute a minute, an hour an hour, a day a day, a week a week, a month a month. On the odd extra day every four years it is a ‘given’ that a year has 365 days. On the other hand time can slip through your hands. It seems to go faster, or slower. It is on your side or not.

This Spring is one of those moments that makes me wonder about time. There is an order in bulbflowers, but daffodils with hyacinths, while tulips pop up in the garden makes me confused. Is it going faster? But in the end the beauty and scent of flowers stays amazing.

The LAPC theme this week (#391) is ‘Phone photography’. Having a smartphone on me all of the time, with a camera that is getting better and better, is quite normal. As Tina says she rarely shoots other than with her phone. The same applies to me. The Iphone is handy, technology for dummies, always near and light. And it offers more an more quality and creativity. On the other hand it still lacks lots of technology you can find on a system camera. So I am in a hybrid state: daily the phone, on occasion the system camera. Getting on a bicycle enjoying the fields is easier with my iPhone. It produces a nice quality. It is convenient. But shooting the flower parade requires a systemcamera.But that is something for next time.

Shot with iPhone 17 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

A matter of taste and choice – Episode 7

A small flowering tree stands prominently in the foreground, surrounded by a blurred background of grass and trees, captured in black and white.
A small cherry blossom tree in full bloom with pink flowers, set against a green grassy background and a blurred building in the distance.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – March 2026

This week’s theme #390 is ‘color in black and white’. The theme focuses on the cognitive fact that our brains still know a color, even if it is in a grey tone. So the sky is blue, the grass green etc. Here you can see what colors do in greys, and if that is appealing or not to your taste pallet. For me this challenge is a bit of fun: most of the time I am looking at the world translating colors straight into grey tones, seeing if a photo is working in monochrome or not. Thanks Egidio for this challenge.

If you visit my blog – like I hope you do or from now start to do – you must have recognized my ‘old’ love for monochrome. When I started this hobby, mono was fashionable and a standard for news photography. And it was cheaper. In this series I offer you two versions of a photo. And you can prefer one over the other, or not.

Shot with iPhone 17 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

You see it as you not see it

Foggy landscape view featuring a canal lined with trees and houses, with a cyclist on a pathway.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – March 2026

A view created by the panorama setting of the iPhone. It is what you can see, but not as you see it in real.

Shot with iPhone 17 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

First Daffodils

Vast field of yellow flowers under a clear blue sky, with distant buildings and trees along the horizon.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – March 2026

The bulb fields are blooming. And to be honest, it goes quite fast. The daffodils are almost gone, hyacinths start to arrive and there is a lot of fields with tulips, still waiting to pop there heads up. Here a daffodil field.

Shot with iPhone 17 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

A matter of taste and choice – Episode 4

A black and white landscape featuring a winding road beside a small canal, under a cloudy sky with the sun visible.
A scenic view of a winding path next to a small canal, surrounded by lush green fields under a clear sky with sun and wispy clouds.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – March 2026

If you visit my blog – like I hope you do or from now start to do – you must have recognized my ‘old’ love for monochrome. When I started this hobby, mono was fashionable and a standard for news photography. And it was cheaper. In this series I offer you two versions of a photo. And you can prefer one over the other, or not.

This week’s theme is ‘Time to relax’. On a bicycle ride through fields where soon bulb flowers will pop up, together with other cyclists. This is a piece of a polder showing the low horizon in the sun.

Shot with iPhone 17 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

A matter of choice and taste – Episode 3

Black and white landscape photo showing a plowed field on the left and a dirt road bordered by a fence on the right. The sun is shining brightly in the sky with distant trees and power lines visible in the background.
Panoramic view of a plowed agricultural field with a dirt road bordered by a fence and utility poles under a clear sky.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – March 2026

If you visit my blog – like I hope you do or from now start to do – you must have recognized my ‘old’ love for monochrome. When I started this hobby, mono was fashionable and a standard for news photography. And it was cheaper. In this series I offer you two versions of a photo. And you can prefer one over the other, or not.

This week’s theme is ‘Time to relax’. On a bicycle ride through fields where soon bulb flowers will pop up, together with other cyclists. Thought I am not really sure about this piece of land, it is just been plowed it seems.

Shot with iPhone 17 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

A matter of choice and taste – Episode 2

A black and white landscape featuring tall, bare trees against a foggy background, with cyclists riding along a path in the foreground.
A silhouette of tall, leafless trees against a misty sky, with two cyclists riding along a green field in the foreground.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – March 2026

If you visit my blog – like I hope you do or from now start to do – you must have recognized my ‘old’ love for monochrome. When I started this hobby, mono was fashionable and a standard for news photography. And it was cheaper. In this series I offer you two versions of a photo. And you can prefer one over the other, or not.

This week’s theme is ‘Time to relax’. On a bicycle ride through fields where soon bulb flowers will pop up, together with other cyclists. On the color version you can see the deep purple of early hyacinths. With Some yellow late Daffodils.

Shot with iPhone 17 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

A matter of choice and taste – Episode 1

A monochrome image depicting five cyclists riding along a tree-lined path in a rural landscape, with fog obscuring the background.
A misty landscape featuring a row of tall trees along a grassy field, with several cyclists riding in a line in the distance.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – March 2026

If you visit my blog – like I hope you do or from now start to do – you must have recognized my ‘old’ love for monochrome. When I started this hobby, mono was fashionable and a standard for news photography. And it was cheaper. In this series I offer you two versions of a photo. And you can prefer one over the other, or not.

This week’s theme is ‘Time to relax’. On a bicycle ride through fields where soon bulb flowers will pop up, together with other cyclists. On the color version you can see the deep purple of early hyacinths. With Some yellow late Daffodils.

Shot with iPhone 17 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

On The Run

A black and white image of a winding road through a rural landscape, with two people walking along the path and a small stream running alongside. The horizon is lined with trees and fields.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – March 2026

This week’s theme is ‘Time to relax’. On a bicycle ride through fields where soon bulb flowers will pop up, together with other cyclists and the occasional runner.

Shot with iPhone 17 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

A Sunday Walk

A scenic black and white image of a pathway bordered by trees, with two people walking in the distance. The atmosphere is serene and foggy, suggesting a quiet early morning or late afternoon.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – March 2026

Spring is here and last weekend I made a little bicycle ride to check out the bulb flower fields. Daffodils where coming up, and at odd places hyacinths started to show. A nice way to relax and enjoy the lovely day outside. As did others by walking, running or cycling. Fitting this week’s theme ‘Time to relax’.

Shot with iPhone 17 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

All Seasons Lavender

A close-up view of blooming lavender plants with vibrant purple flowers and green foliage.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – March 2026

Long ago each season had its own indicators: vegetables, flowers, products. But nowadays in a world economy you can eat vegetables all year round. And now you can have lavender all year round as well. Not the whole year but starting from Spring.

Lavender for me is a ride through the Provence, with the scent in the air as you oversee fields of purple. In Summer.

Shot with iPhone 17 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

When you see Daffodils, Spring calls

Plant arrangement featuring vibrant yellow daffodils and green foliage in a rustic wooden pot.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – March 2026

Daffodils are among the first bulbflowers to pop up in Spring.

Shot with iPhone 17 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

When Spring Calls

Close-up of a tree with bright yellow flowers or buds against a dark background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – February 2026

Spring knocks on the door. Sunrises through young leaves, creating a fabric of soft gold in the tree against the sunlight.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Golden Slumbers Vanishing

A serene view of a neighborhood during sunrise, showcasing trees with golden leaves and houses in the background, illuminated by soft morning light.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – February 2026

Spring knocks on the door. Sunrises through young leaves, creating golden slumbers in the early sunlight. Vanishing as the sun climbs higher in the sky.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Garden Center

A close-up view of potted plants with colorful identification tags, arranged in rows at a garden center.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – February 2026

Spring is coming. even when we are still in Winter.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Forsythia

Close-up of yellow witch hazel flowers on a blurred background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – February 2026

Spring is around the corner. The garden wakes up slowly, with the Forsythia claiming the first flowering spot.The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – February 2026

This weeks Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #387 is Shadowed. How do you use shadows in photography.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Goede Hoop

The Netherlands, Voorhout – May 2025

Windmill ‘Hoop doet leven’ in Voorhout.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta.  Click the picture for a larger version.

Back at the beach in Spring 2009

The Netherlands, Katwijk – March 2009

The beach of Katwijk in Spring 2009.

shot with Nikon D70, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Leiden Marathon seen from Joop Zoetemelk Path

The Netherlands, Rijpwetering – May 2025

The Leiden Marathon as seen from the bicycle path, dedicated to one of the most successful Dutch professional cyclists, Joop Zoetemelk near Rijpwetering.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using  Snapseed, GrainLab  and Marksta.  Click the picture for a larger version.

Dutch Horizons

The Netherlands, Noordwijk – May 2025

The Dutch landscape has low horizons and is flat (but not as a pancake). Canals cut through it. Bicycle paths offer easy access for exploring. These photos are just behind the dunes at Noordwijk. They are at the edge of the Maandagse Wetering. On the horizon is Voorhout.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Spring Cycling: Maandagse Wetering

The Netherlands, Noordwijk – May 2025

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

On The Waterfront: Maandagse Wetering

The Netherlands, Noordwijk – May 2025

The Maandagse Wetering, a good spot to enjoy the sun while fishing.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Atom Heart Mother Revisited

The Netherlands, Voorhout – May 2025

The famous Hipgnosis cover of Atom Heart Mother is iconic. I am not sure, but I think this is not a Holstein Cow.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using Snapseed, GrainLab  and Marksta.  Click the picture for a larger version.

A Walk Through The Park


England, Southwell – April 2025

The cemetery of Southwell’s Minster.

Shot with Nikon Zf, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

From A Train Spotting

The Netherlands, Voorschoten – May 2025

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Nobody Can Wait Forever

The Netherlands, Den Haag – May 2025

Den Haag Central Station.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Arrival

The Netherlands, Den Haag – May 2025

Den Haag Central Station.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using Snapseed,  GrainLab and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version. 

Den Haag Central Station

The Netherlands, Den Haag – May 2025

Den Haag Central Station.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using Snapseed,  GrainLab and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version. 

Den Haag Tower

The Netherlands, Den Haag – May 2025

Den Haag Central Station.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using Snapseed,  GrainLab and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version. 

Southwell Minster Choir Gate

England, Southwell – April 2025

Choir Gate of Southwell’s Minster.

Shot with Nikon Zf, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Haarlemmer Trekvaart Hares

Two hares in a green field near a river, with cows grazing in the background.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – May 2025

Hares in the fields, where normally cows wander.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using Snapseed, GrainLab  and Marksta.  Click the picture for a larger version.

Through The Wire

France, St. George sur L’Aa – May 2025

Each time I pass here on the way to or from Calais, I take a picture of the power lines in St. Georges-sur-l’Aa.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max, edited using Snapseed, GrainLab and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Timeless Guildford

England, Guildford – April 2025

Shot with Nikon Zf, edited using Snapseed, GrainLab and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Shop In Line

England, Guildford – April 2025

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max, edited using Snapseed, GrainLab and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Guildford High Street

England, Guildford – April 2025

Guildford High Street.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max, edited using Snapseed, GrainLab and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Guildford High Street

England, Guildford – April 2025

Uphill Guildford High Street.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max, edited using Snapseed, GrainLab and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Angel Gate Guildford

England, Guildford – April 2025

The old Posting House in Guildford now the Angel Hotel.

Shot with Nikon Zf, edited using Snapseed, GrainLab and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Blue Belled Graveyard

England, Guildford – April 2025

Near the High Street of Guildford is a St. Mary’s Church with an old graveyard. The Church where Lewis Caroll used to preach under his real name.

Shot with Nikon Zf, edited using Snapseed, GrainLab and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.