What's (in) the Picture?

Chris Breebaart Photography – finding stories

Posts from the ‘sun’ category

Eclipse

A partially eclipsed sun with a bright orange glow, set against a dark background.
Close-up photo of a solar eclipse showing a crescent-shaped sun against a dark background, with glowing orange and yellow hues.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2026

We witnessed the last partial eclipse in Western Europe for the next 58 years in the beginning of August.

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

Vincent

A dramatic sky with swirling clouds and sunlight peeking through, capturing a serene landscape at dusk.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – August 2026

It seems I’m into sky and clouds during the warm days this Summer. This landscape is typical Dutch with some hints towards paintings of Vincent Van Gogh. Sun is setting. Not a starry night yet.

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

Detailed Space

A tranquil twilight sky transitioning from deep blue to soft orange, silhouetted by rooftops and a few clouds.
Silhouette of a rooftop and chimney against a gradient sky at sunset with scattered clouds.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2026

Sunsets these days are sometimes interesting with cloud shapes light up.

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

Impressionism

A gradient sky transitioning from deep blue at the top to orange at the horizon, with a few clouds near the center and silhouettes of rooftops and trees at the bottom.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2026

Sunsets these days are sometimes interesting with cloud shapes light up. With poor light conditions it can turn out to be a quite rough photo. I added to that roughness deliberately.

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

Sky Foam

Dramatic clouds in a moody sky at sunset, featuring various shades of gray and hints of gold light.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2026

Sunsets these days are sometimes interesting with cloud shapes light up.

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

Golden Hour

A vibrant sunset sky filled with fluffy clouds showcasing shades of yellow and blue.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2026

Sunsets these days are sometimes interesting with cloud shapes light up. At the golden hour.

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

Beam me up Scotty

A dramatic sky featuring wispy clouds illuminated by golden light, creating a serene atmosphere.
A dramatic sunset with vibrant orange and yellow hues illuminating clouds, alongside a silhouette of a tower in the foreground.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2026

Sunsets these days are sometimes interesting with cloud shapes light up.

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

Here comes the flood

A dramatic sky filled with various cloud formations illuminated by the setting sun, featuring shades of blue, orange, and white.

The sky at dusk, showing scenery that takes your imagination far. LAPC #408 is ‘over the top’.

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

Sunset

A gradient sunset with a deep blue sky transitioning to a warm golden hue, silhouetting rooftops and trees at the horizon.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2026

LAPC #406 is ‘summer daze’. The heat presented itself with some abstract sunsets.

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

The Field on the Side of the Road (the sequel)

A scenic view of a rural landscape featuring a large tree in the foreground, a wooden fence, and a sun setting over a golden field under a clear blue sky.

England, Dorking-Wotton – July 2026

The driveway to Wotton House in Dorking. 

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

The Field on the Side of the Road

A picturesque landscape featuring a golden field under a clear blue sky, framed by green trees and a wooden fence. The sun shines brightly on the horizon.
England, Dorking-Wotton – July 2026

The driveway to Wotton House in Dorking.

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

Zig Zag

A picturesque sky filled with soft, wispy clouds against a blue backdrop, with a subtle sunset glow reflecting off the clouds and a faint jet trail crossing the scene.
A beautiful sky filled with clouds, showcasing a gradient of colors from blue to soft orange and hints of pink, indicating either dawn or dusk.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2026

The evening sunset sky, offers a wider range of colours. And cloud shapes.

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

Before Take Off

View of the airport tarmac through an airplane window, featuring easyJet planes, a baggage truck, and clear blue skies.
The Netherlands, Schiphol Amsterdam – July 2026

Before take off. Just before the adventure starts (LPAC #405 is ‘adventure’).

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

Unquiet Slumbers for The Restless Sleepers …….

Dramatic sunset scene with dark clouds and colorful hues of orange and pink on the horizon.
A dramatic sunset over a cloudy sky, featuring vibrant orange and yellow hues blending with darker clouds.
Dramatic sky at sunset featuring layered clouds in shades of gray, pink, and orange.
Dramatic sky filled with dark and stormy clouds, contrasting with hints of orange and yellow from the sunset below.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2026

The evening sunset sky, offers a wider range of colours.

Inspired by a Genesis’ song from the Wind and Wuthering album: Unquiet slumbers for the restless sleepers ……. in that quiet earth.

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

Heatwave

A view from a wooden table overlooking a vibrant garden with plants, flowers, and outdoor furniture, featuring hanging lanterns and a glass of orange juice.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – June 2026

Climate change seems to kick in, with a heatwave stronger than before the last week. Sit in the garden, having a drink, have a read. Chill.

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

Greens leaves

A field of tall, golden grass illuminated by soft sunlight against a dark background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – May 2026

LAPC #403 focuses on photography tools: perspective, depth and scale. Here a little detail on a sunny morning. The sunny backlight in the undergrowth.

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

Sun Screen

A dramatic sky filled with dark clouds and a bright opening revealing the sun, creating a contrast between light and shadows.
A cloudy sky with the sun peeking through, creating a halo effect around it.
A dramatic, monochromatic image of a cloudy sky with varying cloud formations and light peeking through.
A black and white image of a cloudy sky with light peeking through, creating a dramatic atmosphere.
Dramatic black and white image of a cloudy sky with varying cloud formations and light peeking through.
Black and white image of a cloudy sky with a visible sun behind the clouds, featuring a textured, dot-pattern overlay.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – June 2026

The sky is an amazing object. It is always there, but we only pay attention to it a few times a day. When there are rain clouds, if it is blue, if the sun comes up, or goes down. And yet, living in a country with a low horizon, it is part of our life. At times a little message comes in making me pay attention. And do something simple, playful with the sky, the clouds and the sun. I admit, mostly near sunset time. Here six photos of the sky taken through a sun screen of a roof window. I do hope you enjoy them.

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #402 is a return to the first ever LAPC: wonder. I added a ‘sky’ archive. It is just an indicator of the role the sky has in my photos, 700 plus photos, so that is a long browse :-). You are warned.

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

The Dark Side

Close-up of a leaf showing water droplets on its textured surface in black and white.
Close-up of a leaf with water droplets in black and white, showcasing the texture and curves of the leaf.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – May 2026

LAPC #399 ís ‘stuck in a place’. Egidio offers a way to create motivation or inspiration to go out and about. This method is in my words ‘open up to what is right under your nose’. For me the garden is always a source of inspiration, especially when it has rained and the sunlight creats little diamonds on leaves. In this case, Hosta and water drops.

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

Fly By

A flag waving against a clear blue sky, with a jet contrail crossing above.
The Netherlands, Katwijk – May 2026

The beach at Het Strand. A bit tongue in cheek: strand in Dutch means beach.

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

Golden Birch

A close-up view of tree branches illuminated by golden sunlight against a blue sky.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – April 2026

Sunset and golden hour.

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

Magnolia

Close-up of vibrant pink magnolia flowers surrounded by green leaves against a blurred background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – March 2026

Magnolia, it is not only about bulbflowers this Spring.  

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

Ticking Away The Moments

Tall modern office building with glass facade and a clear blue sky in the background.
The Netherlands, Den Haag – April 2026

The theme of this week’s LAPC (#398) is illustrate a quote with a picture. There are notorious opinions about the civil service, lots of them framed in jokes. This is the Departement of Eduction, Science and Culture in Den Haag. A bit tongue in cheek (I am one of that civil service), this came up in my mind:

‘Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way‘

Pink Floyd, Time (The Dark Side of the Moon)

Of course the above is applicable to the private sector as well.

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

Entangled Sun

Silhouette of bare trees against a sunset sky with warm hues.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – March 2026

The sun in a web of branches.

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

Spring Sunrise

A serene landscape depicting a sunrise through bare trees, with soft golden light illuminating the garden and distant houses.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – March 2026

The sun beaming through as it rises. 

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

Sunrise in black and grey

Silhouette of bare trees against a misty sky with the sun partially visible in black and white.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest –

A monochrome sunrise in black and greys.

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

Capturing Spring Rain: Foreground, Middle, and Background

A close-up view of a flowering branch with purple buds and newly sprouting leaves, set against a backdrop of blurred rain and greenery.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – March 2026

A shower of Spring rain with sun lighting up the drops. Setting the scene in the middle ground as the foreground and background form the stage setting. The theme of this week’s LAPC (#392) is ‘foreground, middle and background’.

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

So Close, So Far Away

A scenic view of a blue sky filled with various clouds, showcasing different shades and textures.
A serene sky featuring wispy clouds and a gradient of blue tones.
A bright blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds and wispy vapor trails.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – March 2026

Clouds for this week’s LAPC theme week (#391) ‘Phone photography’.

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

When The Night Falls

A twilight sky filled with streaks of contrails, with silhouettes of houses in the foreground.
A colorful sky at dusk featuring wispy clouds and airplane contrails, creating a serene atmosphere.
A clear sky with multiple contrails forming intersecting lines against a gradient blue backdrop.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – March 2026

Dusk for this week’s LAPC theme week (#391) ‘Phone photography’.

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

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

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.

Tree

Silhouetted trees against a twilight sky with a gradient of blue and orange hues at sunset.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – February 2026

A Winter sunrise. 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.

Two Trees

Black and white photo of a public space featuring planters, bare trees, and people walking. Two women are seen in the background with a dog, and a building is partially visible.
A black and white photograph depicting a park scene with a tree, trash bins, and distant cars under a cloudy sky.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – February 2026

LAPC #386 invites to use the power of juxtaposition. I give the brief a bit more room for experiment, and put two pictures next to another. They both have a narrative of their own. It is basically the same subject (trees) but framed in a different way.

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

Winter Sunset Ripples

Vibrant sunset with orange and blue hues illuminating a cloudy sky.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – January 2026

The LAPC theme #385 is ‘unusual crop’. Sky shots of clouds are mostly abstract. Framing them in a way that makes sense is a challenge at times.

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

See See The Sun

Sunset viewed through the branches of two trees, with a warm orange and yellow sky in the background.
Silhouetted tree branches against a vibrant orange sunset sky.
A sunset view framed by tree branches, casting a warm orange glow in the sky with a silhouetted chimney in the foreground.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – February 2026

The LAPC theme #385 is ‘unusual crop’. Here the cropping process in-camera using a zoom.

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

Steel Giants

A black and white photograph of tall power lines and transmission towers stretching across a snowy landscape under a bright sun.
Black and white photograph of power lines stretching across a field, with the sun shining brightly in the background.

France, Saint-Georges-sur- l’Aa – January 2026

Every time we travel to the UK via the Channel Tunnel, I try to take photos of these steel giants. The same goes for when we return from there. They carry power lines in the area of St. Georges-sur-l’Aa. No worries, I’m in the passenger seat.

They remind me of mythical knights, marching in line over the fields. In the archive you find a set of photos over the years.

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

Marshes Panorama Blakeney

Panoramic view of a sunset over a grassy field with a winding path on the left side.
England, Blakeney, December 2025

To end a long set of photos of the marshes near Blakeney, a panorama shot.

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

Juno 2

A sailboat moored in a calm tidal estuary during sunset, with a distant lighthouse and boats in the background.
England, Blakeney – December 2025

The quayside and harbour of Blakeney just before sunrise.

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

First Light of a Winter Sunrise on the Marshes

Sunset view over a grassy marsh with silhouettes of trees in the background and a jet trail in the sky.

England, Blakeney – December 2025

Lens-Artist’s Photo Challenge #383 is ‘patterns and designs’. Sunrises are always amazing, but the marshes being touched by the first rays is amazing to see.

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

On The Marshes

A vibrant sunset shining over a grassy field, with sunlight rays and lens flares creating colorful orbs.
England, Blakeney – December 2025

Lens-Artist’s Photo Challenge #383 is ‘patterns and designs’. The sunrise distorted in the lens.

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

Sunny Rain

A scenic view of a riverbank scene with buildings on one side, a sandy area in the foreground, and dramatic clouds in the sky, capturing the beauty of nature and architecture.
England, Blakeney – December 2025

Lens-Artist’s Photo Challenge #383 is ‘patterns and designs’. A Winter rain shower over the quaside of Blakeney.

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

Big Old Jet Airliner

Dusk sky with soft pink and gray clouds, featuring a vapor trail from an airplane.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – December 2025

The sky at dusk is a nice canvas to play with.

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

Sky

A serene winter sky at dusk with soft pastel colors blending into deep shades.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – December 2025

At dusk, a beautiful Winter sky.

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