What's (in) the Picture?

Chris Breebaart Photography – finding stories

Posts from the ‘Amsterdam’ category

Bird Under A Wire

A small bird standing on the platform of Amsterdam Central Station, beneath a large, arched glass roof.
The Netherlands, Amsterdam – September 2025

A small bird in a big Amsterdam Central Station. The things you see while waiting for a train.

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

Museum at night (2)

The Netherlands, Amsterdam – November 2024

The Scheepvaartmuseum/National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam.

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

Museum at Night (1)

The Netherlands, Amsterdam – November 2024

The cellar of the Scheepvaartmuseum/National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam.

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

All Along The Watchtower

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Going Up Going Down

The Netherlands, Zwanenburg – October 2024

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About The Road

The Netherlands, Schiphol Amsterdam – October 2024

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Exploring the Amsterdam-Sloterdijk Power Plant

A fossil power plant on smoke, next to the A5 in Amsterdam-Sloterdijk.

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

Coming In – Going Out

Incoming and outgoing traffic at Schiphol Amsterdam. Just a drive by, and no worries, I was not driving the car.

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

Citroën Traction Avant at Amsterdam Schiphol

Driving passed Schiphol we were overtaken by four Citroën Traction Avant. Three of them were into sticker collecting, the fourth was beautiful pristine.

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

Fly Over

The Netherlands, Schiphol Amsterdam – August 2024

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

En Passant: Amsterdam South Axis

From a drive by, Amsterdam Zuidas.

Shot with iPhone 13 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

In the air today

The Netherlands, Rijsenhout – September 2023

Shot with iPhone 13 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta Click the picture for a larger version

On Wings

The Netherlands, Hoofddorp – August 2023
The Netherlands, Hoofddorp – August 2023

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #266 is ‘Time’. It takes a lot of time to tell everything about the concept of time. One aspect of time is how fast or how slow it is.

One common misunderstanding about time is that it can fly. It does not. It is us being mesmerized how a certain amount of time goes faster in specific situations. Eg when you are on holiday, or having a great 😊 time. Each second, minute, hour, day is exactly the same as it ever was. Sometimes time seems to go slower too! Again, a misconception. But what is the figurative opposite of flying? In most of those moments I do wish time could fly.

Shot with iPhone 13 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta Click the picture for a larger version

Lane 5 Schiphol Amsterdam

The Netherlands, Schiphol Amsterdam – August 2023

This week’s Lens Artists Photo Challenge #265 is ‘Black and White or Monochrome’. The fifth strip of Schiphol is nicknamed the Polderbaan.

Shot with iPhone 13 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

Coming Over

Shot with iPhone 13 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

Incoming

The Netherlands, Amsterdam Schiphol – August 2023

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Up Hill Landing

The Netherlands, Lijnden/Schiphol Amsterdam – June 2023

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Peter Gabriel Amsterdam

Some iPhone shots of the Amsterdam show of the i/o tour, a fabulous show of Peter Gabriel and his wonderful band. The artwork was amazing to watch, each song got a different artful backdrop. When you are 73 years old and still able to touch people this way, creating new work.

Visiting concerts like this makes me dream of being able to bring a proper camera and shoot it from the front of the stage and backstage as a concert photographer. That would be wonderful and challenging. Now it is a look from the distance meeting the limitations of the iPhone; which is by itself a really remarkable camera.

Shot with iPhone 13 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta Click the picture for a larger version

Amsterdam 2007: Offspring Reflection

The Netherlands, Amsterdam – May 2007

The canals of Amsterdam. One from the archive.

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

Amsterdam 2007: Canal Icons

The Netherlands, Amsterdam – May 2007

These houses are among the most photographed in Amsterdam. One from the archive.

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

Amsterdam 2007: Busker

The Netherlands, Amsterdam – May 2007

A busker playing on a bridge in Amsterdam. One from the archive.

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

Close encounter

The Netherlands, Schiphol – August 2022

Shot with iPhone 13 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

Approach

The Netherlands, Schiphol – August 2022

Shot with iPhone 13 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

Wiggle

The Netherlands, Schiphol – August 2022

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TUI

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – June 2022

This week’s Lens Artists Photo Challenge is #206 ‘Treasures’. One of my treasures is not seeing these big birds approaching Schiphol Amsterdam. 

Shot with iPhone 13 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta Click the picture for a larger version

Fly Over

The Netherlands, Amsterdam Schiphol – June 2022

Shot with iPhone 13 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

Take Off

The Netherlands, Amsterdam Schiphol – April 2022

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Crossing Borders

The Netherlands, Amsterdam Schiphol – April 2022

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Sky Lines

The Netherlands, Amsterdam Schiphol – April 2022

mLens artists photo challenge #199 is ‘mechanical/industrial’. I have a soft spot for planes coming over against the backdrop of the sky.

Shot with iPhone 13 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta Click the picture for a larger version

Free Bird

The Netherlands, Schiphol – April 2022

Lens-Artists weekly photo challenge #198 is ‘light and shadow’.

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Meting Delta

The Netherlands, Schiphol Amsterdam – April 2022

The Lens-artists challenge #196 is ‘humor‘. A bit of a weird moment meting a Delta plane overhead.

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Take Off

The Netherlands, Schiphol Amsterdam – March 2022

This week Lens Artists Photography Challenge #192 is ‘Earth Story’. 

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Sunset through a dirty car window

The Netherlands, Schiphol Amsterdam – March 2022

This week Lens Artists Photography Challenge #192 is ‘Earth Story’. 

Shot with iPhone 13 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta Click the picture for a larger version

When the final curtain falls

Some left overs from Tuesday 22nd of March. If Genesis would not have three postponed gigs in the O2 in London, this would probably have been their last concert. Again, thanks for the memories!

Shot with iPhone 13 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta Click the picture for a larger version

Big Blue Bird

The Netherlands, Amsterdam – March 2022

Ready for taking off into the blue skies.

Shot with iPhone 11 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

The Last (?) Domino – Genesis

The Netherlands, Amsterdam – March 2022

After fifty years Genesis is touring the world for what seems a final time in The last (?) Domino Tour. I admit I was a bit skeptic, having heard the you-tube video’s of the shows in 2021, given Phil Collins’ health issues. Seeing him enter the stage slowly, sitting down was emotional, and a bit scary. But when he sat he was there, eyes firing, witty (‘now we only have old songs’ (referring to his anger at a Dutch audience in 1981 in Leiden), playing the audience as he used to do. And singing his heart out. No longer able to play the drums. He is fragile, but what a persona on stage, his voice beautifully supported by two backing singers, and his son Nic Collins on drums. What a talent. The other oldies Mike Rutherford (hopping around as always) and Tony Banks (stoic and focused), with Daryl Stuermer blowing the roof of the Ziggo Dome. At times it was emotional, the music was a bright mix of their prog and pop period, with standards (I know what I like) and classics (Cinema Show, In that Quiet Earth/Afterglow, Firth of Fifth). Standing the age of time, showing an impressive body of work over the years. It was a beautiful and moving farewell, that ended with The Carpet Crawlers: you got to get in to get out. Chills and goose bombs, perfect sound and a band at work smoothly, after a break of 15 years. Thanks for the memories guys.

And it was a nice time to use my iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Shot with iPhone 13 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta Click the picture for a larger version

How Amsterdam Airport Schiphol was created

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – December 2021

The theme for this week’s Lens-artists Photo Challenge #178 is You Choose. The only thing I chose for this blog was the subject and the photo. The choice to build this canal was made long ago, and one of the spin offs is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

Before the pandemic I used to cross this canal twice a day, and I took loads of photos of it, but just recently I found out about its history and historical purpose.

As most of you probably know the Dutch have a long relationship with water, and learned how water could be managed over the ages. About half of The Netherlands is below sea level; the question was and is how to keep it dry? Some say that God created the world but the Dutch created The Netherlands. In reality we manage water. In days of climate change that gets more complex. Not only the amount of water coming in by rivers and rain is growing, the soil of The Netherlands sinks as well.

In 1840 this canal was build. From 1848 the former lake the Haarlemmermeer was turned into the Haarlemmermeerpolder and this canal was used to dump the water of that lake into the North Sea. Schiphol (ship hell) was a spot in that former lake notorious for ship wrecks as the story goes.

Nowadays the canal takes out the water from the West of The Netherlands to the sea at Katwijk.

Shot with iPhone 11 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta Click the picture for a larger version

Just passing by: Schiphol Amsterdam Airport

The Netherlands, Amsterdam – September 2020
The Netherlands, Amsterdam – September 2020
The Netherlands, Amsterdam – September 2020
The Netherlands, Amsterdam – September 2020

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #115 is ‘Inspiration’.

One of my favorite activities while being on the road in the passenger seat, is snapping photos. Here a drive by of Schiphol Amsterdam Airport.

Shot with iPhone 11 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

Approach

The Netherlands, Hoofddorp – August 2020

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #114 is ‘Negative Space’.

A plane approaching a runway at Schiphol Amsterdam.

Shot with iPhone 11 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

Interruption

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – May 2020

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #99 is ‘old and new’.

During the Corona crisis, most air traffic came to a stop. The skies are blue, and occasionally a plan (mostly cargo) comes over.
Normally every minute a plan approaches Schiphol Amsterdam Airport 25 kilometres to the North. The old is no longer, this new is for the time being.

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Amsterdam

The Netherlands, Amsterdam – September 2011

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #82 is ‘capital’

Typical Amsterdam: canals lined with trees, bridges and bicycles.

If you want to join or participate in the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenges just follow the link above.

Shot with Nikon D7000, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

Amsterdam – Capital

The Netherlands, Amsterdam – September 2011

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #82 is ‘capital’

This is a well know bridge in Amsterdam, the capital of The Netherlands, over the Amstel: the Magere Brug.

If you want to join or participate in the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenges just follow the link above.

Shot with Nikon D7000, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

 

Candid: Three Hats

The Netherlands, Schiphol Amsterdam – May 2003

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #66 is ‘candid’.

If you want to join or participate the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenges, just follow the link above.

 

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

Shot with Nikon F90 on Kodak TriX, scanned from film and edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a bigger version

A Magical Place

The Netherlands, Amsterdam – September 2019

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #63 is ‘magical’.
The Johan Cruijff Arena, home of Ajax Amsterdam, just before the start of a home match.
One of the fixed events at a home match is a young player juggling a ball in the middle of the pitch.
This boy of 8 managed to do that 2736 times. Then he had to stop because the match started.
Apart from the magic of that boy, this is the place where Ajax creates its magic.

For more information on how to join the Weekly  Lens-Artists Photo Challenges, click here for details.

shot with iPhone X,  edited using Snapseed and Marksta, click the picture for a larger version

Arrival

The Netherlands, Schiphol Amsterdam – August 2019

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Turn Over

The Netherlands, Amsterdam – June 2019

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Schiphol Sunrise

The Netherlands, Amsterdam – January 2019

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Lifecycle

The Netherlands, Amsterdam – September 2018

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Front

The Netherlands, Amsterdam – September 2018

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Arrogance

The Netherlands, Amsterdam – September 2018

ING head office in the south of Amsterdam.

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