What's (in) the Picture?

Chris Breebaart Photography – finding stories

Posts from the ‘The Netherlands’ category

Steamtrain Museum Katwijk Leiden

Close-up of an old, rusty steam locomotive in a museum with visible wear and tear, showcasing its historical significance.
Close-up view of a vintage steam train locomotive in a museum, showcasing its weathered metal exterior and unique design.
Close-up of a weathered metal plaque with inscriptions, displaying the numbers and text related to bridges, tunnels, and earthworks, mounted on a rusty background.
Close-up of an old, rusty steam engine cabin displayed in a museum, with a cobblestone floor and a transparent roof.
A close-up view of old steam locomotives in a museum, showcasing their vintage design and machinery with informational plaques in a well-lit indoor space.
Rusty steam locomotive on display at the Steamtrain Museum in Katwijk, Leiden, showcasing vintage machinery and historical preservation.
The Netherlands, Valkenburg – October 2025

The Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #374 is ‘on the move’. Most of what is on these photos has not moved in a long time. However, the machines they got moving again are brilliant. It is a place where they try to keep history alive and accessible, touchable and usable.

The Steamtrain Museum Katwijk Leiden is run by volunteers. It offers the history of steam trains and their use on narrow gauge tracks. And the volunteers fix up and restore old locomotives, carriages and other cars. They have a big storage full of old parts and rusty machines.

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

Living Room Roses

A close-up photograph of white roses with soft lighting, creating a warm ambiance.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – October 2025

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

Rose

A close-up image of a white rose with soft petals, set against a blurred dark background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – October 2025

Having fresh flowers in the house is a blessing.

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

Wind Surfing Valkenburg

The Netherlands, Valkenburg – October 2025

The lake near Valkenburg during a forceful wind.

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

Dormer View

A view from a window showing raindrops on the glass, with trees and a canal visible outside. The image is in black and white.
A view from a window showing trees and a canal, with raindrops on the glass and a soft sunrise in the background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – October 2025

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

Autumn Morning

View from a skylight showing trees and a colorful sunset in the background, with a cloudy sky.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – October 2025

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

Windowed Leafs

A close-up view of a single leaf resting on a rain-soaked window, with a blurred blue sky in the background.
Close-up of colorful leaves floating on a wet window pane with a cloudy sky in the background.
Fallen autumn leaves scattered on a wet window with a cloudy sky in the background.
Fallen leaves drifting against a cloudy sky, viewed through a window with raindrops.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – October 2025

The sky and fallen leaves on windows.

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

On The Road At Sunrise

View of the A44 and A4 highways towards Schiphol Amsterdam at sunrise, with wind turbines along the roadside and a clear blue sky transitioning to orange hues.
A scenic view of the A44 and A4 highways leading to Schiphol Amsterdam at sunrise, featuring silhouetted wind turbines and vehicles on the road.
The Netherlands, Haarlemmermeer – September 2025

On the road at sunrise, the A44 and A4 to Schiphol Amsterdam.

I am not sure this is filling the brief of LAPC #373 ‘looking back at landscapes’. It’s more looking forward on the road.

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

Sky Views

A plane flying through a dynamic sky filled with clouds of various forms and shades of blue.
A dramatic sky filled with dynamic clouds showcasing a mix of colors and light.
A dynamic sky filled with clouds in various forms and colors, with sunlight peeking through and a small airplane flying in the distance.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – October 2025

The sky and clouds are a dynamic big display of forms, colors and light. Looking up at times can take your mind off the daily life at moments.

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

Take it from the top

A vibrant autumn tree with golden leaves set against a cloudy blue sky.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – October 2025

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

Oegstgeest, The Netherlands

A scenic view of a tree with autumn leaves, surrounded by cloudy skies and a park setting, featuring benches and bicycles in the background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – October 2025

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

Autumn Atmosphere

Two people walking along a tree-lined path with colorful autumn foliage and fallen leaves.
A tranquil tree-lined path in sepia tones, featuring people walking on a leaf-covered ground surrounded by lush foliage.
The Netherlands, Leiden – October 2025

The same location, two photos.

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

In The Dutch Mountains

A lush green field in the Netherlands with a herd of cows grazing under a blue sky with fluffy clouds.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – September 2025

The Netherlands, as its name indicates, is flat. ‘Flat as a pancake’. But sometimes it looks as if we have mountains.

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

Letting go

Close-up of autumn leaves displaying vibrant red and orange hues, highlighting the ephemeral beauty of the season.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – October 2025

Autumn is the time of year were beauty is short and temporarily. Glimpses of moments that pass quickly and are gone fast. The end is the start of the new cycle of growth for the next year.

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

Autumn Details

Close-up of vibrant autumn leaves in shades of red, orange, and yellow with a blurred background, capturing the beauty of the season.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – October 2025

Autumn is there, colors and details of the leaves are beautiful. Glimpses of moments that pass quickly and are gone fast.

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

Red Autumn

Close-up of vibrant autumn leaves showcasing shades of orange, red, and yellow against a blurred background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – October 2025

Autumn is there, colors of leaves are beautiful.

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

Where Green Goes Red

Close-up of colorful autumn leaves with vibrant red, orange, and green hues, set against a blurred background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – October 2025

Autumn is there, colors of leaves are beautiful. A spot of green is all that remains for a short while.

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

In the wind

Close-up of autumn leaves with vibrant red and orange colors, against a blurred background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – October 2025

Autumn is there, colors of leaves are beautiful. Unfortunately we had a lot of wind, so lots of leaves are off.

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

Autumn Announcing

A vibrant landscape featuring a field of orange flowers, a green canal with two white birds, and a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.
The Netherlands, Wassenaar – September 2025

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

Hosta

Close-up of a vibrant yellow leaf among green foliage, showcasing autumn colors and textures.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – October 2025

Autumn is approaching, the rain and gray skies are more and more the new normal. Luckily there is the occasional sun to enjoy, and the beautiful coloring of plants and trees.

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

Autumn Announced

Close-up view of green and yellow leaves illuminated by sunlight, framed by darker foliage.
Close-up view of vibrant green and yellow leaves framing tall grass and plants in the background, hinting at the autumn season.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – October 2025

Autumn is approaching, the rain and grey skies are more and more the new normal. Luckily there is the occasional sun to enjoy.

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

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.

Petals

Close-up view of light and shadow on flower petals in black and white.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – September 2025

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

Connected

A group of people waiting at a train platform, some using their mobile phones, in black and white.
The Netherlands, Leiden – September 2025

On the platform waiting for a connection being connected by mobile phone.

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

Writing In The Sky

A dramatic sky featuring abstract cloud formations with a mix of dark and light shades.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2025

Sometimes the clouds turn into a abstract symbol.

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

Over the bridges

Black and white view of Leiden's canals and historic architecture, featuring a dome and trees lining the waterfront.
The Netherlands, Leiden – August 2026

A more detailed view of the photo I published yesterday of Leiden. Leiden used to be famous for fabrics, and canals provided the infrastructure for the logistics. Some of the canals were filled up in the second half of the 20th century. However, there are debates about opening a few of them again. These discussions focus on sustainability and environmental quality.

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

City of Rembrandt

A black and white view of a canal in Leiden, featuring trees lining the banks, historic buildings, and reflections in the water under a cloudy sky.
The Netherlands, Leiden – August 2026

A view on the city where Rembrandt van Rijn was born, Leiden. It was the home where he grew up. There he started his now famous career as a painter. Later, he moved to Amsterdam.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #366 is ‘City Mouse/Country Mouse’. I am not familiar with the story. But as the brief puts it ‘there is no place like home’. Home is where the heart is.

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

After Rain

A black and white photo of a beachside area in Scheveningen after rain. People are gathered near a kiosk, with wet surfaces reflecting the sky above, showcasing a mix of clouds and bright patches.

The Netherlands, Scheveningen – September 2025

After rain comes sun at Scheveningen beach.

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

Rainy Beach

Black and white photograph of raindrops cascading down a window, with faint outlines of objects behind the glass. The scene captures the mood of heavy rain at Scheveningen beach, blending indoor plants and blurred furniture.
The Netherlands, Scheveningen – September 2025

A spell of heavy rain, on the border of Summer and Autumn at Scheveningen beach.

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

Old Front

Detail of decorative architectural relief featuring figures and inscriptions at the top of a historic building in Breestraat, Leiden, with emphasis on the former restaurant 'In den vergulden Turk.'
The Netherlands, Leiden – September 2025

Detail from a front in the Breestraat in Leiden. In den vergulden Turk used to be a restaurant. It moved decades ago to a different spot in town. It then changed its name to Wienerwald. The top of the original front is still there, and recently brought back to its old splendor.

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

On The Corner

Detail of buildings along Breestraat in Leiden, showcasing architectural features beneath a clear blue sky with the town hall tower in the background.
The Netherlands, Leiden – September 2025

A detail of a front in the Breestraat in Leiden with the tower of the townhall.

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

Red Yellow

Fronts of houses in Breestraat, Leiden, featuring red and yellow facades under a blue sky.
The Netherlands, Leiden – September 2025

Red and yellow fronts of houses in the Breestraat in Leiden.

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

Sunny Street: Breestraat Leiden

A black and white photograph of Breestraat in Leiden, featuring the town hall in the background, with people walking and bicycles parked along the street.
The Netherlands, Leiden – September 2025

The Breestraat in Leiden with the townhall.

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

Agapanthus

Close-up of a green flower stem with budding purple petals, against a blurred dark background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2025

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

Blue Hydrangea

Close-up of a cluster of blue hydrangea flowers with soft, delicate petals.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2025

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

Outstanding

Black and white close-up of a Knautia Arvensis plant, showcasing its leaves and budding flower against a blurred background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2025

In the front garden, next to the Japanese Anemone, there is a Knautia Arvensis. It is more easily known as Field Scabiosa.

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

Star

A close-up, black-and-white image of a Knautia Arvensis flower, also known as Field Scabiosa, standing tall in a garden. The flower has a star-like appearance with a slender stem.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2025

In the front garden, next to the Japanese Anemone, there is a Knautia Arvensis. It is more easily known as Field Scabiosa. It is literally a star.

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

Japanese Anemone

A close-up photograph of pink and purple Japanese Anemone flowers with delicate petals, set against a dark background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2024

To close the series of the Japanese Anemone, a last one in color.

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

Monochrome Moods

Monochrome photograph of delicate flowers with soft focus, showcasing their intricate details and textures.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2024

I like monochrome photography for many reasons. One of them is the ability to play with the mood in the photo. Just by adjusting the aperture time or the opening of the lens, the same light delivers a different mood. This one and the photo I published yesterday, were shot on the same day.

Lens- Artist Challenge #364 is ‘Quiet Moment’. Close ups of natural beauty are a wonderful instrument to just be quiet, enjoying the view. And to realize all is connected.

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

Delicate

Black and white close-up photo of delicate flowers and buds against a blurred background, emphasizing their natural beauty.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2025

Lens- Artist Challenge #364 is ‘Quiet Moment’. Close ups of natural beauty are a wonderful instrument to just be quiet, enjoying the view. And to realize all is connected.

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

Outside

A serene landscape featuring a plowed field under a blue sky with scattered clouds, trees in the foreground, and a distant farmhouse.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – August 2025

Lens- Artist Challenge #364 is ‘Quiet Moment’. A bicycle ride to clear the head. Seeing the bulbs for Spring being planted.

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

Growing Up

Black and white photograph of a thin branch with sparse twigs, set against a softly blurred background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2025

The aim is to get up into the light and find your place among the rest of the garden.

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

Japanese Anemone

Close-up of a Japanese Anemone flower with light green leaves in the background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2025

The Japanese Anemone in the front garden at close look.

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

In Hindsight

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2025

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

Final Approach

Aerial view of a black airplane flying against a light blue gradient background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2025

Incoming flights can be annoying, on the other hand they offer a dynamic photo subject!

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

Polder

A wide blue sky filled with white clouds, with sunlight shining down over a lush green field.
The Netherlands, Sassenheim – August 2025

Meet the edge of the polder, the dyke.

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

Levels Day

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2025

During the Summer we see much more incoming traffic to Schiphol Amsterdam. Quite annoying actually, every minute a plane coming in. During day time they approach just over 600 meters, but in the evening they fly in from 1000 meters. When the wind turns West again in Autumn it will be over. However, who enjoys sitting in his garden in Autumn rain?

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

Morning Rain

Close-up of leaves with raindrops, illuminated by morning sunlight.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2025

The morning sun reflecting the drops of rain that the night left behind.

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

Catch if you can

Close-up of green leaves with water droplets, showcasing the impact of a dry summer on the garden.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2025

A long dry Summer with a garden begging for rain.

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

On Water

A scenic view of a canal on a warm summer day, featuring traffic jams with vehicles on a nearby bridge and boats navigating the water.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2025

On a warm Summer’s day, there are traffic jams on the canal.

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