What's (in) the Picture?

Chris Breebaart Photography – finding stories

Posts tagged ‘bnwphotography’

Cocktail Hour

Aerial view of a bustling bar scene at an end-of-year event, with staff dressed in black uniforms interacting and serving drinks against a backdrop of bottles and bar equipment.
The Netherlands, Scheveningen – December 2025

End of the year event in Encore in Scheveningen.

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

A Grey Quiet Day

A silhouette of a chimney emitting smoke against a monochromatic background, capturing the essence of a quiet evening.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – December 2025

Who says chimneys are boring?

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

Steamtrain Museum Katwijk Leiden

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.

Autumn Atmosphere

The same location, two photos.

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

Berlin Mall

Every big city has its own mall, a big shopping center. Most of the times the shops and brands are the same as in the mall next to where you live. And the food court can be slightly different. The Mall of Berlin is no exception to that rule. The location (Leipziger Platz) makes it interesting, as does the architecture.

As always I can not choose: color, or mono?

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

Reichstag Dome

The dome on the Reichstag offers a wonderful panoramic view on Berlin. And you can walk the rest of the roof as well to look over the city. Here an impression in monochrome.

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

Reichstag Berlin: Dem Deutsche Volke

The front view of the Reichstag building in Berlin, showcasing its grand architecture and flags, with cloudy skies in the background.

The front of the Reichstag. A visit was on the top of my list. In 1989 the Berlin Wall was right next to the building; and since 1989 this area was completely developed. So we booked a visit to the dome. On this photo I left the dome out consciously. I wanted to have an image like the building looked in November 1989 below.

Black and white photograph of the Reichstag building in Berlin, taken in November 1989, featuring two men in the foreground, one holding a sign that reads 'Berlin ist Freiheit'.
Germany, Berlin – November 1989

The history of the Reichstag is connected to my hometown and Leiden. In 1933 Marinus van der Lubbe was accused, tried and sentenced by the Nazi-regime for setting fire to the building. He was born in Leiden en lived in Oegstgeest, as did his family.

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 iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version. The monochrome photo of 1989 was shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX.

Berlin Brandenburger Tor Photographers

Black and white photo of the Brandenburger Gate in Berlin, with various people exploring and taking pictures in the foreground.
Germany, Berlin – September 2025

Brandenburger Gate (Brandenburger Tor) is a much used backdrop for photos in Berlin.

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

Berlin: Charlie left in November 1989

Checkpoint Charlie, symbol of the cold war.

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

Berlin U-Bahn

A black and white photograph of a subway corridor in Berlin, featuring a person walking ahead with another figure visible in the distance, illuminated by overhead lights.
Germany, Berlin – September 2025

Berlin has a wonderful (and cheap) public transportation infrastructure. One of the building blocks is the U-Bahn.

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

Holocaust Memorial Berlin

Last September I revisited Berlin after 46 years. One of the reasons to come back was to visit the Memorial to the murdered Jews in Europe. I had read stories and seen photos, and I wondered how I would take photo’s of it. And what it would be like to wonder through it. This visit I had my first experience with the monument. Here is the first impression (and the coming days I will publish some more).

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

Gedächtnis Kirche Berlin

One of the memorial landmarks of Berlin is the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtnis Kirche. In its simplicity it is a powerful landmark and memorial.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Cley Windmill

A black and white landscape image featuring Cley windmill in the distance, surrounded by grassy fields and a cloudy sky.
England, Cley next the sea – January 2025

This is the famous Cley windmill at Cley next the sea. It’s by far the best name for a coastal village. Interestingly, it actually does not have a sea front. The mill was owned by the family of James Blunt.

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

Choices And Preferences 3 (Flowers)

I have a fondness for black and white aka monochrome. That grew on me. Mono was cheaper 50 years ago and more ‘easy’ to handle in a dark room. Monochrome gives something extra at times. The sphere, the grain. And over all these years I learned to see objects in monochrome, visualizing what something looks like in grays.

When I bought my first Nikon digital camera (the D70), I naively asked ‘where is the monochrome setting?’. It was not there. Shooting was color only. If I wanted mono I had to create it myself afterwards in Lightroom, Photoshop or an app like Snapseed. But lucky for me, on the iPhone and on the recent Nikon Zf, there are monochrome settings. To be honest, that was one of the reasons to buy a Zf. So now I have a choice: choose a mono or color setting, or turn color afterward turn it into mono.

I know the taste of my ‘audience’ is different than mine. In three days I like to find out more about your taste. What do you fancy more: a photo in mono or in color? 

This third and last one is about flowers, waiting for the recycle bin. The photo was shot in color.

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

Choices And Preferences 2 (Sky)

I have a fondness for black and white aka monochrome. That grew on me. Mono was cheaper 50 years ago and more ‘easy’ to handle in a dark room. Monochrome gives something extra at times. The sphere, the grain. And over all these years I learned to see objects in monochrome, visualizing what something looks like in grays.

When I bought my first Nikon digital camera (the D70), I naively asked ‘where is the monochrome setting?’. It was not there. Shooting was color only. If I wanted mono I had to create it myself afterwards in Lightroom, Photoshop or an app like Snapseed. But lucky for me, on the iPhone and on the recent Nikon Zf, there are monochrome settings. To be honest, that was one of the reasons to buy a Zf. So now I have a choice: choose a mono or color setting, or turn color afterward turn it into mono.

I know the taste of my ‘audience’ is different than mine. In three days I like to find out more about your taste. What do you fancy more: a photo in mono or in color? 

This second one is about sky. Always there, lots of it. In color it can be blue, white, gray, dark. In mono it delivers whites, grays and dark zones. In mono the image changes it seems. An abstract sky can turn into something mysterious. The photo was shot in color.

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

Choices And Preferences 1 (Cley next the sea)

I have a fondness for black and white aka monochrome. That grew on me. Mono was cheaper 50 years ago and more ‘easy’ to handle in a dark room. Monochrome gives something extra at times. The sphere, the grain. And over all these years I learned to see objects in monochrome, visualizing what something looks like in grays.

When I bought my first Nikon digital camera (the D70), I naively asked ‘where is the monochrome setting?’. It was not there. Shooting was color only. If I wanted mono I had to create it myself afterwards in Lightroom, Photoshop or an app like Snapseed. But lucky for me, on the iPhone and on the recent Nikon Zf, there are monochrome settings. To be honest, that was one of the reasons to buy a Zf. So now I have a choice: mono or color.

I know the taste of my ‘audience’ is different than mine. In three days I like to find out more about your taste. What do you fancy more: a photo in mono or in color?

This is the famous Cley windmill at Cley next the sea. It’s by far the best name for a coastal village. Interestingly, it actually does not have a sea front. The mill was owned by the family of James Blunt. The photo was shot in color.

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

Exploring Leiden’s Scenic Canals: A Summer Evening

The Netherlands, Leiden – July 2025

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #359 is ‘Tools of Photo Compositions: Lines, Colors and Patterns’.
A sunset over the Galgenwater in Leiden. A warm Summer night, with lots of boats cruising the canals. In the background the replica of the windmill of Rembrandt van Rijn’s father.

Archive Leiden

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

Timeless Guildford

England, Guildford – April 2025

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

Sam

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

Black and White

England, Rusper – May 2025

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

Poppy Anemone

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

The Continuing story of Magnolia Close Up (mono sequel)

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

Den Haag Central Station

The Netherlands, Den Haag – February 2025

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

Magnolia Up Close

The Magnolia in the front garden is slowly waking up from Winter.

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

Crying Winter

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – January 2025

A wet Winter.

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

Klinkenberger Plas

The Klinkenberger Plas in Autumn.

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

Drawing Lines


The Netherlands, Katwijk aan Zee – November 2024

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

Leaving

The Netherlands, Katwijk aan Zee – November 2024

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

View of Scheveningen from Katwijk aan Zee

The Netherlands, Katwijk aan Zee – November 2024

View on Scheveningen in the distance.

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

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The monochrome loneliness of the SUP Paddler

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – September 2024

Another – monochrome – photo of the SUP Paddler. The full sunrise colorful one is here.

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

Stunning Black and White Sunsets in Katwijk (Give a Little Bit)


The Netherlands, Katwijk aan Zee – August 2024

Yesterday I told you about my passion and history in monochrome. And that I do shoot sunsets in black and white. Here is another one of the same sunset, but framed different. I will publish an overview of all those shots of same sunset that evening. Each of them show a bit of it, it’s in my humble opinion nice to see the big picture.

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

Monochrome Magic: Capturing Black and White Sunsets

The Netherlands, Katwijk aan Zee – August 2024

If you did not notice, I am a big fan of monochrome. In fact, monochrome film was way back the medium I started with. It was cheap and you print your own photos in a darkroom. That was adventurous and frustrating at the same time. Not to sound old, but nowadays with wonderful software, editing images is easier, faster and more fun. And you instantly see what you get! But sometimes I do miss the anxiety of the darkroom, seeing a photo come up in the developer. Back to now. I do shoot sunsets in black and white, and here is one. The atmosphere of the shot is different, more dark and eerie.

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

On Track

The Netherlands, Denmark Haag – August 2024

A balanced rollercoaster at Drievliet.

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

Captivating View at Drievliet from the Ferris Wheel

The Netherlands, Den Haag – August 2024

Drievliet is a small and very old amusement park. A view from the ferris wheel looking at downtown Den Haag.

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

Captivating Views and Exciting Rides: Drievliet, The Hague’s Charming Amusement Park

Drievliet is a small and very old amusement park. Over fifty years ago I first went there on a school trip. Then most of the attractions had to be moved by muscle power. Last week I had my second visit to Drievliet with our grand children. The park is dramatically changed but still has the same appeal to kids: lots of fun to be had on rides, slides, rollercoasters, ferris wheels, merrygorounds etc. And of course the fries and icecream in between. The weather was not that good, but the clouds added to the view from the ferris wheel looking at downtown Den Haag.

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

1st Balcony Scene, but it’s not Shakespeare

LAPC 309 is about balconies. I have to admit that I do not pay special attention to balconies, unless they trigger me as I look around and they catch my eye. This in Antwerp. My previous entry was an original monochrome on film. With this one I could not decide between the original and the edited monochrome version. Hence you see them both. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

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

Side Of Motorway

The Netherlands, Sassenheim – June 2024

The same basin of the old watertower that I posted yesterday, but now on top of the barrier of the motorway.

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