What's (in) the Picture?

Chris Breebaart Photography – finding stories

Posts tagged ‘bnwphotography’

Rome 1997: Scooter Alley

Narrow cobblestone street in a historical city, with weathered buildings on either side and two scooters parked along the curb. A person walks down the street, illuminated by sunlight.
Italy, Rome – September 1997

What is Rome without scooters? LAPC #416 is ‘where does this lead?’.

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.

Originally shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Rome 1997: View from Pincian Hill 3

A couple stands near a vintage scooter, overlooking a panoramic view of a city skyline with domed buildings and trees in the foreground.

Italy, Rome – September 1997

Rome is build on seven hills, but some hills are not counted in that list. One of the non listed hills is the Pincian Hill, that – like all of them – offers beautiful views over the eternal city.

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.

Originally shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Rome 1997: View from Pincian Hill 2

A couple gazes at a scenic view of a city with domed buildings and lush greenery in the foreground, framed by palm and other foliage.

Italy, Rome – September 1997

Rome is build on seven hills, but some hills are not counted in that list. One of the non listed hills is the Pincian Hill, that – like all of them – offers beautiful views over the eternal city.

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.

Originally shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Rome 1997: View From Pincian Hill

Black and white panoramic view of urban rooftops with distant church towers and trees in the foreground.

Italy, Rome – September 1997

Rome is build on seven hills, but some hills are not counted in that list. One of the non listed hills is the Pincian Hill, that – like all of them – offers beautiful views over the eternal city.

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.

Originally shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Rome 1997: Street Life

Italy, Rome – September 1997

The Via dei Condotti in Rome. 

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.

Originally shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Paris 1989: The Back of Centre Pompidou

Black and white photograph of a busy urban street with multiple buses and cars, featuring a large industrial building with prominent pipes and scaffolding in the background.
France, Paris – January 1989

When the Centre Pompidou opened, the Parisians nicknamed it ‘the refinery’. It is a unique construction. But quite hard to maintain given all the angles and open spaces. The art collection inside is nice to walk around when in Paris. Always a place to visit again, when there.

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.

Originally shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Paris 1989: Musée d’Orsay

A group of children engaged in drawing activities in a public space, sitting on the floor with sketchbooks and pencils, focused on their art.
France, Paris – January 1989

The Musée d’Orsay. One of my favourite museums. Not only for its architecture, but also for their collection of impressionist paintings. Here school kids, drawing in front of them.

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.

Originally shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Paris 1989: Notre Dame as Background

Black and white image of the Seine River in Paris, featuring Notre-Dame Cathedral in the background, a pedestrian walking along the riverbank, and a group of people gathered near the water.
France, Paris – January 1989

The Notre Dame in Paris before the fire. A view from the quay toward the Île de la Cité. From a walk along the river, the third I took at almoste the same point. The previous ones I published yesterday and the day before yesterday, showing bridge arches.


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.

Originally shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Paris 1989: Notre Dame and Seine

A view from under a bridge, showcasing a stone walkway by the river, with people walking in the distance and a boat on the water. The Notre-Dame Cathedral is visible in the background.

France, Paris – January 1989

The Notre Dame in Paris before the fire. The bridge arch offers a template on a sunny Winter morning. The first shot in a set of shots of three. The second I published yesterday.


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.

Originally shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Paris 1989: View on Notre Dame and Seine

Black and white photograph of the Notre-Dame Cathedral viewed through an archway, with pedestrians walking along the riverbank and boats moored nearby.
France, Paris – January 1989

The Notre Dame in Paris before the fire. The bridge arch offers a template on a sunny Winter morning. Earlier published but a bit adjusted. This is the second shot in a set of three. The first one will be on tomorrow, the third the day after.


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.

Originally shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

A Long Shot

A black and white photograph of a river with a small boat navigating towards a bridge, surrounded by trees and buildings under a cloudy sky.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – September 2026

A slightly different shot than yesterday. With a bit more of the atmosphere of the canal itself.

The Netherlands has its fair share of water (canals, lakes, ponds) and a fair share of bridges and even aquaducts. LAPC #413 is ‘bridges’. The two overlapping bridges (behind the front one is a motorway bridge) are not my favourites as the brief of LAPC asks for. They are the most practical in daily life to cross the canal. In the Archive bridges you find more photos of bridges. Most of them are from ordinary daily life close to home. But two of my favourites are the Millennium Bridge in London and the Pont de Normandie in Normandy.

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

Masked Bridge

A black and white image of a river with a small boat navigating through it, under a bridge. The scene includes trees and buildings in the background, reflecting on the water's surface.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – September 2026

The Netherlands has its fair share of water (canals, lakes, ponds) and a fair share of bridges and even aquaducts. LAPC #413 is ‘bridges’. The two overlapping bridges (behind the front one is a motorway bridge) are not my favourites as the brief of LAPC asks for. They are the most practical in daily life to cross the canal. In the Archive bridges you find more photos of bridges. Most of them are from ordinary daily life close to home. But two of my favourites are the Millennium Bridge in London and the Pont de Normandie in Normandy.



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

Bridged

Black and white image of a calm river with a small boat navigating towards a bridge in the background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – September 2026

The Netherlands has its fair share of water (canals, lakes, ponds) and a fair share of bridges and even aquaducts. LAPC #413 is ‘bridges’. This two bridges (overlapping) are not my favorites, but with the bridge this one is taken from, the most common I see every day.

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

Haarlem Station

Black and white photograph of a railway station with a high arched roof, featuring train tracks leading into the distance and people walking along the platform.
The Netherlands, Haarlem – August 2026

The station of Haarlem.

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

Mono and/or Colour? Dutch Polder Landscape

A polder landscape. Living below sea level water management is needed to keep us dry. Here you see a typical polder landscape.
LAPC #412 is ‘places shaped by water’.

A dramatic sky filled with thick, gray clouds, with a hint of blue peeking through, over a rural landscape featuring fields and a few buildings in the foreground.
The Netherlands, Leidschendam – August 2026
A black and white photograph of a dramatic sky filled with textured clouds, overlooking a rural landscape with distant houses and trees.
The Netherlands, Leidschendam – August 2026

Nobody Can Wait Forever

A modern airport terminal interior showcasing spacious seating areas with passengers waiting. The photo is in black and white, highlighting the architectural elements like large glass windows and stylish lighting fixtures.
The Netherlands, Schiphol Amsterdam – August 2026

Waiting for boarding on Schiphol Amsterdam.

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

Mono and/or Colored? Entangled at St. Georges-sur-L’Aa

One of the first questions I had buying my first digital DSLR was ‘how do I shoot monochrome photos from now?’. In the past it was just choosing what film I put in a camera. Going digital implied using editing to revert from color to monochrome. More recently black and white modes came back on devices. Not only on iPhone. My choice for Nikon Zf was influenced by it. But it all is a question of taste.

Two photos of the power lines at St. George-sur-L’Aa in France. Pick one or both. Both were shot on iPhone without the mono setting.

A dramatic view of high voltage power lines stretching across a cloudy sky, with multiple pylons visible in the distance.
Black and white landscape featuring multiple electric transmission towers against a cloudy sky.
France, St. George-sur-L’Aa -August 2026

Every time we travel to or from the UK via the Channel Tunnel, I try to take photos of these steel giants. They carry power lines in the area of St. George-sur-l’Aa. No worries, I’m in the passenger seat.

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

Mono and/or Colored? Haarlem Station

One of the first questions I had buying my first digital DSLR was ‘how do I shoot monochrome photos from now?’. In the past it was just choosing what film I put in a camera. Going digital implied using editing to revert from color to monochrome. More recently black and white modes came back on devices. Not only on iPhone. My choice for Nikon Zf was influenced by it. But it all is a question of taste.

The same photo of the station of Haarlem in color and (edited) monochrome. Pick one or both.

Interior view of a train station with arched metal beams and a high ceiling, featuring platforms and waiting areas with people moving around.
Black and white photograph of a railway station interior, featuring an arched metal roof, large windows, and people walking along the platform near the train tracks.
The Netherlands, Haarlem – August 2026

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

Sheet

Wrinkled white sheets and pillows on a bed in black and white.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2026

This Sumer a lot of nights were really warm, so a sheet is just what you need for cover LAPC #408 is ‘over the top’.

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

White Rose En Profile

Black and white close-up of two roses with dramatic lighting, showcasing the texture of the petals against a dark background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2026

We are fortunate to have cut-flowers all year round. Fresh and at reasonable prices.

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

White Roses

Black and white close-up of two roses with detailed petals against a dark background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2026

We are lucky to have cut-flowers all year round. Fresh and at reasonable prices. Here are some roses.

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

White Rose

A black and white photograph of two roses surrounded by dark leaves, showcasing their intricate petal structures.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2026

We are lucky to have cut-flowers all year round. Fresh and at reasonable prices. Here are some roses.

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

At The Pub Garden

Black and white photo of a garden area with wooden picnic tables and umbrellas, featuring a building in the background and some greenery.
England, Dorking-Wotton – July 2026

LAPC #406 is ‘summer daze’. On a warm Summer’s evening at the local out in the garden.

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

At The Pub

Two women sitting at a table in a casual outdoor setting, overlooking a landscaped area, with one woman gesturing while they enjoy drinks.

England, Dorking-Wotton – July 2026

LAPC #406 is ‘summer daze’. On a warm Summer’s evening having a meal and drink at the local out in the garden.

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

Le Plat Pays – The Netherlands

A black and white aerial view of a calm body of water with numerous wooden poles protruding from it, surrounded by a moody sky.
The Netherlands, Noordwijk – July 2026

The coast of The Netherlands, showing the Dutch version of Le Plat Pays (my flat country) from an incoming Easyjet flight from London Gatwick to Schiphol Amsterdam. Lots of windmills still.

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

Choose your pick 3

People who follow my photoblog (thank you!) know my love for monochrome. And sometimes it is a matter of taste what to choose: the original colour shot, or the monochrome version? That is if the original shot is not done in monochrome, I do that quite a lot on iPhone and Nikon Zf.

The question to you is: which one do you prefer, and why? Any comments are as always welcome.

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

Choose your pick 2

People who follow my photoblog (thank you!) know my love for monochrome. And sometimes it is a matter of taste what to choose: the original colour shot, or the monochrome version? That is if the original shot is not done in monochrome, I do that quite a lot on iPhone and Nikon Zf.

The question to you is: which one do you prefer, and why? Any comments are as always welcome.

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

Choose your pick

People who follow my photoblog (thank you!) know my love for monochrome. And sometimes it is a matter of taste what to choose: the original colour shot, or the monochrome version? That is if the original shot is not done in monochrome, I do that quite a lot on iPhone and Nikon Zf.

The question to you is: which one do you prefer, and why? Any comments are as always welcome.

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

Alien Allium

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – June 2026

Even after blooming the Allium flower stays remarkable.

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

The End of Allium

Close-up of a round flower head with multiple thin stems and small buds, photographed in black and white.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – June 2026

LAPC #403 focuses on photography tools: perspective, depth and scale. Normally it is better to cut the flower off after it has died, to keep the food in the bulb for next year. But an Allium turns into something quite spectacular.

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

Stand Still

Colour and monochrome version of a statue in the park of palace Het Loo.

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

Foot Steps

Some of the last photos with the iPhone15 Pro Max. A close view on a shopping floor. Like it is an endless circle of steps lining the floor. what can you do waiting for someone shopping?

Westfield in Leidschendam, Mall of The Netherlands. This weeks Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #387 is Shadowed. How do you use shadows in photography.

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

Food Court Above

Interior view of a modern cafe with polished metal accents, featuring customers seated at tables and a balcony above with people. The space is styled with greenery and decorative lighting.
The Netherlands, Leidschendam – February 2026

Westfield in Leidschendam, Mall of The Netherlands. 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.

Den Haag Haagse Poort

A foggy urban street scene featuring tall buildings, with pedestrians walking and cars on the road. The atmosphere is muted in black and white, enhancing the sense of depth and mystery.
The Netherlands, Den Haag – January 2026

Den Haag Haagse Poort on a day with fog. Just a mono.

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

Question: Mono or Color?

It is quite a simple question to ask. Do you prefer the monochrome version or the colored version of a photo?

I grew up with monochrome. Because it was cheaper. That applied to films as well as darkroom costs.

The mono version emphasizes the background and atmosphere. The colored version is high lighting the front of the frame.

But in the end, as the famous nr. 14 Johan Cruyff said: every advantage has its disadvantages. And the choice is as always subjective.

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

Village at Night

A dimly lit pathway along a canal at night, with street lamps illuminating the concrete sidewalk and surrounding foliage. A pedestrian sign is visible, and the scene is shrouded in a foggy atmosphere, creating a moody ambiance.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – February 2026

Streetlights.

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

Marshes With a bit of Cley Next The Sea (on the left)

Black and white landscape of a grassy marshland with distant trees and a cloudy sky.
England, Blakeney – December 2025

The last in the series of monochrome, more or less minimal photos for this week’s Lens artists photo challenge #381 (minimalism in black and white photography). 

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

Marshes

Black and white image of tall grass in a field, with varying shades and textures, capturing the natural landscape.
England, Blakeney – December 2025

Lens artists photo challenge #381 is ‘minimalism in black and white photography’. The marshes at first sunlight, as the light details the waving reeds.

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

View on Cley Next The Sea

Black and white landscape featuring a vast field of tall grass and a lone tree, with a distant view of a windmill and hills under a muted sky.
England, Blakeney – December 2025

Lens artists photo challenge #381 is ‘minimalism in black and white photography’. Overlooking the marshes at first sunlight in the direction of Cley next the sea.

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

No Horizon

England, Blakeney – December 2025

Lens artists photo challenge #381 is ‘minimalism in black and white photography’. The marshes at first sunlight.

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

Marooned

Black and white photograph of a dilapidated shipwreck on a barren landscape under a cloudy sky.
England, Blakeney – December 2025

An old boat, slowly decaying on the marshes near Blakeney. Lens artists photo challenge #381 is ‘minimalism in black and white photography’.

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

The Runner

A person walking down a path towards the horizon, surrounded by a grassy landscape and a cloudy sky, in black and white.
England, Blakeney – December 2025

Lens artists photo challenge #381 is ‘minimalism in black and white photography’. The marshes at Blakeney are a place for running and hiking.

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

Bus Stop Morning

A black and white photograph of a quiet road with street signs and a central traffic island in the distance, surrounded by trees and a cloudy sky.
England, Blakeney – December 2025

Lens artists photo challenge #381 is ‘minimalism in black and white photography’. A bus stop at sunrise.
If you wonder how it looks in color? Here is an iPhone shot of 2024 at the same spot. In the monochrome the sun is not over the horizon, in the color one it is.

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

Winter Spring

A bare tree with delicate white blossoms against a blurred, wintery background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – December 2025

Even in Winter there is blossom. Like Spring is already here.

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

Winter Blossom

A monochrome image of a small tree with delicate blossoms, creating a contrast against a blurred background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – December 2025

Even in Winter there is blossom. And in monochrome it looks like snow :-).

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

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.