What's (in) the Picture?

Chris Breebaart Photography – finding stories

Posts tagged ‘Flowers’

And The Winner Is …….

A scenic landscape featuring vibrant pink tulip fields under a blue sky with wispy clouds, alongside a winding path and a small stream bordered by green grass.

The Netherlands, Voorhout – April 2026
A monochrome landscape featuring a winding canal bordered by grassy banks, under a cloudy sky. Fields stretch out in the background.

The Netherlands, Voorhout – April 2026

A major part of The Netherlands lies beneath sea level. Water, and the management of it in infrastructure as polders, dams and canals, is normal. We even not think of living under sea level. We feel safe. 
The flat landscape makes it interesting to look for lines that guide the eyes through the space. In a polder there are always canals that do the trick.

The question here is: which appeals most to your taste buds?

LAPC #395 looks back to LAPC #155 ‘On the water’. Water is not on our minds, but it is mindful to keep defending dry land against rising sea, rivers and soon (thanks to climate change with a bigger financial effort) rain. Meanwhile water is seen in most of the landscapes of The Netherlands.

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

Windmill, Water and Tulips

A scenic landscape featuring vibrant pink and red tulip fields under a gray sky, with a traditional windmill in the background and a narrow stream lined with grass in the foreground.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – April 2026

A major part of The Netherlands lies beneath sea level. Water, and the management of it in infrastructure as polders, dams and canals, is normal. We even not think of living under sea level. We feel safe.

Here a polder with an old windmill (painted by Monet long ago) – originally used to pump water out of a polder- and a small canal in a polder with tulips. Only the clogs are missing!

LAPC #395 looks back to LAPC #155 ‘On the water’. Water is not on our minds, but it is mindful to keep defending dry land against rising sea, rivers and soon (thanks to climate change with a bigger financial effort) rain.

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

Flower Parade 2026: On Track

One of the events during Spring is the annual flower parade in the ‘bulbflowerbelt’ the Duin- en Bollenstreek. The parade has a history, it started in 1947, and is one of the biggest in The Netherlands. It is a main event for tourists. And a big presentation of bulbflower producing in this area. The Netherlands is well known for its flower production, all over the world. It is closely knit to the history and culture in this area of The Netherlands.

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

Flower Parade 2026: Peaceful Dream

One of the events during Spring is the annual flower parade in the ‘bulbflowerbelt’ the Duin- en Bollenstreek. The parade has a history, it started in 1947, and is one of the biggest in The Netherlands. It is a main event for tourists. And a big presentation of bulbflower producing in this area. The Netherlands is well known for its flower production, all over the world. It is closely knit to the history and culture in this area of The Netherlands.

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

Flower Parade 2026: Beach Holiday Noordwijk

One of the events during Spring is the annual flower parade in the ‘bulbflowerbelt’ the Duin- en Bollenstreek. The parade has a history, it started in 1947, and is one of the biggest in The Netherlands. It is a main event for tourists. And a big presentation of bulbflower producing in this area. The Netherlands is well known for its flower production, all over the world. It is closely knit to the history and culture in this area of The Netherlands.

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

Flower Parade: Paw Patrol

One of the events during Spring is the annual flower parade in the ‘bulbflowerbelt’ the Duin- en Bollenstreek. The parade has a history, it started in 1947, and is one of the biggest in The Netherlands. It is a main event for tourists. And a big presentation of bulbflower producing in this area. The Netherlands is well known for its flower production, all over the world. It is closely knit to the history and culture in this area of The Netherlands.

The LAPC #394 of this week is ‘history through the lens’.

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

Flower Parade 2026: Snow White

One of the events during Spring is the annual flower parade in the ‘bulbflowerbelt’ the Duin- en Bollenstreek. The parade has a history, it started in 1947, and is one of the biggest in The Netherlands. It is a main event for tourists. And a big presentation of bulbflower producing in this area. The Netherlands is well known for its flower production, all over the world. It is closely knit to the history and culture in this area of The Netherlands.

The LAPC #394 of this week is ‘history through the lens’.

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

Flower Parade 2026: Holland America Line

One of the events during Spring is the annual flower parade in the ‘bulbflowerbelt’ the Duin- en Bollenstreek. The parade has a history, it started in 1947, and is one of the biggest in The Netherlands. It is a main event for tourists. And a big presentation of bulbflower producing in this area. The Netherlands is well known for its flower production, all over the world. It is closely knit to the history and culture in this area of The Netherlands.

The LAPC #394 of this week is ‘history through the lens’.

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

Flower Parade 2026: Bicycling Sheep

One of the events during Spring is the annual flower parade in the ‘bulbflowerbelt’ the Duin- en Bollenstreek. The parade has a history, it started in 1947, and is one of the biggest in The Netherlands. It is a main event for tourists. And a big presentation of bulbflower producing in this area. The Netherlands is well known for its flower production, all over the world. It is closely knit to the history and culture in this area of The Netherlands.

The LAPC #394 of this week is ‘history through the lens’. I am not sure if this fits the brief of John

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

Colored Lines

Workers tending to colorful flower fields with rows of yellow, purple, and red blooms in a rural setting, with houses in the background.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – April 2026

Colored lines in the fields, looking over the flowers into the distance.

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

Over to Orange

We are heading to King’s Day on April 27. And the colour of the royal house is orange.

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

At the back

It is not only flowers on fields around the villages, but every garden has its own share of bulbflowers popping out in the Spring. 

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

Deep Purple

A vibrant field of purple flowers with neatly arranged rows and a central path running through them.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – April 2026
A vibrant field of purple flowers under a blue sky, with a modern building in the background.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – April 2026

No smoke, but a small field of deep purple Hyacinths.

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

Lost Daffodils

A vibrant field of multicolored flowers, featuring rows of pink, blue, and purple blooms, arranged in stripes with green foliage.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – April 2026

From a distance it seems that the rows of bulbflowers are always perfectly consisting one color and one type of plant. However, there is always the odd one out if you look closer. Here are a few Daffodils mixed up with the Hyacinths.

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

Out in the fields

A picturesque landscape featuring rows of flowering plants in a field, with a clear blue sky and scattered clouds above. A small, shallow stream runs along the edge of the field, bordered by lush green grass.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – April 2026
A vibrant field of blooming tulips arranged in rows, featuring colors like pink, white, and purple under a clear blue sky, with a grassy area in the foreground.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – April 2026

Hyacinths spread color and fragrance on the fields at this time of year. Remember: these flowers are not destined to be sold, but are grown for the bulbs. In June you can order the bulbs in webshops, to have them light up your garden next Spring.

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

Dutch Flowerfield Landscape

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

Hyacinth Lines

A colorful field of spring flowers featuring rows of blue and pink blooms in alternating patterns.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – April 2026

Hyacinths spread color and fragrance on the fields at this time of year. Remember: these flowers are not the reason to grow them. The reason is in the ground: these bulbs will be harvested and then after the Summer exported to all over the world.

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

Rose

Close-up black and white image of a rose, showcasing the intricate layers of petals in a spiraling pattern.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – April 2026

A rose is a rose, and each time different.

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.

Just Around A Corner

A wide landscape featuring a vibrant purple flower field under a clear blue sky, with a meandering stream and sparse trees in the background.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – March 2026

Fortunately, this is really just around the corner. This time of year it is fun to take the bicycle and check out the flowers in the area. Especially when the sun shines. As most of my photos on here are taken on iPhone I do fit the brief of this week’s LAPC theme week (#391) ‘Phone photography’ easy.

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

Impressions of a bulbflower field

This time of year it is fun to take the bicycle and check out the flowers in the area. Especially when the sun shines. As most of my photos on here are taken on iPhone I do fit the brief of this week’s LAPC theme week (#391) ‘Phone photography’ easy.

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 8

The garden comes back to green and colors. This tree was a new addition and looked quite poorly but is recovering day by day.

The LAPC theme this week (#391) is ‘Phone photography’.

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

Shed and Hyacinths

A vibrant field of purple flowers lined in neat rows, with a barn in the background and blue sky above.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – March 2026

Time is something I sometimes can not grasp. On the one hand it is always the same: a second stays a second, a minute a minute, an hour an hour, a day a day, a week a week, a month a month. On the odd extra day every four years it is a ‘given’ that a year has 365 days. On the other hand time can slip through your hands. It seems to go faster, or slower. It is on your side or not.

This Spring is one of those moments that makes me wonder about time. There is an order in bulbflowers, but daffodils with hyacinths, while tulips pop up in the garden makes me confused. Is it going faster? But in the end the beauty and scent of flowers stays amazing.

The LAPC theme this week (#391) is ‘Phone photography’. Having a smartphone on me all of the time, with a camera that is getting better and better, is quite normal. As Tina says she rarely shoots other than with her phone. The same applies to me. The Iphone is handy, technology for dummies, always near and light. And it offers more an more quality and creativity. On the other hand it still lacks lots of technology you can find on a system camera. So I am in a hybrid state: daily the phone, on occasion the system camera. Getting on a bicycle enjoying the fields is easier with my iPhone. It produces a nice quality. It is convenient. But shooting the flower parade requires a systemcamera.But that is something for next time.

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

First Daffodils

Vast field of yellow flowers under a clear blue sky, with distant buildings and trees along the horizon.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – March 2026

The bulb fields are blooming. And to be honest, it goes quite fast. The daffodils are almost gone, hyacinths start to arrive and there is a lot of fields with tulips, still waiting to pop there heads up. Here a daffodil field.

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

When you see Daffodils, Spring calls

Plant arrangement featuring vibrant yellow daffodils and green foliage in a rustic wooden pot.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – March 2026

Daffodils are among the first bulbflowers to pop up in Spring.

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

Sunflower

A close-up image of a vibrant sunflower illuminated from the side, showcasing its bright yellow petals and dark center, set against a dark background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – February 2026

LAPC #386 invites to use the power of juxtaposition. Basically put two objects in a frame to create a narrative or reaction about their relation. Here the story of two sunflowers.

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.

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.

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.

Hovering

Close-up view of pink flowers surrounded by green leaves in a garden, illuminated by morning sunlight, with a blurred background creating a 'hovering' effect.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2025

A plant in the front garden offers months of beauty in the sunlight of the morning sun. Using the portrait mode of the iPhone results in ‘hovering’ effects of parts of the plant that seem now unattached.

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

Front Garden Beauty

A close-up of colorful pink flowers amidst vibrant green leaves, illuminated by morning sunlight.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2025

A plant in the front garden offers months of beauty in the sunlight of the morning sun.

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

Hosta

Close-up of delicate pink flowers emerging from lush green foliage in the garden of Castle Keukenhof.

The Netherlands, Lisse – August 2025

The garden of castle De Keukenhof

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

Field of Dahlia 2

A vibrant field of green plants with blooming orange dahlias under a bright blue sky, showcasing the beauty of summer flowers.

The Netherlands, Voorhout – August 2025

In Spring this field produces either hyacinths, daffodils or tulips. In Summer this year it produces Dahlia.

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

Castle Gardens

Colorful flower beds in the garden of Keukenhof castle, featuring decorative stone urns and lush greenery.
The Netherlands, Lisse – August 2025

The garden of castle De Keukenhof

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

Keukenhof Castle’s Garden

The Netherlands, Lisse – August 2025

In Summer the garden of castle De Keukenhof is filled with beautiful Dahlia’s.

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

Field of Dahlia

A vibrant field filled with blooming dahlias under a clear blue sky, showcasing various colors and growth stages.
The Netherlands, Voorhout – August 2025

In Spring this field produces either hyacinths, daffodils or tulips. In Summer this year it produces Dahlia.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max 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.

Drips (And Other Thoughts About Photography)

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2025

This week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #359 is ‘Tools of Photo Compositions: Lines, Colors and Patterns’. Photography is about seeing. But what do you see? I can only talk for myself. It all starts with an appeal. Something in the real world captures my eyes. Most of the times that is spontaneous. It is about being there in the moment. What I visualize tells me a story, a small whisper, ‘come, shoot me! It’s fun’. And when building the photo lines, patterns, colors (or monochrome tones) are tools to try to bring that story out. And then the shutter clicks. My photo’s are my story of the world. My way of giving ‘voice’ to something that made me press the shutter, that reflects inside me. Yet, my click with the image can be totally different than the click of the observer.

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

Unique Dutch Stereotypes and Cherished Flowers: Chrysanthemum

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2025

We Dutch are often described as being on the penny. Of course, we all wear wooden clogs. We eat stroopwafels all the time. We have a fetish for windmills. And do not forget to accuse us of creating our own country by fighting the sea. We drink to gain courage and let you pay your own meal. Add tulips and other bulb flowers to finish the picture of the Dutch. Oh yes, we are considered rude. We call it ‘direct’.

In the end we sure have a laugh about all that is said about us, Dutchies, worldwide. But if you combine being on the penny with buying flowers, you choose flowers that stay good for weeks: Chrysanthemum. As Johan Cruyff used to say: “every disadvantage, has its advantage”.

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

Exploring Dutch Gladioli: Culture and Significance

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2025

In The Netherlands, we do grow lots of cut flowers. A lot of them are exported but there is plenty of supply for the domestic market. In our household we have fresh cut flowers every week. Last week we had these big fellows. Gladioli are famous for the saying ‘death or the gladioli’. A Dutch proverb that translates to ‘all or nothing’ or ‘do or die’. Success or failure.

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

Garden Joy: Agapanthus

The garden is a joy now, flowers popping up everywhere. The Agapanthus are doing very well this year. They are the diva’s this time of year. This is a white agapanthus, tweaking it a bit with Snapseed turned it into yellow all of a sudden.

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

Allium Afterglow

This is the last stage of the yearly cycle of a giant Allium. It comes in three photo versions after showing that amazing flower, that we enjoyed this year.

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