What's (in) the Picture?

Chris Breebaart Photography – finding stories

Posts tagged ‘photograph’

Berlin’s Transformation: German Humor?

A modern building featuring the sign 'Allesandersplatz' against a cloudy sky in Berlin.
Germany, Berlin – September 2025

September 2025 I visited Berlin for the second time. My first visit was in November 1989. That coincided with the fall of the Berlin Wall. After 46 years I wanted to see how Berlin had changed since ‘die Wende’. The coming days I will publish some photos of this trip.

Friends had ‘warned’ me about the changes I would see. What in 1989 was a vast open space (e.g. the Potzdamer Platz) is now completely filled with modern architecture. But what struck me the most was the vibrant vitality the city breathes now. It is cosmopolitan and a magnet.

One of the landmark squares of Berlin is Alexanderplatz. On a building just a few hunder meters away I saw this text ‘Allesandersplatz’. Everything is different square? German humor? Or the basic conclusion after the first day. A lot changed. At face value.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

(The) Doors Revisited

This week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #361 is ‘Doors revisited’. That theme was also the brief for LAPC #20. A door is a pass way to another space behind it. That space can be something we know already. Or something we like to imagine to see there when we go through. And in books you can end up in another world. In this post a few doors I met in my life. One I used for a long time, most I just passed by or passed through on holidays.

The word ‘doors’ for me is also linked to the band The Doors. The name of the band came from a book by Aldous Huxley, The doors of perception. And Huxley took it from William Blake, who used it as a metaphor:

“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro’ narrow chinks of his cavern . Doors lead you to another side or space, break on through to the other side.”

‘Break on through to the other side’ became the title of a Doors’ song.

So a lot can be said about doors. Luckily, we still have the photos. Here are a few from my conscious memory.

Close-up of a door handle and keyhole on a white door, featuring a circular knob and a round lock.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – November 1991

This is the front door to the house I was born and lived in for 25 years. The photo is shot on Ilford XP with a Pentax K1000.

A detailed close-up of a wooden door featuring a unique hand-shaped door knocker, showcasing an intricate design.
France, Caylus – September 2005

This door in Caylus is ready to be knocked. Shot on Nikon D70.

A small white chapel with a blue door and a cross on top, set against a mountainous landscape.
Greece, Karpathos – September 2009

I looked through my archive. It struck me that lots of the doors I saw there are doors of small or bigger churches. This one is on Karpathos. Shot on Nikon D70.

A black and white photograph of a double door with a simple design, partially open, situated beside a wooden chair against a white wall.
Greece, Karpathos – September 2009

Another church door on Karpathos, shot on Kodak TriX with Nikon F90.

A large, intricately designed wooden door with a reddish hue, set within a stone archway. Above the door, there is a circular painting of a figure, likely religious, surrounded by decorative elements.
Greece, Lesbos – August 2007

A chapel door in Lesbos, also shot on Nikon D70.

A detailed black and white photograph of a wooden door adorned with intricate carvings and a padlock, showcasing traditional architectural elements.
Nepal, Kathmandu – March 2004

Kathmandu, shot with Nikon F90 on Kodak TriX.

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)

A black and white photograph of a bouquet of flowers resting on a wooden table, emphasizing texture and contrast.
A bouquet of wilted pink flowers resting on a wooden table, surrounded by fallen petals.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2025

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)

A photo of a sky filled with fluffy white clouds against a blue background.
A black and white monochrome image of a cloudy sky, featuring various shades of gray and white, creating an abstract and mysterious atmosphere.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2025

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)

A scenic view of the Cley windmill set against a backdrop of a cloudy sky and tall golden grasses in the foreground.
A black and white photograph of the Cley windmill, located in Cley next the Sea, set against a field of grasses under a cloudy sky.
England, Cley next the sea – January 2025

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.

Triple

Close-up of green magnolia leaves showcasing varying shades and intricate vein patterns.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – August 2025

And another update from the garden: the Magnolia is doing superb this year. Let’s hope the abundance of green in leaves will lead to an abundance of flowers next Spring.

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

Growing Tomatoes and Cucumbers in Oegstgeest

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2025

This year we try to grow tomatoes and cucumbers in the garden.

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

Stunning Sunset Over Oegstgeester Kanaal

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2025

And yes, another sunset. Well, they come around every day. This one is a golden gem.

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

Dessert

The Netherlands, Leiden – July 2025

The delicious ending of a wonderful dinner.

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

And Another Sunset Nudge

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – July 2025

One can not take enough photos of sunsets.

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.

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.

Exploring Chaos in Photo Compositions

France, St. Samsom-sur-Rance – August 1996

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #359 is ‘Tools of Photo Compositions: Lines, Colors and Patterns’.
Long leading lines, nice shapes etc are pretty obvious to use when building a nice frame. But what about chaos? Can that be appealing too? A field with spiderwebs, wet by the fog. A photo from almost 30 years ago, taken in Brittany at St. Samsom-sur-Rance, near Dinan. To see it at its best, click the photo please.

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