What's (in) the Picture?

Chris Breebaart Photography – finding stories

Posts tagged ‘winter’

Blakeney

A tranquil scene of a river with a wooden boat and surrounding grassy banks, reflecting the evening sky, with a couple of people walking along a nearby wooden pier.
England, Blakeney – December 2025

The seafront in Blakeney.

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

Rejected Photos

Lens-artists Photo Challenge #382 is about rejected photos. What do you do with photos you do not like? You can throw them away, or you can keep them. And if you keep them what can you do with them? First a story of myself, how I work. And in the end an example.

I am a snap shooter for a long time. When looking at this question for myself, I have to distinguish between the analog age and the digital age. But in both ages it is about quality, how you can assess that and what instruments are available after shooting. And above all: how can you be creative, and how much room is there to experiment?

The analog age was expensive: film was expensive, darkroom materials were expensive too. And being a poor student I shot as efficient as possible. You had to be patient while shooting, and selective. You also needed to trust your skills. Experience was essential to figure out what worked and what not. To produce good prints you needed to develop darkroom skills. And some negatives were impossible to print. But you kept them all. I never threw away negatives. That decision was beneficial in the digital age. After scanning my negatives, I properly made them look like what I had in mind when shooting them. What the darkroom did not deliver, software did.

In the digital age the cost of a photo is nearly non existent. The original photo (the former negative) can be copied lots of times. From the start technology offers instruments to oversee the quality of the photos. What you shoot is instantly visible on the camera. You can try different changes in the photo. Adjustments like shutter time, focus, and shutter opening can be tested most of the time. The RAW format offers flexibility for editing the ‘negative’ after the shoot. Software offers lots of creative tools to change the photo, or create new images.

So, do you keep rejected (bad) photos or not? I do reject photos, overseeing the result on my camera. I keep photos that can come to a good result after editing. The rest I remove straight away (e.g. bracketing shots).What I keep is stored on my NAS, where I use Lightroom as my archiving tool. I use editing tools to tweak a photo slightly. My favorite is Snapseed for web and social media publication. And Lightroom and Photoshop for prints.

The digital age is a time for unlimited creativity. The photos of ‘dinner at Wiveton Bell’ are an example of testing out the iPhone in a very dark situation. I shot about 8 frames, I kept them all but had my doubts. At home I worked them in Lightroom and Snapseed. And was surprised by what came out. And the ones that did not work were indeed deleted.

On the left the photo published and on the right the original RAW file.

Four silhouetted figures walking in a dimly lit parking area at night, with a church tower in the background under a starry sky.
Four figures walking on a gravel path toward a church under a starry sky, with parked cars on either side.
Silhouettes of two people walking in a dimly lit street surrounded by parked cars and a faint glow from a nearby light source.
Two silhouetted figures walking on a dimly lit street at night, with a faint light illuminating their path, and a distant building silhouette against a darkened sky.
A moody, abstract landscape featuring silhouetted structures against a dark, colorful sky with hints of light.
A nighttime scene featuring dark clouds and a few visible stars, with silhouettes of buildings in the foreground.
A dimly lit pathway at night with a bright moon overhead, featuring shadowy figures walking along the path, illuminated by faint light.
A group of people walking along a dark path illuminated by flashlights, with a bright moon in the night sky.

Down To The Harbour

England, Blakeney – December 2025

Westgate Street in Blakeney, the access to the Quay at the seafront.

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

Keeping Warm

Narrow alleyway between two buildings with pebbled walls and brick accents, leading to a wooden gate and rooftops in the background under a clear blue sky.

England, Blakeney – December 2025

An alley in Blakeney.

Shot with Nikon Zf,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.

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.

Dinner at the Wiveton Bell in Norfolk

Abstract night scene featuring silhouettes of buildings and structures against a colorful, illuminated sky.
A dark night scene featuring a faint moon in the sky above a shadowy path, with silhouettes of people walking along the trail.
Two silhouetted figures walking on a dark street illuminated by a car's headlights, with a dark sky and a building in the background.
Four silhouetted figures walking towards a church under a starry night sky, with parked cars visible in the foreground.
England, Wiveton, Blakeney – December 2025

Having dinner at the Wiveton Bell. A beautiful moonlight night, an open invitation to play with the iPhone. The results did surprise me.

The bottom right photo is taken with the night modus. The rest with the manual mode of ‘real light’.

The one of the church reminds me of a medieval painting.

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

Iced Sky

Black and white image of a textured sky filled with clouds, showing varying shades and patterns.
Close-up view of ice crystals against a blue sky, showcasing intricate snowflakes and sparkling frost.
Close-up of sparkling ice and snow with a blue background, reflecting light.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – January 2026

The sky through ice on a window.

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

Snowwhite

Snow-covered landscape featuring bare trees, a canal, and distant houses during a snowstorm.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – January 2026

Theme for Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #380 is ‘what’s around the corner’.

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

Heron in Snow

A heron standing on the snowy bank of a river during a snowfall.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – January 2026

Theme for Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #380 is ‘what’s around the corner’. A grey Heron in falling snow.

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

Frederik van Eedenpad

Winter scene featuring a snow-covered pathway lined with bare trees, a canal reflecting the surroundings, and residential houses in a quiet neighborhood.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – January 2026

Theme for Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #380 is ‘what’s around the corner’. Snow, no ice.

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

Snow Shopping

A snowy pathway lined with trees and street lights, with a person walking down the path carrying a bag.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – January 2026

Theme for Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #380 is ‘what’s around the corner’. Last week we had snow in the village.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max 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.

Winter Blossom

A small tree with delicate pink blossoms in winter, set against a blurred green background.
The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – December 2025

Even in Winter there is blossom.

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.

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.

Haagse Poort (Gateway to Den Haag)

The Netherlands, Den Haag – March 2025

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

The Continuing story of Magnolia Close Up (mono sequel)

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – March 2025

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

The continuing story of Magnolia Close Up (colorful sequel)

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – March 2025

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

Moon over Loetje’s Den Haag


The Netherlands, Den Haag – March 2025

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

Dirty Windows

The Netherlands, Den Haag – March 2025

Over looking Den Haag Central Station. 

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

Binckhorst, if only I could walk over water

The Netherlands, Den Haag – March 2025

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

Den Haag Binckhorst

The Netherlands, Den Haag – March 2025

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

Bicycle Passing By 3


The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – March 2025

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

Bicycle Passing By 2

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – March 2025

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

Bicycle Passing By

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – March 2025

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

Mobility in Color

The Netherlands, Den Haag – March 2025

The mobility hub above Den Haag Central Station.

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

Under The Roof

The Netherlands, Den Haag – March 2025

The mobility hub above Den Haag Central Station.

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