Last week, sitting on our terrace, I pointed my Canon 5D Mark IV with the Sigma 100–400mm toward something both familiar and almost impossible to truly grasp: the Moon.

What we see as a calm, steady presence has a violent origin. The leading theory suggests that around 4.5 billion years ago, a Mars-sized body—often called Theia—collided with the early Earth. The debris from that impact eventually coalesced into the Moon. A cosmic accident, shaping everything that followed.

And yet, most illustrations fail to capture its true scale and distance.

In books, the Moon is often shown close to Earth, almost within reach. In reality, it orbits at an average distance of about 384,400 kilometers. You could line up roughly 30 Earths between them. That space is vast—so vast that the Moon, despite its size, appears small in our sky.

And still, its influence is enormous.

It stabilizes Earth’s axial tilt, helping maintain a relatively stable climate. Its gravitational pull drives the tides, shaping coastal ecosystems and possibly even playing a role in the early development of life.

Captured at 400mm, this image brings it closer—compressing that immense distance into something we can hold in a frame.

A reminder that some of the most distant things are also the most essential.

#Moon #LunarPhotography #Astrophotography #Canon5DMarkIV #Sigma100400 #Telephoto #NightPhotography #Space #Astronomy #TheiaImpact #MoonFormation #CosmicHistory #EarthAndMoon #Tides #GravitationalForces #ScienceInNature #Universe #NightSky #Stargazing #SpaceLovers #NatureAndScience #EarthFromSpace #HiddenScale #CosmicPerspective #LightInDarkness #ThroughTheLens #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #WonderingLens

Bird cherry (*Prunus padus*, vogelkers), captured at 400mm with a Canon 5D Mark IV and Sigma 100–400mm. A pleasant image at first glance—but look closer. A small traveler reveals itself: likely a weevil (superfamily snuitkevers *Curculionoidea*). These tiny details transform a scene, reminding us that nature’s stories often hide in plain sight.

#PrunusPadus #Vogelkers #BirdCherry #Weevil #Curculionoidea #Snuitkever #MacroDetail #NaturePhotography #WildlifePhotography #Canon5DMarkIV #Sigma100400 #Telephoto #CloseUpNature #TinyWorlds #HiddenNature #NatureLovers #InTheField #OutdoorPhotography #PlantScience #Botany #InsectLife #Biodiversity #NatureObservation #FieldMoments #LookCloser #SmallDetails #VisualStorytelling #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #WonderingLens #snuitkevers

A small bird, a familiar song—and a moment of doubt.

Perched in a pine tree, singing softly, this little warbler caught my attention. At first glance, I thought it might be a grauwe fitis (*Phylloscopus trochiloides*, commonly known as the Greenish Warbler). But something didn’t quite match—no clear wing bar, slightly different tones. Then the thought shifted: could it be a Siberian chiffchaff (*Phylloscopus collybita tristis*), a rare visitor in the Netherlands?

Or… just a very typical chiffchaff.

That’s the challenge with these species. Subtle differences in plumage, song, and structure. Easy to question, difficult to confirm. If you know, I’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts.

Captured with my usual setup—Canon 5D Mark IV and Sigma 100–400mm—this was less about the perfect shot and more about observation. Listening, watching, waiting until the bird revealed itself.

And all of this unfolding during an unusual period. Weeks of warm, dry, sunny weather have changed the feel of the landscape. Pine trees releasing their scent into the air. Early-season wildfires appearing more frequently. Things that used to be rare are becoming less so.

Thankfully, the rain has returned these past days.

Nature needed it.

And maybe, so did we.

#Chiffchaff #SiberianChiffchaff #PhylloscopusCollybita #PhylloscopusCollybitaTristis #GreenishWarbler #PhylloscopusTrochiloides #Tjiftjaf #BirdPhotography #WildlifePhotography #NaturePhotography #Canon5DMarkIV #Sigma100400 #Telephoto #BirdWatching #BirdID #DutchNature #RareBird #InTheField #NatureObservation #BirdLovers #SpringBirds #ForestLife #PineTrees #ClimateChange #DrySeason #Wildfires #NatureMoments #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #WonderingLens

The unlucky frog.

During a walk through the Chaamse Bossen, we spotted a stork moving methodically through tall grass in a swampy area. At first, it seemed calm—almost slow. But then it struck.

Curious, I picked up my Canon 5D Mark IV with the Sigma 100–400mm to see what was happening. What followed was intense. The stork had found a feeding ground, and it was relentless. One after another, frogs were flushed from the grass, briefly airborne… and then gone.

It felt harsh to witness. There’s something about seeing a life end so directly, so efficiently, that stays with you. And yet, this is nature in balance. Frogs lay hundreds, sometimes thousands of eggs, knowing that only a fraction will survive. Predation isn’t failure—it’s part of the system.

From a photographic perspective, moments like this are unpredictable. Fast movement, shifting focus, and the need to react instantly. There’s no time to perfect settings, only to observe and capture what unfolds.

It’s easy to romanticize nature when it’s still and quiet.

But out here, life and death exist side by side—unfiltered, unsentimental, and real.

#Stork #Frog #Predation #WildlifePhotography #NaturePhotography #Canon5DMarkIV #Sigma100400 #Telephoto #ChaamseBossen #DutchNature #InTheWild #NatureIsRaw #CircleOfLife #Ecology #FoodChain #Biodiversity #Wetlands #SwampLife #WildlifeMoments #InTheField #OutdoorPhotography #NatureObservation #RealNature #Untamed #LifeAndDeath #AnimalBehavior #ThroughTheLens #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #WonderingLens

In the Dutch wilderness of the Herikhuizerveld near Arnhem, you don’t always see them—but if you’re lucky, you might hear them first.

We had just climbed out of a dense forest into the open hills, the sun suddenly strong, the heat rising fast. And then—galloping. I looked up, and there it was: a Fjord horse, white and brown, moving across the landscape with quiet power.

I grabbed my Canon 5D Mark IV with the Sigma 100–400mm, reacting more than thinking. A fleeting moment like this doesn’t wait.

Only later did I realize the settings were still dialed in for the forest: 1/250 sec, f/6.2, ISO 1200. Just a bit too slow for motion like this. If you look closely, there’s a slight blur.

And honestly—that’s okay.

Because this image isn’t about technical perfection. It’s about presence. About catching a moment that exists for seconds and then disappears again into the landscape.

Fjord horses, originally from Norway, are often used in Dutch nature reserves as natural grazers, helping maintain open ecosystems and biodiversity. They belong here now, shaping the land as much as they move through it.

Sometimes you get the perfect shot.

Sometimes you get the moment.

#FjordHorse #WildHorses #Herikhuizerveld #Arnhem #DutchNature #NaturePhotography #WildlifePhotography #Canon5DMarkIV #Sigma100400 #Telephoto #InTheField #NatureWalk #OutdoorPhotography #WildlifeMoments #MotionBlur #ImperfectBeauty #NatureLovers #GrazingAnimals #Ecology #Biodiversity #LandscapeLife #SpontaneousShot #FieldMoments #NatureObservation #ThroughTheLens #EarthPerspective #VisualStorytelling #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #WonderingLens

A Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria), or bont zandoogje, resting briefly on a branch along the paths of the Mookerheide. Captured with a Canon 5D Mark IV and 100–400mm. These butterflies are territorial, often returning to the same sunlit spot—making patience and observation key to the shot.

#SpeckledWood #ParargeAegeria #BontZandoogje #ButterflyPhotography #InsectPhotography #NaturePhotography #WildlifePhotography #Canon5DMarkIV #Canon100400 #Telephoto #Mookerheide #DutchNature #ButterfliesOfEurope #NatureLovers #InTheField #OutdoorPhotography #WildlifeMoments #PatienceAndPractice #CloseUpNature #TinyWorlds #NatureObservation #FieldMoments #Biodiversity #SpringVibes #SunlitNature #ThroughTheLens #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #WonderingLens

The ‘Amazing Parrot’ tulip, captured in a sea of color at Appeltern.

Shot low to the ground with a Canon 5D Mark IV and Canon 100–400mm, this perspective allowed me to isolate the intricate, almost flame-like petals while still hinting at the surrounding field. Parrot tulips (*Tulipa*) are known for their ruffled edges and vivid patterns—cultivars shaped as much by human selection as by nature itself.

They appear delicate. Harmless, even.

But cultivated flowers often carry a less visible story. Many contain residues of insecticides and fungicides, some of which are considered highly toxic to humans and harmful to ecosystems. It’s part of the hidden cost behind the global flower trade—one that rarely shows up in the image.

Appeltern states that they avoid chemical toxins and work with biological solutions. I’m not in a position to verify that claim, but it is an important direction—and one worth paying attention to.

Because when we give flowers, we usually think in terms of beauty, gesture, and meaning.

Perhaps it’s also worth thinking about origin, impact, and process.

Special thanks to @smartmedj

What looks soft and fragile can carry a much harder reality beneath the surface.

#Tulip #ParrotTulip #AmazingParrot #Tulipa #FlowerPhotography #NaturePhotography #Canon5DMarkIV #Canon100400 #Telephoto #LowAngle #SelectiveFocus #DepthOfField #Appeltern #DutchFlowers #SpringColors #Botany #PlantScience #FloralBeauty #HiddenImpact #Pesticides #EnvironmentalImpact #Sustainability #ThinkTwice #NatureAndHuman #FlowerIndustry #VisualStorytelling #NatureLovers #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #WonderingLens

A Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), or pimpelmees, moving through cherry blossom in Appeltern near Nijmegen. Captured with a Canon 5D Mark IV and 100–400mm—using reach and patience to isolate a fleeting moment. These small birds can process food remarkably fast, supporting high-energy lives.

#BlueTit #CyanistesCaeruleus #Pimpelmees #BirdPhotography #WildlifePhotography #NaturePhotography #CherryBlossom #SpringVibes #Canon5DMarkIV #Canon100400 #Telephoto #GardenBirds #DutchNature #Appeltern #Nijmegen #BirdLovers #NatureLovers #InTheMoment #WildlifeMoments #SmallBirds #FeatheredFriends #OutdoorPhotography #NatureObservation #Biodiversity #SpringColors #ThroughTheLens #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #WonderingLens