Some scenes only reveal their magic when you strip them down to the essentials. I rarely choose black and white — often it feels like an escape hatch when colour fails. But on my latest Arnhem adventure, standing on a hill overlooking a quiet valley west of Park Sonsbeek, colour wasn’t the problem… it was the distraction.

Among the dark reds and browns of late autumn, one bright yellow tree stood defiantly luminous. In colour, it looked beautiful. But in black and white, it transformed completely: its yellow leaves turning almost white, while the surrounding forest dropped into deep shadow. The effect resembled infrared photography — a glowing silhouette breaking through a monochrome world.

Nature doesn’t present these contrasts often, at least not with this kind of precision. It reminded me of the way light interacts with pigments: yellow leaves reflect more of the spectrum, so once converted to monochrome, they soar toward the highlights while other wavelengths sink away. A tiny lesson in physics, hidden inside a valley.

I shot it handheld with my Canon 5DsR and Sigma 24–70 Art at f/2.8, 1/500 sec, ISO 125. The late-afternoon sky was blue with a soft feather-cloud drifting across it — the last warmth of a day that felt oddly mild for the season (yay climate change… said with all the sarcasm required).

Sometimes, simplicity reveals the loudest truth.

#wonderinglens #ByMaikeldeBakker #BlackAndWhitePhotography #InfraredLook #Arnhem #Sonsbeek #NaturePhotography #TreeScenery #MonochromeMagic #FineArtNature #Canon5DsR #Sigma2470Art #HandheldPhotography #ObservationalPhotography #ForestValley #DutchNature #LandscapeFrame #NaturalContrast #AutumnLeaves #LightAndShadow #MoodyLandscape #PhysicsOfLight #InfraredEffect #CreativeMonochrome #PhotoStorytelling #NatureDetails #DutchLandscape #MinimalistNature #PhotographyIsScience #ArtOfObservation #OutdoorAdventures #ForestPhotography #TreePortrait #QuietNature #ValleyView #FramedByNature #WonderingLensPhotography

Tiny Lanterns on a Mossy Wall

It seems the forest wasn’t finished surprising me that day. After finding the tiny Mycena adscendens carrying that oversized droplet, we stumbled across another colony — same species, same walk, different tree. Only this time they were a little larger (a whole 2–3 mm!) and lined up in a perfect vertical row along a mossy trunk, like miniature lamps climbing their way toward daylight.

The challenge? Light. Or rather the lack of it. The forest was still wrapped in that wet, grey, sleepy atmosphere. Since my MP-E 65mm was already pushed to its limits earlier, I switched things up and used the Sigma 24–70mm Art on the Canon 5DsR. Shooting at f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 3200, I had to rely on every bit of available light — and a steady hand — to keep those microscopic caps sharp while letting the background melt into soft mossy texture.

What I love about mushrooms like Mycena adscendens is how easily they’re overlooked. People step over them every day without ever noticing the tiny worlds unfolding at their feet. But get close enough — really close — and you discover small universes: droplets clinging like glass ornaments, translucent stems glowing against dark bark.

Same forest, same species, same walk… and yet a completely different story.
That’s the magic of photography: the world doesn’t repeat itself unless you ask it kindly.

#MycenaAdscendens #PorcelainBonnet #Micromushrooms #ForestMicrocosmos #FungiFriday #TinyWorlds #MacroPhotography #CloseUpNature #Mycophilia #MushroomMagic #Canon5DsR #Sigma2470Art #LowLightPhotography #HandheldMacro #DarkForestMood #MossAndFungi #DutchNature #Kampina #Oisterwijk #ScientificCuriosity #FieldNotes #NatureDetails #SmallWonders #NaturalTextures #ForestWalks #FungiOfTheDay #MacroLife #MacroVision #NaturePhotography #PhotographyStorytelling #DepthOfField #BokehLove #ISO3200 #F28 #Shutter400 #ForestCreatures #NatureIsArt #ObservationIsKey #MindfulPhotography #ByMaikeldeBakker

A 1mm mushroom carrying an almost-as-big droplet

Sometimes nature hides its most extraordinary scenes in places most people never look. While walking through the Kampina near Oisterwijk with my wife Christel and my sister-in-law Hanneke — a birthday walk and lunch gift from last October — I noticed something no taller than a grain of rice. There, growing out of the lush green moss on a tree trunk, stood a tiny Mycena adscendens. Barely 1 mm tall, delicate as a whisper… and balancing a raindrop almost as large as its cap.

Photographing something that small is always a technical puzzle. Tripods were impossible on the tree bark, the light was miserable — wet, grey, and sleepy — and the mushroom itself looked like shiny plastic thanks to the moisture. So I relied on my Canon 5DsR paired with the MP-E 65mm, shooting handheld with a flashlight as an improvised lightsource.
1/250s, ISO 3200, and the fixed aperture of the MP-E — a setup that pushes both the photographer and the camera to their limits. At this magnification even your own heartbeat becomes camera shake.

But somehow, everything aligned. The droplet clung to the cap with perfect surface tension, turning the whole scene into a tiny physics lesson: cohesion, adhesion, and gravity negotiating their delicate balance on a 1 mm stage.

Moments like this remind me why I love macro photography — you don’t just take a picture; you discover a world that was already there, quietly waiting.

#MacroPhotography #MicroNature #TinyMushrooms #MycenaAdscendens #FungiFriday #FungusAmongUs #NatureCloseUp #ExtremeMacro #MacroWorld #MacroMagic #Canon5DsR #CanonMacro #MPE65mm #HandheldMacro #NatureIsArt #ForestFinds #DutchNature #Kampina #Oisterwijk #MossAndMushrooms #RaindropArt #WaterDroplet #SurfaceTension #MicroWildlife #NatureWalks #PhotographyJourney #StoryBehindTheShot #NaturalWonder #TinyLifeBigWorld #ForestMagic #NatureLovers #ScienceInNature #PhotographersOfPixelfed #MacroCommunity #HiddenWorlds #ByMaikeldeBakker

Circles of Light and Stone

Some buildings stop being places of worship and become places of wonder. The Eusebius Church in Arnhem — now the Stichting Eusebius Arnhem, a museum celebrating the city’s history — is one of them.

When I stepped inside, the calm air carried a sense of timeless geometry. My eyes were immediately drawn upward to the large golden light rings suspended from the high arched ceiling. Perfectly stacked, they seemed to hover between heaven and history — a bridge between sacred architecture and modern design.

I stood directly beneath them, camera in hand — the Canon 5DsR paired with the Sigma 24–70mm Art — and aligned the frame so that every circle, every rib of the arch, fell into balance. Light as a subject. Symmetry as a teacher.

Photography, after all, is a study of how light defines form — and sometimes, in places like this, both feel eternal.

#ArchitecturePhotography #EusebiusArnhem #StichtingEusebius #Arnhem #ArchitecturalSymmetry #ChurchInterior #PhotographyOfLight #DutchArchitecture #Canon5DsR #Sigma2470Art #LightAndShadow #GoldenLight #GeometricComposition #SymmetryInDesign #PerspectiveStudy #ArchitecturalDetails #ModernLighting #HistoricArchitecture #VisualBalance #LightPatterns #SacredGeometry #UrbanExploration #ArchitecturalInspiration #DesignAndLight #ObservationalPhotography #NetherlandsPhotography #ArchedCeiling #ArtInArchitecture #VisualObservation #ComposedByLight #PhotoStudy #PhotographyLovers #ArchitectureAndArt #StoryInLight #ArchitecturalPhotography #LightAndForm #CreativeComposition #CulturalHeritage #DocumentaryPhotography #PhotographyAsStudy #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography

Arnhem Outside the Station

Stepping out of Arnhem Central Station onto the upper level, I was met by a tall office building — its structure bending softly like a wave, mirroring the organic lines of the station itself. Sea-green contours wrapped around dark blue windows, forming a calm visual rhythm that instantly drew me in.

I captured this scene with the Canon 5DsR and Sigma 24–70mm Art, using a polarizing filter — a tool often misunderstood, but scientifically fascinating. Light travels as waves vibrating in all directions, but when it reflects off non-metallic surfaces like glass or water, those waves align into a single plane. A polarizing filter selectively blocks that oriented light, reducing glare, increasing contrast, and deepening color saturation. In this case, it turned an ordinary glass facade into a layered play of tone and texture.

Some photographers avoid polarization for fear of “over-saturation,” but for me, it’s about control — sculpting light rather than altering reality. This image is straight from the camera, no edits needed. Just light, reflection, and the quiet geometry of modern architecture.

#ArnhemCentraal #ArnhemArchitecture #ModernArchitecture #UrbanDesign #ArchitecturalWave #PolarizingFilter #LightPhysics #OpticsInPhotography #Canon5DsR #Sigma2470Art #ArchitecturalDetails #UrbanObservation #ArchitecturalContrast #BuildingDesign #ArchitecturalComposition #DutchArchitecture #ArchitecturalGeometry #GlassAndSteel #ArchitecturalTexture #ReflectionPhotography #ArchitecturalStudy #LightAndShadow #ArchitecturalPhotographyLovers #UrbanGeometry #ArchitecturalPatterns #ArchitecturalScience #ArchitecturalBalance #ArchitecturalPerspective #ArchitecturalExploration #DesignAndStructure #ArchitecturalSymphony #CityArchitecture #ArchitecturalBeauty #ArchitecturalLines #ArchitecturalArt #ArchitecturalInspiration #UrbanSpaces #OpticalScience #ScientificPhotography #ByMaikeldeBakker

Arnhem Central Station — Time bends the building inside

Inside Arnhem Central Station, space itself seems to fold and breathe. The same great window from the outside now reveals its inner rhythm — twisting, curving, as if the entire structure has been gently bent by time. Standing at the base of the staircase, you feel like you’ve stepped inside a living shell, a snail house of steel and glass.

The staircase begins in the lower left and ascends gracefully to the upper right, tracing the shape of the curved window. Above, the roof dips and sways like a wave caught mid-motion. The central column — smooth, rounded, and branching — rises like a fossilized tree, supporting the weight of the flowing roof. Around it all, people move, signs blink, trains come and go. Life rushes by, but the building stands still, frozen in its own temporal rhythm.

Photographed with the Canon 5DsR and Sigma 24–70mm Art, this image required some dodging and burning to balance the strong contrast — the bright daylight outside versus the darker interior tones. A study in form, flow, and perception, where architecture seems to capture the motion of time itself.

#ArnhemCentraal #ArchitecturePhotography #ModernArchitecture #ArchitecturalCurves #UrbanDesign #ArchitecturalArt #ArchitecturalFlow #Canon5DsR #Sigma2470Art #ArchitecturalStructure #ArchitecturalInspiration #ArchitecturalObservation #UrbanGeometry #ArchitecturalForm #LightAndShadow #ArchitecturalDetails #BuildingDesign #PublicArchitecture #ArchitecturalPerspective #ArchitecturalBeauty #ArchitecturalPhotographyLovers #DutchArchitecture #EngineeringArt #ArchitecturalComposition #ArchitecturalLines #DesignAndStructure #UrbanSpaces #ContemporaryArchitecture #ArchitecturalStudy #ConcreteAndGlass #ArchitecturalRhythm #CityArchitecture #ArchitectureIsArt #LightStudy #ArchitecturalMovement #ArchitectureAndTime #StructureAndForm #ArchitecturalBalance #UrbanArtistry #ByMaikeldeBakker

Arnhem Central Station – A staircase curves around the window

Standing outside Arnhem Central Station, you immediately sense that the architecture is more than functional — it’s sculptural. The air was hazy that morning, a soft grayish-blue sky that blurred the edges of things, making the contrasts stronger.

My eyes were drawn to the slow, sweeping curve of the staircase as it wrapped clockwise around the large glass window — a window that itself seems to flow like water into the structure. Fifty shades of gray intertwined: steel, concrete, shadow, and reflection. The soft light turned everything into gradients — from the darkest corners beneath the stairs to the pale glint along the roofline.

It’s a moment where design and nature meet — the man-made mimicking organic motion. The roof seems to drip toward the earth, its forms bending gracefully, not rigidly. The color splash of the blue window completes the scene, the human touch in a landscape of engineered elegance.

No need for editing — the Canon 5DsR and Sigma 24–70mm Art caught it just as it was. Light, curve, and composition — all in perfect balance.

#ArchitecturePhotography #ArnhemCentraal #Arnhem #ModernArchitecture #ArchitecturalLines #Canon5DsR #Sigma2470Art #ArchitecturalDesign #LightAndForm #UrbanLandscape #ArchitecturalObservation #ArchitecturalCurves #StreetGeometry #DocumentaryPhotography #ArchitecturalStudy #UrbanTextures #ModernDesign #EngineeringArt #ArchitecturalPerspective #CityDetails #LightAndShadow #ArchitecturalBeauty #ConcreteAndGlass #PhotographyOfDesign #UrbanExploration #ArchitecturalComposition #PublicSpaces #DutchArchitecture #ArchitecturalPhotographyLovers #MinimalArchitecture #ArchitecturalPatterns #VisualBalance #GeometryInArchitecture #ArchitecturalStructure #LightStudy #ArchitectureIsArt #CityArchitecture #UrbanArtistry #DesignAndLight #ByMaikeldeBakker

Arnhem Central Station makes people look small

During my visit to Arnhem — home turf of my photo buddy Kevin — I decided to give street photography another go. Kevin makes it look so easy. With his tiny Fuji mirrorless and a 24mm lens, he just hip-shoots away and somehow always nails it.

Me? Not so much. My Canon 5DsR with the Sigma 24–70 Art isn’t exactly what you’d call “discreet.” Every click sounds like a miniature thunderclap echoing through the station. So instead of blending in, I hide in corners, under staircases, or anywhere people don’t look.

That’s where I found this shot — standing beneath the staircase, drawn first by the sweeping architectural lines. Then came the couple, walking right into the frame. Kevin called it “fishing” — waiting patiently for the scene to complete itself. It’s new to me, but I have to admit… it works.

Sometimes photography isn’t about chasing the shot. It’s about waiting for life to wander into it.

#StreetPhotography #Arnhem #ArnhemCentraal #ArchitecturePhotography #UrbanExploration #Canon5DsR #Sigma2470Art #DutchArchitecture #BlackAndWhitePhotography #ModernDesign #PhotoStory #DocumentaryPhotography #WaitingForTheMoment #CandidPhotography #StreetShot #PhotographersLife #UrbanGeometry #LinesAndLight #HumanScale #PerspectivePlay #StoryInALens #EverydayLife #VisualNarrative #TravelThroughLenses #LifeInFrames #CaptureTheMoment #CreativeAngles #BehindTheLens #CanonPhotography #CityLife #DutchDesign #CompositionMatters #LightAndShadow #PhotoFishing #StreetLens #ThroughMyEyes #VisualPoetry #DocumentingReality #PhotographyJourney #ByMaikeldeBakker

Birds of the Spoorpark

The Spoorpark in Tilburg isn’t exactly a nature refuge — it’s more of a social hub where the city’s “fearless of humans” kind of birds thrive. Yet even here, life unfolds with quiet grace. The mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) glide through the shallow water, joined by a white domestic duck — perhaps a feral hybrid, its yellow beak gleaming in the sun. A solitary common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) patrols the edges, always alert, always alone.

Around 11:00, with the Canon 5DsR and Sigma 24–70mm Art, I crouched to eye level to meet them on their own terms. That low perspective transforms everything — reflections sharpen, depth of field softens, and suddenly you’re no longer a spectator but a participant in their small, vibrant world.

Every feather, ripple, and movement becomes a study in adaptation — a living reminder that even in the heart of the city, evolution doesn’t rest.

Photography, after all, is just another way of studying light and life.

#BirdsOfTheSpoorpark #UrbanWildlife #AnasPlatyrhynchos #GallinulaChloropus #DomesticDuck #Canon5DsR #Sigma2470Art #NatureObservation #ScientificPhotography #WildlifePhotography #UrbanEcology #Tilburg #Spoorpark #CityNature #Birdwatching #Ornithology #NatureStudy #LightAndLife #MacroPerspective #DocumentaryPhotography #FieldObservation #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #LowAnglePhotography #NatureLovers #ScientificCuriosity #ArtOfObservation #NaturalBehavior #UrbanBiodiversity #CanonPhotography #SigmaArtLens #StoryOfNature #WildlifeInTheCity #DutchPhotography #EcologicalPerspective #EverydayWildlife #MindfulObservation #NatureThroughTheLens #ScientificArt #FeathersAndLight

A Spiraling Staircase to the Sky

Looking up from the base of the tower, I couldn’t resist capturing this perfect counter-clockwise spiral (clockwise from this perspective)— a design that would’ve made Leonardo of Pisa, better known as Fibonacci, smile. Geometry and nature often speak the same language, and this staircase seemed to echo that universal rhythm.

Taken with the Canon 5DsR and Sigma 24-70 Art, the composition builds on simplicity: steel beams spiraling upward, holding wooden steps that catch the morning light. The hazy autumn sky added that subtle blue-green tint — a result of sunlight scattering through fine moisture and dust particles.

Sometimes, the most fascinating patterns aren’t found in forests or fields, but in the engineered forms we create. Photography, after all, is just another way of studying light and life.

#ArchitecturePhotography #Fibonacci #GoldenRatio #Canon5DsR #SigmaArt #Tilburg #Spoorpark #GeometricPatterns #ArchitecturalDetails #LightAndForm #PerspectivePhotography #MathematicsInNature #ScientificPhotography #DocumentaryPhotography #StructuralDesign #UrbanExploration #LinesAndCurves #SteelAndWood #MorningLight #ByMaikeldeBakker