Old paper money, seen from a different world.

For this series, I explored an idea using my Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens—diving deep into the details of historical banknotes. A friend kindly brought part of his collection, and this is one of the first results: a Belgian 100 franc note, captured at extreme magnification.

At first glance, you might think you’re looking into the eyes of a lady. But look again—this is actually part of a bearded man. When isolated like this, reality shifts. Scale changes perception.

What fascinated me most are the physical details: the thickness of the ink, the tiny fibers of the paper, and the precision of printing techniques from the early 2000s. These notes were not just currency—they were carefully engineered objects designed to resist forgery through complexity at both visible and microscopic levels.

Captured with my Canon 5DS R and Canon MP-E 65mm.

#MacroPhotography #MacroWorld #CanonMPE65 #Canon5DSR #CloseUp #ExtremeMacro #DetailPhotography #Texture #PaperTexture #InkDetails #Banknote #BelgianFranc #OldMoney #CurrencyArt #HiddenDetails #OpticalIllusion #AbstractPhotography #Perception #VisualIllusion #FineDetails #PhotographyTechnique #StudioPhotography #CreativePhotography #ExploringDetails #Magnification #MicroWorld #ArtInDetails #MoneyArt #HistoricalObjects #DesignDetails #WonderingLens #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #PixelfedPhotography #LightAndLife #VisualStory #AbstractView #PhotographyArt #HiddenWorld #MacroShot

Sometimes the most beautiful things are also the most useful.

This flowering espalier—the Clematis—bursts into bloom early in spring, covering walls with delicate white flowers and a wonderfully sweet scent. Even in winter it holds on to its green presence, quietly preparing for the next season.

But it’s more than just beautiful. Plants like these play an important role in supporting life around us. Bees, bumblebees, and butterflies are drawn to the flowers, turning a simple wall into a small but thriving ecosystem. And when grown against a house, they can even help regulate temperature, reducing direct sunlight in summer and buffering cold winds in winter.

A natural layer between us and the elements.

Captured with my Canon 5DS R and Sigma 24–70 Art at 70mm, f/2.6, 1/250 sec, ISO 200.

#Clematis #Espalier #GardenPhotography #NatureAtHome #SustainableLiving #GreenWalls #UrbanNature #Pollinators #Bees #Bumblebees #Butterflies #Biodiversity #NaturePhotography #MacroNature #FlowerPhotography #SpringBloom #WhiteFlowers #NatureLovers #EcoFriendly #ClimateAware #LivingWithNature #CanonPhotography #Canon5DSR #Sigma2470Art #70mm #PhotographyTechnique #NaturalLight #OutdoorPhotography #NatureObservation #GardenLife #PlantLovers #WildlifeGarden #WonderingLens #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #PixelfedPhotography #LightAndLife #NatureMoments #GreenLiving #SustainableGarden

Less is more.

A quiet sunset sky, no sun in sight—just a smooth gradient shifting from deep blue into warm orange and red. In the top left, a final phase of the Moon watches over the scene. Two airplanes cross paths, their contrails forming a subtle “X” across the sky. Nothing extraordinary on its own… but together, a composition that simply feels right.

Moments like this remind me that photography isn’t always about rare subjects. Sometimes it’s about seeing alignment—light, timing, and geometry coming together for just a second.

A small scientific note: there is no true “dark side” of the Moon. The far side receives just as much sunlight as the side we see. It only appears hidden because the Moon is tidally locked to Earth. Interestingly, that far side is far more heavily cratered due to its greater exposure.

Captured with my Canon 5DS R and Sigma 24–70 Art, 47mm, f/2.8, 1/500 sec, ISO 320.

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

#SunsetSky #MinimalPhotography #SkyPhotography #Moon #Luna #Contrails #AviationPhotography #SimpleComposition #LessIsMore #GradientSky #EveningSky #NaturePhotography #LandscapePhotography #GeometryInNature #CleanComposition #VisualBalance #CanonPhotography #Canon5DSR #Sigma2470Art #47mm #PhotographyTechnique #NaturalLight #OutdoorPhotography #SkyLovers #Cloudscape #Atmosphere #ScienceAndNature #TidallyLocked #MoonFacts #AstronomyLovers #QuietMoments #SimpleBeauty #VisualStory #WonderingLens #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #PixelfedPhotography #LightAndLife #NatureObservation #EveningMood

An early evening walk at the Loonse and Drunense Duinen.

This place holds a special place in my heart, and I often find myself walking straight toward a familiar spot among the shifting sands. Today was one of those evenings. The sun was already low, nearing sunset, casting a warm golden light across the landscape.

Close to the ground, I noticed a small patch of grass catching that last light. Surrounded by sand, it stood there quietly, glowing. By lowering my perspective and opening up the aperture, I allowed the foreground and background to gently fade into softness, letting the light and the subject take center stage.

These inland sand dunes are shaped by wind, constantly moving and reshaping the terrain. It’s a dynamic landscape, even when it feels still.

Captured with my Canon 5DS R and Sigma 24–70 Art, ISO 350, 1/500 sec.

More moments from this evening walk will follow.

#LoonseEnDrunenseDuinen #DutchNature #SandDunes #NatureNetherlands #EveningLight #GoldenHour #NaturePhotography #LandscapePhotography #CloseToTheGround #ShallowDepthOfField #Bokeh #LightAndShadow #NatureDetails #MinimalNature #OutdoorPhotography #NatureWalk #QuietMoments #NatureObservation #CanonPhotography #Canon5DSR #Sigma2470Art #24mm #PhotographyTechnique #NaturalLight #ExploringNature #WildNetherlands #NatureLovers #SoftLight #WarmTones #DutchLandscape #StoryThroughTheLens #NatureStories #WonderingLens #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotograph #PixelfedPhotograph #LightAndLif #NatureMoment #SimpleBeaut #EveningWalk

Just a little further along the boardwalk in the **Moerputten wetlands**, the path curved once more through the quiet swamp forest.

Only a few minutes had passed since my previous photograph, yet the atmosphere had already changed. The morning sun was slowly climbing higher, and a few more rays managed to slip between the branches. Where the previous scene felt darker and mysterious, this moment revealed a softer side of the swamp — gentle light touching the wooden planks and faint reflections appearing in the still water below.

Wetland forests like these may appear motionless, but they are constantly changing environments. Light shifts minute by minute, water levels rise and fall through the seasons, and the dense vegetation creates endless small variations in shadow and color. That is exactly what makes places like the **Moerputten** so fascinating to explore with a camera.

Ecologically, wetlands such as these are incredibly valuable. The peat soils and marsh vegetation store large amounts of water and carbon, helping regulate both local water systems and climate processes. In a country like the **Netherlands — a land shaped by rivers, marshes, and reclaimed wetlands —** landscapes like this are a reminder of how closely nature and history are intertwined.

From a photographic perspective, the gently bending boardwalk again became the natural guide through the image, leading the viewer deeper into the swamp.

Captured with my **Canon EOS 5DS R** and **Sigma 24–70 Art** at **24mm**, **f/2.6**, **1/500 sec**, **ISO 100**.

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

#Moerputten #MoerputtenBridge #DenBosch #DutchNature #NatureNetherlands #Wetlands #SwampForest #PeatLandscape
#DutchLandscape #LandscapePhotography #NaturePhotography #LeadingLines #LightAndShadow #CanonPhotography #Canon5DSR #Sigma2470Art #NatureLovers #WildNetherlands #NatureReserve #HiddenNature #NatureStories #WonderingLens #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography

A little further along the path, the landscape changes completely.

After descending the dyke near the Moerputten Bridge, you enter the swamp itself. Thankfully, there is no need to wade through the water. Wooden walkways guide visitors safely above the dark, still waters, weaving through moss-covered trees and dense shrubs.

And fortunately, the walkway is not straight.

Instead it gently twists through the swamp, creating a beautiful composition where the path disappears between the trees before reappearing again. In the soft morning haze, with sunlight struggling to break through the dense canopy, the scene became wonderfully moody.

This wetland landscape is not just beautiful — it is historically significant. The Moerputten area forms part of the low floodplains surrounding ’s-Hertogenbosch, a city whose history has always been closely tied to water. For centuries these marshes were part of a natural defensive system around the city. The wetlands were nearly impossible for armies to cross, turning Den Bosch into one of the most heavily fortified cities in the Netherlands.

The name “Netherlands” itself reflects this relationship with water. It literally means low lands — a country built in river deltas, floodplains, and reclaimed wetlands. Areas like the Moerputten show why water management, wetlands, and engineering have always been essential parts of Dutch history.

From a photographic perspective the winding boardwalk creates perfect leading lines, drawing the viewer deeper into the swamp.

Captured with my Canon EOS 5DS R and Sigma 24–70 Art at 24mm, f/2.6, 1/500 sec, ISO 100.

#Moerputten #DenBosch #DutchHistory #Netherlands #Lowlands #Wetlands #SwampForest #LeadingLines #MoodyNature #NatureReserve
#HistoricLandscape #CanonPhotography #Canon5DSR #Sigma2470Art #NatureAndHistory #NatureWalks #HiddenNature #StoryThroughTheLens #LightAndShadow #WonderingLens #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #PixelfedPhotography #LightAndLife
#NatureLovers

Sometimes photography begins with a simple detour.

Yesterday morning the trains to Den Bosch were not running, and my son needed to be at school by 8:00. So instead of trains, we took the car. After dropping him off I found myself nearby and thought: why not visit the Moerputten Bridge?

The Moerputten Bridge, located between ’s-Hertogenbosch and Vlijmen, is a remarkable piece of Dutch engineering history. Built in the late 19th century as part of the Halve Zolenlijn railway, this long iron railway bridge once carried work trains across wetlands that regularly flooded. In the past, this area functioned as an “overlaat”—a deliberately lowered section of dyke designed to flood during high water from the Meuse. By allowing controlled overflow, it relieved pressure on other dykes and helped prevent catastrophic breaches. A beautiful example of the Netherlands living with water rather than fighting it.

Yesterday morning a soft haze hung in the air. The sun tried to break through, casting gentle light across the landscape. Above me the pale blue sky gradually deepened in color, while the long yellow railway bridge stretched across the wetlands like a line drawn through time.

From a photographic perspective it immediately caught my eye: leading lines pulling the viewer forward, guiding the eye along the structure into the distance.

Captured with my Canon EOS 5DS R and Sigma 24–70 Art at 24mm, f/2.8, 1/500 sec, ISO 200.

The first image of a morning walk that would become a small series about leading lines and winding paths.

#MoerputtenBridge #DenBosch #DutchEngineering #WaterManagement
#LivingWithWater #LandscapePhotography #ArchitecturePhotography #LeadingLines #Composition #Canon5DSR #Sigma2470Art #HiddenHistory #Wetlands #NatureAndHistory #OutdoorPhotography #TravelPhotography #Perspective #LinesInNature #PhotoStory #WonderingLens #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #LightAndLife #NatureObservation

Street photography vs wildlife photography… two worlds that could not be more different. Yet last weekend I found myself switching forests for city streets as the Partij voor de Dieren campaign brought us into the center of Tilburg for the municipal elections.

Normally I walk quietly through places like Kampina or the Oisterwijkse Bossen, listening for birds and watching the movement of wildlife. Patience is everything there. Sometimes you wait half an hour for a bird to land in the right branch.

Street and event photography? That patience becomes speed.

The moment you step into a busy city center everything moves: people, cyclists, conversations, banners in the wind, sunlight bouncing off buildings. You cannot ask anyone to pause the moment. Instead, you react to it. Both cameras were set to around 1/500 second to freeze the movement, while the ISO constantly changed as volunteers stepped from bright sunlight into deep shadow between buildings.

I carried my Canon 5D Mark IV with the Sigma 100–400 and the Canon 5DsR with the Sigma 24–70 Art, switching between telephoto moments and wider street scenes while volunteers talked with people, handed out flyers, and shared conversations about animals, nature, and our shared future.

In a way, photographing people in a city is not that different from observing wildlife. Both require awareness, anticipation, and a bit of intuition about behavior. The difference is simply the habitat.

And this weekend, my forest just happened to be made of bricks and bicycles instead of trees.

#StreetPhotography
#EventPhotography
#CampaignPhotography
#Tilburg
#Gemeenteraadsverkiezingen
#PartijvoordeDieren
#DocumentaryPhotography
#UrbanMoments
#Photojournalism
#CanonPhotography
#Canon5DMarkIV
#Canon5DsR
#Sigma100400
#Sigma2470Art
#FastShutter
#StreetMoments
#LightAndShadow
#StreetScenes
#OutdoorPhotography
#WonderingLens
#MaikeldeBakkerPhotography
#ByMaikeldeBakker
#PhotographyStory
#CameraInHand
#LifeThroughTheLens
#Pixelfed

“Sunrise” is a beautiful illusion.

As our small blue world turns, it creates the feeling that the Sun rises above the horizon. But in reality, it is us who are moving — slowly rotating into the light.

And that warm golden glow? The Sun itself isn’t yellow or red. In space, its light is nearly white. The colors we see here are shaped by our atmosphere. As sunlight travels through a thicker layer of air at low angles, shorter blue wavelengths scatter away, while reds and yellows continue their journey. This process — known as Rayleigh scattering — paints the sky in gradients from deep blue to warm amber.

In this moment, captured in the heart of the Kampina, the low Sun pushes through a solitary tree, its light stretching across a field of tall grass. Beams of light scatter, reflect, and soften as they pass through air filled with moisture and particles, turning physics into something that feels almost poetic.

Shot with the Canon 5DsR and Sigma 24–70 Art, handheld — chasing light that changes faster than any setting can keep up with.

Because sometimes, understanding the science doesn’t take away the magic… it reveals just how extraordinary it really is.

#Kampina #DutchLandscape #NatureInTheNetherlands
#Sunrise #MorningLight #GoldenHour
#RayleighScattering #LightPhysics #AtmosphericScience
#NatureScience #ScienceAndNature
#LightBeams #Sunrays #MistyLight
#LandscapePhotography #NaturePhotography #OutdoorPhotography
#Canon5DsR #Sigma2470Art #HandheldPhotography
#NaturalLight #LightAndShadow
#SkyColors #ColorGradient #EarthFocus
#DiscoverNature #StayAndWander
#Pixelfed #PixelfedPhotography
#WonderingLens #ByMaikeldeBakker
#MoodyLandscape #FieldPhotography #QuietMoments

Tilburg. Home. The place where I was born, and where my children were born.

After many days that felt far too warm and far too grey for this time of year, the sun finally broke through. Blue sky appeared — almost as if the city itself was taking a deep breath. I went out for a short walk in the Spoorpark, close to home. As usual, I didn’t leave without a camera.

While walking, my attention was caught by something easily overlooked: a simple puddle. There was barely any wind, no ripples at all. From just the right angle, the puddle turned into a quiet mirror, reflecting Westpoint against a clear blue sky. A small inversion of reality — sky below, city above — reminding me how perspective can change everything.

Scientifically speaking, it’s nothing more than specular reflection: a smooth surface reflecting light at equal angles. But emotionally, it feels like something else entirely. A moment where chaos pauses, where the city aligns with itself, if only for a second. These moments are fragile — a breeze, a footstep, and they’re gone.

Photographically, this was about being present and reacting quickly. Shot handheld with the Canon 5DsR and the Sigma 24–70mm Art at 29mm, f/2.8, 1/500 sec, ISO 100. No tricks. Just observation, timing, and letting light do what it naturally does best.

Sometimes home reflects back more than you expect.

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

#Tilburg #Spoorpark #Westpoint #ReflectionPhotography #UrbanObservation #EverydayPhysics #LightAndReflection #SeeingDifferently #CityDetails #MinimalMoments #DutchCityscape #UrbanNature #CalmMoments #HandheldPhotography #Canon5DsR #Sigma2470Art #F28 #ISO100 #MirrorWorld #BlueSkyDays #QuietScenes #VisualScience #ObservationOverAction #SlowLooking #PhotographicCuriosity #CityAsLandscape #EverydayWonder #PerspectiveShift #UrbanStories #Pixelfed #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #ByMaikelPhotography #WonderingLens #wonderinglens