In summer, we biked around the Netherlands and stayed at a few Vrienden op de Fiets rooms in people's houses. This was just a nice set of homes on a canal. Edam, North Holland, Netherlands 2012

#DutchArchitecture #CanalSideLiving #TraditionalHouses #GreenTrees #UrbanScene

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

Gorinchem – A Walk Through Time

Yesterday, I explored the fortified city of Gorinchem with a good friend — a return to a region I recently visited near Slot Loevestein. This time, we wandered through the historic city center, where traces of the past still stand proudly: ancient windows, brickwork shaped by time, and windmills that defy the modern skyline.

Despite the scars of World War II, Gorinchem has preserved many of its old buildings — a living archive of Dutch resilience and craftsmanship. I brought both my Canon 7D Mark II with the 15–85mm lens and my 5D Mark III with the Sigma 100–400mm lens to capture these quiet witnesses of history.

This small compilation begins with a humble window — aged wood, weathered glass — a detail that reminded me how beauty often lies in the overlooked. In a world that moves fast, cities like Gorinchem offer a chance to slow down and really see.

#gorinchem #vestingstad #canon7dmarkii #canon5dmarkiii #canon1585mm #sigma100400 #dutcharchitecture #oudegebouwen #windmolens #nederlandsegeschiedenis #walkthroughtime #urbanheritage #citydetails #brickandstone #timelesstravel #documentingdutch #streetphotography #travelphotography #fortifiedcity #oudebinnenstad #slotloevestein #historylovers #architecturelovers #historicalperspective #slowtravel

🌲 **Haut Amsterdam Amstel: Europe’s Tallest Wooden Residence**
Experience the striking geometry of Haut Amsterdam Amstel—its layered timber balconies ascending against a perfect blue sky. Shot on my #Canon #R5MarkII with 24–70 mm f/2.8, this image celebrates Dutch innovation in wood.
Which architectural detail catches your eye?
#AMIR2000NLPhotography #architecture #architecturephotography #architecturelovers #modernarchitecture #DutchArchitecture #HautAmsterdam #Archilovers #CanonStories