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
Story of Green

The post reflects on the challenges of exam season and the balancing act of parents supporting their children’s learning. It shares a personal experience of teaching secondary colors and photosynth…

TreazuredPen

Every person you meet carries a story. That includes you. Not flashy or perfect, but real. And real stories connect us. I’ve been sitting with one of mine lately, and it reminded me how even ordinary moments can carry meaning. Maybe yours does too. Maybe someone out there needs to hear it. #Faith #Storytelling #ShareYourStory #EverydayWonder

http://fiveminuteobservations.com/2025/07/30/why-you-are-a-story-worth-telling/

Why You Are a Story Worth Telling

A quiet moment at Flaming Geyser State Park. A question to my dad. A camera around his neck. I didn’t know then how much that day would teach me about storytelling and why our ordinary lives might …

joeclass3
Podcast: More Wonders in Your Backyard
Podcast: More Wonders in Your Backyard
Podcast: More Wonders in Your Backyard

Our team tells tales of everyday awe.

Atlas Obscura

"Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your understanding of the world." Dacher Keltner

Apparently we should feel awe 2-3 times a week. The perfect excuse for going on a walk... or gazing out of the window...

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/03/well/live/awe-wonder-dacher-keltner.html

(You can also hear Keltner on BBC Radio 4's Start the Week)

#awe #EverydayWonder #JanuaryJoy #MentalHealth #nature

How a Bit of Awe Can Improve Your Health

Experts say wonder is an essential human emotion — and a salve for a turbulent mind.