Sometimes nature reminds you that the best moments are the ones you didn’t plan for. Last week, I set off with my wife Christel to Huis ter Heide near Tilburg, hoping for birds and landscapes in the soft early morning light. The birds were quiet, the landscapes less inspiring than I’d hoped—but the insects stole the show.

First came the hardworking Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum), captured close-up as it buried itself in a flower’s nectar. Next, a Pyrausta purpuralis, a tiny but striking moth with purple and gold tones, resting perfectly still on a leaf. Both were taken with my Canon 5D Mark III and the MP-E 65mm f/2.8 Super Macro—a lens built for the extreme close-ups that reveal details our eyes often miss.

Switching to my Canon 7D Mark II and Sigma 100–400mm, I caught a vivid Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum) perched near the water, and finally, a Speckled Wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria) warming itself on a sunlit leaf.

This is why I carry nearly 15 kg of gear on long walks: two cameras, four lenses, and a tripod. Because in nature, the unexpected is always waiting.

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The past week I’ve been outside a lot, though my energy hasn’t always matched my ambitions. Depression has a way of slowing everything down, even the things you love. Reviewing my photos took longer than expected, but today I’m sharing a few from the Loonse en Drunense Duinen—a landscape where sand moves like water, shaped by the wind and light.

Most of these images were taken during sunset with the Canon R5 paired to my older Canon EF-S 15–85mm f/3.5–5.6 lens. The mirrorless R5 brings amazing advantages—sharp autofocus, high resolution, silent shooting—but it also has drawbacks compared to my DSLRs. At its price, every strength and weakness matters. I’m still weighing whether it’s the right step forward.

The last photo is something special: the Japanese Gentian (Gentiana scabra), or Blue Heart. I captured it with the Canon 5D Mark III and the MP-E 65mm Super Macro, a unique lens capable of up to 5x life-size magnification. At this scale, the flower becomes a world of intricate detail—textures and colors most people will never see with the naked eye.

Some days I walk with a camera, other days just with my thoughts. Either way, being out there helps.

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Some weeks are harder than others. Over the past two weeks, I’ve been struggling with depression—a weight that makes even simple things, like selecting photos, feel impossible. But I’ve learned that healing is rarely linear; some days are heavy, others give glimpses of light.

Even when my mind is foggy, I still push myself to walk and photograph. Photography is my anchor. It’s a quiet dialogue with the world: proof that even in shadow, there’s beauty. This image was taken in the Kampina at sunrise, a tree backlit by the first light of day. The scene felt like a mirror of my own state—dark outlines and muted tones, but a glow forming behind, ready to grow stronger.

Scientifically, dawn is a transition: low-angle sunlight scatters through moisture and particles, producing warm hues and long shadows. Trees, too, respond to light cues, signaling daily rhythms of growth and rest. It reminds me that nature is never static. Neither are we.

This photo was captured with my Canon 5D Mark III and Sigma 100–400mm lens. Like the light creeping over the horizon, I’ll keep showing up.

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