Flowers of the Kampina – Part 3

Summer in the Kampina is a feast for the senses, and nowhere is this more evident than in its wildflowers.

I began with Sagittaria graminea (smalbladig pijlkruid), its delicate white petals catching the morning light, while a honeybee worked busily at the top of the frame. Nearby, the toxic yet beautiful Cicuta virosa (waterscheerling) stood tall, its blossoms framed by a shimmering bokeh from the water behind.

The humble Prunella vulgaris (gewone brunel or bijenkorfje) was next—a true bee magnet. I captured it with my Canon 5D Mark III and MP-E 65mm macro lens, a rare, specialized lens that magnifies from life-size to five times life-size without additional accessories. It’s a tool for those who want to dive into the smallest worlds nature hides.

At the northeast near Huisvennen, I wandered into a sea of blooming clover. My photo shows just one flower, but the meadow was alive with bees darting between blossoms.

The heath is also in bloom, painting the landscape in purples and pinks. In the early morning, unopened buds still held tiny dew droplets—each a perfect lens for the rising sun.

Finally, the Galeopsis tetrahit, here in a pale form with purple specks. While modest in appearance, it belongs to the vast orchid family—one of the oldest and most diverse plant families on Earth.

Next: Part 4 – Birds of the Kampina.

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📸 A Journey Through the Fog of Depression

Today started heavy. Depression does that—it numbs, isolates, and pulls like gravity. But I’ve learned through years of therapy, especially MBT (Mentalization-Based Treatment), that passivity feeds the darkness.

So I fought. Gently. I got up, told my loved ones how I felt, grabbed my camera, and walked. Not far—just through my neighborhood. But far enough.

I started with a black-and-white shot of crows over a church—still feeling the weight. Then, purple campanula—color pushing through the gray. At the museum gates, the structured lines mirrored the limits depression imposes. I saw old doors, one with a “poop scraper” from centuries past—a reminder that darkness was always part of history, and we’ve always found ways to clean it off. The next door, a symbol of resilience, built in the 1930s—a time of rebuilding.

Then came the Goldstrum, tall and open to the sun. I stood tall too. I felt the warmth. At Spoorpark, I watched people relax, ducks glide, a young coot close to me—a quiet connection. A boy gazed over the water in stillness. Just like me. Still. Strong. Present.

Photography helped me reconnect. If you’re struggling: talk to someone. Move. Create. It doesn’t fix everything—but it can make everything feel possible again.

📷Canon 7D Mark II with EF-S 15–85mm

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