Mastodawn

Another snapshot from my trip to Graz - looking town at the busy bank of the Mur from Erherzog-Johann bridge on a sunny day.

I liked how the lockets attached to the railing of the fridge framed the person sitting on the concrete steps below so nicely. Since everything around them was so busy and so colourful, their calm and the black outfit really made them stand out.

📍 Erzherzog-Johann-Brücke - Graz, AT
📷 Canon EOS R6 Mark II | Canon RF 24-105mm f4L IS USM

#photography #canon #canonphotography #canoneosr6m2 #graz #styria #urbanarchitecture #streetphotography #streetportrait #urbanlife #cityvibes #riverbank

Maikel de Bakker 1h ago

Some lessons don’t start with words, but with a simple challenge.

As my wife is getting used to her Sigma 100–400mm, one of the hardest parts has been not the zoom—but finding and locking focus on something small, fast, and unpredictable. So I gave her something to return to whenever the scene felt overwhelming: a hoverfly.

I picked up my Canon 5D Mark IV with the Canon 100–400mm, found a member of the family Syrphidae (hoverflies), zoomed all the way in, took a shot, and showed her what was possible. “Whenever you’re unsure what to shoot,” I told her, “find a hoverfly and practice.”

Hoverflies are perfect teachers. They mimic bees and wasps, yet they hover with remarkable precision, holding position mid-air thanks to wingbeats of up to 200 times per second. Small, erratic, easily lost in the frame—exactly the kind of subject that forces you to slow down, anticipate, and truly see.

Throughout the day, I noticed her raising her camera at moments I couldn’t even follow. Practicing. Missing. Trying again.

And then, at the end of the day, she showed me this image.

Taken with her Canon 7D Mark II and Sigma 100–400mm, fully zoomed in.

Progress doesn’t always shout. Sometimes it hovers quietly in front of you—waiting to be seen.

#Hoverfly #Syrphidae #Zweefvlieg #WildlifePhotography #NaturePhotography #Telephoto #Sigma100400 #Canon7DMarkII #CanonPhotography #LearningPhotography #PhotographyJourney #PracticeMakesProgress #InTheField #NatureLovers #MacroVibes #CloseUpNature #InsectPhotography #FocusPractice #PatienceAndPractice #WildlifeMoments #OutdoorPhotography #PhotographyLife #ThroughTheLens #NatureObservation #ScienceInNature #TinyWorlds #FieldWork #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #WonderingLens

PICS AND POSTS 6h ago

A Quick Hello and a Gift for Earth Day

Yet another unplanned hiatus! Would you believe more than a month ago, I sat in a café sipping tea and drafting blog posts? Several in fact!

It’s incredible how easily a life can get out of balance. I’m usually so wiped out by the time I return home (from work) that I can barely keep my eyes open as the 7:00 p.m. hour nears–so my excitement about posting consistently for a few weeks could not compete with my desire for sweet sleep.

For a while, I thought something was wrong with my body. It didn’t seem normal to be that depleted at the end of the workday. However, I had to accept (yet again), despite my fantasies, I am only human. Nine to ten hours of nonstop talking, meeting, problem solving, and dealing with multiple personalities–some in the same person 😀 –is physically and mentally draining.

However, I was determined to pop in this evening and let you know how much I miss my blog friends.

I miss you! I really do!

The photos in this post are from one of my walking work sessions—a sanity-saving technique I’ve adopted this year.

A gift for Earth Day!