Some mornings feel like stepping into a story long before you take the first photograph. A week ago, after a long cold night, I woke up long before sunrise with that familiar excitement buzzing under my skin — the kind that only a camera, a quiet landscape, and a promise of light can create. I pre-heated the car, stepped into the darkness, and let the road guide me toward the Kampina in Noord-Brabant. While most people were on their way to work, I was on my way to chase a sunrise.

And nature delivered.

After a 30-minute walk through the dim early light, the world suddenly shifted. The entire atmosphere turned black and yellow — not just the sky, but the mist, the air, the ground. Low winter sunlight scattered through moisture particles, a phenomenon called Mie scattering, which often produces this rich, glowing yellow hue under the right angle and density conditions.

In the foreground stood an old, gnarled tree — twisted by years of weather and time — silhouetted against a backdrop of dark, leafless woodland. It felt like a character stepping forward from the shadows.

Captured handheld at f/6.3, ISO 640, with my Canon 5D Mark IV and Sigma 100–400mm, this image is a reminder that sometimes you don’t just photograph a sunrise… you walk into it.

#wonderinglens #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #sunrisephotography #kampina #noordbrabant #dutchlandscape #naturephotography #mistymorning #yellowmist #gnarledtree #winterlight #canon5dmarkiv #sigma100400 #lightchasing #moodylandscape #atmosphericphotography #storytellingphotography #naturelover #landscape_captures #earthvisuals #treestudy #morningwalks #brabantnatuur #natuurmonumenten #goldenlight #mistandlight #fieldnotes #observationalphotography #photographerslife #ambientlight #dutchnature #wildernessculture #earlymorningvibes #moodygrams #forestmagic #natureperfection #wildscapes #naturestories #lightandlife

Yesterday morning felt like one of those quiet bets you make with nature. The night had frozen everything solid, so I suspected there might be low-hanging fog waiting somewhere between the fields and the treelines. As I walked in, part of me was afraid I had already “mist” it — but as the sun crept closer to the horizon, the air began to thicken, soft and silver, like the world taking a slow breath.

Just before sunrise, something unexpected happened. High above the forming fog, an ice cloud lit up in iridescent colours — mostly red, orange, and yellow, with subtle hints of green and blue. Ice crystals at high altitude can refract sunlight much like tiny prisms, creating these fleeting rainbow glows known as irisation. It felt like a quiet scientific miracle happening in real time.

That’s when I saw the leafless tree. Stark, skeletal, patient. And suddenly the composition clicked: a tree seemingly losing its last colours into the sky, like a gentle puff of smoke drifting upward. It’s not my most dramatic image, but there was something special in its simplicity — a moment where winter, light, physics, and imagination lined up just long enough to press the shutter.

Photography, after all, is just another way of studying light and life.

#wonderinglens #ByMaikeldeBakker #NaturePhotography #LandscapeLovers #MorningMist #IceCloud #Iridescence #AtmosphericOptics #WeatherPhenomena #TreeSilhouette #WinterLight #DutchNature #LowlandsMagic #SunriseGlow #ColorInTheSky #FoggyMorning #PhysicsInNature #ScientificStorytelling #CanonPhotography #OutdoorLife #NatureStory #MagicalRealismInNature #NaturalWonder #SkyWatcher #EarthObservations #LightPlay #WanderingWithACamera #DailyExploration #MomentOfCalm #VisualPoetry #CreativeVision #PhotographersLife #ArtOfSeeing #NatureMood #WinterVibes #FieldNotes #MindfulPhotography #NatureIsArt #ChasingLight #StoryThroughLens

Dark waters, white beak, red eye.

At Park Sonsbeek in Arnhem, I spotted something white moving on the dark pond surface. For a second I thought, “what is that?” — and then it hit me. A coot! An Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra, Dutch: Meerkoet). These little water birds always look like they’re in formal wear — black suit, white tie, red eyes, and serious attitude.

The water here was unusually dark, absorbing almost all light. My camera’s metering system had no idea what to do with it and kept pushing the ISO sky-high. So I switched to full manual mode: shutter at 1/250s, aperture f/7.1, ISO locked at 2500. The Canon 5D Mark IV with the Sigma 100–400mm lens handled it beautifully. No flashy post-processing here — just careful exposure control and a bit of patience.

I love how the black feathers blend nearly invisibly into the dark water, leaving only that bright beak and red eye cutting through the scene. It’s one of those moments where light, contrast, and instinct all meet. What a hoot… or should I say, what a coot!

Photography, after all, is just another way of studying light and life.

#EurasianCoot #FulicaAtra #Meerkoet #BirdPhotography #NaturePhotography #WildlifePhotography #Canon5DMarkIV #Sigma100400 #BirdsOfEurope #DutchNature #LowLightPhotography #ManualMode #ExposureControl #NaturalLight #WildlifeObservation #UrbanWildlife #DarkWater #PhotographyAndScience #LightAndLife #FieldPhotography #OpticsAndArt #PhotographyEducation #NatureDetails #ParkSonsbeek #ArnhemPhotography #BirdLovers #PhotographersLife #WildBirds #ScientificPhotography #NatureStudy #CanonPhotography #SigmaArtLens #WildlifeArt #LearningByObserving #AvianBeauty #ContrastAndLight #PhotographyJourney #NatureThroughTheLens #StoryThroughLight #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

D500

https://kiko.io/photos/25-07-Schweden-076-PXL

#CaptureTheMoment #Nikon #D500 #BlackAndWhite #CameraLove #Photography #CreativeShots #VintageVibes #Photography #Gear #PhotographersLife #OutdoorPhotography

Brussels 🇧🇪✨
Standing before the Cinquantenaire Arch, I felt time slow down — history carved in stone above, everyday life unfolding quietly below. It’s moments like this that remind me why I keep picking up my camera: to feel a place before trying to frame it.

#Brussels #Belgium #Cinquantenaire #StoryThroughTheLens #TravelPhotography #ArchitectureLovers #WanderThroughMyLens #PhotographersLife #UrbanExploration #EuropeVibes #pixelfed

Last week’s storm brought more than just dramatic skies and roaring waves — it also brought a reminder of the courage and skill of those who protect lives at sea. As I photographed the storm at sunset, I suddenly caught flashing lights from the corner of my eye. A large vessel stormed across the beach: the KNRM (Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij).

Within moments, the lifeboat hit the water, cutting through crashing waves with incredible force. The sheer power of the launch was breathtaking — in one frame, the ship burst through a backlit wave, sending a giant spray skyward, and in the next, it rose above the water as if weightless. To witness such a scene, and to capture it, felt like pure luck and timing.

The KNRM is staffed largely by volunteers, men and women who risk the elements to rescue others in need. Seeing them in action, even in training or readiness, is a striking reminder of the human dedication behind maritime safety.

These shots were taken with my Canon 5D Mark IV and Sigma 100–400mm, with the storm winds and salt spray making it as much a battle for my gear as for the lifeboat crew. Once again, cleaning up after the shoot was no small task — but moments like these are worth every grain of sand.

#KNRM #reddingboot #lifeboat #zeerescue #stormchasing #stormyseas #roughseas #zeeland #westkapelle #canon5dmarkiv #sigma100400 #maritimesafety #wavesplash #oceanpower #seastorm #nauticallife #coastguard #maritimerescue #canonphotography #seaphotography #stormphotography #actionshot #photographerslife #zeelandbeach #oceanwaves #rescueatsea #maritimevolunteers #courageatsea #canonshooters #wavecrash #seascapephotography #canonphotographer #lifesavers #maritimeheroes #photographycommunity #stormwatching #northsea #dutchcoast #seapower #pixelfed

During a morning walk to the nature reserve Natuurpark Oranjezon we passed a row of pastel-colored beach houses. I was just about to photograph them when two people strolled by, followed by a young boy, head down, slowly kicking his ball forward with an air of boredom. That was the moment I pressed the shutter.

The scene struck me as a double contrast: the boy’s mood against the lively, cheerful backdrop, and the pale sand blending with his hair against the colorful beach houses framed by dark dunes. It’s a reminder that sometimes life feels gray, even when surrounded by color.

Although this wasn’t shot in a city, it still belongs to street photography. The genre isn’t limited to actual streets — it’s about candid, unposed human moments unfolding in their natural environment. Whether in a square, a metro station, or here on the beach, the essence of street photography lies in observing and capturing the fleeting stories of everyday life.

Taken with my Canon 5D Mark IV and Sigma 100–400mm.

#streetphotography #beachhouses #natuurparkoranjezon #canon5dmarkiv #sigma100400 #storytellingphotography #decisivemoment #humanpresence #documentaryphotography #photographylovers #moodyphotography #contrastphotography #streetlife #streetmood #seasidephotography #dutchcoast #everydaymoments #candidshot #photographerslife #visualstorytelling #timingiseverything #photooftheday #moodytones #lifeincolor #dutchphotography #streetcapture #candidphotography #humanstories #fleetingmoment #storyinapicture #photographysoul #sandandsea #streetstylephotography #streets_storytelling #environmentalportrait #moodyvibes #lensculturestreets #streetsincolor #visualnarrative #momentcaptured #streetframe

The day after the storm we returned to the beach, and the North Sea was more furious than ever. The wind cut across the shore with brutal force, and the waves rose higher than I have ever seen before — each one crashing with a power that humbles you.

We arrived just as sunset painted the aftermath. Between two storm fronts, the light broke through the clouds in a way that seemed almost otherworldly. Though the sun itself was hidden, its glow illuminated the scene in gold, turning even the wild waves into liquid fire. In the middle of this chaos stood the red buoy, a small but steady marker battling the storm — I call this shot “Red Buoy in the Stormy Golden Waves.”

Photographing in these conditions is always a challenge. I traveled, as usual, with most of my gear, but the sandblasting was relentless. Every gust carried grains that crept into zippers, joints, and even deep into my camera bag. The next day was spent carefully cleaning my Canon 5D Mark IV, Sigma 100–400mm, and everything else — a reminder that nature always leaves its mark, even on the tools we use to capture it.

This image is more than a photograph; it is a moment of resilience, light, and raw power held together in one frame.

#stormphotography #redbuoy #canon5dmarkiv #sigma100400 #zeeland #northsea #stormywaves #oceanpower #goldenwaves #stormylight #coastalphotography #seascapelovers #weatherphotography #extremeweather #sandblasted #naturephotography #dutchcoast #westkapelle #seaandsky #moodylandscape #oceanenergy #climatephotography #wildsea #stormchasing #wavecrash #stormclouds #canonphotography #landscapephotography #northseacoast #stormwatch #dramaticlight #backlitwaves #sunsetglow #oceanstorm #powerofnature #weatherwatching #seascapeart #stormylightscape #naturepower #seascapephotography #photographerslife

Last Saturday I found myself at Westkapelle, Zeeland, during a fierce southwesterly storm. The sea was alive with raw energy, its rhythm both terrifying and mesmerizing. My first image captures a red buoy fighting its endless battle against towering waves — a symbol of resilience in an outraged sea. The backlit waves revealed deep emerald tones through their translucent crests, crowned with foamy white spray, the buoy holding steady above.

A gull flew straight toward me in another frame — simple, yet powerful. Its wings spread against the turbulent backdrop, it seemed to embody the calm determination needed to survive such storms.

The third shot froze the sheer force of water as it crashed violently against the wooden breakers, sunlight catching the spray in a fleeting golden shimmer.

And finally, my favorite: sunset breaking through storm clouds, with beams of light stretching across the horizon. Even in the midst of chaos, nature reveals its beauty — a reminder that turbulence and serenity are often only a moment apart.

Captured with the Canon 5D Mark IV and Sigma 100–400mm, these images remind me why storms have always fascinated both scientists and artists: they are nature’s raw poetry.

#stormphotography #zeeland #westkapelle #canon5dmarkiv #sigma100400 #seascapephotography #stormyseas #oceanpower #climatephotography #weatherphotography #wavepower #stormchasing #stormylight #sunsetphotography #seabirds #gull #coastalphotography #northsea #dutchcoast #wildsea #seascapeart #canonphotography #naturephotography #extremeweather #windandwaves #stormysky #dramaticlight #wavecrash #stormwatch #climateawareness #landscapephotography #oceanenergy #seastorm #stormclouds #moodylandscape #backlitwaves #seascapelovers #weatherwatching #naturepower #photographerslife #sunsetstorm