De beste wensen / Best wishes

Ik wens iedereen een gezond en gelukkig 2010 met heel veel ruimte....
voor nieuwe mogelijkheden en dromen!

Niels

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I wish everyone a healthy and happy 2010 with lots of space....
for new possibilities en dreams!

Niels

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Sneeuw patrouille / Snow patrol

Het was stil op de Doornspijkse Heide. De sneeuw en vorst hadden het landschap met een koude deken bedekt en de dieren hielden zich gedeisd. Op een enkele Raaf, lijster en Kruisbek na was er niets te zien. Groot was mijn verbazing toen ik zag hoe een kleine loopkever mijn pad kruiste. Hij liep rustig, maar gestaag en doelgericht over een besneeuwd pad. Doelgericht, maar waar naar toe? Geen prooi te bekennen, maar blijkbaar is er toch iets te halen in dit, voor een kever, extreem barre landschap. Het is mooi hoe ik nog steeds verwonderd kan raken van kleine natuurfenomenen.....

Groet, Niels
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It was quiet at Doornspijkse Heide. Snow and frost had covered the landscape under a cold blanket and animals were hiding. Besides the odd Raven, thrush and crossbill, there was no sign of life. How was I amazed by a small carabid that crossed my path. It was walking gently, but steadily and targated at something over a snow covered track. Targeted at what? There was no sign of a prey, but there must be something it was looking for in this, for a beetle, extremely harsh landscape. It is nice how I can still be amazed by small phenomenon in nature.....

Cheers, Niels
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De donkere dagen / The dark days

De donkere dagen voor kerst, zo wordt december wel getypeerd. Natuurlijk, de dagen worden korter, de herfstkleuren zijn weg, alles is in rust of afgestorven......of toch niet? Voor wie er oog voor heeft gebeurt er nog steeds veel, zij het meer subtiel en soms nauwelijks zichtbaar. Veel mossen bijvoorbeeld, zijn nog steeds springlevend in dit jaargetijde. Hier zijn de sporenkapsels van Uiterwaardmos te zien, ingekaderd door de herfstige bladeren van Dauwbraam. Door het kiezen van een ongewoon perspectief maakte ik deze ongewone foto.

Groet, Niels
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The dark days before Christmas, that's how some of us typify December. Of course, the days get shorter, autumn colours fade away, everything is at rest or is dying........or yet? For the keen observer, there is still a lot happening, albeit more subtle and sometimes hardly visible. Numerous mosses for example, are still alive in this season. Here you can see the capsules of Leskea polycarpa, bordered by the autumn leaves of European dewberry. By choosing an anusual perspective I created this unusual photo.

Cheers, Niels
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Oerbeeld - Primeval image

Ik ben bevoorrecht om in één van de eerste gebieden te wonen waar Plan Ooievaar ten uitvoer is gebracht. Ik denk nog steeds dat dit een goede keuze is geweest, juist hier in het rivierengebied is er nog een dynamische kracht aanwezig die de in Nederland verstarde natuur weer in beweging kan brengen. Maar daar lijkt nu ook verandering in te komen, hoogwaters worden schaarser door maatregelen in bovenstroomse gebieden (Duitsland). Hierdoor neemt de dynamiek af en worden bepaalde pioniersituaties zeldzamer. Onder andere stroomdalflora heeft het moeilijk, zeker als de graasdruk laag is. Of de Galloways in de Blauwe Kamer de verminderde dynamiek kunnen compenseren is de vraag. Maar het levert in ieder geval wel mooie 'oerbeelden' op.

Groet, Niels
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I feel privileged to live in one of the first areas where 'Plan Ooievaar' (Plan White stork) was realised. I still think that this is the right concept. Here in these riverine areas there is still a dynamic force that can move the 'frozen' nature. However, something has changed, high river flows seem to become more rare due to measures in the catchment areas (Germany). River dynamics decrease and pioneer situations will diminish. Riverine flora is under threat, certainly in combination with a too low grazing pressure. It is uncertain if the Galloways in the Blauwe Kamer can compensate for the loss of dynamics. Anyway, they make some nice primeval scenery.

Cheers, Niels
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Herfstpalet / Autumn palette

Ik geniet altijd van november. Druilerige dagen, soms harde wind, dan weer rustig herfstweer. De natuur komt tot rust. De Beuken zijn als laatste aan de beurt om hun blad te verliezen en laten nog even een explosie aan kleuren zien. Hier heb ik een tak een handje geholpen om te bewegen op de wind (die was mij niet hard genoeg). Een mooi vervloeid palet van herfstkleuren.

Groet, Niels
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I always enjoy November. Drizzly days, sometimes gales, and then quiet autumn weather. Nature comes to rest. Beeches are the last to loose their leaves and they will finally explode in colours. Here I assisted the wind a bit in moving a branch (the wind was too weak). A nice palette of blended autumn colours.

Cheers, Niels
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Hollandse luchten / Dutch skies

Zoals al eerder gezegd in mijn blog was het op Terschelling genieten van de afwisseling in het weer, met zijn fraaie luchten. Landschapsfotografie doe ik vaak met een lange telelens, waarbij ik het landschap in elkaar druk, een verrassend perspectief creëer of licht en donker met elkaar laat spelen. Beelden waar je langer naar kijkt.......

Groet, Niels

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Like I mentioned before in my blog, I enjoyed the changing weather on Terschelling. It resulted in beautiful skies. In landscape photography I often work with long lenses, compressing the landscape, creating unexpected perspectives and allowing light and darkness to play around. Images that make you look a bit longer......

Cheers, Niels

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Sprookjesbos / Fairytale forest

Laat je niet weerhouden om als fotograaf ook met 'slecht' weer naar buiten te gaan. Maandagmorgen was een druilerige dag met slechts enkele droge intermezzo's. Maar voor het vastleggen van een herfstachtig strubbenbos is het perfect. De natte bladeren en boomstammen geven een contrastrijke karakteristiek aan de foto's, mits de lucht bewolkt is. Op de foto is de voor strubbeneiken kenmerkende vorm te zien, kronkelend en met vele stammen uit eenzelfde kloon. Het sprookjesbos bij uitstek.

Groet, Niels

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Do not let yourself be retained from going outdoors when the weather seems 'bad'. Monday morning was such a drizzly day with only a couple of dry spells. But for capturing the autumn in an oak coppice it is perfect. The wet leaves and trunks created a rich contrast in the photos, provided that there is an overcast sky. On the photograph the characteristic shape of the coppice oaks is visible, curved and with multiple trunks from the same clone. The ultimate fairytale forest.

Cheers, Niels

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Zandstorm / Sand storm

Afgelopen week had ik even verzaakt om een foto te plaatsen, ik zat op Vlieland en Terschelling. Het was een prachtige week, erg afwisselend weer met mooie wolkenluchten, de ene dag windstil dan weer stormachtig. Op de laatste dag was het echt stormachtig en mijn oog viel op een 'bres' in de duinen op Terschelling. De wind joeg er brullend doorheen, een ware zandstorm veroorzakend. Tegen de zon in gezien was het een spectaculair gezicht......thuis gekomen moest mijn camera een schoonmaakbeurt ondergaan!

Groet, Niels

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Last week I hadn't posted a new photo, because I was on the islands of Vlieland and Terschelling. It was a magnificent week with beautiful clouded skies, one day there was no wind, the other it was stormy. Stormy it was the last day when my eye was caught by a breach in the dunes of Terschelling. The wind was forcing its way through, creating a sand storm. Against the sun it was a spectacular sight........at home my camera needed a thorough cleaning session!

Cheer, Niels

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Nazomerse taferelen / Late summer scenes

De mooiste fotografiemaand, september, is voorbij en het was alsof de zomer nog even een eindsprint trok. Het laatste weekend vertoefde ik op een heideveld op de Veluwe en ik liep in mijn t-shirt te zweten! De Zadelsprinkhanen waren nog volop aan het zingen. De aanwezige Jeneverbessen oefenden een onweerstaanbare aantrekkingskracht uit op deze vleugelloze sprinkhanen. De stekelige struiken bieden bescherming en een hogere, dus betere, zangpost dan de heide. Overal weerklonk het 'tizi' uit het struweel. Het was een warm afscheid van een mooie zomer.

Groet, Niels

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The best month for photography is September and the summer had decided to take a final sprint. The last weekend I was busy on a heathland on the Veluwe and I was sweating in my t-shirt! The Sadle-backed bush crickets were singing fanatically. Apparently the Juniper bushes were very attractive to this flightless species. The thorny bushes provide a secure and elevated singing post in contrast to the lower surrounding heather. The 'tizi' sound was everywhere. It was a warm goodbye to a beautiful summer.

Cheers, Niels

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...Edelhert in de herhaling... / ...Again Red Deer...

(English version below)

Tja, normaal zou ik het niet snel doen, een herhaling van onderwerp in mijn weblog. Maar ik ben de afgelopen twee weken intensief met Edelherten op militaire terreinen bezig geweest en ik heb daar zo van genoten, dat ik het graag wil delen. Hier staat een eenzame geweidrager op de Oldebroekse Heide, het grootste aaneengesloten heidegebied van Nederland. De sfeer was betoverend: lage nevel, burlende herten, een opkomende zon, wijdse vergezichten.......

Groet, Niels

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Normally I wouldn't repeat a subject in my weblog. However, I have been occupied intensively with shooting Red Deer on military areas and I have really enjoyed it. And again, I wanted to share it. This bull is standing on the Oldebroekse Heide, the largest heathland in the Netherlands. The scenery was magical: low mist, belling deer, a rising sun, vast views.......

Cheers, Niels

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Macho van het bos / Macho of the forest

Bij wijze van proef heb ik mijn fotoblog in twee talen gepubliceerd. For the English version, see below.

De eerste koude nacht na half september is een goed moment om de Veluwe op te gaan. De ochtend volgend op zo'n nacht staat garant voor veel activiteiten van burlende Edelherten. Het was inderdaad handschoenenweer en ik fietste door de mist naar een plek waarvan ik wist dat er een roedel aanwezig was. Overal om me heen steeg het geburl op, wat is het toch een fantastisch geluid! Na een tijd rondgeslopen te hebben, postte ik een tijd op een plek waar ik een hert had gehoord. Ik had het geluk afgedwongen...na een tijdje trok het hert een wissel op minder dan 100 meter, met een mooi spel van schaduw en ochtendlicht.

Groet, Niels

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The first chilly night from half September onwards is a suitable moment to visit the Veluwe forest. The morning following such a night is a guarantee for high activity of belling Red Deer. Indeed it was cold that morning and I cycled through the fog to an area where I knew a herd was hanging around. Everywhere around me the belling sounded through the forest, what a fantastic sound! After skulking around a bit, I settled at a place where I had heard a male belling. Luck was on my side...after a while a male crossed my view in a nice blend of shadows and morning light.

Cheers, Niels

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Swedish summer

Although it was still summer in Sweden, a little sense of autumn was in the air. In this hilly area in Värmland the leaves of Blueberries and Lignonberries were already changing colours. Together with the soft colours of the, in Sweden always abundant, mosses, it reminded me of the 'Indian summer' in North America. Although I have never seen it myself, I know it from photos. But hey, we in Europe have our 'Swedish summer'.....

Cheers, Niels



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Accident......

I have been off line for a while, I was on holiday in Sweden. In my next blog I will present a photo from this magnificent country. This week's photo was taken accidentally, by pushing the shutter too early, while the camera was moving. Normally I create these images deliberately, but the result is not always this satisfying. I like the softness of the colours and the reduced contrast. Although there is no focal point, there is still a balance in the photo, which makes it pleasant to watch. Nice for a large print on the wall......

Cheers,

Niels


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unveiling biodiversity

My neighbour is a fanatic amature entomologist. However he is not traveling to national or international hotspots to find rare species. No, he is dedicated to his local patch, let's say a cirle with a 200m radius around his (and my) home. The sheer numbers of different species of beetles, moths, bees, wasps and other creatures are amazing. He has found several species new for the region and even for the country. This means that even around our houses in the middle of The Netherlands, there is undiscovered biodiversity, waiting to be unveiled. Here, during the night, he is taking photos of beetles attracted to a white sheet and a strong light.

From 22 July till 13 August I will be on holiday with my family, during which I will not publish any posts.

Cheers, Niels

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battle of the beetles....

The Stag beetle is one of those charismatic species that a lot of people, even not very interested in nature, know. Even though they (including me until now) have never seen the species, they know it from publications. I have to admit, once you have seen a photo of the Stag beetle, you won't forget it! In early summer the beetles gather around trees, mainly oak treest, that have wounds that provide a constant flow of high-nutrient juice. They feed upon this juice and fight among each other if a female comes near. This photo was taken during an encounter of two males, using a long exposure and a fill flash.

Cheers, Niels

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at last....

The past three years I have been trying to photograph a rare dragonfly, which has been listed under the Habitats Directive annex 2. It is the Green snaketail Ophiogomphus cecilia. It lives near lowland rivers with sandy or gravelrich substrates. I tried my luck again this year and discovered three fresh males. While trying to capture one of them I had to do a kind of cliff-hanging over the steep river bank. I hoped for one to perch on Purple loosestrife, what would result in a nice scene.....yes!

Cheers,

Niels

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'Remote' camera

Last weekend I was, for the third time, on the man made island De Kreupel. It is inhabited by several 1000 pairs of Common terns, 8000 pairs of Black-headed Gull and many other birds. It was one of my goals to practice with a 'remote' camera to make wide angle portraits of birds. I did this with breeding birds and therefore it is something that has to be done with the greatest care. Disturbance must be avoided. On the other hand, breeding birds are so determined to breed, that they will tollerate a camouflaged camera near the nest. So did this Avocet. The photo reflects the environment and the vulnerability of a breeding Avocet, totally exposed to the elements and predators.....

Cheers, Niels

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Hunted.......

This morning I was at the military training area of Harskamp. I almost trampled over a pack of four little Wild Boars. Although I could take some photos, they began to run away from me......sh@t! But hey, they began to run in a circle! I layed myself down and waited. Maybe they considered my black backpack as their mother because they came straight at me. Just a few meters before me they frooze, which gave me the chance to get this one shot before they fled again. These days the little boars have less chance to survive because there is a hunting campaign on Wild Boar. There is an alledged over-population and local governments are not willing to reduce speed limits to reduce the risk of road accidents........

Cheers, Niels

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'Spanish Rider'.......

Sometimes I would like to use Dutch names instead of English names for plants species. Take this one, the Meadow Thistle.....quite a regular name. However, translated from Dutch it becomes the 'Spanish Rider'....wow! I photographed this one on the island of Schiermonnikoog, where they are just beginning to flower. I used the 'zoom-effect' to create a focal point on the flower. By using a little amount of fill-flash I could freeze the plant and the nearby grasses. The result is a dynamic photo, that still has the elements that I wanted to show.

Cheers, Niels

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Four

I was on holiday in Twente with my family (reason for the late update), where we visited a small wet woodland. A lot of spring flowers have already stopped flowering, but for a few it was the perfect time. Looking for some of these speceis I found this one, Herb Paris Paris quadrifolia, quite to my surprise because it is very rare in that region. Although its Dutch name 'Eenbes' refers to the single berry in the flower, everything about this plant is related to the digit of four: the leaves, the stamen, the petals and even the shape of the single berry. Soon the berry will be the only that is left of the simple, but beautiful flower.

Cheers,

Niels

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Grace

Last weekend I was on Texel, also known as Birdwatcher's Island. There are numerous opportunities to see and photograph birds which are hard to approach elsewhere in the country. There was a strong wind from the east, which mostly means fine weather...well not from a photography point of view. The sun was very bright, bleeking colors and creating deep shadows, thus making good exposure more difficult. However, I am always creative in these situations, actually it is part of my style to make silhouette shots of the birds. This pair of Sandwich Terns was performing a dance in flight and created this gracious silhouette.

Cheers, Niels

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Spring!

Finally spring is here....and how! Temperatures are rising above 20 degrees-celcius and as a result nature's exploding with blossem, insects and birds. It is a treat for the senses. So it was when photographing early spring flowers near Oldenzaal. This photo was taken in a wood where the bottom was covered in Common Wood-sorrel (Oxalis acetosella). I try to isolate single plants from the rest by lying flat and using the flowers as a curtain. This young European hornbeam was penetrating the sea of Wood-sorrels. These spring flowers are all struggeling for as much sunlight as possible, as in a few weeks the trees will have leaves and the sun will be gone..........

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The web of life

Nature photography is 75% observing, 24% composing and 1% pressing the button. Keeping your eyes open, being sharp and virtually looking through your viewfinder are the first vital steps. This morning I was in a military area, Marnewaard. It was again foggy. The fog was thin enough to let the sun peak through and suddenly I saw this stunning effect. The trees were not visible trough the fog, except where the sun was behind them. It created an abstraction that resembles a structure of veins or nerves seen through a microscope.....the web of life?

Cheers,

Niels

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Mistic silhouettes.....

If you think about it, most encounters with mammals are not more than a glimpse of a fleeing silhoutte. They hear, smell or see you before you can see them. When there is mist, the advantage of sight is limited, so the photographer has a little bit less disadvantage. If you can walk silently and are smart enough to walk opposite the wind direction, luck may be on your side. So it was on this morning at the military shooting area ISK Harskamp. Red deer is very common here, as they know that they are safe in the shooting zone, because there is hardly any disturbance from people. Well, except for the odd nature photographer. I nearly stumbled upon this group of young deer with an adult female. For a while they looked at me, wondering what creature was walking around at this time of day.

Cheers, Niels

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Personal style

No results from outdoors last week, so a photo from stock. Currently, I am writing an article about Black terns and the way I capture them. The reason I am posting this photo is that it reflects what I consider as my personal style in bird photography. It is not the subject itself that is the most important, but the colours, patterns and their interaction. Although this photo does not tell a story, it has the potential of triggering imagination...... It reflects my emotions when capturing these fantastic birds: warmth, amasement and joy! And meanwhile I am also taking the photos that do tell the story, we need that too. More on that in one of my future posts.

Cheers,

Niels

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Soft light

Frequently on Sunday mornings I get up early to take photos in the Blauwe Kamer, the nature reserve I live in. I jump out of bed, take my stuff and a quick breakfast and I can start..... it doesn't take more. I positioned myself near one of the lakes where Greylag Geese and Great White egrets forage. The sun was filtered by a thin layer of clouds and it created a softness in the scene. The wind was absent and a pair of Grelags slowly moved through the water......what a backyard!

Cheers, Niels

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Distance

Are these paintings or digital frames on an orange wall? No, it was my view from a bird hide.

It is somehow cynical that more and more hides are being created in the country. Don't get me wrong, it is a great way to enjoy wildlife without disturbing them. It is the expected outcome of nature becoming rarer and more vulnerable and human pressure becoming greater. Although you would expect people to come closer to nature in a hide, I think it is also creating a distance between people and wildlife.....it is like you are watching TV or you are looking at paintings in a museum......... How more emotional is it when I skulk through the forest and approach an animal without it noticing me. However, sometimes I also have to rely on hides for my photography. It is ambiguous.

Cheers, Niels

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Close encounter...

Hi,

another moment at the island of Tiengemeten. The Scottish Highland cattle that were introduced here, are a popular subject for photography. They are known for their friendly character......yeah right. I was appraoching this subadult cow with my wide angle lens to make a low level shot, emphasising the dark cloudy sky. It was keeping an eye on me, and the other way around. After getting the shot I stood up a little bit too promptly and a nearby mother cow with two calves did not like my sudden rising. She charged twice and I had to run a short distance to stay out of reach! It was good to know these animals still have their wild instinct, in the end they should appeal to the public's sense of wilderness on this island.

Cheers, Niels

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The last light

I see a lot of photographers turning home after the sun sets. Actually, most bird photographers leave the field even before the sun has set, because they consider the light too dim for nicely lit portraits. I always try to wait until there is really no glimpse of light, before I leave a scene. This photo was taken during a weekend with my friends of the Wageningse Natuurfotografen on the Island of Tiengemeten. I positioned myself facing the sunset, with a large group of Barnacle Geese between me and the sun, in order to make silhouette shots of the birds in flight. After the sun had set, the sky was still like fire. I caught this group of geese with my camera and followed them until their flight created the perfect composition.......

Cheers,

Niels

Pond bats

I am suffering from an infleunza virus, that's why I couldn't comply with my weekly schedule for this blog.

Like all nature photographers I regularly have to rely on the expertise of ecologists and researchers to get the shots I want. This was also the case when I wanted to visit the wintering roosts of Pond bat Myotis dasycneme. Pond bat is a species listed in the Natura 2000 annex. Its range expands in a rather small band from Western europe into Russia, with the Netherlands having the largest population. One of my colleagues was so kind to take me on one of his annual censuses in a coastal bunker complex of the Atlantic Wall. Here he is searching for bats behind a double wall inside one of the bunkers.

Cheers,

Niels

White emptiness

I noticed from the highway that the area around Terlet had much more snow cover than the rest of the region and that it had not suffered from thaw. The morning I planned my phototrip to it was perfect: thick fog covered the white landscape in a grey blanket. It created a mystified atmosphere with no colours, no horizon, no sky, no animals and no human......emptiness all around me......

Cheers,

Niels

Happy 2009!

Last year ended in freezing conditions and it pulled me to the north of the country. In Friesland you can witness the phenomenon of the 100-thousands of geese wintering in The Netherlands. They roost on the numerous lakes and feed on the nutrient rich pastures. Every morning they take off and in the evening they return to their roosts.....in flocks of thousands. This photo is like the 'silence before the storm', as the geese, barely visible in the distance, have not yet lifted off from the frozen lake.

I wish you all a happy, inspiring and healthy 2009!

Niels