I saw this woman walking alone on the train station platform in the late afternoon. She was bathed in the golden rim light of the afternoon sun, which accentuated her translucent shawl and hair. The whole scene created a certain forlorn mood with her face in silhouette. I imagine her hurrying home after a hard day at work, thinking about the coming evening meal with her family.
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In times of war and unrest, even a few flowers can offer a glimpse of peace. It may not be true peace, but the feeling, however small, can still bring a quiet kind of comfort.
I visited the famous Keukenhof a long time ago. Twice, in fact. But somehow, I was never quite satisfied. The tulip gardens are undeniably beautiful, yet they never felt like the right place for photography. I always longed to explore somewhere beyond, perhaps a quieter spot on the outskirts. But back then, I lacked both the time and the information to find such a place. It wasn’t an era when information flowed as freely as it does now, with today’s detailed maps and live satellite feeds at our fingertips.
For the past 15 years, I haven’t returned to the Netherlands. Easter holidays always took me elsewhere, on more exotic journeys and somehow, a return to those tulip fields kept slipping away.
Due to some personal reasons, we decided not to take any long trips this year during Easter. Instead, the four-day Easter holiday turned out to be the perfect opportunity to visit the Netherlands and explore the tulip fields.
I received invaluable help from Avishek Patra and Abhishek Dey in finding the location. Credit goes especially to Abhishek Dey who not only provided the exact spot but also accompanied me during the shoot. Without their support, I would have been nearly 40 minutes drive away from the actual location.
So an early start and went there with beautiful light glowing the tulip field.
Extreme focus stacking has always been a bit of a panic-inducing technique for me. I don’t enjoy spending endless hours in post-processing, and when you're out in open fields, even the slightest breeze can ruin the possibility of automated focus blending. This time wasn’t much different.
I prefer being out in nature, capturing the moment to enjoy later. Not to be stuck behind a screen editing a single image for hours. Given that I already spend most of my professional life in front of a computer, the last thing I want is to turn my leisure time into more screen time. That’s probably why so many of my older extreme focus stacks are still sitting untouched on my hard drive. I can never quite motivate myself to edit them. Maybe one day.
That said, I have to admit, when it works, the result can be incredible. Focus stacking gives a perspective we don’t often see with the naked eye. It’s a bit like drone photography, still novel and striking.
This image, though, felt different. It became special, especially thanks to the help I received. I felt I owed it the justice of doing my best. So, I did sit down, put in the effort, and after quite a few hours, finally composed this shot. A 9-image extreme focus stack at 35mm.
Sure, it could’ve been better. A little more fog would’ve been lovely. A slightly closer windmill? Perfect. A more structured burst of sunlight? Absolutely. But given how unpredictable the weather is in the Netherlands, and how tough it is to find a location where everything lines up, I’m genuinely happy with what I managed to capture.
Out of six attempts, I only got this sunrise and one decent sunset. The rest? Windy, gray, and completely sunless, just endless shades of dull.
So, under these circumstances, I’m calling this one a win.
Special thanks to Avishek Patra and Abhishek Dey for helping out with the locations.
Have a nice weekend.
Hope you will enjoy the picture.
Any suggestions or criticisms are always welcome.
Tags: tulips tulipfields tulipnetherlands windmills beautifuldestinations wonderland dutchtulips getoutofyourcomfortzone traveltheworld wonderlust www.avisekhphotography.com canon canon r5 canon rf 15 35 f2.8 tripod rrs really right stuff
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