Bas Meelker Landscape Photography

It should have been a perfect day. In the morning, I had an assignment in Delft which was a perfect stepping stone for a visit to Rotterdam Harbor. It was a beautiful warm  and sunny day and I had the complete afternoon and evening to myself. No pressure, just enjoying the views and the weather and doing some location scouting for an evening shoot. The plan was to make a photograph that gives an expression of scale of Rotterdam Harbor. It is Europe's largest port and stretches over a distance of 40 kilometres. It's big. So, the sun is shining, I've got all the time in the world to find a good location and eat some ice cream along the way. Couldn't be better, right? At the end of the afternoon, I even found three great locations that worked perfectly for a panoramic view. All I needed now was a good sunset. So I found myself a nice restaurant and the waiting game began. Two hours before sunset I set off to drive to my number one location. And that's when things started to go wrong. Just as I arrived at the location, a thick fog rolled in from the sea and within minutes, the view was blocked. Okay, on to location number two. Same story. And by the time I arrived at location number three, a photographers panic greeped in. Here I was, not knowing how far the fog had drifted inland and with zero locations left. All that was left was a three hours drive back home with enough time to reflect on my failure. Not a nice prospect. But we landscapers don't give up that easy, do we? So I took a good look at the maps again and within minutes I was on my way to find new locations further inland hoping that the fog had not drifted that far inland. After a few failed attempts and just 15 minutes before sunset, I finally found a location that worked. I worked franticly to set things up and I managed a few exposures before the light faded all together. All in all I am happy with the results. Yes even here, the fog is starting to effect clarity and the lights on the right are pretty intrusive, but I like the overall view and the reflections. And best of all, I still have three great locations that are just waiting to be photographed. I feel a re-shoot coming up!

Harbor view - Rotterdam, The Netherlands - Canon EOS 5D Mark II + Canon EF 24-70mm f2.8 L, 3 horizontal images stitched together at f11, 10 sec. exposures, ISO 100 and a ND9 soft grade neutral density grad filter. Click on the image to get a 'wider' view.

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Six o'clock in the morning and my alarm clock is buzzing. Getting up is easy in this time of the year. Can't wait for those early sunrises next summer....It's been a busy time with lots of talks, meetings and workshops. But not today. After a busy but very interesting weekend at the 6th NVN international nature Festival, it's time to get back to basics.  It's time to get back in the field and start exposing again. A quick look at the weather and the destination is set. After two cups of coffee and an hour drive I arrive at the east coast of the IJsselmeer.

The Big Melt - IJssemeer, The Netherlands - Canon EOS 5D Mark II + Canon TS-E 24mm f3.5 L II tilt shift, 2 degrees tilt, f16, 1/15 sec., Lee 0.6 ND Hard Grad, Tripod, remote, ISO 100.

The sun is rising so far in the southeast that even here good directional light can be found this time of year. I grab my gear and head out to look for my images. This is the best part of every photo session. I know they're there. My images. I just have to look and let my imagination run wild. After a quick look around the first compositions are found and everything is set. The trouble is the images I have in mind are down below, close to the ice. And with the ice melting and pools of meltwater all around, it isn't the most comfortable position to be in. Now all I need is the right light. I'm playing the waiting game again. It's amazing that even in a crowded country as the Netherlands, there are still places of silence and tranquility to be found. Let's keep it that way!

Ice mountains - IJssemeer, The Netherlands - Canon EOS 5D Mark II + Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 L II,  f11, 1/200 sec., ISO 160, handheld with remote flash.

After the first exposures I continue my road trip along the Frisian coast and after a couple of minutes I end up at Hindeloopen. In the distance I can see large white dots as I approach. While driving into town these white dots turn into huge piles of shelf ice pushing against the coast. I quickly park my car, grab my camera, wide angle lens, a flash and off camera cord and within minutes I'm like a kid in a candy store.

Ice approach - IJssemeer, The Netherlands - Canon EOS 5D Mark II + Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 L II,  f11, 1/200 sec., ISO 160, handheld with remote flash.

The light is still gorgeous, the piles of shelf ice are 6 to 7 meters high and I'm going nuts. If anyone saw me, I apologize for my weird behavior...Two hours later I'm back in the car with a big smile on my face, three memory cards full of images and empty batteries. This is one of those days that will stick by me forever. Days with no rules, great light, full of amazement and surprises. It's a great winter yet again!

Winter landscaping - IJssemeer, The Netherlands - Canon EOS 5D Mark II + Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 L II,  f11, 1/200 sec., ISO 100, handheld with remote flash.

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It’s the last day of the year and I’m getting sentimental. Looking back, the start of 2011 gave us an epic winter with great light, a lot of snow and some fairytale landscapes. Spring brought us to Marrakesh in Morocco. The narrow streets of the souks in the old city forced me to work in a completely new and different way. Very challenging and great fun. It was definitely one of the highlights of the year for me.

Shelf ice on the Wadden sea - The Netherlands

Summer brought me back to the roots with some classical Tuscan landscapes and gorgeous late afternoon light. Or perhaps doing landscape work with a 500mm super tele lens isn’t that classical after all...

Street life in Marrakesh - Morocco

Finally, autumn in the Mosel region turned out to be a game of patience. With days of bad light it all came down to the very last day. And what a day it was with a spectacular misty sunrise over the hills and valleys. Other highlights have to be my first book being published and the sold out seminars and talks at Foto Konijnenberg en the ZOOM Campus 2011. 2011 also saw record image sales. 

Fields of gold - Tuscany, Italy

So, what’s up for 2012? Well, first of all, 2012 will be my 10-year anniversary as a photographer so we have some special things planned. We start off with a completely new workshop program. With new workshops, new locations and smaller groups. I’m very happy with the new set-up and by the looks of it, you are too. The ‘Winter special’ workshop sold out in a week and reservations for the other workshops are coming in on a daily basis. Great! We already have several new trips planned to great locations. As for seminars and talks, we start off on February 11, when I will be one of the guest speakers at the 6th NVN International Nature Photo Festival in Arnhem, the Netherlands.

Village on fire - Wolf an der Mosel, germany

But in the end, it all comes down to the images and the fun of taking them. And I am stepping into 2012 full of fresh and new ideas which will challenge me artistically in new and different ways I hope to share with you. Happy New Year and have a great 2012!

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Same spot, another day. I just can't resist. This time though, I am not alone. I brought my long time friend and fellow photographer Ron ter Burg with me. He was anxious to try out this location and I did not mind giving it another go. Things are never the same. No matter how many times you visit the same location, you always end up with different pictures. And it is a great way to learn how to make the best out of one location. While waiting for the light we had time to catch up and talk about our favorite subject. Any thoughts...? Yep, photography. What else?

Angry Skies - IJsselmeer, The Netherlands - Canon EOS 5D Mark II + Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 L II, f11, 75 secounds exposure, 16mm, ISO 100 taken with a Lee ND9 Hard grad filter, tripod and remote control.

One of the things we talked about was how important it is to have the right equipment and to master your photographic techniques. Not in the usual kind of way but in a confidence inspiring way. Having the best gear for the job and knowing you can handle any given situation, means you have a lot less to think about. And having less to think about means there is more room in your head to think about the things that really matter. Things like your vision, your creativity and reading the light. Not being bothered by gear compromises or technique struggles means you can focus on getting the best picture possible. I know great gear isn't cheap. But at least make sure you know your gear inside out. Whatever gear you own. Be a master of your gear, be a master of your technique and great things will happen! 

Shifting Sands - IJsselmeer, The Netherlands - Canon EOS 5D Mark II + Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 L II, f11, 2 secounds exposure, 16mm, ISO 100 taken with a Lee ND9 Hard grad filter, Lee ND9 neutral desity filter, tripod and remote control.

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It is three o'clock in the afternoon when I arrive at my chosen location at the IJsselmeer near Workum. Plenty of time to prepare, to check out the conditions and to find the best spot along the beach. As I park my car and get into my thrusted wellies, I can see kite surfers have taken over 'my' spot. Not to worry. When the light fades, their adrenaline rush will be over and mine begins. For now I can relax and enjoy the show they are giving me. It is great to see that the light is back. Feels like you can breath again. We have had our moments in the last couple of weeks with great foggy conditions but it is nice to see open skies again. As the sun slowly sets, I can see clouds rolling in from the south-west and my adrenaline starts pumping. 

Eternal change - IJsselmeer, The Netherlands - Canon EOS 5D Mark II + Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 L II, f11, 3.2 secounds exposure, 16mm, ISO 100 taken with a Lee ND9 Hard grad filter, Lee ND9 neutral density grey filters, tripod and remote control.

The kite surfers pack up and leave. It is my turn now. As I make my first test exposures, I can feel it again. It's that funny little feeling you get in your stomach when you know something special is about to happen. The light is good, you're in the right spot and everything just falls into place. During such moments, I hardly think about composition and getting the right exposure. It is just me and the landscape. My feeling takes over and all I have to do is react to the light. Don't get me wrong, I am still aware of getting my technique right. But for me, taking a good image is all about connecting to the landscape and the light. Seeing is not enough. I have to feel it. Smell it. Every photo is different but sometimes photo's are nothing more then summaries of events. It is the event that matters. 

Liquid sunset - IJsselmeer, The Netherlands - Canon EOS 5D Mark II + Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 L II, f11, 1.3 secounds exposure, 16mm, ISO 100 taken with a Lee ND9 Hard grad filter, Lee ND9 neutral density grey filters, tripod and remote control.

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