Bas Meelker Landscape Photography

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.