Tag Archives: eu

Photographs: Netherlands, Photographs: Urban/Street

Canal, Trees, Moored Boats

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Canal, Trees, Moored Boats
Amsterdam canal and reflections of trees and moored boats

Canal, Trees, Moored Boats. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Amsterdam canal and reflections of trees and moored boats

It was evening when I made this photograph, and the appearance suggests a calmer atmosphere. Amsterdam, at least during our visit, was a very busy, crowded, and sometimes loud place. (The crowds on our last evening there were astounding… and it was a Sunday night!) In fact, while this scene was a bit quieter than some, it probably looks more still and quiet in the photograph than was actually the case.

This is one of the typical scenes in this city and one that probably attracts tourists. There’s actually a lot to see here. Obviously the canal runs straight off into the distance, and the overhanging trees provide shade and color and a reflection in the water. Boats are moored along the banks, and above them cars and bicycles are parked close to the water. Beyond them there are streets and walkways and even places to stop and eat.

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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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Photographs: Netherlands, Photographs: Urban/Street

Three Men

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Three Men
Three men walk past multi-colored shutters in Amsterdam

Three Men. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Three men walk past multi-colored shutters in Amsterdam

I think I may recall where I made this photograph and the circumstances, but I’m not sure. I do know that these multi-colored sliding security shutters first caught my attention. I then did what I often do when I see an interesting street subject: I stopped and waited for interesting people to populate the scene. A few individuals walked through, then a couple with a child, but nothing seemed all that interesting. Then these three fellows came along, walking more or less in step.

The painting of the shutters surprised me a bit. First, it must have taken someone quite a bit of work to do this — it would not be easy painting all of those separate pieces in different colors! Second, in many places in many cities, these shutters are often largely covered with graffiti. But not here — respect for the colors, perhaps?

See top of this page for Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information and more.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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Commentary, Photographs: Netherlands, Photographs: Urban/Street

Buildings and Canal Reflection

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Buildings and Canal Reflection
Amsterdam buildings reflected on the surface of a canal

Buildings and Canal Reflection. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Amsterdam buildings reflected on the surface of a canal

The number of ways people get around in the confines of central Amsterdam is utterly astonishing. Yes, there are cars, though fewer than in a typical American City. There are pedestrians — tons of them. Cyclists are everywhere — I had heard that they love bicycles in Amsterdam, but I wasn’t prepared for the number of them. There are lanes for all three forms of transportation, and those of use who aren’t used to this have a hard time keeping them straight, and we have to be on constant guard against accidentally wandering into a bicycle lane. And, of course, there are canals.

The canals thread through central Amsterdam in surprising ways, passing between and under the other means of transport. If you are on foot you look down at them, but those on the boats have the opposite experience, sitting close to the water and looking up at the rest of the city. Here I photographed across one of the canals so that I could capture the reflections of the colorful — and frequently strangely aligned — buildings running alongside.

See top of this page for Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information and more.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Netherlands, Photographs: Urban/Street

Amsterdam, Rain

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Amsterdam, Rain
A rainy evening in Amsterdam

Amsterdam, Rain. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A rainy evening in Amsterdam

This was my/our first visit to Amsterdam and the Netherlands. We started the day in London, where we caught a train to Amsterdam, arriving in the afternoon. Because the weather has often been quite warm — hot, even — in Europe this summer, I was expecting something similar here. It was not cold, but it wasn’t the same kind of hot weather we had in London and which we had later on in parts of Germany. I admit to having been a bit ignorant about the Amsterdam weather. I remarked to some locals we were eating with that I was surprised by the rain and they sort of laughed, pointing out that gray and wet is the norm here.

And, in fact, it was gray and wet when we made our first foray in to central Amsterdam from our hotel just outside the hubbub of the central area. We were hungry and looking for food, so off we went. A number of things struck this first-time Amsterdam visitor right away. First, everything you have heard about bicycles there is true — if anything, there are even more bikes than you thought. These aren’t American-style mountain and road bikes. They are sturdy “work” bikes that are used for the business of getting from place to place. Second, everything you have heard about the availability of marijuana here is also true. If you didn’t already know, don’t go to an Amsterdam “coffee shop” of you want coffee… I made this photograph as we walked this rainy street on our way to dinner.

See top of this page for Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information and more.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.