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I really wish I enjoyed shooting with the Fujifilm system.
This is a disappointing post for me to write. At the beginning of the summer, I dipped my toes into the Fujifilm eco-system. At the end of the summer, I had many memories converted to nice photographs. But, I also had…
Making a case for the Viltrox 75mm F1.2 Pro
This post is as much for me as it is for you, my dear readers. A while back, I wrote two posts about my favorite lenses of all time. Let's just say that this led to even more reflection on gear than usual. The thing it…
Two lenses to capture the 2026 Winter Olympics
It has been freaking hot in the Netherlands which might have prompted me to write this post about..... the 2026 Winter Olympics. I wanted to write this post right after our visit but somehow it never happened. Maybe it…
A Tribute to the Best Lenses I Ever Used: My Top Picks Part 2
Okay..... a lot has happened since that Part 1 post. I am questioning all my gear again, and I even bought back into the Fujifilm system.... Oh boy. Buy hey, I guess that is part of the fun. I feel reacquainted with an…
A Tribute to the Best Lenses I Ever Used: My Top Picks Part 1
This post is a tribute to the best lenses I ever used. Most of them have come and gone, they met a need at a certain point in time and that need keeps on drifting as I have now come to accept. That means I shot with a…
The Sony RX1R III review; why it works and what's missing (surprisingly little)
After my post about the first impressions of the Sony RX1R III (hereafter to be named III), I feel I have spent enough time with it to discuss its use case more in-depth. Contrary to many keyboard warriors on the…
First impressions of the Sony RX1Riii
The moment Sony launched the RX1Riii, I knew I was in trouble. The good kind of trouble. I had given up on ever seeing a successor to one of my favorite cameras of all time, the RX1Rii. I loved that camera and actually…
Mastering Light Metering: How I finally understood its importance
Even though I consider myself a hobby photographer for more than two decades, it has taken me until the last year to finally look into proper light metering. Perhaps this is the downside of being a self-taught…
The quirks of the Leica Q3 43 - a year later.
I am quite harsh towards photography gear with a very short term perspective of its appeal. That isn't always fair to the gear but it's my blog so I get to write whatever I want. This post is all about the quirks of the…
The Leica Q3 43 goes to Spain and takes a little friend (the OM-3)
A new side of Spain I've been to Spain many times but there are many parts unknown to me. The goal for this trip was to see the Basque coast with its sharp cliffs and pintxos culture, the green folds of Asturias where…
A short tribute to an icon of Utrecht
I moved to Utrecht about a year ago. I am slowly getting to know the city, but one thing was clear from day one; the Dom is the icon of Utrecht. Standing at 112 meter tall, you can see it from pretty much anywhere in…
A different Leica Q3 43 review: 43 Photos with the best every day camera - part 1
The math really should be that simple sometimes. I like something in between 35mm and 50mm. I want a small-ish camera with a clean and intuitive interface. I want image quality and build quality. Yes, I bought the Leica…
Part 2 > A different Leica Q3 43 review: 43 Photos with the best every day camera
Part 1 is here. Hello readers. It is time for the second half of my first 43 keepers with the Leica Q3 43. Before we jump in, let me appreciate some of the smaller things about the 43 that I like. The on/off switch is…
Photography on two wheels: an update on cycling camera choices
One of the things I enjoy the most about cycling is that it helps you discover your surroundings. If you go on foot, your range is limited. If you go by car, or even faster modes of transportation, you will go too fast…
Sometimes what you love isn't what you need.
Let me start with a confession. I am pretty annoyed with myself because I went through another gear change this year. I am tired of myself chasing after attributes of gear I do not own, instead of producing good…
A love letter to 43mm
I have always found myself having difficulties getting along with 35mm. Shooting with 35mm lenses like the Leica 35mm Summilux I once owned, or the Fujifilm X100VI with it’s 23mm lens being a 35mm full frame equivalent…
The waters of Slovenia and Croatia on Digital Medium Format
I am going to let the photos do the talking for this post. I just came back from a road trip through Slovenia and Croatia, looking for water flowing in rivers, waterfalls, lakes, and seas. And water we found, from the…
Photo Book Project Announcement!
There are two ways to go about a project like crafting a 'serious' photo book. One way is to do it in stealth mode and launch it when it is ready, out of the blue. I am choosing the other way, which is to announce it…
Sometimes it really clicks; a review of the Fujifilm GFX system
In my previous post, I mentioned how I ended up with the Fujifilm GFX system through a detour. I went to the smaller end of the sensor scale and used M43 for a short while, only to conclude that it wasn't for me. High…
Looking for limits: Micro Four Thirds and Digital Medium Format (Fujifilm GFX)
Hello internet, it's been a while. Let me get straight to the point; I have some gear experiences to share. My interest in gear pulled me in two very different directions recently and I learned some valuable lessons…
2023 Photography Highlights: A Look Back at my Best Moments Captured on Camera
As the end of the year is almost here, I thought I would look back and some of my best photographs of 2023. There won't be a lot of text in this post, I will let the images do most of the talking. Enjoy! We start in…
Discovering the Appeal of the Hasselblad XPan Perspective from the Comfort of my Desk Chair
The clavicle, or collarbone, is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately 6 inches long that serves as a strut between the shoulder blade and the sternum. There are two clavicles, one on the left and one on the right…
No APO-logies; the Leica 50mm F2 Summicron is more than good enough
I recently traded in my Vöigtlander 50mm APO F2 and went back to the lens that was glued to my very first Leica M; the 50mm Summicron v5. As you will see in this blog, and perhaps already know, the Vöigtlander is…
The colors of the American Southwest on film: chapter 3 in lessons learned
When I think about the colors that dominate the American Southwest, I mostly see a mix of hard and pastel variations of orange, yellow, green, and blue. Granted, you could say this about many other places in the world…
Entry into film photography part 2: getting to know the Mamiya 6 and my film preference
I ended my previous post about film photography with a reflection on my expectations. I mentioned enjoying the different shooting process and embracing the learning curve to shake up my photography as two themes that…
Shifting expectations - stepping into the world of film photography
I don't consider myself a Luddite at all, I am a big believer in technology and its potential to bring improvement to humans across the globe, despite its obvious challenges. And yet, in the world of photography, I find…
There is no M in wilderness, or is there?
The Leica M is a stunning camera and the craftsmanship and dedication to quality is evident. For this reason, some M owners are rather careful with their cameras. Many Leica's spend the majority of their lives behind…
The impact of AI on photography – a fork in the road between experience and outcome is imminent
Even if I didn’t work in technology, I would have gotten wind of how fast AI is evolving by now. Things are moving fast; no week goes by without another news story about an AI breakthrough. AI is …. Everywhere. From…
Scotland, a place of beauty (with a Pentax K-1 !!)
Hello from Scotland 👋🏻 as I am writing this post on the last day of our third trip to this amazing place. It has become a bit of a tradition to escape our home for New Year's and head out somewhere to a desolate place…
Amsterdam Light Festival throughout the years
In 2012, the city of Amsterdam launched the Light Festival. Returning every year, it showcases the work of artists who work with light. There is a yearly theme that connects all the different works. Since its beginning…
A few days in Berlin with the Voigtlander 50mm F2 APO-Lanthar
Berlin is probably my favorite city to photograph. There is so much history, and its vastness means there is always something to shoot. Even if Berlin weren't so big, it would continue to present new photographic…
A farewell review: The Nikon 28mm f/1.4E ED
As of the day of writing, I no longer own this lens. I thought it would be fitting to write a farewell review of the marvelous Nikon 28mm f/1.4E ED. Why did I sell it? I think it is best to address this from the start…
Tuscan doorknockers
One of the most enjoyable things about having developed somewhat of a photographer's eye is that you start to notice things around you. This summer, I spent time in different towns and villages in Tuscany, and I saw the…
The return to Leica
The shock! I guess some of you might have seen this coming. Perhaps even before I did, which was relatively quick after I wrote my post about how I sold the SL as the last Leica camera I owned. That post was a…
The Significance of Insignificance
The mountains have this particular effect on me. Whenever I am surrounded by these giant stone walls, I get this feeling of insignificance. This is not a bad thing at all. It is very humbling in a positive way. A…
The meaning of roads and the machines you use.
Do me a favor and picture a road in your mind. Don't overthink it, just go with the first road that materializes. Chances are that the road that comes to mind is either connected to a journey or a destination. A road…
Semana Santa in Sevilla & Ronda: A Welcome Surprise
I am not a religious person. I did not grow up in a religious environment and have never felt the appeal to believe. This will not be a post about religion but I needed to explain why I was so surprised to be welcomed…
Third time is a charm: The Nikon 58mm F1.4 G
What to make of a lens that I sold twice already, and now have bought for the third time? For one thing, I truly love the Nikon 58mm F1.4G. When I sold it, it was always for silly reasons. I thought I needed a sharper…
A week in Iceland - field testing my Nikon Z system
Land of fire and ice. Volcanoes, waterfalls, lava fields, black sand beaches, craters, mountains, glaciers, ice caves, fjords. The list is endless of what Iceland has to offer. Seeing photos from other photographers…
A hard break-up: Life without Leica
A few days a go, the last Leica product I owned has found new ownership. My trusty Leica SL is mine no more. Eighteen months ago, I wrote a blogpost about the SL where I stated that it still was the best camera in the…
Bikepacking with two cameras in Sauerland
I was a bit anxious about bikepacking at the end of September in the Sauerland region in the middle of Germany, given that the weather could be, well.......anything really. And we did get our fair share of weather…
My hiking setup for photography
Being out in nature is good for people, something the different lockdowns of the past 18 months emphasized. Sometimes you need to miss something before it's value becomes (more) apparent. Joni Mitchell already knew that…
Lake Como & two Voigtlanders
Packing your bag, plotting out a route, planning the travel time, it felt good to do those things again. The destination was Lake Como in Northern Italy, where the Alps slowly give way to the plains of Lombardy. I…
The quest for a high quality compact camera - the Sony RX1Rii still rules them all
There is just something about small cameras that pack a punch. Compared to meticulously planning a shoot and bringing your full gear, I still take the majority of my photos of life as it evolves around me. This means…
California in Black & White
Epic scenery, those two words come to mind when I think back on a roadtrip I took with my wife and daughter back in 2019. Still not being able to travel due to all the Corona restrictions, I occasionally turn to my…
First impressions: Voigtländer 50 mm F2 APO-Lanthar VM for Leica
I have been contemplating going back to basics with my Leica SL. One lens, one camera. Manual focus of course. For everything else I have my Sony setup but if I want to slow down and immerse myself in the process of…
The Darkness: what I learned to take better photos, part 6
Without light, there is no photography. Even though the sensors of the digital cameras that are in market today have almost wizardly capabilities to 'see' in the darkness, this remains true. It is quite a technological…
Warm air sunrise in Amsterdam
Exactly one week ago, the entire country was enjoying the frozen lakes and canals. In a matter of days, we went from seriously cold to quite warm. With the warm winds coming in, I decided to get up early and head…
Snow & Ice
Oceanic. That is the climate classification for the Netherlands (Köppen climate classification Cfb). And that means we have very moderate winters with hardly any snow and ice. Despite the Dutch being known for their…
Favorite focal length: a reality check
In the early days, when my photography moved beyond capturing simple shots of my life as it happened, and I got a little deeper into the hobby, I thought I was a 50mm guy. If I had to pick one focal length, it would be…
Frame in frame: what I learned to take better photos, part 5
This technique is a very easy trick to learn. It is also one of those things that you cannot unlearn. Like the great Dutch footballer and philosopher Johan Cruyff once said: "You will only see it, once you get it". And…
Clarity & Mystery: what I learned to help take better photos, part 4
Photos are tools to tell stories. How you choose to capture what you see in front of you depends on many things. One aspect is what balance you want to strike between clarity and mystery. Do you want to create immediate…
Lines: what I learned to help take better photos, part 3
There is a fast and ongoing flow between the parts of our brain that interpret the visual stimuli from our eyes, and those that direct the eye as a result, after which the cycle start again. Our brain is a big sense…
Telling Stories: what I learned to help take better photos, part 2
This post is mostly about compositional techniques and situational awareness to help you tell better stories with your photos. It's part of a series on photographic principles I've learned over the years. From one…
Light: what I learned to help take better photos, part 1
It is hard to connect to the people you work with these days, where a lot of us switched to remote work for 100% of the time. In that setting, getting to know your colleagues in the way that you would by having a chat…
Unboxing the anOrdain Model 1 watch - a photoshoot
Scotland has a special place in my heart. I have warm memories of this beautiful land, even though both my travels there were in January. The scenery is more than stunning and the people are warm and friendly. We also…
Short amsterdam photo walk with a good friend
Getting out of the house is more important than ever. So I was glad to meet a good friend for a short walk the other day. We met in a part of Amsterdam that is under heavy development today. It was the old site for the…
Beautiful balcony bliss
If you've missed the avocado window in fall, you are stuck with a lot of grey skies, rain and other misery. As a photography enthusiast, these are difficult times. But every now and then, there is a nice day that…
Autumn in full force
Do you like avocados? I definitely do but there is this one thing with avocados that is a bit difficult; the small window of time when the avocado is actually ready for eating. Too hard or too mushy seem to be the…
The villages of Waterland, North Holland
As you might know, much of the western part of the Netherlands is under sea level. The altimeter in my previous car showed that I was mostly driving around at -5 meter, something visitors from outside of the Netherlands…
The perfect cycling camera: my review of the Ricoh GR III (and why I prefer it over my iPhone)
There are few activities that tick the boxes of spending quality time as much as cycling. Fresh air, getting a workout, chatting with friends, being offline in an overly connected world, I could go on. You will have to…
Wide-angle Wonder: How I ended up with a Voigtlander 21 mm f1,4 Nokton asph. VM
Wide angles are not for the fainthearted. With so much in your field of view, composition is everything. It’s a skill that needs learning. Before I dive into my experience with the Voigtlander 21 mm f1,4, I want to…
Different shades of green
We call our home the Blue Planet, loosely building on what Carl Sagan once called the 'pale blue dot', after a photograph taken by the Voyager 1 space probe from about 6 billion kilometers away. The image, taken in…
Skate heaven in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is a cool town. Everything might be just a little more polished since my childhood in the capital, but there is no denying Amsterdam is one of the cooler cities around. The city has been a front-runner in…
Why the original Leica SL is still the best camera in 2020
Update December 2021: I sold my Leica SL. Not because it isn't a good camera, but I have reflected on it further and reached the conclusion that even though it is probably the best camera there is from a user experience…
Swap it, don't drop it - Lucky Camera Strap review
The ongoing quest for the right camera and lens setup to match what we want to achieve seems to always evolve and lead to different outcomes at different times in our photography. There is a brief moment when the need…
Corona-tography: shooting the empty city of Amsterdam
Like most of you, I have been confined to my house over the last several weeks due to the Covid-19 virus. Here in the Netherlands, thankfully, the curve has started to flatten and slowly but surely, a few restrictions…
Cars & cameras: a match made in heaven
Cars are made to be driven first and foremost. But at a very close second, they are made to be photographed. From the exotic to the mundane, the striking lines of cars represent the visual identity of humans in a…
The evolution of my wildlife photography on safari in South Africa
This post is going to be a bit longer as I will look back on three trips to South Africa over the course of 8 years and reflect on how my photography in this particular setting has changed. Let me be very clear from the…
Bad weather photography; a weekend in Porto
Porto seemed like a brilliant place to visit in late October to escape the blanket of fog and rain that usually descends on my hometown of Amsterdam in this period. Call us unprepared but we didn't expect that Porto…
The magic of the Leica 50mm Noctilux
I've owned and used a variety of Leica lenses but I was always curious to experience one of the most debated lenses out there - the Leica 50mm Noctilux. Comes with a very steep price-tag, it must be said. Last year I…
A new point of view: the Zeiss Distagon 35mm F1.4 ZM
Even though 35mm is one of the most used focal lengths by photographers all over the world, I somehow never really clicked with this way of seeing the world. Over the last years, I have mostly used either a single…