Reflections of Amsterdam
Behind the Zeedijk, at the border of the red light district.
Behind the Zeedijk, at the border of the red light district.
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Dec, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This is a famous spot at the beginning of the Red Light district in Amsterdam. You will find lots of pictures taken from the center left side of this picture, but from that angle it you don't see the church.The houses on the right side are located at the Zeedijk.Time
I was working on location with a customer in the center of Amsterdam and I brought my photo gear with me in the car. I love taking pictures during the blue hour and begin December it starts directly after working hours. So laptop in the car, sling bag and tripod on my back and after a short walk I was on my way to this spot.Lighting
The problem was that I did not knew the exact spot and the earth keeps turning. After a longer walk and a stop for some pictures at another nice location I finally found the place, but the blue hour was almost over. During the blue hour the difference between the light and sky is more balanced, but the darker it gets the more the colors stand out, as do the reflections in the canal. The different bars and restaurants give different colors of light, led has a different temperature than a light bulb which you can only see when it's dark.Equipment
For this shot I placed my Sony SLT-a58 camera on a tripod. I used my Sigma 10-20 f3.5 lens and zoomed in to 20mm to frame the image. Because of the light of the lanterns I kept the sun hood on the lens. I did not use any filters and used the self exposure to keep the camera steady.Inspiration
As said before this a well know spot in Amsterdam, so I was looking for another angel. After making the picture similar to the one that inspired me to come to this spot, I walked over to a bridge so see what the scene would look like from over there. When I saw the church I knew I had found a new angel. I first took a photo in landscape but decide that portrait was the best way. I wanted to capture the complete reflection of the church including the statue on top because of its different color.Editing
I did do not much of post-processing in Lightroom other than lowering the highlights, opening up the shadows, sharpening and reducing the moise a bit. Shooting in RAW allows you to add this finishing touch.In my camera bag
In the city you are often close to your subject so I always have my 10-20mm wide angle with me; it's angle is huge. As a backup lens I also have a 24-70 in my bag. I only bring a tripod if I want to make long exposures and for that purpose I also have an ND10 filter in the bag. I learned the hard way to have some extra memory cards in my bag and an extra battery. I also have a screw driver with me to keep the quick release for the tripod tight. My phone comes in handy to calculate exposure times and in dark places I use it as a flashlight.Feedback
Look for inspiration at the pictures from the other members. Look at what you like in a picture and what not. Think how you can use that in your advantage. If you don't shoot RAW, you should start doing that. When you are at a location and have the shot you wanted to make, walk around. You might discover new perspecives which might lead to an even better picture. Train your photographic eye when you are walking around and I you see a great shot, use your phone camera to make a note to yourself so you can return well prepared. And don't forget to share you pictures :)
