I don’t really remember where I took this photo. All I remember is the silhouette… and that soft, orange morning glow.
Sometimes that’s all that sticks.
Not the place.
Not the details.
Just the feeling.
Cinematic
#149 Foggy Morning Sunrise
Great morning mountain bike ride around the Maas river.
And perfect Sunday morning.
Paradise for taking photos… the fog difused the light perfectly. Everything looked like I was in a movie.
#120 Sunrise From Millenerweg
Beautiful morning light over the stream, the sun slowly poking through, and a layer of fog sitting right above the water.
It made everything look cinematic… almost unreal.
Perfect start to the day.
#110 View From A Hike To Skalka
Merry Christmas everyone…
This is a shot from one of the viewpoints halfway up the trail to Skalka.
Steep climb… SUPER cold air… and legs burning… but views like this make every step worth it.
#95 Not every day’s Sunshine And Rainbows
I pulled this shot out of my archive for one reason…
To remind you that the weather isn’t always sunshine and rainbows… and that’s a good thing.
Once you accept that, and head out anyway, you’ll realize even the “shit” days have something to offer.
Some of my favorite shots were taken when I could barely see ten meters ahead.
Like this one, heavy fog, early morning in Stadspark Sittard… completely swallowed by mist.
I love days like that.
I love photos that look like they were ripped straight out of a slow-burning horror movie.
You can “feel” them.
The silence.
The mood.
The weight of it all.
Every day’s a practice day… but the messy, unpredictable ones?
That’s where you grow.
I pulled out this shot from my archive and want to share it with you for one reason…
…as a reminder that the weather ain’t gonna be always sunhine and rainbows and once you accept that, and head outside even though it’s shit, you still might come home with great shots.
Me?
I love foggy days like this one… I love shots with atmosphere, scenes that look like they were ripped out of a horror movie.
Every day is a practise day… Let’s put it this way.
#92 The Kind of Morning You Don’t Forget
I think out of all the years I’ve gone out for early morning MTB rides, this was the best morning ever.
You know that feeling when everything just clicks? Your bike’s running smooth, the temperature’s perfect, you’re dressed just right for the weather.
You’re in that zone… perfectly centered, free, thinking to yourself…
“Damn… this might be the best morning ever.”
That was the day.
And the bonus?
I had my camera with me.
I was taking shots, soaking it all in, not wanting the morning to end.
Snapped this one just after Puth village… and honestly, I couldn’t get enough of that moment.
Perfect morning.
Perfect light.
Perfect peace.
Sometimes that’s all you need.
#91 Staring At The Rain
I’ve been staring at the rain for hours.
So long that I got bored.
I took this shot out of pure boredom.
When there’s torrential rain, there’s no point in going out.
Or is it?
It changes everything. Makes for some awesome-looking, dark, moody shots and moments filled with atmosphere.
My favorite part?
The reflections on wet pavement… they just look great.
The funny thing is… half my favorite shots are either right before the rain or just after, when the sky finally opens up… usually packed with depth, stillness, and that calm, dark mood nature paints so well.
So… if you’re hesitating, don’t.
Go out.
Shoot.
#90 The Day I Met a Deer, And Nearly Lost My Mind
It happened in New Zealand.
Fog rolling over the hills. Golden light sneaking through like smoke. It was one of those mornings I’d dreamt about for years.
I jumped out of the van, grabbed my camera, and ran toward the ridge. There I saw a deer poking his head through the most beautiful light I’d ever seen.
I stood there, heart racing, ready to take the shot…
I switched on the camera and almost had a heart attack.
The worst nightmare… one that’s happened more times than I’d like to admit. I realized my SD card was still plugged into my laptop.
Cursing myself.
Then the grass under my boots started glowing as the sun made its way through the fog. Tiny drops of dew catching the light.
I wanted to cry.
A deer above the fog, in the most amazing landscape, with perfect light and my fucking card sitting in my laptop, on the table.
I wanted to kill myself.
Nothing I could do other than rush back to the van and grab the card… so I did.
By the time I got back, the deer had enough time to smoke a whole cigar… gone 100 times over and when it comes to that beautiful light I saw?
Don’t even get me started…
Pissed to the core!
I then took some shots that day but it wasn’t the same.
Anyway…
I’m sharing this with you because I don’t want you to make the same mistake.
Simply, check your camera before you go. Or carry extra SD cards in your pocket at all times. You never know when you’ll make such a detrimental mistake.
It’s worse than being a smoker on a hike and forgetting your lighter.
Fuck, that happened to me too.
Luckily, I don’t smoke anymore.
Anyway…
Here ends the lesson.
#89 Train At Sunset In Sittard
On the way home I stopped by the bridge that goes over the rails in Sittard… and waited for the train to enter the scene. I took few shots and this one stood out.
#85 Geleenbeek Munstergeleen
A shot from my morning walk in Munstergeleen overlooking Geleenbeek.
One second, everything was gray and lifeless. The next, it looked like a scene ripped straight out of a film.
Beautiful!
#80 One Second Forever
A train tears through the fog like a beast set loose from hell. Steel screaming. Air splitting… and above it all… a single bird, cool as ice, perched on the wire. Didn’t even twitch. Just watched while chaos thundered beneath it.
That’s the shot.
My favorite!
Glad I pressed the shutter on time.
#77 Lightroom Presets With Some Industrial Undertones
A few days ago, I was playing around with some Lightroom presets and came up with this dark, desaturated, industrial, orange look I really liked.
You know that moment when you look at a photo and think,
“Damn… this looks like it’s straight out of a horror movie”?
That’s exactly what I was chasing.
I’ve been experimenting with gritty, cinematic tones for a while, but nothing ever clicked until now.
This one’s got that eerie, Halloween kind of vibe.
It’s dark. It’s moody. It feels cinematic.
And if you apply it to your photos, I can almost guarantee… they’ll hit different.
Wanna give it a shot?
Hit me up, and I’ll send it to you.
#62 Church In Nieuwstadt At Sunrise
7:13 a.m. — Love shooting at this hour, just before the sun comes up. It’s peaceful, it’s beautiful out there!
#53 Cinematic Glow Lightroom Preset
This isn’t a fancy location.
Just a field. Some light. A bit of editing in Lightroom.
The magic’s in the edit.
The RAW file was nothing special… flat, dull, lifeless.
But with a bit of tinkering in Lightroom, the photo came alive.
Personally, I love this golden, brown, cinematic glow.
Comment “Cinematic” and I’ll send the preset your way.
#45 Fortuna Sittard – A morning ride to Kollenberg
Photograph from my early morning MTB ride. Headed out to Kollenberg for some flowy trails.