Blog

Discover the stories behind my photographs, captured around the world in magnificent landscapes and foreign cultures

Flowing Downstream

 

Hello out there,

Capturing this photo took a lot of patience, which was especially challenging when considering the freezing temperatures I had to wait in for the right moment. But it was definitely worth it.

Already the whole day the weather in Rotterdam was pretty rough, with also high winds and a light rain, beside the poor temperature. So when it was getting dark, I actually decided to head back to the place I stayed at in downtown. Along the way, I came by some huge cargo ships, which anchoring right beside me on the river. As soon as I passed them, I recognized the unusual shape of some skyscrapers on the other side. 

Even though I was quite frozen, I definitely wanted to get a photo of them, since the lights behind the windows had just gone on, giving the scenery an very interesting atmosphere. So I got out my camera and set up my tripod, to compensate for the darker environment with a longer shutter speed.

Of course, as I was capturing the first photo a ship sailed into the frame. So I had to wait until it passed by, to shot another one. But for some reason suddenly the river was getting pretty busy, with one ship after another rushing through. I, therefore, tried to include them in the frame, since I also thought their smeared silhouette would work great with the clear structure of the buildings in the back. After dozens of tries, which all did not work out due to the blinking lights of the ships ruining the atmosphere, this one appeared on the back of the camera. I instantly knew this is it. Being so happy with the photo I got, I suddenly even did not feel cold anymore.