Walk with me 08.20.23

After several failed attempts to capture shadows and the combination of light and shadows in the evening, I decided to go in the morning. According to the weather app I have on my phone, Sunday the 20th was perfect. I was so excited that I got up at five, but eventually, I left home at about 07:30. As soon as I reached the corner of the metro station, this flock of birds greeted me. I still needed to adjust my camera settings, so I took some shots with my phone. These birds' sounds and motions were so mesmerising that I remained stuck where I was standing, and I probably missed a fantastic shot. Look at the second picture; how beautiful it'd have been had I captured this flock in the middle of the two buildings.

Anyway, as I reached the metro station platform, I noticed the long shadows cast on the floor. It was the moment I knew it would be a good day. The train was due in 5 minutes, and I figured I could fix my camera settings and take a couple of samples and creative shots.

I got down a few stops before Amsterdam Central. I wasn't expecting much, but there was no crowd at all. I could only see a few people minding their business; none looked like tourists. And this told me that I was not in the right place. But as soon as I came out of the subway station, I knew I had taken the right decision by coming out today. Maybe not the right place, but it was the right time. The light was harsh, and the shadows were crisp and long.

I started to walk towards Rambrandtplein, expecting to find a crowd or a few groups of people, but I couldn't. I took some random turns and pictures. Looking at the directions on the streets, not bothered about reaching the destination, I continued my walk. It was a shame that I could not find enough people on the road, so I made another self-portrait because I loved how perfect the shadow was.

Anyway, after reaching Rambrandtplein, I sat near the tram station for a while and clicked random pictures. I could not see anything exciting, so I put the ND filter on my lens to see if I could capture some motion.

Next on the route was Leidseplein. I had the best spot in my mind but needed help remembering exactly where in Leidseplein. So I picked myself up and walked into the familiar streets. Luckily, my guess was correct, and I could see the spot after a walk of about 15 mins. I knew I would spend a lot of time there, so I decided to take a coffee break around the corner and put some energy into my body; the spirit was already high!

I must have spent about 30-45 minutes here. I took a couple of good shots, but I knew it was not the best time I had expected from the moment I reached the exact spot. I may need to return in the evening, but this place was worth spending time on and getting creative.

Next, I walked towards the Vondelpark and then to Van Gough Museum. This place was crowded and had enough tourists, but my time was up. I had to return, so I took the next tram and headed home.

Here are some details about this street walk:

Time: 07:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Day: Sunday

Route: Weesperplein → Rambrandtplein → Leidseplein → Vondelpark → Van Gough Museum

KMs walked: 4-4.5

Why B&W?

Captured By Jayendra