24-12-2012 - Christmas

It's been a while but we had snow a week or two ago. Of course I went out to take pictures. The result was unfortunately not great, but I shot some nice pictures of which the one below was the best in my opinion.

So unfortunately no white Christmas, nothing but rain and wind. So no pictures for a while and wait for better weather. In the meantime, I'm already making plans for next year. Hopefully I will be able to go to Romania next year. We will see.

For now I wish everyone a very merry Christmas and already a wonderful 2013!

Kootwijkerzand, The Netherlands
Kootwijkerzand, The Netherlands




31-10-2012 - Speulderbos, The Netherlands

Every year in the fall I try to go to the forest a few times to take a nice picture. Every year this is also disappointing to me, the colors are disappointing, there are no sunbeams or the photo is really just a mess. This time I came out of the woods satisfied for the first time. I was standing in a place that was not too messy and where the sun shone into the forest quite early. And of course not to forget the luck that the sun showed itself between some clouds...

The Speulderbos in the fall
The Speulderbos in the fall




11-10-2012 - Autumn

Autumn has really started again, now and then a nice cold night and the trees are slowly starting to turn yellow again. Unfortunately, due to the pressure at work, I did not go out this week. Last weekend I went to have a look at a beautiful lake nearby. The fog cooperated beautifully, but this time it was the clouds that didn't give the sun a chance to bring a bit of color into the picture. But in itself this is also nice, in any case a nice fresh picture.

Unfortunately I am going to the hospital tomorrow to have my inguinal hernia fixed. So little will happen to the photography this weekend.

Radio Kootwijk, The Netherlands
Radio Kootwijk, The Netherlands




26-09-2012 - Kootwijkerveen

Last week I went to the Kootwijkerveen for the thirtieth time. Every time I go here, I hope to come home with better photos. Often this is not the case, but this time it finally worked.

This time it was actually by accident that I came across this place. At first I planned to go to a moor with hope of ground fog. On the way it turned out to be below zero for the first time in many places and most of the fog had settled as frost. Because the heath in this case would not yield any nice plates, I hoped that due to the large temperature difference there would be a lot of vapor above the water. And with the time I had left, the only place with water I could find in time was the Kootwijkerveen. It was even a bit of a run with all my equipment, but I could just take in this beautiful sky for a few minutes.

Furthermore, it was really great that this photo managed to get a number one position on http://500px.com for my first time: http://500px.com/photo/14571179

Kootwijkerveen @ 500px.com
Kootwijkerveen @ 500px.com




09-17-2012 - Aeshna subarctica - Bog Hawker

Over the weekend I spent almost a whole day looking for the Nordic glazier - Aeshna subarctica. For years I've been trying to get a nice picture of this dragonfly, but until now I still hadn't succeeded. This time it was another long day, three hours driving and five hours searching, but finally managed to take a nice picture. Not that this is such a very exciting photo, but I don't expect much better at the moment. This dragonfly has the habit of warming up on often dead or light trees, hence this photo. Now only able to get a female in the picture, next year hopefully the male who looks better in my opinion.

Aeshna subarctica - Bog Hawker
Aeshna subarctica - Bog Hawker




31-08-2012 - Weerribben, The Netherlands

In the past two weeks I have been to the Weerribben twice before going to work. It was mainly the intention to photograph the Aeshna viridis - Green Hawker. Of course it is very nice if you manage to find more than ten of them, just a pity that they fly around constantly looking for a female. Finally I found a female to photograph. Furthermore, it was also a surprise to find twice a sleeping Aeshna mixta - Migrant Hawker. Now I finally have normal a photo of this species. The only dragonfly that was easy to find and photograph was the Sympetrum danae - Black Darter. Ultimately, of course, none of them are exactly as you want them to be, but I was able to make some nice pictures.

Sympetrum danae - Black Darter
Sympetrum danae - Black Darter




13-08-2012 - Sympetrum depressiusculum - Spotted Darter

Last weekend it was finally nice weather to take pictures. This time we went in search of the Sympetrum depressiusculum - Spotted Darter. Unfortunately it is quite a bit of driving, walking, etc., so the alarm went off at 03:20... But with the photo below as a result, I can certainly not complain. The photo has been darkened a bit so that the spider web stands out more.

Sympetrum depressiusculum - Spotted Darter
Sympetrum depressiusculum - Spotted Darter




25-07-2012 - South of France 06-07/21-07

Last weekend I returned from a wonderful holiday with my family. In contrast to the Netherlands, we had beautiful weather every day. This holiday I haven't been very much into photography, but when the little girls went to sleep after lunch, I could still go out looking for dragonflies.



Floor and Bo
Floor and Bo


We spent two weeks in a beautiful house a few kilometers from the river Ardeche. The first week I was mainly looking for the Gomphus graslinii - Pronged Clubtail and Oxygastra curtisii - Orange Spotted Emerald near this river. The second week I spent more time at a somewhat smaller and more shaded stream. Unfortunately, most of the species here have a habit of sitting on white stones in full sun. Not always exciting for the photo, but that's the way it was.

Gomphus graslinii - Pronged Clubtail
Gomphus graslinii - Pronged Clubtail


As for butterflies, it was a lot less exciting. Koningspages and Cleopatras were flying everywhere, but it was not very inviting to take pictures of this. Actually it was just too hot, and it was too much fun to take pictures together. Once I was lucky enough to find a Snub Moth, but not a single butterfly in front of the lens.

Libythea celtis - Nettle Tree Butterfly
Libythea celtis - Nettle Tree Butterfly


Now back in the Netherlands and it seems the weather have gotten a bit better. Hopefully it will be possible to take some nice pictures in the coming month before all the insects are gone again...


02-07-2012 - Switzerland and Italy 26-06/01-07

Last week I went to Switzerland and Italy again. This time not really to find new species of butterflies but to take better pictures of special mountain species.

After I had a nice day off on Wednesday, and had a nice day with my little girls, I left after dinner. First picked up Jordi and then drove to the surroundings of Sierre (Switzerland) around 19:00.

In the first place, I mainly hoped for the Euphydryas intermedia - Asian Fritillary. When we arrived at our destination around 06:00, we immediately started searching. As is often the case, there was again everything to be found except the butterfly I was looking for. Without taking pictures we drove a bit further to a slightly higher place that was also very beautiful a few years ago. Unfortunately there was even less to be found here, probably because we were still a bit early in the year. Soon back at the first spot to take some pictures of other species. When it was finally too hot to take pictures, we went back to the car. Arriving at the car, less than 10 meters away from it, there is finally the butterfly that we hope to find sitting on the ground. No special photos, but a super beautiful fresh butterfly on the street...

After a short lunch break we leave for Aosta (Italy). We arrive at the end of the afternoon and set up the tent. We search a little more in the area and find exactly one butterfly. It's just too hot to take pictures, so get some rest and see if the butterfly is still in the same spot the next day.

Euphydryas intermedia - Asian Fritillary
Euphydryas intermedia - Asian Fritillary


When we get up around 06:00 on Friday, we first check out the butterfly from the day before. Fortunately, it is still in the same place, and we can take some nice pictures. Then we leave for Rhemes-Notre-Dame to look especially for the Euphydryas cynthia - Cynthia's Fritillary. Because this butterfly can be found quite high in the mountains, we make a nice climb. The walk is a bit disappointing, but once at the top it is a beautiful place with a beautiful view. Fortunately, there are also piles of butterflies and even the species we are looking for.

Panorama - Rhemes-Notre-Dame
Panorama - Rhemes-Notre-Dame


Back at the car it is time for a short lunch break again, and then we drive to the next valley for a second walk. I thought it wouldn't be too bad, but this time we're really going up the mountain in slow motion. After many short stops we finally reach the top of the mountain, but there not much more than a handful of Pontia callidice - Peak White. Because there is nothing else and I don't feel like walking any more, I take the time to take a nice picture of this butterfly. And if the butterfly also wants to cooperate for a while, that works very well.

Towards the end of the afternoon we head for the tent to recover, eat and sleep...

Pontia callidice - Peak White
Pontia callidice - Peak White


Saturday we are back on time at the bottom of the mountain. This time with stiff calves and sore hips, so we stay in the valley. Here and there are some sleeping Fritillaries and also the Eumedonia eumedon - Geranium argus can be photographed neatly. After an hour or two we go back to the campsite to eat and pack the tent.

Now we drive east, where I thought to have found a nice butterfly spot. After having been in the car for three hours, the spot turns out to be very beautiful, but there aren't that many butterflies. After a walk around a beautiful lake we decide to continue, the weather is also getting less. On my way out of the valley I come across a pile of Aporia crataegi - Black-veined White. We are really going home now, but plan to look for butterflies in the morning around Cochem (Germany).

Aporia crataegi - Black-veined White
Aporia crataegi - Black-veined White


The night turns out to be a little drama. The weather is getting terribly bad with a lot of wind, thunderstorms and heavy rain and both of us are not getting any sleep. After a broken road through which we have to drive through France, we decide to go to sleep for an hour 100 kilometers before the final destination. We sleep completely through the alarm clock and wake up three hours later... Once arrived at the right place, it turns out that there are no more butterflies to be found due to the bad weather. So we drive home and went to bed on time.

This Friday I go on holiday with my family to the south of France, so hopefully I will also be able to find some nice dragonflies this year.


18-06-2012 - South Belgium

Because the terrible weather predictions continued I took a day off last Thursday while this was the only nice day. The weather was quite ok, so we planned a nice trip to Belgium. First we went in search of dragonflies in South Limburg, but I didn't find anything else than some Coenagrion pulchellum - Variable Bluet. Quite a shame if you got out of bed at 03:00. Fortunately, one of the photos turned out very beautiful, which makes up for a lot. Then continued in the direction of the south of Belgium. First looking for the Satyrium pruni - Black Hairstreak. But it turned out to be impossible to get a good picture of it. A little later I tried to get a picture of the cordulegaster bidentata - Sombre goldenring, but I didn't even manage to see one. All in all a pretty busy day for a single picture. Hopefully better luck next time...

Coenagrion pulchellum - Variable Bluet
Coenagrion pulchellum - Variable Bluet




04-06-2012 - Somatochlora arctica - Northern Emerald

Last week when we returned from our trip to the Eifel (Germany) we decided to go searching for the Somatochlora arctica - Northern Emerald. Usually I only have time early in the morning so this was a great opportunity to visit these dragonflies during the day. This time I was very lucky that I was able to take the below picture.

Now we have to wait for better weather..... rain, rain and more rain...

Somatochlora arctica - Northern Emerald
Somatochlora arctica - Northern Emerald




01-06-2012 - Three days to the Eifel

At the beginning of the week I drove to Germany with my father-in-law in search of the Boloria eunomia - Bog Fritillary and the Lycaena helle - Violet Copper. The intention was to look for butterflies around sunrise, so we were already in the car around 01:30.

After a few hours of driving we arrived a little too early at our destination and we were able to sleep for half an hour. Unfortunately, no butterfly were found after four hours of walking. (I might as well have just slept normally) When the sun starts to shine nicely into the valley, the first butterflies appear. I pick out the best places to start looking again the next morning. We use the rest of the day to look at some fields, but the number of butterflies is very disappointing. Spring has probably been colder here than it was in the Netherlands this year.

Boloria eunomia - Bog Fritillary
Boloria eunomia - Bog Fritillary


After a good night's sleep until about 04:10 I get out again and finally find the first sleeping butterfly. Exactly what I wanted to photograph, a Boloria eunomia - Bog Fritillary on the host plant, Persicaria bistort. Soon I find a second one, and for the first time I find a sleeping Lycaena helle - Violet Copper. When the sun starts to shine again in the valley, I quickly take the last pictures and soon the butterflies are flying wild around me again.

Boloria eunomia - Bog Fritillary
Boloria eunomia - Bog Fritillary


After a short lunch we head to another spot in search of the Lycaena hippothoes - Purple-edged Copper. With great difficulty I manage to find just one butterfly, but it doesn't seem worth it to stay here and we drive on. I can't find many butterflies anywhere and we decide to eat in time and enjoy a beer. Then it starts to rain around 21:00, so I can sleep in the next morning. After looking at a few fields the next day without too much success, we return to the Netherlands. On the way back we stop in the Netherlands to look for a dragonfly.....


19-05-2012 - Brachytron pratense - Hairy Hawker

Because I was quite enthusiastic about the result last Thursday, I went to the Weerribben again this weekend. This time I just couldn't find a good composition where I could make use of the rising sun. Unfortunately, I got out of bed at 04:15 a bit for nothing. I did find another emerging Brachytron pratense - Hairy Hawker, but that's about it.

Brachytron pratense - Hairy Hawker
Brachytron pratense - Hairy Hawker




09-05-2012 - Short trip to the north of Germany

Last Sunday I finally made a short trip abroad for the first time. This time towards northern Germany looking for the Coenagrion armatum - Dark Bluet. For a change we don't leave in the middle of the night this time, but just around 09:30 in the morning. After a somewhat boring drive of about six hours we arrive at our destination. It is a beautiful fen / lake that is completely filled with Menyanthes trifoliata and other types of plants. After a while of searching we come across the first Coenagrion armatum - Dark Bluet. All in all we only find about twenty damsels, but that is enough to take pictures.

Coenagrion armatum - Dark Bluet
Coenagrion armatum - Dark Bluet


Around 21:00 it starts to get quite chilly and we decide to head back to the car. First we drink some beers and go over the plans for tomorrow. Then it's time to go to sleep, so seat flat, cover and sleep in the woods. It's a bit primitive, but also fun.

Sleeping place in the forest
Sleeping place in the forest


Waking up the next day takes quite a bit of effort, it has been quite chilly and all muscles hurt a bit because of the not so comfortable car seat. But around 04:30 we are already outside again to take pictures. The weather is a bit disappointing, unfortunately no fog or beautiful sunrise. A little later the sun breaks through and we can go about our business again. After a few hours we are pretty much done with it and we have a look at two other beautiful locations, but without success. Then back to the Netherlands, and around 18:00 I'm back on the doorstep at home.


16-04-2012 - The first butterfly of 2012

Finally it's that time again!!!
Last weekend I found and photographed the first butterflies of the year again. It takes some effort getting used to that the alarm clock goes off at 05:00, but it is also wonderful to walk through the mist early in the morning in search of butterflies. Below the result, an Anthocharis cardamines - Orange Tip. Who knows, maybe looking again this week?

Anthocharis cardamines - Orange Tip
Anthocharis cardamines - Orange Tip




13-04-2012 - Google goes Diginature.nl :-)

Google recently added wallpapers to the new version of Chrome OS for the Google Chromebook. I had the honor to provide three images. All in all, of course, it's great that such a large company wants to use my photos. And nice that people are now walking around with my photos as wallpaper.

New Google chromebook aura wallpapers
New Google chromebook aura wallpapers




28-03-2012 - Swedish dragonfly book - Hirschfeld media

Some time ago I supplied pictures for a Swedish dragonfly book published by http://www.hirschfeldmedia.com. Now I received the first update with a small preview of what the book will look like. (see photo below) I have no idea what's in it, but it looks like it's going to be a great book. The book will be released at the beginning of May, but in Scandinavia...

Dragonflies book - Hirschfeld media
Dragonflies book - Hirschfeld media




22-03-2012 - Bufo bufo - Common Toad between Anemone nemorosa

This week I took the time to take a nice picture of an ordinary toad. Usually you just walk past it, but because there are still few nice animals to be found, it is nice to pay some attention to this. The result may be great for a not too beautiful animal. Like some alien landed in the flower garden...

Bufo bufo - Common Toad
Bufo bufo - Common Toad




19-03-2012 - Star trails - Radio kootwijk

For a long time I wanted to photograph star trails above Radio Kootwijk. In the meantime I have also been trying this a few times but each time without result. Last Thursday the weather was finally good again, and I could take the picture I had in mind. It was very clear and the moon only rose late, so many stars can be seen by Dutch standards. This photo has a shutter speed of approximately one and a half hours in total and is made up of individual shots of 15 seconds.

Radio Kootwijk at night
Radio Kootwijk at night




20-02-2012 - Drifting ice at Hindeloopen

Last Sunday, like a few thousand other Dutch people, I went to Hindeloopen to admire the drifting ice. It is a spectacular sight to see the meters high mountains of ice in the IJsselmeer. And of course the question is always when such an opportunity will arise again.

It was shocking how many people had the same idea. It was like a big ant heap, and the icebergs were already covered with beautiful muddy trails. Somewhere on a corner, you can still find a place with few people in the picture. When a beautiful winter cloud arrived that was beautifully lit by the setting sun, the picture was complete. All in all, another beautiful afternoon.

Drifting ice at Hindeloopen
Drifting ice at Hindeloopen




13-02-2012 - Winter is over again

After a week and a half of severe frost, it's all over today. I had thought it would be fun to take some pictures, but unfortunately I didn't do much. I think the best photo is that of my little Floor who is skating for the first time.

Then I actually planned to start working with the stars again in the next two weeks. If I only see the weather forecasts, I'm not sure if I will succeed. Not a single clear night for the next two weeks...

Floor ice skating
Floor ice skating




10-02-2012 - Winter

It's almost done, but we still had a real winter. I always look forward to taking beautiful landscape pictures with snow. But the moment it really starts to snow, it is difficult to find a nice place and also to take a nice picture. The best I've managed to make of it is the photo below. The photo was taken on February 4th, which was probably the coldest night of the entire winter. While in the car driving to the photo location the thermometer stood at -21 degrees.

I'm also working on the star trails again. I've faced some pretty cold nights already. The results are starting to get better, but I think I still have to go out once or twice for the first acceptable picture. Hopefully I will have some clear nights in a week or two so that I can try something again. Also the full moon we have had the last few days gives too much light for good results.

Snow landscape at Radio kootwijk
Snow landscape at Radio kootwijk