Spring in the Netherlands - A Hackberry Farm Nature Photography Workshop field report
- Russell Graves
- May 3
- 3 min read
You see it with your eyes, but in your mind, it’s hard to comprehend that such a variety of colors exists in nature. All across the lowlands, technicolor fields of pinks, reds, yellows, oranges, and every color in between beg for at least a little attention from the camera.
Despite the relative sameness of the tulips, it’s remarkably easy to pick individual flowers out in which to photograph in this nature photography workshop. Each row is arrow-straight and is meticulously planted so the flowers come up densely packed in tidy rows. Just the precision of the agricultural practices is something to behold.
Across the pasture, I hear what I think are kids at play, but it's the sound of baby lambs bleating at their mothers in the thick green forage. It’s as pastoral a scene as you can imagine, and it’s all around us to witness.
Just an hour before, we walked around Monnicandam. A lakeside city founded in 1355, when the lake it sits beside was a huge bay that led to the North Sea. Now, thanks to Dutch ingenuity in reclaiming land and building canals, the lake (now called Markermeer) is a freshwater impoundment. However, the fishing and shipbuilding industries are still strong, and the harbor is full of boats - some modern but many with a historic flair that adds to the charm of the waterside village.
The streets that flank the canals and waterways are lively, as the Dutch are an active, social people who ride bikes and visit one another on the outdoor plazas of the many restaurants in the area.
Like the locals, we sit outside and enjoy the nice weather that’s in store for us. It’s a great way for our group to socialize with one another and talk to some of the locals.
The place is alive. Bikes and pedestrians transit the old cobblestone streets lined by buildings older than I can comprehend. In the near distance, the grand spires of De Grote Kerk (The Great Church) and De Doopsgezinde Kerk (The Mennonite Church) command the meager skyline of the town.
These small Dutch towns are magical.
As the week winds on, we visit Royal palaces, cheese makers, dairy farms, museums featuring famous Dutch artists like Van Gogh, Vermeer, and Rembrandt, learn how clogs are made, take a canal cruise through Amsterdam, and enjoy other activities that round out the Netherlands experience.
What an experience it is.
And, of course, there’s the omnipresent tulip.
While the tulip isn’t native to the Netherlands, the Dutch perfected its cultivation and varietal selection, and built a botanical empire that once sparked one of the first international market crises and what’s regarded as the world’s first speculative market crash.
Prior to 1737, when the tulip market fell to its knees, tulip traders eagerly swapped bulbs at higher and higher prices. Just before the speculative bubble collapsed, a single bulb would sell for enough to buy a luxury canal house in Amsterdam.
While the tulip market isn’t nearly as volatile as it once was, the industry is still strong, as Dutch tulips account for about 95% of the worldwide tulip market each year.
In Keukenhof Gardens, countless tulip varieties are on display in well-manicured gardens, while in the fields around Lisse and elsewhere, huge swaths of commercially grown tulips beckon the photographer in all of us. The scenes are simply too beautiful to ignore.
Near the trip’s end, we all gather at a restaurant in Haarlem’s old city center. A carnival has commenced, and I’m seeing more and more people wearing orange in preparation for the national holiday in a few days. Koningsdag (King’s Day) is an annual celebration of the royal family and the historical importance of the monarchy to Dutch culture.
We walk past the festivities and settle into a quiet restaurant just off the main plaza. These “family suppers,” as I call them, are always a satisfying aspect of the trip. Within a short time, the group went from strangers to one another to friends and fellow travelers. It’s rewarding to see.
As we sit and wait for our food to arrive, each person talks of their experiences here and elsewhere. Each of their stories helps add to the beauty of all we’ve seen this week. While each person’s story is unique, they all share common threads - a love of travel, a love of photography, and a belief that, because we’re doing what we’re doing right now, the world is just a little bit smaller for all of us.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES
Russell, what a great video but even better individual images. Just superb.
Loved the video. I've been to the Netherlands a few times on bike/barge trips but never really gotten to see fields of tulips like this. Hope you are still doing this trip in a couple of years. I would like to have your instruction on all the different compositions you can come up with.