Terugkomdag Miksang 5 / Practice day Miksang 5

Gelaagdheid, we hebben daar vandaag weer mee kunnen oefenen in en rondom Amsterdam CS. Niet altijd makkelijk, wel heel goed om ermee bezig te zijn. Het behelst langer en dieper kijken.

Gelaagdheid als coulissen in de ruimte. In iedere laag speelt zich wat anders af.

Of door middel van reflecties het gebied erachter zien of dat wat gereflecteerd wordt.

Ook gaf het station met zijn drukte nog een moeilijkheid met zich mee: zelf stil en in balans blijven en niet mee gaan in alle dingen die zich om me heen afspelen. Regelmatig mezelf gronden heeft daarbij wel erg geholpen.

Niet alle beelden zijn van gelaagdheden: er waren ook momenten, mensen en de schoonheid van het station zelf zoals hieronder is te zien.

Mensen die stonden te wachten of mensen die ergens naartoe gingen. Het was er allemaal.

Verder boften we met het weer: 24 graden en een stralende hemel. Wat een geweldige dag.

Bij de dagafsluiting deden we een rondje over onze ervaringen. Een ervan is dat ik in de vijf jaar dat ik nu aan contemplatieve fotografie doe, zoveel heb gefotografeerd dat ik niet meer achter beelden hoef te jagen. Dat geeft een enorme rust. Niet meer de agressie van het grijpen, maar het steeds weer waarderen van alledaagse schoonheid, wat soms zo dichtbij kan zijn.
Zie voor meer foto's op Flickr.

Wilhelmina Gasthuis (Wilhelmina Hospital)

I'm sure I've written about it before, but I live in one of the buildings that used to be part of the Wilhelmina Hospital. To be more precise, I live in the building where the nurses used to live.

Pictured above is what used to be the main building of the Wilhelmina Hospital, it's named after the great grandmother of our king. She laid the first brick in 1891 when she was 10 years old. 'Gasthuis' is actually kind of an old-fashioned name, you could literally translate it into guest house, of course the only guests were ill or even dead (see photo below).

pathological anatomic lab

Wilhelmina Hospital was built in the area where in the older days the 'pesthuis' was located, a house where people with the plague were 'treated'.

This street name (see photo above) still reminds us of that time.

In search for material to shoot for my big commission I thought it a good idea to photograph the remnants of the old hospital. Most of it is gone, but if you look closely you'll find some of its old glory.

Apparently there was a separate ward for women, as the name on this building implies. 

WG: ornament at a front door

WG: statue by Hildo Krop

The Wilhelmina Hospital moved in parts as of 1981 to the newer location of the AMC (Amsterdam Medical Centre). It finally closed its doors in 1983 after which it was renovated as living quarters and studios.

Skating fun

Yes, the season of ice skating is back! On natural or manmade ice, it doesn't really matter, we Dutch like our ice solid frozen and skateable and apparently we have done so over the past centuries.

Dutch ice scene, by Hendrick Avercamp (ca 1610)

The full painting by Hendrick Avercamp as shown above is to be found at museum Mauritshuis in the Hague in the Netherlands. I really love this painting because it shows people of all ages and ranks in life on skates and in all stages of the sport: single, in pairs, falling, flying, playing, courting and even transporting. Click on the image to enlarge and to see all the details. Some of them are really funny.

These enthusiasts on blades can still be found nowadays, the only difference being the style of clothing.

I remember learning how to skate as a young girl: that was not easy but after every fall I would get up and try again. When I got the hang of it I really loved the speed and freedom it gave me.

mini ice rink with drawbridge

There were lots of cold hands, frozen feet and warm hot chocolates! There is nothing like a good winter as in the painting above with lots of snow, ice and skating fun.

skating girl in blue

skating kids

I have not skated in years actually, but it gives me lots of pleasure looking at it and seeing the joy on everyone's face. It is such a special feeling and I can't compare it to anything else.

Museumplein: Iamsterdam

There is a large square at the edge of the city centre of Amsterdam, it is called Museumplein (Museum square). The three largest museums of Amsterdam are located around that square: Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum and Van Gogh Museum. Each museum has a different and wonderful collection, well worth your visit.

boy taking selfie on top of the letter t

Yesterday I decided to go back to the Rijksmuseum to see the exhibition Modern Times again. I had the idea that I didn't see everything the last time I went there. Read my earlier blogpost over here.

boy with hat within the letter d

I walked along the expensive shopping street P.C. Hooftstraat to gaze at their Christmas decorations and shot a few window displays. There might be a Christmas card between those images, I haven't decided yet.

dressed up on top of the letter m

Anyways, just before arriving at the Rijksmuseum I passed the Museumplein and saw all the people posing in front of the huge letters of Iamsterdam. On internet it is a portal of the city of Amsterdam and a few copies of the huge words are spread over town, undoubtedly to promote the city.

girl helping other girl on the letter a

People love to climb on top of the letters and pose for family or friends. I've taken a few photos from the front but this time I walked to the rear. It is a lot quieter there and the view is totally different and quite interesting.

girl posing in the red letter m

dressed up boy curled up in the letter a

boy and girl on top of the letter s

I think the first photo with the guy and his selfie-stick is the best, maybe I should get myself one of those before I fly off to Venice coming February!

Sunrise

These pictures are taken this morning at about 09.15 hrs. I was on my way to the beautician by bike and had a wonderful view on the river Amstel when I passed over the bridge.

The feeble wintery sun was shining but it looked like it had difficulty peeking through the morning mist.

I stopped my bike, got off and enjoyed the view. Then I took my camera out to shoot these photos.

These tracks of dewdrops were coming down a rear window of a car, parked in the street of my destination. I was touched by the light coming through the window.

What did you see today?

Liberation Day

Today I am feeling a little better: I didn't spend the whole day in bed as I did yesterday, but I moped around the house a little. Moved some little stuff about and my new desk looks like this now:

I am happy with it already! I can just sit down and start working on my photographs, internet is available, lots of light (at least once all the scaffolding is gone), what a joy! The picture above my desk is one of my own art prints sold by Society6. I become happy every time I look at it. One of my housemates thought it was a painting and he was enthralled by it.
As the weather was really good today, I thought it would be a good idea to take a little walk.

I went over to the Vondelpark and saw all these people enjoying themselves, like this guy lying in the grass. He totally surrenders himself to the sun.

Kids were playing on the Iamsterdam while their parents were watching and/or taking photographs of them.

You see, today is Liberation Day: we Dutch commemorate that we were liberated by the Americans and Canadians from the Germans in 1945. Yesterday we commemorated the dead, today we celebrate our freedom by hanging out our national flag, having a day off and organizing lots of festivals in the country.

I also sat a few minutes in our front garden, enjoying the view.

While I was still feeling a bit week from this kind of stomach-flue, I was not much in the mood for festivals, but walking around the park was just what the doctor ordered. Flowers were blooming, music was playing and the people were friendly, like these three guys. They saw me walking with my camera and asked if I wanted to take a photograph of them. "Sure!" I'll email them a copy, they were pleased with the shot.

And images like this are to die for: the light, the dirty water (dried petals have fallen in) and the branch. It was a flash of perception and I pulled the trigger. 
I came home happy as a bird.

Reflections in the Amsterdam canals

One of my fellow Miksang Contemplative photographers calls me the Queen of Reflections. And it is sort of true, in the sense that I certainly have a preference file for reflections. I have not shown the reflection photos from Prague yet, but I certainly will.
I've been back for more than a week now and I have not stopped taking pictures. So here is a blog post in between Prague and Amsterdam. The good thing about traveling is coming home and appreciating your own city.

Reflection of Amsterdam canal with tree

Reflection of an Amsterdam canal

Reflection of Amsterdam canal houses

Reflection of offices in Amsterdam canal

Reflection of Amsterdam canal boat

Amsterdam canal boats

Street numbers of the Overtoom

I was walking up and down the Overtoom, Amsterdam yesterday doing some errands. That was not a horrible job to do as it was sunny and warm. The Overtoom is a long street close to my home and it is as of old an important road to and from the city. It used to have a canal where ships could enter the city, but that was covered somewhere in the 18th century.
Anyways, I noticed some of the street numbers and captured a few.

Street number 232 was the first one I noticed. I simply love the style of lettering, the spacious, sturdy and yet elegant numbers. I can't put a date to them, maybe the thirties of last century?

This has a totally different style and I couldn't resist it, because someone took the trouble to paint this in between different colored and glazed bricks. Why was this done, no money for a proper plate? Was it done in the WO II when there were no supplies?

This is quite a regular street number, I've seen it around quite a lot. 

Now this is something out of the ordinary, I would also date it around the 1930's, but maybe I am mistaken. Is there an expert in the audience?

This looks more like a replica based on old lettering, simple and clear. 

And this was painted by hand, I wonder whether that was done by a professional or by a resident of the house on number 442.