On a sunlit day, Bruges shows itself in all its understated splendour. This image captures a rare and enchanting moment: an empty cobbled street lined by white facades and colourful flowers, bathed in the soft light of the summer sun. No tourist crowds, no crowds - just silence, light and architectural elegance.
What makes this image extra special is that it is based on a photograph I took myself, which I transformed into a picturesque scene through digital techniques. The brushstrokes and texture bring a certain dreaminess to the image, without losing sight of reality.
The result is an ode to Bruges as you rarely see it: serene, almost hushed, and all the more impressive in its simplicity. A moment of calm in a city that is normally bustling with life - captured in a digital canvas that blurs the line between photography and painting.
                                
 
                                Geert Van Baelen has been working as a press photographer in Belgium for over 20 years. Besides current affairs, he also finds inspiration for his images in everyday life, landscapes and people... Read more…
 The sun sets behind a sand duneGeert Van Baelen
The sun sets behind a sand duneGeert Van Baelen Mills for energy and funGeert Van Baelen
Mills for energy and funGeert Van Baelen A field of poppies in the evening sunGeert Van Baelen
A field of poppies in the evening sunGeert Van Baelen Hydrangea in the soft morning lightGeert Van Baelen
Hydrangea in the soft morning lightGeert Van Baelen Century-old trees along a forest pathGeert Van Baelen
Century-old trees along a forest pathGeert Van Baelen Tree on an old country roadGeert Van Baelen
Tree on an old country roadGeert Van Baelen A wooden path winds through a green forestGeert Van Baelen
A wooden path winds through a green forestGeert Van Baelen A facade with historyGeert Van Baelen
A facade with historyGeert Van Baelen Looking and being looked at at the flea marketGeert Van Baelen
Looking and being looked at at the flea marketGeert Van Baelen Looking and being looked at at the flea marketGeert Van Baelen
Looking and being looked at at the flea marketGeert Van Baelen Colourful van where you wouldn't expect itGeert Van Baelen
Colourful van where you wouldn't expect itGeert Van Baelen Cuddling donkeysGeert Van Baelen
Cuddling donkeysGeert Van Baelen Sun and Shadow playGeert Van Baelen
Sun and Shadow playGeert Van Baelen At the end of a summer day in AmsterdamGeert Van Baelen
At the end of a summer day in AmsterdamGeert Van Baelen In the port of OstendGeert Van Baelen
In the port of OstendGeert Van Baelen An alley in PortoGeert Van Baelen
An alley in PortoGeert Van Baelen A musician on the Paris nightGeert Van Baelen
A musician on the Paris nightGeert Van Baelen An observation of a catGeert Van Baelen
An observation of a catGeert Van Baelen A powerful tree in vast landscapeGeert Van Baelen
A powerful tree in vast landscapeGeert Van Baelen An old ship is moored in a polder villageGeert Van Baelen
An old ship is moored in a polder villageGeert Van Baelen