The south pier in IJmuiden juts out into the sea for at least two kilometres. A long stretch of a kilometre and then a bend with the little green lighthouse at the end. A mighty structure that withstands every storm. Protected by large concrete blocks that are nevertheless sometimes thrown over the pier by the raging sea. But this is a calm day with little wind so you can walk all the way to the end. Even with a covered December sky, this is a relaxing almost meditative walk. Mostly, because of the prevailing south-west wind with some of it at your back and some of it against.
This is where all shades of grey come together. From the darker grey, almost black of the pier with the grey road to the lighter grey of the sea with the almost white stripes and the mixture of greys in the sky. The two interrupted by the darker stripe of the dunes and coast.
My great loves are the water and everything about it. Ships, travel, history and photography. The combination is therefore very common in my photographic work. Most photographs are created intuitively. It is an image that strikes me, usually a combination of form and color in which a.. Read more…