Kampen Skyline Panorama #1

by Edwin Mooijaart

Kampen is one of the best-preserved Hanseatic cities in the Netherlands, and this panorama shows the city at its finest. The early morning light catches the historic skyline — with the distinctive Nieuwe Toren and the IJsselkade — and reflects perfectly in the completely still water of the IJssel. The sky is clear blue, the city still quiet. This is a long-exposure shot taken just after sunrise, when the light was still low and raking across the city. The water is completely smooth as a result, and the reflection almost perfectly symmetrical — the city seems to repeat itself in the water. On the left the historic drawbridge connects the city to the far bank of the IJssel. Large sailing vessels are moored in the harbour, a reference to Kampen's rich trading history. In the Middle Ages the city was one of the most powerful trading centres in the Low Countries, and the historic city centre still breathes that history. This panorama works beautifully as a large format on a long wall. The clean horizontal composition, the mirror water and the clear colours make it a calming yet impressive work.