Last summer I met a guy named Jesse at Blake Island while he was the “cruise director” of Salish 100. We talked about doing some photography for the two races he also runs. The Seventy48 and the Race to Alaska or R2AK. I got back in touch with Jesse this spring and we hatched a plan for me to cover the race.
While I hadn’t done any professional sports photography in years, I wanted to cover this race like I was working for a news agency. The Northwest Maritime Centre, the organizer of the race, wanted photos in as much real-time as possible during the race. So this was a great fit for a crazy photographic adventure that would suit my two passions photography and being on the water.
What is The Seventy48?
SEVENTY48 aka 70 miles in 48 hours.
Rules are simple: no motors, no support, and no wind. That’s right. HUMAN POWER ONLY. Pedal, paddle, or row. We don’t care. It’s up to you. (And this is a boat race. Leave your 10 speed-towing-a-canoe idea at home.) ~ Seventy48 Website
Ben Lobaugh in his Minto rowing across Commencement Bay.
Since I didn’t have any recent professional gear to cover the race. I asked my friend Ted Peters if I could borrow his old Sony a6000 and an 80mm – 300mm. My current laptop was anything but mobile I also borrowed an eight-year-old Macbook from my nephew and grabbed a bunch of SD cards and a decent data plan for my iPhone 14 Pro phone.
The Boat
While I didn’t know what boat I was going to be on Jessie would assure me he’d get me mobile on the water for the race, Little did I know I was going to be on a 13-foot open-air tender for most of the race. While I had an engine and Captain Dan driving. I felt a little kinship with the competitors.
Filing images from the start of the race from a laptop on the water.Captain Dan
The Start
Watching 128 teams outside the Foss Waterway Seaport gather and then start was thrilling on such a beautiful night (Yes the race starts at 7:00 pm, yes that is in the evening). The weather wouldn’t be this nice all weekend so as the old saying goes you gotta shoot when the light is right! Also and unknown to the everyone involved in the race. The Lady Washington was moored in Tacoma for the night and made for a great backdrop to the start!
Mount Rainier also made for a stunning backdrop to the start of the race.
While I had sailed out of Tacoma with Ben before and I had been to Vashon Island in my 20’s I had never seen the Colvos Passage side of the Vashon before. As the sun hid behind the Olympic Peninsula the field started to stretch out and twilight started to fall we saw each team slowly turn on their night running lights one by one. It was something that I witnessed but couldn’t easily photograph so it was an experience to be had and to be remembered.
As Colvos Passage opened back up to Pudget Sound we raced to find the leaders of the race. Their tracker position isn’t in real time so we had already passed their position and still couldn’t find them in the blackness of night. We did find a small white light against the undeveloped blackness of Blake Island State Park. Living up to their name The Beasts from the East were certainly hauling ass up the sound.
The Other Boat
My accommodations for the night.
Once we had gotten to Blake Island we found our sleep accommodations for the night. It was an old wooden sailing boat that was originally launched New Zealand. It had crossed the Drake Passage, at least once, if not twice, from what I remember. She then made her way up to Alaska for several years before finding her current owners in Puget Sound. Hearing the history of this boat was amazing.
The Stories
Jeremiah Bonsmith of Team Daddleboard takes a nap under a picnic table at Fay Bainbridge Park during the Seventy 48 Race. (I am pleased to report he finished the race)
One of the reasons I was attracted to photography was the magic of film and the intricacy of the cameras. But really, it was capturing people’s stories of life and adventure. This race was no different. We left Blake Island early and went up to Fay Bainbridge State Park where we found a number of competitors who had stopped for a quick break before continuing.
I found Jeremiah Bonsmith of Team Daddleboard. He was laying out all his gear on a picnic table. (I am paraphrasing our conversation) Everything is soaking wet, The headwind is a lot harder, and I wasn’t making a lot of progress. I am gonna let everything dry out have a nap and see if I want to continue.
I returned some 15 minutes later and he was asleep under the table and I got this great photo. It really told his story I thought. I never saw him again, but I am pleased to report that he did complete the race. (Jeremiah if you are reading this leave me a note in the comments I’ll get you the photo)
The Marine life
The Port Townsend welcoming committee
The animals I saw on route were amazing. I saw Harbor seals at the start line in Tacoma, Porpoises jumping in Admiralty Inlet Bay and the Sea Lion welcoming committee at Port Townsend who wasn’t impressed that I was on her dock LOL.
The Finish
There was a beautiful rainbow that appeared over the finish line on the Saturday evening.
Fellow Canadian Audrey Standish was all smiles at the finish line of the Seventy 48.
The range of emotions from competitors that were completely went from dogged determination to finish, weepy to see loved ones and one Audrey Standish from the aptly named Chucklewave who was laughing from ear to ear upon arrival.
You can’t capture everything on a race of this magnitude you just have to capture of variety of every type of competitor and stories that peak your interest.
The Party
Team Sculling Chinooks getting there tie cut for the Seventy48 NeckTie Party.
The next day I was asked to cover the Seventy48 Necktie Party. This was a new event for the Seventy48 as it becomes more of it’s own event then a tag on to the R2AK. The length of the neck tie depends on how much of the race you completed.
Conclusion
There is a lot from the career as a photojournalist I didn’t enjoy. Tragedy the most. But I did miss the adrenaline from shooting sports and meeting a deadline. The Seventy48 let me scratch that itch.
The town of Port Townsend was beautiful and I enjoyed a walk through the historic downtown getting dinner at the Nifty Fiftys Soda Fountain which was quite welcome respite. I also got the chance to see the historic Tally Ho in the final stages of her rebuild.
Please enjoy the rest of the photos in the gallery below.
Team California Kook unloading at the Tacoma Foss Waterway Seaport. The Start of the Seventy 48.
Steve from team Extreme Sobriety place his number on his Prone paddle Board during the set up at the Seventy 48 at the Foss Waterway Seaport in Tacoma.
Registration desk at the Tacoma Foss Waterway Seaport.
Team Flowstate walks down the ramp to the floats to prepare for the start of the Seventy 48 at the Tacoma Foss Waterway Seaport.
The Lady Washington tall ship moored in front of the Foss Waterway Seaport at the start of the Seventy48 in Tacoma Washington
Teams past by the Port of Tacoma during the start of the Seventy 48.
Mount Rainier also made for a stunning backdrop to the start of the race.
Team California Kook in the calm condition of Admiralty Inlet on his way to Port Townsend during the Seventy 48.
Team Paddle, paddles through the twilight of the Colvos Passage during the Seventy 48.
Team Salty Current leave from Fay Bainbridge State Park after a short break during the Seventy 48 Race to Port Townsend.
Team Flowstate checks the wind and the weather at the Fay Bainbridge State Park during the Seventy 48 race to Port Townsend.
Race Boss Jessie and his crew in the Fisheries Supply Support Boat near the Kingston Area.
Team RedLodgeYachtClub passes by a Kitsap passenger Ferry near Kingston during the Seventy 48 race to Port Townsend.
Team Oldman Raven paddles passed a Sailboat near Kingston, during the Seventy 48 race.
Abby from Team Zoomiaq Bails out her boat in Admiralty Inlet on her way to Port Townsend during the Seventy 48 race.
Eighty four year old Mari Friend, back seat, from Team Buttercup finishing 17th in Rowboat division at the finish line of the Seventy 48 in Port Townsend.
Jay from Team Bucket List hugs his wife just after arriving at the finish line in Port Townsend during the Seventy 48 Race.
Patty from Team Patty Party winner of the first solo finisher celebrates during the Seventy 48 NeckTie Party at the Northwest Marine Centre in Port Townsend.
I am not much for these challenges that say you must post a photo of your childhood, a favourite movie, no caption etc.…
But when my second cousin Art Wolfe challenged me to the black and white challenge, I felt I couldn’t pass it by. The rules were as follows:
• Photo of my life
• No People are to be in the photo
• No Explanations of the photo
B&W Photography was my first love, as I studied it through high school, college and worked with it for years before the digital revolution.
I really got into this one and going through my archives I realize I love taking photos with a human element. So my first goal was the find a photo in my recent archives that were creative enough and yet didn’t have a human element. I found some decent photos on the first edit, but all had the human element. The second and equally important part was finding a photo that when adjusted would actually have the tonal spectrum, contrast and sharpness to properly visually communicate what I wanted in black and white. I was quite happy with the results of the final selection.. I have decided to include the captions and locations here as it’s not part of the challenge but, the explanation of it. If you want to see the captions just hover over the image.
Rain drops drip off the nose of the statues at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial. Vimy, Pas-de-Calais, France.
Pebbles and Burnt firewood merge to make this contrasting photo of form and texture. Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington State, USA.
The Marine Building with evening sun rejecting off another building and hitting it’s grand front entrance. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
An old stone quarry in the Kleiner lberg hiking area of Knigswinter in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Sparkling drink in a restaurant. Location Unknown.
Sunsets on a the towers of Gas Works Park on a beautiful but cloudy evening. Seattle, Washington State, USA.
Burrard Inlet shot from the front seats of the SeaBus on a cold but clear winters day. Vancouver, Canada.
I have been lucky enough to attend an Art Wolfe Workshop where we spend two days shooting and then a morning editing what we shot. The stuff Art thinks about when he is shooting will start making you think outside the box and get your creative juices flowing.
Pebbles and Burnt firewood merge to make this contrasting photo of form and texture on Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park.
Sadly not everyone can attend an Art Wolfe Workshop as they start at 2000 dollars, not including travel or accommodation for most of the trips.
But now, for the first time in his career Art is offering portfolio reviews starting at $99. For anyone looking to improve their photography or a Christmas Present for a certain someone I highly suggest this fantastic gift¹.
¹ Full Disclosure: I am related to Art, and he helped direct me in my photographic career. I also now work for Art Wolfe Inc as their website designer/manager. But I would recommend this regardless of my connection with Art Wolfe Inc.
I have always been a patriot Canadian. For my birthday once I asked for a Canadian Flag. While we’re not perfect and we still have some work to do, I say we celebrate what we do have because when you think about it. It’s a lot!
During College, my best friend was and still is a very patriotic Canada naturally so am I. It wasn’t until we had hung out for a couple months and had more than a few beers that I realized just how patriot his was. Because it wasn’t a wear it on your sleeve type of patriotism.
So when I heard Canada was celebrating its 150 birthday. It hough visiting old friends and see some national historic sights would be a good idea.
So I called up my College Friends Amber Rider in Victoria and Scott Crabbe who lives in Jasper and told them to roll out the “red carpet” and expect a visit.
On Victoria Day long weekend… Go to Victoria.
The view from Fisguard Lighthouse from the grounds of Fort Rod Hill National Historic Site.
Seeing Victoria for the first time in 10 years was pretty awesome. I flew in from Vancouver to Victoria on Harbour Air, avoiding those dastardly ferry sailing waits and delays.
Amber, Fin and Robert at Fort Rod Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
The Fort was originally built before World War one in 1878 to protect Esquimalt Harbour and CFB Esquimalt which is home to the Maritime Forces Pacific.
Fisguard Lighthouse in Victoria, BC
We then drove up the Island and took a stop in the wonderful town and murals of Chemainus. Something I hadn’t seen since childhood as well.
The Island is so close to Sechelt and the Sunshine Coast, but yet so far if you need to travel to it. Luckily I escaped the ferries again and was able to take Harbour Air from Nanaimo to Sechelt.
Stanley Park
Third Beach on a sunny day in Stanley Park. While the Park is a National Historic Site it is under the management of the Vancouver Parks Board and not Parks Canada.
Another college buddy Ernest who lives in Toronto came to Vancouver for a visit and we took a walk through Stanley Park in Vancouver with his family. I haven’t walked through Stanley Park in a number of years. It truly is an urban forest! We came out of Third Beach. While the Stanley Park is a National Historic Site it is under the management of the Vancouver Parks Board and not Parks Canada.
Sometimes all it takes is to be a tourist is in your own backyard.
The Great Canadian Road Trip
A gif of the flowing Athabasca River in Jasper National Park.
Getting to visit Scott would take more doing then it would Amber. But he is much further afield as well. In Jasper National Park. I was able to fly into Vancouver on Harbour Air and along with my flight I was able to get a deal on the car rental through them at Canada Place and I hit the road making stops for second breakfast in Hope. (Hobbit’s aren’t the only ones that know this is very Important for travelling)
A stop in Kamloops for gas and a few snacks for the road. (When did Kamloops get so hot?, oh right… it’s part desert!)
I turned north on the Yellowed Highway named after fur trader and explorer Pierre Bostonais who had streaks of yellow in his hair and was nicknamed Téte Jaune or Yellowhead.
Anyone who grew up in the 80’s knows this old Park Canada branding well. The beer inside was really decent as well. It was a hit with the locals for sure!
The Yellowhead is mostly a two-lane highway that twists and turns through the more northerly of the three main passes through the Rockies.
I made good time getting into to Jasper. My plan was to have a wiggle room day just in case of traffic or car trouble you never know.
I was staying with Scott Crabbe and family and he had some special Jasper Brewing Company Beer in the old school Parks Canada Colours waiting for me.
Next day we took off to the Jasper Skytram to drop off the company truck and do some biking down the hill and back to his house. What I thought was going to be a ride down the road was truly so much more. Scott had a single track route all planned out and we crossing a road and highway a couple times. True to form for Scott he always has an adventure up his sleeve. The scenery on this beautiful day was second to none and the exhilaration of the beauty of Canada’s National Parks kept me going.
The Jasper Tram climbs to the top of Whistlers Mountain with the town of Jasper, Alberta in the background.
The town of Jasper, Alberta in the Athabaskan Valley and headquarters to Jasper National Park.
Scott and I at the bottom of the Jasper Tram before we start an epic ride down hill to Jasper and Beer!
Rafters paddle down the Athabasca River in Jasper, Alberta.
Mountains surrounding the town of Jasper from the banks of the Athabasca River in Jasper National Park.
A bike and trailer decorated as a Beaver in the Canada Day parade held in Jasper, Alberta on the 150th birthday of Canada.
I spent Canada 150 birthday in a National Park with an old college friend and his family. I don’t think I could have picked a better place or had better weather.
On the road driving down Highway 93 The Icefields Parkway from Jasper to Banff, Alberta.
I left Jasper on July 2nd for the Ice Fields Parkway and Calgary. I was told by many, take your time on the parkway Calgary is closer than you think. With The Tragically Hip blasting from the stereo, I hit the road for some true Canadiana.
Thus I did. The race to get from A to B three days earlier was just a memory and taking it all in stopping where you want is all part of this journey.
Last time I did the parkway was the summer of 1985 I was eight years old and it rained and was cloudy the entire time. This time there was barely a cloud in the sky and I set the cruise control to 50km an hour and took it all in.
A panoramic view from the Big Bend Hill Lookout on Highway 93 the Icefields Parkway from Jasper National Park to Banff National Park in Canadian Rockies.Tourists walk up the path to the Athabasca Glacier at the Columbia Icefields in Jasper National Park.
Whenever there was a vehicle behind me I just pulled over let them pass. Don’t let the view pass you by. Take it all in. Your on this route for the journey, not the destination.
Reaching the Columbia Ice Fields I purchased a $7 ham and cheese sandwich. (When will I learn?) I skipped the Glacier Adventure Snow Coach at $85 per person and took a walk up the hill to see the receding Athabasca Glacier.
Sad to see the glacier getting so much smaller than when I remember it some 32 years ago. But that is our changing environment.
After a stop at Saskatchewan River Crossing for a coffee, as I didn’t want to mess with Banff or Lake Louise on Canada Day weekend, I hit the road non-stop to Calgary.
Gord and Gabby on some paddle boats on Bowness Lake in Calgary Alberta.
I visited Gord and Aleta and their 4 kids and they took me to Bowness Park which I had visited in the winter but never in the summer. The Park had been completely flooded in the 2013 flood. But the park was nicely remodelled and we took out the paddle boats and road the train and had a great day of fun.
Gord Chilling on his Pocket Couch in Calgary, Alberta.
Visiting with old friends is great, but getting beaten by a 5-year-old at go fish 4 times in a row is a humbling experience. I can’t wait for a rematch Gabby!
With an extra day of car rental and some Canadian History awaiting me just down the road, I said my goodbyes to Calgary and hit the road south on the road less travelled.
The Lancaster Bomber, impressive in size, small in creature comforts. Natan’s Bomber Command Museum is home to one of only 17 still standing. While it is no longer airworthy the engines still operate and are fired up every year.
Turtle Mountain the location of the Frank Slide in Frank, Alberta. The largest landslides in Canadian history. For scale, there is a mini-van for scale in the lower right corner.
I also stopped by the Nanton Candy Store to pick up a few goodies, it’s quite the store to see if you have a moment.
I arrived in the Crownest Pass community and stopped to see the town of Frank and one of the largest landslide in Canadian History. The amount of rock that was moved was impressive and hard to fathom. The Frank Slide Liquor Store is a bit of a hoot if you want to check it out as well.
The Columbia Brewing Company in Creston, British Columbia. Home to Kokanee Beer.
I filled up with the last of the cheap Alberta gas and hit the road for Creston, BC and the home of Kokanee and Columbia Brewery. While the Columbia Brewing Company only survives in name since it was purchased by Labatt’s in 1974, it still makes Kokanee on site and a sailing buddy of mine loves Kokanee so I had to check it out.
Beer vat in the Columbia Brewing Complex in Creston, British Columbia. Home to Kokanee Beer.
Next stop on this roadshow was Osoyoos. I didn’t realize how much further Route 3 was then the Trans-Canada. It’s only 253 kilometres longer. But it winds and wiggles along the US border and is a two-lane highway with a few passing lanes along the way. Road Trips are fun but sometimes you just need to put miles in. I use a combination of Podcasts and upbeat music to let the kilometres melt away.
Even with A/C and cold drink, a car is a hot place in the summer, so I had one goal for a hotel in Osoyoos. clean hotel with a Pool, nothing fancy… just a pool. Super 8 fit the bill and I spent the evening poolside. Last day of my road trip I wanted to leave Osoyoos and it’s 40C degree heat. But with the heat comes the fruit and with that comes fruit stands!
Being a good friend means…
As I left Osoyoos listening to some Dehli to Dublin to keep the upbeat tempo going. I came across some fruit stands in Keremeos and picked up some fresh fruit for my foodie loving cookbook authoring friend Rebecca Coleman.
I also got some cherries myself as they are a great snack food for the road.
I filled up again in Hope the round trip was almost over. I hadn’t seen the Crowness Pass since I was a kid!
Looking back on the epic Canadian Road Trip I was extremely lucky not to be affected by any of the forest fires that have hit a number of community I travelled through and my thoughts are certainly with them as they battle and rebuild.
On BC Day Long Weekend go to the birthplace of BC
National Historic Site Fort Langley modern entrance.
Completely by accident, I went to the Birthplace of the colony British Columbia, Fort Langley on BC Day Long Weekend. I had been wanting to go to Fort Langley for some time, but when my brother asked me to watch his dogs for the long weekend I said sure as long as I can go to Fort Langley in his car! A deal was stuck and off I went.
A re-enactor talks about her camp at the National Historic Site Fort Langley on the BC Day Long weekend.
Fort Langley was the birthplace of British Columbia as a British Colony, although BC Day as a holiday didn’t start until 1974 the colony signed into order on August 2, 1858. This was a pre-emptive move to forestall any drives for annexation of the land to the United States.
I had not been to Fort Langley since childhood and since it was BC Day long weekend there were a number of re-enactors had set up camps and volunteers giving talks about hunting, trapping and trading in 1840 through to its closure in 1886.
Gord a Volunteer gives a talk about rifles used during the period where Fort Langley was in its hay day.
I also checked and yes Fort Langley still takes my Hudson’s Bay Master Card. LOL.
Conclusion
We have a vast and varied and huge country and while we still have work today we should celebrate our achievements. Get out and enjoy our country you don’t need a 150 anniversary to do it, just the need to explore your own backyard.
If my writings have helped you out, you can buy me a coffee or a beer via paypal:
TLDR Amsterdam was pretty amazing. This is a long post so here is a list of sub categories.
De Wallen
Van Gogh Museum
Foam Museum
National Maritime Museum
The windmill that was a pub
A Royal Send Off
After a relaxing day of recuperation at the Zuiver Spa I was able to hit the street of Amsterdam and explore this city which is known as the Venice of the North.
As per the trend I got lost trying to find the Mike’s Bike Tour company. But according to our bike tour guide Stuart this is completely normal. The curving streets of and canals of central Amsterdam make it incredibility easy to get turned around.
“You will get lost in Amsterdam this I can assure you”
Stuart ~ Mike’s Bike Tour Guide
One bad ass Amsterdam Bike
Unlike Berlin the streets Amsterdam are a crazy mix of trams, cars, motor scooters, pedestrians and bikes. The streets are a very busy place and cars are the least of your worries (in my opinion). Luckily Mikes Bikes gave us a great preparation and everyone was able to navigate the streets properly.
Stuart absolutely filled our tour with this history of Amsterdam and gave me some awesome suggestions for my stay. His bike was also pretty bad ass.
As you might imagine Amsterdam’s history closely tied to shipping and the Dutch East India Company. With shipping came the prostitution, with the prostitution came the church. Which is why the church is also located in the historic De Wallen district.
Stuart also told me about a brew pub that was in a windmill near the National Maritime Museum which I will be eternally grateful for, but more on that later…
After the bike tour I took the blue boat canal tour that was included in my I Amsterdam pass. I’ve never been a fan of the pre-recorded audio tour, you can’t ask questions, they seem campy and cheesy. I found a spot on the back of the boat to photograph unobstructed. Luckily there was a local who was giving his friends a tour of the canals in english. I have always enjoyed the local perspective and he was quite gracious with his time for the few questions I had.
If I were to do the canal cruise again I would pay extra for a smaller boat tour which takes less people and comes with a tour guide. I feel you get better value for your time and money with a actual human you can chat with.
De Wallen
The historic De Wallen district of Amsterdam with the Basiliek van de H. Nicolaas in the background.The red lit windows of the De Wallen district in Amsterdam on a Saturday night.
I spent Saturday Night walking around the De Wallen district. I hadn’t planned on visiting Amsterdam during a weekend. But that is just what happened. Don’t make the mistake I did if you are going to visit it on the weekend book your hotel well ahead of time. The De Wallen district on a Saturday night resembles Vegas and all of it’s hedonistic pleasure that are available to you.
I saw many a bachelor / bachelorette party running a muck, lookie loo, but very few actual punters looking for some company. No I didn’t part take in anything the De Wallen district might offer. I just spent the night walking around and had a few drinks and saw the most hilarious yet completely true marketing slogan ever.
Van Gogh Museum
The Van Gogh Museum on a beautiful sunny fall day in Amsterdam
I next morning I woke up early and hit the Van Gogh Museum. It truly was everything the guide books say and it didn’t disappoint I learnt about the strong bond Vincent and Leo Van Gogh had. How if it wasn’t so Leo’s support Vincent really wouldn’t have been able to live and create the way he did. I also was fortunate enough to see the rotating exhibition called Munch : Van Gogh which explored the relationships between the Edvard Munch and Vincent Van Gogh. But what was truly a highlight of the trip was that on one wall you had a a Monet, a Van Gogh and a Munch you could visually see the inspiration of each painter had on each other. I also got to see the pencil colour version of the scream on loan from Oslo.
Robert in front of a wall size portrait of Vincent Van Gogh.
I had wondered why the Van Gogh Museum didn’t allow any photographs of the artwork at the time I visited but once I visited The Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay I think I understood why. With everyone running around taking selfies with art work in paris, I felt that people really didn’t even look at the art work, they were just grabbing a poorly captured photo to say they were there. At the Van Gogh there was no camera’s allowed (except for the photo of my left) so people actually had to look at the art work. I don’t really know if this was the defining factor or if the Amsterdam museums were just less busy but in hindsight it was a fabulous decision by the management. ( ps. I am no better btw I took a selfie with The Rhine the most expensive photograph in the world in Munich when I though no one was watching )
Foam Museum
The Magnum Contact Sheets at the Amsterdam Foam Museum
The visual feast continues at the Foam Museum ( Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam which is where you get the name foam from) This relatively small museum in comparison to others in town came highly recommend by the guide at the VVV I amsterdam Visitor Centre Stationsplein. I was also lucky enough to be visiting the Museums during Magnum Contact Sheets show. For a former news photographer this is an treasure trove of art, culture and history. A contact sheet is a look into working process of the photographer during the time he shot the photo. What he first saw, what stuck him as important, how we worked the image.
"Pulling a good picture out of a contact sheet is like going to the cellar and bringing back a good bottle of wine" Henri Cartier-Bresson
I had seen many of the photos from my studies in photography. But seeing the contact sheets and having the ability to see the reverse side of the prints that were made and the notes that were made on the back was a view in the comments and annotations made to prints after it was selected. Both of these are gone in the digital era.
Seeing Robert Capa’s photography from the Normandy Invasion was both impressive and poignant when you find out that a rookie lab tech screwed up most of his film from that invasion. Only 11 frames of 106 could be salvaged… Of those 11 frames 10 were impressive enough to be published in Life Magazine. What is was on those lost negatives only Robert Capa and a few life staffers knows.
Being able to see the works of Henry Cartier-Bresson, Larry Towell, Steve McCurry, Stuart Franklin, Philippe Halsman, Rene Burri and Frank Capa was just as memorial as seeing the impressionist masters I had visited in the morning.
The only reason I left the Foam Museum was because they were closing for the day.
The quality of the show and my history with news photography made this a perfect match but I’d suggest anyone with a interest in photography and going to Amsterdam check out this unassuming museum. I think you will be impressed I certainly was. I went back to the hotel full of inspiration but completely spent of any energy.
National Maritime Museum
A panorama of the beautiful courtyard at the of Dutch National Maritime Museum
I was told by Stuart my trust bike tour guide that if I was a sailor I would enjoy the Het Scheepvaartmuseum ( Dutch Maritime Museum ). So the next day I decided to visit and again I was not lead astray. The museum was located in the old Dutch Navy headquarters in the building ‘s Lands Zeemagazijn (The Arsenal). A large glass roof was constructed over the courtyard in 1997 provides shelter from the elements. The building is absolutely beautiful both in and out.
Enjoying a rest in a hamock on the East Indiaman Amsterdam at the National Maritime Museum.
I really enjoyed the maps and atlas dating from 14th century that doesn’t even show North America, to astrolabes from 16th century. The museum also has a huge collection of maritime paintings showing epic battles along with great collection of model yachts both new and old.
Outside the museum is the replica of the East Indiaman ship Amsterdam which is a complete replica cargo ship of the Dutch East India Company. I visited the ship but there is a chilly east wind coming in from Russia so I spent most of my time below decks chilling in a hammock!
I walked into a windmill that was a pub
The windmill that became a brew pub Brouwerij’ ij
It was suggested to me that I skip the Heineken Experience if I was not a devote Heineken Fan or the sports they sponsor. In addition to those two points the old brewery building doesn’t even brewing the beer anymore. I asked Stuart if there was any micro brew pubs and he suggest one that was housed in a windwill named Brouwerij ‘t IJ It was located just down the street from the maritime museum so I though I’d check out the local beer.
After ordering a flight of beer and checking into Untappd I over heard the distinct lingual tones of a English being spoken near me.
“My girlfriend doesn’t want a full pint can she order a small one” ~ Richie “No Sorry” ~ Bartender
Me having a great time in this pub I say:
“Your on vacation, have a full pint” ~ Robert “That’s right I am on Vacation!” ~ Leanne
And so she did. That struck up a conversation which lead me to join the table and meet a group of scots, brits, irish and Spaniards. Through out the night a number of members of the commonwealth shared our table all we were missing were a couple aussies. I though we are in a pub right? and there aren’t any aussies? Also Peter a friend of Leanne made an astute observation:
This is the longest I’ve ever spent in a windmill… Can’t say I have ever spent this many hours in a windmill before… ~ Peter
Not a truer wood had been spoken that night. While I had no intention of closing down a pub my last night in Amsterdam It certainly turned out to be the best choice made some new friends.
A Royal Send Off
I I wanted to check out the rights museum on my last day I knew I had made decisions that would only let me visit briefly the museum. So I arrived at the Rice museum in the full baggage in hand and I saw a lot of people gathered around a car waiting for someone to arrive I asked her what all the commotion is about and who is that arriving to the car. She replied in a very proudly:
“She is our Queen”
~ dutch women I was standing beside.
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands waves goodbye before leaving the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
I got my cell phone out and captured about a dozen pictures before Queen Máxima of the Netherlands was wisked off down the street. Really there was only about 50 or 60 people who were casually walking buy who waiting to see her off. I just happen to randomly arrive at the exact moment she was leaving. I then asked a member of the media what she was doing there and was told she was opening up a conference being held in the building.
Unfortunately I couldn’t gain entry into the museum with my large luggage. I would have to leave it somewhere and come back. As fate would have it as soon I board the tram to the Centraal Station I found out my transit and museum pass had expired. ?
I knew leaving Rijksmuseum to the last day was a risk, and I knew I had to leave in under two short hours. So I knew I had to leave Amsterdam without seeing the national museum. But seeing the Queen of the Netherlands in person… Well that will certainly do.
I was happy with the choices I made in my visit to Amsterdam and you certainly can’t see everything. I would happily spend another afternoon in the Foam museum and miss the Rijksmuseum if given the choice of either / or.
Plus this gives me amble reason to visit again, I hope I get the chance.
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“What I’m doing is prompted by a deep feeling of and need for love” Well put Vincent… well put.
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam
The replica East Indiaman ship Amstersdam
Love the space they give to bikes in Amsterdam.
The non red light part of the De Wallen District, mainly full of restaurants and “cafes”
Looking north in the inner courtyard of the Dutch National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam
Flowers on one of many canal bridges on a sunny day in Amsterdam.
Deutsche Bahn ICE train outside the Amsterdam Centraal Station my ride back to Germany.
A beautiful poured german beer on a train is not a bad way to travel.
I also learnt about the works of Otto Freundlich in the Degenerate Art exhibit and how he was denounced as a jew murdered on the day he arrived in the concentration camp Lublin-Majdanek. It was horrific the effect National Socialism had on every spec of life in Germany at the time.
Skylight feature in the main lobby of the Pinakothek Der Moderne. What a gorgeous building.
The building is quite impressive and I really enjoy the architecture, The cafe was busy but really decent. I shared a table with local who in seeing my camera invited me to his table. It made for easy fun conversation over lunch.
The English Garden of Munich
I closed down the Pinakothek der Moderne and decided to walk to the English Gardens of Munich near by. There I had a conversation with Johannes Mirtschink who was photographing the park. I asked if he had got some decent photos.
I didn’t have plans for the rest of the evening so Johannes invited to go see the Allianz Arena as there was a large football (soccer) match happening that night and it was lit up.
Johannes had a tripod and suggested we get some long exposures from a highway overpass.
In something that is just really unique to photographer, I spent my last night in Munich hanging out on a highway over pass with someone taking some night photos.
Johannes setting up for the next exposure sequence.
We working on the photo together to get the best photo we could, It had been a long while since I did any real long time exposures and Johannes was still learning the tricks of the trade. There was a lot of trial and error but working together we got a really decent photo.
While hanging out on a highway overpass on your vacation may not sound like a lot of fun. But making new friends and creating awesome photographs, for me, it certainly was.
While I came with the mission of seeing Octoberfest and I was happy with what I saw. I really didn’t see enough of Munich or the surrounding area. I hope to return.
The Allianz Arena in Munich illuminated in red the color of the home team. The FC Bayern. Photo is a collective effort of Johannes Mirtschink and Robert Dall
I left Munich for Berlin on something I really had an interest in taking. A night train, where you go to sleep in one city and Boom wake up in the next and true to form both the quality of sleep and the train wasn’t that bad.
If my writings have helped you out, you can buy me a coffee or a beer via paypal:
