Queen's Day


Queen's day in Amsterdam is traditionally the most important Dutch national holiday and definitely one of the most important events of the city. This year was even more special, because of the new king taking over the throne from his mother, and by this, Holland has a king after some 120 years or so. Events already started at 10 AM and went on until late in the evening with all kinds of different events and of course the traditional queen's day market all over town. A photographer feast if you are into city photography, there is no street corner without something interesting or funny (or both) to see. People are also more relaxed to pose, maybe because on this day everybody is allowed to sell their junk on the street, some people already spend the night outside just to protect their spot. Concerning shooting, go easy on the equipment. This is practically a city-wide party with streets packed with people, there is almost no time or place to change lens. I was only taking my beloved 35mm fixed lens (a DX format equivalent of the nifty-fifty), wide enough to capture the landscape but narrow enough to slide closer and take portraits if necessary. I was thinking daytime would have plenty of light and if not, the f/1.8 max aperture saves me if it comes to that. Don't be afraid of fixed lenses (like I was...), after a few weeks of use, you'll find yourself knowing exactly what fits the frame without even looking into the viewfinder, and you'll enjoy the higher contrast and sharpness these lenses have to offer. Moreover, fixed lenses are usually much lighter than zoom lenses, so you'll have several benefits counter-weighing the lost comfort.


Camera Nikon D90
Aperture f/2.5
Exposure Bias -0.33 eV
Metering Pattern
Focal Length 35mm (52mm)
Lens Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8
ISO 200
Shutter Speed 1/2000
Post Processing ACDSee Pro 6

 

No comments:

Post a Comment