I spent quite some time wandering the streets and alleys (and canals) of Amsterdam on this evening. It was an interesting experience for sure. So much activity!
This was another long exposure outside of this radical apartment complex in Rotterdam. We stopped here along the European tour for another drunken night of partying and taking photos. One can make an argument that most of the European tour had too many drunken nights. Another can make an argument there was just the right amount. I have a bizarre ability to take some rather interesting photos when inebriated. I’m not necessarily proud of this, but it does seem to be at least somewhat true.
I just re-watched this video for some reason and I thought it was pretty good, so I thought I would add it to the blog here along with my favorite photos from The Netherlands!
And here are some favorites!
https://stuckincustoms.smugmug.com/Misc/80Stays/80Stays-Shared/n-58K6Nc/i-4qVxWG8
Today, if you’re a Passport Member, you’ll get to see a new video from me in Amsterdam where I make reference to the TED talk below from Ted Gilbert and how it has related to my life and photography. Enjoy!
Photography can increase the happiness in your life in a number of ways, but here’s a way to add an extra layer into the mix!
This is one of my favorite photo walk highlight videos because of the people in it that are smiling. I think Olya did a great job with the edit of this one. Enjoy!
How cool is Amsterdam? I was walking around across from the red-light district and found this fancy place. Look at all the detail. And yes, I assume you can go inside and get a wide variety of drugs. Many things are legal there… of course pot. And they don’t exactly have “Mushrooms” but they have something else called “Truffles.” They didn’t work on me, but they definitely worked on my friend Rene. He’s already a giggly guy, but this took him 10x the level. We all sat around the hotel room watching comedy specials on Netflix and he was at next-level-Rene!
You can see one of the Mushroom Menus in Instagram on my side-account at @80Stays if you dig down a bit. By now, we are deeper into Japan, and you’ll start to see more #80Stays photos appearing there. Follow along with the adventure if you choose! 🙂
I don’t remember a lot of Amsterdam, except for the photo walk. Luckily, that was on the first day. After that, I went a bit mushroom-nutty. Wow it was fun and I saw some amazing things, but none of them were easy to capture with my camera. Probably none of that makes sense if you have not tried mushrooms. But, yeah, well. One night crossing one of the canals, I saw this beautiful scene at dusk.
The so-called 5 Day Deal now only has 3 days left. If you’re just getting started with photography, or even been at it for a while, there is more than enough in here for you to enjoy. It includes a special tutorial I made in Venice at https://stuckincustoms.com/links/5daydeal
I think almost everyone ONLY thinks of Amsterdam when they go to the Netherlands, but I recommend you go here, to Rotterdam. Actually, I also recommend a trip to the Hague and Utrecht – two other beautiful places to visit!
I had a great time wandering around Rotterdam at night. We had a great dinner across the river and then came down to start taking photos. As is often the case with me, I wander off on my own and the team loses track of me. But that’s okay… I’m fairly self-sufficient. So, along the way, I found this spot along the river. I thought the colors and shapes were amazing, so I hung out here for about 15 minutes waiting for the right moment.
I was thinking of adding a RANDOM PHOTO button to the website. What do you think of that? I worry a BIT because some of my older photos are not that awesome. Or, actually, they are way way way below awesome. Maybe if I could figure out how the randomizer could be a photo in the last five years… hmmm… just brainstorming here!
It was only one night in Rotterdam, but what a great night for photos! The city is so artsy and has such amazing lighting. It’s almost a bit sci-fi and futuristic, as you can see from this spot. One strange thing I found about the city: at night, there was almost no one walking around. Many other European cities have people roaming every which way, but not here. Maybe it’s because I was in this area that didn’t have any bars or nightlife… I didn’t really visit that area of town… never even found it. I was just mostly aimlessly wandering and getting lost, which is a favorite thing to do in new cities!
Speaking of highlight videos, like the one yesterday, here’s one from our Amsterdam photo walk! 🙂
The red light district goes all day long. It’s great people-watching, as you might expect. I think once you get over the discomfort of looking a woman in a window smiling at you, it can be interesting just to observe and not judge or anything. It’s all legal here and heavily controlled so nothing fishy goes on and the women are kept safe. No photos of course (I didn’t try), but you can take ones that are a bit far away. Fun Fact: If you see a BLUE light inside of one of the windows, then you’re looking at a transvestite.
If you’re into meditation (or even want to just try it for a few days), I recommend the new version of the “Headspace” app. All the basic stuff is free, and I think you’ll enjoy it. Why not make 10 minutes for your awesome mind to relax a bit?
I don’t have many regrets from the road trip across Europe, but maybe one is not stopping in enough other cities other than the big ones. This was one little side-stop we made in Rotterdam, a very cool city that I had never visited. It was a very artsy place, with wacky sculptures and street art all over the place… All the art gave the city a very nice texture; and it’s another pin in the map to return to some day with more time! 🙂
