Prepared for battle! Photo

Photographer’s Note

You can start hiding, Jose Elias! Your declaration of war against the Dutch windmills has been acknowledged by a few Dutch TE-members. Yesterday I went into the polders and found a few mills that are ready for the battle. And even better: they have additional cavalry troops of frightening Dutch cows! So what is the Portuguese answer to that? Your famous painted chickens/cocks?

And now for the more serious note: yesterday we made a 30km hike from Zoetermeer to Alphen a/d Rijn. We followed a route that is desribed in the booklet of the "Groene Hart Pad" (English: "Green Heart Trail"), which is one of the long-distance-walks in the Netherlands, see also their website. The complete walk is a 191km circle in the western part of the Netherlands. We experienced today's hike as really beautiful, with lots of small hidden paths through the polders, passing beautiful farms, canals, natural preservation areas, little villages and of course windmills. At the end of the afternoon many farmers were leading their cows from the fields into the barns for milking. This particular cow was a bit stubborn and took the wrong turn onto a bicycle path. Seeing the windmill (named: "Rietveldse molen") in the background I thought about Jose's picture and note and simply had to take this picture!

I'm sorry about the overexposed part in the sky. Weather was changing all the time and there was a huge contrast between parts of the sky. I don't have any filters to compensate this, so I just have to accept it as it is.

Please also look at the workshop for a funny overview of this particular situation.

Fixfocus, PixelTerror, Timmok, Rinie_Hoff, ishai, KevRyan, joseelias, weswang, carper, sleon, Liekje has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Gdouble (5245) 2005-08-07 5:23

Hi Michael, dit is een heel mooie prent. Alle lokale ingrediente zijn er : kanaal, koe, molen, moeilijke hemel...
Perfecte compositie.
Good job
Guy

Fixfocus (9377) 2005-08-07 5:48

Goedemorgen Michael,
A real Dutch classic that you present here in the Portuguese>Dutch competition.I would like to take part on the Dutch side but I´m running out of windmills :-(
Excellent compo with the impressive cow in the foreground and a nice perspective along the fietspad to the mill in the background.
Prettige Zondag,
hermann

PixelTerror (87159) 2005-08-07 5:54

Ah ah ah Michael, these days are going to be funny ;-)
I see you even have the heavy cavalry on your side, impressive, and the vertical framing adds good depth to the perspective here, just the clouds are a bit burned.
fine contribution,
Jean-Yves
P.S. the first biking cow I ever see !!!

Furachan (0) 2005-08-07 6:06

Even without all the fun stuff about Dutch/Portuguese windmill wars, this is an outstanding compo, perfect positining of your two subjects, excellent color control. Excelent worl and delightful note. Bravo! Francis

Rinie_Hoff (9334) 2005-08-07 6:07

Yeah, Michael, welcome in the battle, I just created a theme for it.
She is really nice, the windmill as well as the young cow, but I HATE her yellow earrings! Composition is very nice, and I'm glad you involved the cows in the battle as well. Gorgeous sky! Perfect light, very nice atmosphere.
I like your workshop version very much as well.

kikvel (4772) 2005-08-07 6:49

Hi Michael

I know a war is ongoing, Ive seen Rinie is involved too

I believe you are winning by now,
As you mentioned the sky is bit overexposed but I believe in war, it is difficult to control these details

:D

K.

Timmok (800) 2005-08-07 8:22

Hi Michael,

Nice humoristic picture and note. I like the stubborn attitude of this cow which definitely doesn't seem to want to collaborate ;o) Its position in the composition is very good.

Cows are and will always be great models for pictures ;o)

dkeus31 (26497) 2005-08-07 8:40

Typically Dutch,
I like your sky, even overexposed (and also underexposed cow!)
Nice perspective.

Cricri (44068) 2005-08-07 9:55

Bonjour Michael, une photo qui montre bien que nous somme au Pays-Bas, trés jolie composition, amitié, cricri

erdna (5360) 2005-08-07 16:07

"The die is cast. Where is Don Quixote?"

I will not judge you by the picture but by the fierceness of your cow!

Andre'

mlopes (492) 2005-08-08 6:11

Hi Michael, eheheh funny note ;) this is a great theme but you've played low this time... that cow is a lot bigger than our painted cocks... we will have to find some dozens to compensate :P

Great POV and colours, very nice photo indeed... but you can't melt my heart.. be prepared for war LOL

Mário

ishai (4093) 2005-08-08 15:02

Very good defense and a counter attack picture
Very well thought of and well positioned
This cow looks mean and serious so be careful
Well thought off Michael

cgrindahl (6109) 2005-08-09 1:17

This is a delight Michael! Technically, the blown out clouds are less than ideal, but the composition is well considered and the cow staring at the camera is wonderful. Fine color and detail. Rinie told me about the theme and I've just opened it. Your photo jumped out at me. Great fun!

KevRyan (22422) 2005-08-09 7:21

That is a battleship of a mill you've got there Michael - most impressive and the guard looks real mean! A very substantial contribution to the battle!

K

joseelias (367) 2005-08-09 8:55

In case you don’t know the story of the Barcelos Rooster states that it sang after being dead and cooked!!! So don’t mess with it because as you see it is indestructible… I invite you to cook one of your cows and then let’s see if it “MUUUUS”… :o))

In fact, the rooster may become our last weapon if you use your treachery cows… So don’t play with it! :-)

Besides if this are your special forces let me tell that it doesn’t look very smart… Who in their perfect mind would wear yellow earrings with a black and white suit!!! :o))

Still, here you could get a decent light and sky on your typical lousy weather, and the mill almost looks appealing despite being Dutch… :o)

hugolef (4909) 2005-08-09 11:02

Hello Mr Michael
i'm french, but my wife's grandmother is portuguese, so i feel concerned by this war ... I agree Dom Jose, our leader, that denounced the Dutch oppression !
Know I'll join the portuguese troup with my "picards" commandos as soon as possible, and be sure we are ready to fight !
But if your "cows troups" attack, you had to oppose to my chickens !
(Not) Regards from a french fighter

PS: you're right the WS is funny, good compo

carper (66108) 2005-08-10 10:10

heel mooi Michael,
prachtig genomen, goede diepte met die koe voor aan het weggetje, mooie compositie, goed werk.,
gr. Jaap

weswang (18223) 2005-08-10 10:35

Hi Michael, I enjoy this picture very much. I am glad that there has been a windmill war, or this picture would not been as so appearing as to this special "war zone" situation. You have done an excellent job to put the cows into the battle field while the windmill is at the background, which fits the war situation perfectly.
A nicely taken picture with nice contrast and excellent clarity. Well done.

sleon (9352) 2005-08-11 12:29

Hi Michael
Great creative shot here. Good sharpness and DoF adds to this already great composition! It has certainly put a grin on my face.
Regards, Susanna

oochappan (22032) 2005-08-15 2:56

Finally the proudness of holland in frontplan, you know they were exported to India these famous B&W cows for their good milk they produce ? Perfect intro to the mill.

strangiato (76) 2005-11-05 6:55

Typical Dutch scene here. A windmill and a cow ready to rob you. Or have things changed in Holland?

voodoo-girl (694) 2006-03-24 13:01

Oh elle est très mignonne cette image. J'aime beaucoup cette vache qui a l'air bien intrigué par l'objectif, et le moulin derrière qui rend la photo encore plus réussie.
Bravo Michael.
Mel