Skating away on a thin ice of a new day, a photo from Zuid Holland, South

Photographer's Note

This is another representation of the extraordinary weather conditions we had in the end of last week. Because this now happens once in ten years, everybody went on ice in this country, almost a million people were skating on the canals and lakes last Saturday only, and the views sometimes recalled the winter landscapes of Dutch Golden Age...

The title is borrowed from one of Jethro Tull songs, from the "War Child" album (1974). If you would like to listen to this song (which I highly recommend) - here's the link.

snunney, gracious, Budapestman, macondo, feather, Pitoncle, Buin, Floydian, xavshot, Gerrit, hispic, ChrisJ, npecanhuk, dip, carper, Didi, AiresSantos, Cricri, riclopes, Vanessa132 has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

jasmis (58653) 2009-01-14 0:36

Interesting winter presentation with classic Dutch elements.
Regards.

snunney (130967) 2009-01-14 0:53

Hello Alexander,
A great composition of this beautiful winter landscape. The windmill and the pairs of skaters make it for me. Thanks for sharing.

pauloog (11751) 2009-01-14 0:55

Hello Alexander,
A pleasant winter view in soft and natural grey-blue tones, with depth brought by the two skaters.
Regards,
Paul

gracious (20025) 2009-01-14 1:03

Hello Alex,
Many thanks for sharing such beautiful winter scenery from your part of the world!
the pov is perfect with a very special and beautiful lighting over it!
the image is so sharp with wonderful colour and details
well done
cheers
Tony

mortijo (12828) 2009-01-14 1:17

Excellent Dutch winter landscape.
Regards
John

Budapestman (82620) 2009-01-14 1:21

Hi Alexander,
Charming atmosphere with beautiful details and spectacular composition. Calmness and a harmony stream from the photo. The windmill and the snowy trees are beautiful. Congratulations. Have a nice day!
George

delkoo (68) 2009-01-14 1:48

hi alexander
great photo, the composition is well planed with the skaters in the foreground going to the windmill, the icy trees makes a nice variation.

best regards
didier

Nicou (193806) 2009-01-14 2:03

Hello,

Génail cette image, els canaux sont tous gelé et vous faite du patin, quel décor une merveille se givre sur les arbres, ce moulin, la vivacité des personnages, grandiose.

bravo et amitié

Nicou

macondo (20449) 2009-01-14 2:27

Hi Alexander.
Wow, what a picture. What timing, too, to get two couples on th ice, both perfectly placed in the frame, and so sharply captured with your quick shutter speed. Great exposure of the ice and snow. And the windmill to top it off. Superbly done. Such a contrast with what we had to put up with last night, when the temperature would not drop below 30.
Regards,
Andrew

jonathan_hart (21276) 2009-01-14 4:22

what a great pleasure it should be to be there, in this fantastic frozen landscape, well framed
jc

andywo (4725) 2009-01-14 5:07

Hi Alexander
Very interesting winter scene from Holland.
Best regards!
Andy

feather (51130) 2009-01-14 6:04

I've seen one or two of these skating images around now and they scare me. What if the ice breaks!? We've had all kinds of dire warnings on the news over here. It does make a wonderful picture though, and the inclusion of the windmill makes this scene typically Dutch. You have composed it very well with the windmill top left and with the two people skating towards it.
Kath

rey316 (24) 2009-01-14 7:05

Hi Alexander
Beautiful winter landscape
Very nice winter pov and fine colours
Well done
Andrey

atha2pan (3811) 2009-01-14 7:09

Hi Alex,
those people must be in heaven, enjoying the natural place in winter.
Well seen and nice to be back.
Cheers, Sakis

Pitoncle (3745) 2009-01-14 7:36

Bonjour Alexander,
Très belle évocation hivernale dans une splendide et originale lumière.
A bientôt sur TE pour de nouvelles aventures.
Gérard

BennyV (34748) 2009-01-14 8:01

Nederlandser kan niet, of je moest er bitterballen bij halen, Alexander! Dit is een prachtpraatje met alles op z'n plaats en een erg mooie uitvoering.

Een extra 'coup de châpeau' voor de titel! Ik hou van dat soort dingen!

Benny

Buin (42580) 2009-01-14 8:50

Hallo Alexander!
What a wonderful view, what a weather! Winter at its best indeed! One can feel cold here but it's a "pleasing" cold which has enchanted the landscape. A photo to marvel at ...
Greetings from cold and wet Westphalia!
Frank

Floydian (30970) 2009-01-14 10:16

Hallo Alexander,

Ook al wonen we hier, dit soort plaatjes blijft toch mooi om te maken en vooral om te zien. Heerlijk klassiek opgezet met de schaatsers, de witte wereld en die molen, meer Nederland promotie kan bijna niet ;-)

Groet,

Henk

xavshot (69835) 2009-01-14 11:10

Bonsoir Alexander
superbe ambiance et couleurs hivernales. J'aime beaucoup les teintes de la photo. Belle lumière.
Xavier

Gerrit (62042) 2009-01-14 11:18

Hi Aleksander,
Holland at its best.
Fantastic composition in perfect tones, Great work.
Regards, Gerrit

hay_kes (31439) 2009-01-14 12:55

Hi Alexander,
A wonderful action shot vith superb winterscape.TFS.
Regards,

hAyAti

gilou530 (34) 2009-01-14 13:37

salut alexander
un paysage bien typique en hiver ou le froid régne en maitre et fait des heureux avec ces patinoires naturelles, de superbes couleurs et lumiére dans cette photo beau travail
amitiés
gilbert

hispic (9658) 2009-01-14 19:31

Hello Alexander,
Perfect composition, skating on the frozen canal toward a windmill, it's Nederland through and through.
I like your way not to have made the sky unnatural blue. Very pleasant tonality.
Regards, Hisashi

ChrisJ (171794) 2009-01-15 0:45

Hi Alexander

A superb catch of the 4 ice skaters on the frozen canal. Good lead in lines & linear perspective with a pleasant blue/grey & white colour scheme. Good sharpness & capture of the very cold weather. Tfs!

Cretense (68709) 2009-01-15 5:43

Hi Alexander!

Excellent photo and excellent song, has been a long time since the last time I listened to it, but I remember it very well!

Excellent timing, great composition and framing, great light managment and spectacular landscape! Congratulations!

Hercules

npecanhuk (79329) 2009-01-15 6:34

Hello Alexander!
Perfect timing! Wonderful composition!
Correct exposure!
It's truly a very interesting and beautiful winter scene and the addition of the skaters has turned the image livelier, which is was very welcome! I really like it!
TFS - Congratulations!
Warmest regards,
Neyvan

dip (21408) 2009-01-15 9:44

Hi Alexander,
very good capture of the winter atmosphere,
beautiful composition and framing,
Greetings,
dimitris.

carper (96) 2009-01-15 9:57

prachtige foto Alexander,
zeer goed genomen, mooie Nederlandse sfeer, uitstekende verdeling, goed werk. prettige avond.
groet jaap

Didi (61589) 2009-01-16 3:51

Hi Alexander
Interesting curve in this nice and deep foreground.
Very nice winter ambiance.
I hope that the ice was strong.
Best wishes for 2009.

AiresSantos (56155) 2009-01-16 6:26

Hi Alexander
Beautiful winter scenery with the people skating.
Fine POV, typical windmill and lovely frozen trees
TFS and have a nice weeekend
Aires

MarianneS (15338) 2009-01-16 13:19

Hello Alexander,
Superb view! So typically Dutch!
The windmill, ice skating, it is a great composition.
Regards,
Marianne

Cricri (176) 2009-01-18 3:58

Hi Alexander
C'est un genre d'image de cette hiver qui va rester longtemps une journée innoubliable...
Bien composer avec les personnes patinant et la vue sur le moulin qui rappelle la Hollande, belle teinte de couleurs
Good sunday for you
cricri

hdl (7035) 2009-01-19 8:55

Dag Alexander. Prachtige schaatsfoto! Op en top Hollands en schitterend in de eenvoud. De schaatsers op de voorgrond zijn een echte must; je hebt goed gewacht tot op het juiste moment. Groetjes uit een ondertussen opgewarmd België.

bantonbuju (51815) 2009-01-20 2:50

privjet alek,

a nice one... i was in holland some ten years ago for quite a some time and this type of lansdcapes remind me those days there...

bit unusual to see those channels ice-covered and people scating on them... i used to use canoe rather...

best wishes, j.

ktanska (44714) 2009-01-20 4:38

Hi Alexander,
Great to see that you got to chance to skate on clear winter weather. Nice feeling, strong perspective and the windmill makes this look so definitely Dutch.
Kari

riclopes (35577) 2009-01-22 23:54

It totally gives a new dimension to the well known windmills. Love the mood and would love to try it myself. Wouldn't imagine it only happens once in ten years...Beautiful winter scenery, nice catch of the two skaters in FG.
ric

CLODO (45116) 2009-01-23 12:55

Hi Alexander
Bad weather = good picture. You take this opportunity to realise a living shot, so different from the many pictures of windmills in your country
Well done
Regards
CLODO

sebinho342 (19329) 2009-01-24 9:06

Hi alexander, i love that one, i love those pîctures, when natural conditions and weather permits the photographer to catch unusual scenes that give the extra bonus of originality.
Very nice, i especially love the background, smooth and soft

faubry (35447) 2009-01-24 9:20

wonderful composition, classic winter scene, i like windmill behind
francine

pboehringer (770) 2009-01-26 9:46

Alexander, if there is something that I envy you guys in Netherland that would be the windmills, the frozen canals, skating endless miles and the tulips. Wonderful composition with the frozen branch at the right part of the image, leading into the iamge with the frozen canal and the two persons making the connection with the windmill in the background. This is a very active image and I have the impression that I will skating by at any given moment.
Peter

Vanessa132 (94) 2009-01-27 10:44

Hallo Alexander,
een heel mooi winterplaatje ! dit maken we niet elk jaar mee!
mooie zachte kleuren in contrast met de schaatsers.
klasse !
groeten,
Vanessa

banyanman (7797) 2009-01-28 6:06

Hi Alexander. I've already critiqued another couple of photographs on TE of skaters on the Dutch ice (I read this was the first time in 12 years) but this is the best I have seen. I like how you have composed this with two skaters in the foreground and two in the background and the curve of the canal leading the eye to the windmill in the background. So Holland! Cheers . . . David