All we are is everything we take in
A field trip to the Oosterscheldekering turns into a reflection on solitude, documentation, and the role photography plays in making sense of the world.
Netherlands
The Oosterschelde Storm Surge Barrier: a perpetual work in progress
The Oosterscheldekering protects the Dutch coast from storm surges while preserving one of the country’s last tidal estuaries. A visit to Neeltje Jans reveals a landscape shaped by compromise, engineering and continuous maintenance.
Field trips for the greater good
More field trips for more interesting experiences for better stories and more interesting work.
The Sand Engine: a human assist to nature
A mega pile of sand is slowly eroding over time to protect the Dutch coastline. And that's interesting for a couple of reasons.
De Slufter: a weird name, for a unique place
The only place in the Netherlands where the sea is allowed to win.
Coastwork
An unplanned trip to Texel turned into a small field study of a coastline unlike any other. Being there, in the wind and water, brought back my fascination with the ocean and its edges.
Walking the Grebbeliniepad
The Grebbe Line (Dutch: Grebbelinie) was part of the Dutch Waterline—a defensive system that used intentional flooding to hold back invaders. It stretched from the Grebbeberg near Rhenen all the way north to the IJsselmeer. It's a 91KM walk that took me two years to complete.
252 | Walking the Grebbeliniepad (part 2)
The trail called me again. So I returned to it. Furthering the walked kilometers of the official paths. I took photos and I recorded GPS data. That’s all it was. That’s all it will be. I’ll get around to creating a proper map soon but here’s a screenshot of the recorded tracks so far. Oh and a photo. Can’t forget the photo.
251 | Walking the Grebbeliniepad
I should’ve done this way earlier. This afternoon, after a couple of hours of online research and general uncertainty if I was making a mistake or not, I went out to start walking parts of the Grebbe Line (Grebbelinie, in Dutch) for the first time. An old defence line, based on inundation (flooding parts of the land to protect yourself from enemies) that’s still largely in tact. The idea started to form in my head when I cycled past a large part of it on my ride along the Valleikanaal a few week