Holland tulips

[LongLensPhotography]

There is a chance I may be tempted to a make a quick run for a couple of days and of course I am looking for the iconic colourful tulip and / or spring flower fields.

The bloom here started quite early and daffodils are finished already so which week(s) this month (?) would give me the best shot at it - if not already too late???

I remember a few years ago end of April was far too early there so it must vary a lot from year to year. If anyone is over there or has just been I would love to hear from you.

Of course alternative locations closer to home (mega boring Midlands) are very welcome too.

 

[Stu Meech]

There is some in Norfolk at the moment - East Winch in particular.

 

[welshwizard645]

Having lived in Holland it was an annual gamble when the tulips would be at their best....

Plenty of fields around Haarlem and Lisse full of tulips - it's easy enough to pull up in car/bike and wander into a field to photograph the crop, as long as you didn't trample on them I didn't get into any trouble. Mind you, it's been a long while since I've moved back to the UK.

 

[tijuana taxi]

These were looking rather colourful in a Rotterdam park yesterday afternoon.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

There is some in Norfolk at the moment - East Winch in particular.

I may try this this weekend even though it is almost as far as Holland minus the ferry

Are there any hurdles or restrictions getting near the fields?

 

[Stu Meech]

Not sure, not been myself yet. A pal on Instagram went and her posts looked like it was easy enough to get into the field.

I may try this this weekend even though it is almost as far as Holland minus the ferry

Are there any hurdles or restrictions getting near the fields?

 

[LongLensPhotography]

I will answer this - 1000% waste of time and diesel. Lots of brown mud is all you will find. Maybe it's a crap year for flowers and I don't think I fancy finding same s*** across the sea

 

[Stu Meech]

I wouldn't be so sure. From what I've seen there is some nice fields.

I will answer this - 1000% waste of time and diesel. Lots of brown mud is all you will find. Maybe it's a crap year for flowers and I don't think I fancy finding same s*** across the sea

 

[LongLensPhotography]

I wouldn't be so sure. From what I've seen there is some nice fields.

Try it yourself then. I burned £50 and got myself muddy. Thanks as far as I'm willing to go with this tulip nonsense

 

[tijuana taxi]

I saw another lot in full bloom yesterday in Delft.
Looks like Holland is the place to be, more windmills than Norfolk too.

 

[Stu Meech]

Fair enough. I might go Wednesday for a look about.

I will answer this - 1000% waste of time and diesel. Lots of brown mud is all you will find. Maybe it's a crap year for flowers and I don't think I fancy finding same s*** across the sea

 

[Scirocco_09]

Try it yourself then. I burned £50 and got myself muddy. Thanks as far as I'm willing to go with this tulip nonsense

If they’ve gone may as well drive on to the North Norfolk Coast and capture a few seascapes. Nice bit of coastline.

I’ll be interested to hear if Stu has anymore luck, it’s been productive for a lot of photographers in the past.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

If they’ve gone may as well drive on to the North Norfolk Coast and capture a few seascapes. Nice bit of coastline.

I’ll be interested to hear if Stu has anymore luck, it’s been productive for a lot of photographers in the past.

I have done that and I saw 2 windmills in somewhat depressing sunset conditions and had to go back 4 hours. I don't think I will be putting on my website. Its reasonable for anyone living there but driving that distance for it is an absolute insanity.

And why waste money on a field that has been harvested???? Thats such a waste.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

I saw another lot in full bloom yesterday in Delft.
Looks like Holland is the place to be, more windmills than Norfolk too.

That's exactly when they pick them to sell.
With my luck it will be gone the very same day I would get there. It wouldn't be until after Easter now and the risk is far too great to throw away another £300-400 for absolutely nothing productive. Maybe next year if the bloom is later in the spring. I want green trees all around.

I will refocus my plans to Scotland in the next few weeks and hopefully lavender in France and Alps.

 

[Scirocco_09]

And why waste money on a field that has been harvested???? Thats such a waste.

It wasn’t clear if they had been or if you hadn’t found them. Bit disappointing as I was meaning to take a look over Easter weekend, not captured them before and not too far away for me.

 

[SnEm]

I contact the local tourist information center, they send you an email when the tulips/Hyacinths are in bloom!

 

[Stu Meech]

Because if I find out from any locals any of the fields haven't been harvested then the 2hrs either way and £30 of fuel is worth a look to me.

I have done that and I saw 2 windmills in somewhat depressing sunset conditions and had to go back 4 hours. I don't think I will be putting on my website. Its reasonable for anyone living there but driving that distance for it is an absolute insanity.

And why waste money on a field that has been harvested???? Thats such a waste.

 

[SFTPhotography]

I will refocus my plans to Scotland in the next few weeks

Don't - it's incredibly hazy to the point it looks like smog - the rivers really really low and the famous falls dried up and say the Torren lochan is as low as I have ever seen it.

Plus it's still bare and brown.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

Don't - it's incredibly hazy to the point it looks like smog - the rivers really really low and the famous falls dried up and say the Torren lochan is as low as I have ever seen it.

Plus it's still bare and brown.

I get your point and that sounds like a bit of a waste
I hope it improves somewhat shortly as getting accommodation will just become next to impossible or unaffordable soon. Of course I can do a summer trip once I replace the misery Passat with something bigger and more reliable (crap suspension! it's OK for Golf but not this) but now the whole point is getting the ultimate use of the convertible before hopefully selling it.

Oh and the trip to Holland with Passat is out of the question now. Thanks to Bilstein for making crap shocks and springs. I can't even get wheel alignment done properly any more. Utter overpriced crap. Convertible is technically in dad's name so will take too long to change papers for only a few days of fun.

 

[SFTPhotography]

I get your point and that sounds like a bit of a waste
I hope it improves somewhat shortly as getting accommodation will just become next to impossible or unaffordable soon. Of course I can do a summer trip once I replace the misery Passat with something bigger and more reliable (crap suspension! it's OK for Golf but not this) but now the whole point is getting the ultimate use of the convertible before hopefully selling it.

Oh and the trip to Holland with Passat is out of the question now. Thanks to Bilstein for making crap shocks and springs. I can't even get wheel alignment done properly any more. Utter overpriced crap. Convertible is technically in dad's name so will take too long to change papers for only a few days of fun.

What happened to the Jaguar? Surely you can get your stuff in a Passat estate - I know you like to take a lot of stuff with you but surely that's up to the task of you and Scotland for a few days in the summer.

You know my thoughts about this area - Late May to Early November only unless the weather is particularly interesting outwith these times.

Might suggest the Elan Valley but I suspect the haze is a problem right now not just confined to Scotland. It might be a little greener down there but I wouldn't bet on it. My advice - save your money and time until the summer and autumn and go somewhere more Alpine or Pyrenean.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

What happened to the Jaguar? Surely you can get your stuff in a Passat estate - I know you like to take a lot of stuff with you but surely that's up to the task of you and Scotland for a few days in the summer.

You know my thoughts about this area - Late May to Early November only unless the weather is particularly interesting outwith these times.

Might suggest the Elan Valley but I suspect the haze is a problem right now not just confined to Scotland. It might be a little greener down there but I wouldn't bet on it. My advice - save your money and time until the summer and autumn and go somewhere more Alpine or Pyrenean.

Jaguar is not mine and practically never was. I don't enjoy impractical cars like that anyway.
I am really not buying another set of dampers+springs for this Passat so it must go ASAP. Too stiff and it's very bad, OEM is too soft and is very bad too. I give up with that piece of s*** and won't touch another. Engine and gearbox are about the only good things in it. Audi A6 is a maybe because it has completely different suspension but more likely I am looking at an SUV or Transporter.

Elan Valley is all about August (heather bloom if its ON) and October, and maybe winter if you get snow and calm clear conditions. I've been there so many times I'd want something really special now.

I don't know about you but not doing anything makes me feel very irritated after a while. 3 weeks seems to be about the limit.

 

[Scirocco_09]

I don't know about you but not doing anything makes me feel very irritated after a while. 3 weeks seems to be about the limit.

I get like that. Can also seem like the pressure’s on to catch seasonal things like bluebells, tulips, heather etc and sometimes you can’t get out when conditions are best. If you’ve got rapeseed fields in your area they can work really well in the right conditions

 

[SFTPhotography]

I don't know about you but not doing anything makes me feel very irritated after a while. 3 weeks seems to be about the limit.

No - I don't have a limit. It helps to know what you want, how you want it to look and wait for the conditions to present themselves rather than head out for the sake of it.

I like summer and autumn. I've barely taken any landscapes since last October. I don't mind at all.

My advice - as I know how particular you are about light, colours, seasonal variation etc, is to bide your time until the seasons suit you and head to somewhere you want to go. It looks like winter here, without the snow and without the full lakes/rivers and a full dose of summer haze. It's a waste of time really.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

I get like that. Can also seem like the pressure’s on to catch seasonal things like bluebells, tulips, heather etc and sometimes you can’t get out when conditions are best. If you’ve got rapeseed fields in your area they can work really well in the right conditions

Bluebells are out already. I have only gone to Malvern tonight and it looks really good. I will re-visit other locations as well. I think we should have the coastal flowers out soon as well so a day or two in Cornwall looks sensible.
I'm really not into rapeseed despite that vivid yellow. All it does to me is allergy.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

No - I don't have a limit. It helps to know what you want, how you want it to look and wait for the conditions to present themselves rather than head out for the sake of it.

I like summer and autumn. I've barely taken any landscapes since last October. I don't mind at all.

My advice - as I know how particular you are about light, colours, seasonal variation etc, is to bide your time until the seasons suit you and head to somewhere you want to go. It looks like winter here, without the snow and without the full lakes/rivers and a full dose of summer haze. It's a waste of time really.

in New Zealand and Patagonia it is around the equivalent of October. What a shame I can't afford it now. Anyone want to "sponsor" my project?

It is still a long time until our big landscapes will peak. I think at some time in May the tones in Scotland should start to improve?

 

[nandbytes]

In line with thread title

Focus stack from 3 images at 105mm. Handheld stacking kinda sucks tbh, might give it another go in photoshop later when I have more time.
Taken near Lisse.

I am really a big fan of flower fields. I live very close to a Lavendar farm but they don't allow people in at sun-rise/set

I need to find other flower fields around London... that's my project for this spring+summer

 

[SFTPhotography]

in New Zealand and Patagonia it is around the equivalent of October. What a shame I can't afford it now. Anyone want to "sponsor" my project?

It is still a long time until our big landscapes will peak. I think at some time in May the tones in Scotland should start to improve?

I know. I was taking to a former workshop client who said how brilliant Patagonia was...in April. If you go on social media and follow the big names you’ll see some amazing scenes from down there. NZ also looks mega...

I don’t fly so I’d have to look into sailing to get there but one day...

Things improve back end of May into June here. You’ve missed out on nothing and within 7 weeks it will be full bloom summer

Heather flowers back end of July into August but these months tend to have more challenging weather. A good August/September is a hard thing to beat