What to shoot in Amsterdam

I am hoping to attend a workshop in Amsterdam this summer that is more based in

other arts than it is on photography, so if I end up attending it I will be a little bit on

my own to figure out what to shoot. What suggestions do you have for a 17 year old

American photographer in Amsterdam? I am interested in night photography, so any

suggestions about safe parts of town to do this in would be great. I am still going to

shoot during the day, so any suggestions for that would be great as well.

I would like to wish you good luck and have an excellent trip to Amsterdam. There is a lot to see and do; perfect for photography.

 

I would recommend that you begin your preparation by doing some reading about the city. The more you acquint yourself with the city, the more you will get out of your trip. Read a book about the history of Amsterdam. This will give you context. Get yourself a guidebook (from the library). I would highly recommend "Eyewitness Travel Guide to Amsterdam" by Robin Pascoe. Or the online guides such as http://www.timeout.com/amsterdam/ Also, start to hang out on the Amsterdam forums such as http://www.channels.nl/adam.html. By doing so, you will learn about all the good areas to get photos such as in the old part of Amsterdam on Warmoesstraat Street, the Red Light District near the Oude Kerk, the Leidseplein, the Royal Palace area, the Museum areas, The Golden Bend, the Waag, the Jordaan area, the many parks, etc.

 

Amsterdam is a fairly safe city, especially if you are streetwise. There are many police on patrol ready to help. Do not be afraid to ask for assistance. There are pickpockets around, so you need to be careful. As a tourist and a distracted photographer lining up your shot, you will be a prime target. Do some reading about how to protect yourself from pickpockets. One word of caution about the city: soft drugs are widely available in coffeeshops. Be careful if you indulge. As well, when one thinks of night photography in Amsterdam, one thinks of the Red Light District. This is a facinating place for the experienced street photographer. Do NOT take photos of the prostitutes. I have seen them violently react to the photographers who have taken their pictures; put your camera away when you get near them. I have also seen a tourist thrown into the cannel by one of their pimps. You can shoot the nightlife within the RLD such as the picturesque bridges over the cannels or the buzz of the nightlife.

 

When I photograph in Amsterdam, I go light which allows me to shoot fast: Mamiya 6 or Konica Hexar, with a Sekonic 508 lightmeter. I sometimes take a very small tripod (Gitzo tabletop). I am a frequent visitor, so I am not worried about missing a "once in a lifetime" photo by not having the right lens. With such a setup, I am not a target of pickpockets.

 

This sounds like this is your first trip to Amsterdam. Make the most of it, and do all the reading you can (on line, and off line). I wish you a great trip and experience. I love Amsterdam and I am sure you will too.

 

Sincerely,

 

Greg<div></div>

Hank -

 

I like the Central Station - people on the platforms, trains pulling into the massive train shed, etc.

 

Amsterdam is a fabulous city for walking around, and good subject matter is everywhere. I think that rather than have a list of specific subject in mind, it's better to just go for a long walk, stop in a cafe or coffee shop for some refreshments, sit on a park bench and watch people, etc. Have your camera with you so that you can react when you see something that resonates.

Thanks for the advice. I currently own a Nikon FE with a motor drive, so I think that

fits under the fast and portable category, as well as the 'not expensive looking'

category. Thanks for the heads up on photographing in the red light district, I will be

sure not to end up in the canal...

I haven't been in Amsterdam in some years but in addition to the canals I remember renting a bicycle for the day. There was a ferry running somewhere behind the central station and it got you to a suburb and then to open countryside along a waterway and through small villages, all on flat roads, easy pedalling, and no traffic, at least on weekdays. Also Delft is just a short, cheap train ride away and is like a smaller neater Asterdam with canal tour boats and cobblestone streets. There are probably other equally good towns and country a short distance away.

Hi, <P>

 

Your best bet is to just walk around, or better still rent a bike

and cycle around. There is loads to see and photograph in the city,

and on its outskirts, which are within easy biking distance. There

are some lovely hidden gems that you will not see if you just rush

to the obvious places. <P>

 

The city does look quite pretty at night with the bridges lit up, so

a tripod would be good. As a previous poster said, don't shoot the

workers in the windows. <P>

 

Be careful with your gear on the trams and in the touristy areas,

and NEVER leave anything unattended for even a minute. Violence is

rarely a problem, but theft definitely is! <P>

 

You could bike out to some of the nearby villages such as Abcoude,

Marken, Volendam, Muiden etc too. For something newer, head out to

the "Eilanden" and over to IJburg, and brand new set of islands with

housing that were not there when we arrived. <P>

 

Enjoy your trip <P>

 

Paul <P>

(One of many foreigners in Amsterdam!)

Depending on your available time, you might want to also visit The Hague and Haarlem. Both are a short train ride away.

 

I really like the Haarlem train station, and enjoyed exploring the rest of the town.

I think that if I am lucky enough to go, I will bring along a good light tripod, my nikon

FE w/md-11, a nikkormat as a backup, and a Holga to get some medium format too.

for lenses I will have a 28mm f/3.5, 50mm f/1.4, and a 135mm f/2.8. I plan on

shooting mainly Ilford film (FP-4, pan-x) with some Kodak Hi-E and Fuji Provia as

well. Would I have trouble finding any of these brands in Amsterdam? I also am

hoping to print on Ilford Multigrade RC and use Sprint chemicals. Are there any good

photography stores where I could get this, or should I have some shipped to me?

Hank,

 

You'll have no problems getting supplies in Amsterdam, there are several good photography shops. Now, you may not like the prices...

 

 

Paul

Hank,

 

color at Oude Spiegelstraat 10 in Jordaan is a Fuji professional dealer and their prices

(Sept '03) were comparable to those in the US.

 

Be sure to take a canalboat ride. As for night shooting, a very good taxi driver, Hans,

phone 0653290935, did a very good job of watching my back while I was shooting at

night.

 

Utrecht is a nice side trip by train for 10 Euros.

 

The National Geographic Traveler guide to Amsterdam is well worth its price.

 

Be sure to try stroopwaffles while you're there.

 

BTW, personnel at Schiphol gladly hand searched film of ASA400 and above.

 

bon voyage,

Your main area of interest would be the old part of the city (the centre). This is where the canals are: roughly a circle limited by the Central Station on the North East and the Rijksmuseum on the South West (easy to see on a map).

Just "take your soul under your arm and wander around"...and don't forget the quit mornings along the canals. Any basic tourist guide and a canal boat tour will give you plenty of ideas.

 

BUT take care/be streetwise. Keep an eye on your stuff, don't have 3 camera's hanging over your shoulder, keep an eye on how people behave, take care in crowded places like the subway or trams. Daytime should not be a problem (in the centre).

 

Everything labelled "Coffeeshop" and/or is marked with a mariuhana leave sells "soft drugs" (mariuhana and the like, not stuff like heroin); this is completely legal. Take care: it is also in other products like "space cake".

 

Photographing prostitutes, pimps, bums, drugdealers and "people hanging around without an obvious reason and generally behaving like they don't care for your interest in them" might/will get you in trouble, as would be the case anywhere on the planet; those are the pro's and con's of street/documentary photography.

 

Nevertheless, many tourists and foreign sutdents enjoy Amsterdam without any problem so have fun!

Some advise from someone who lives near Amsterdam and used to work in various parts of the city from 1997 to last year almost continuously.

 

1) stay far from Amsterdam South East (Bijlmermeer area), especially after dark. It's the single most dangerous area of the city, even police are afraid to go there unless with SWAT backup.

 

2) don't photograph in the redlight district and don't photograph coffee shops, especially if you're alone. Remember there's a lot of illegal activity going on there and these people don't want that recorded even accidentally.

People have been molested and had their equipment destroyed, some ending up in hospital.

 

3) The same goes for central station, especially the forecourt and hallways. Not a lot to see there anyway at the moment as it's a massive building pit due to construction on a new subway line and station right underneath it.

 

4) A great building many tourists won't find is the old NHM building on the Vijzelstraat. May not look like much when you walk past it (just an old grey stone building) but there's a lot of details in the stonework. It now houses part of the city administration after having been a bank for decades so it's well preserved. The foot thick brass doors (when closed, they sink into the floor) are particularly impressive.

Almost next door to it is an excellent (though somewhat pricy like all good restaurants) Indonesian restaurant.

 

5) Vondelpark. Again, stay away after dark as it's a popular place for junks and homeless people. Gay rapes happen frequently so be careful. Safe in daylight hours, especially if the weather is nice, as it's also a popular hangout for students. Street theatre etc. often to be seen.

 

6) nice night out would be Boom Chicago, a group of Americans a performing standup commedian show. Show is in English, centering about life in Amsterdam from the perspective of foreigners. Funny, decent food and drinks. http://www.boomchicago.nl

That's at Leidscheplein, a major cafe and restaurant area. Busy but safe.

 

And indeed get a good guidebook and a map. Most of the old interesting buildings are within walking distance from tram and metro stops, so getting a daypass (or week, if you're here that long) is a good idea.

small correction to what Karel mentions about soft drugs: they're not legal.

Posession of small amounts is not prosecuted though, and as long as the trade is kept indoors and they don't go into harddrugs the coffeeshops are left alone.

If you are tempted to try the stuff, beware to NOT bring any of it back with you to the US. Customs either here or back home will arrest you for it. Even bringing an empty bag in which you may have gotten it might be frowned upon by US customs.

Amsterdam is a international city of the youth and (legal) tourist rip off, according to restaurant prices (what might be a reason to bring enough cheap film). I've been there for a week. Go and enjoy. use some fast film too.

If you have an extra day, go see Rotterdam. Very modern compaired to Amsterdam due to the beating it got in WW2.

I second the vote for Utrecht - university town a short train ride from Amsterdam. Much smaller and more intimate than Amsterdam with lovely 2 tiered walkways along the main canal. Very safe as far as I could tell - only there for a weekend last summer.