Because of the strong winds, it was not the best time to ride my motorcycle. I needed to keep it safe and had the opportunity to borrow my wonderful wife’s car. Fortunately for me. The car did take me to The Liereman park in Oud-Turnhout.
Three months have passed. For the first time, I drove by this nature preserve. The magnitude of it astounded me. Awe-inspiring wide open spaces with breathtaking views. I was ready to see if spring had arrived with two cameras in the case and new lenses to try.
The first images you see are from November 2021. I captured some pretty gorgeous mushrooms at a wide angle. The majority of the area is swampy or damp. It’s important to stay on the trails since they can take you by surprise.
In November, I discovered that a fire had destroyed many trees and hectares of woodland in the summer. It’s devastating to witness how the environment has changed, with hectares of heather destroyed and burned to the ground. Some landscape photos I shot in November.
Today, the employees who work to maintain the nature park running worked hard to clean up all of the ruined wood and to try to restore the natural habitat.
The extent of the destroyed landscapes is spread out over many hectares, making it a massive effort to complete. The sun shone brightly today, creating wonderful photos. Because of the recent heavy rains, the wetland had extended out across the hiking routes, and some areas were impassable. I captured some photographs from swampy areas as well as hiking trails. Some areas appeared to require the use of a boat.
Wooden pathways were erected through some wetland regions, providing beautiful views. With the sun shining and the birds chirping in the background, you can’t help but grin as you hike the routes.
Some marsh areas were followed by thick sand parts, particularly dunes. Even though the dunes grass were not in the most spectacular colors, it was still a really pleasant and tranquil sight to behold. These are, in my opinion, the most beautiful spots in Mai. So I guess I’ll have to return. Here are some photos I took.
One of the photos I took on my hike with horses in the background was magnificent. The light cast a beautiful glow over the landscape. Using a newer, more than 40-year-old lens on my camera resulted in stunning photographs.
This 40-year-old lens has inspired me from the first time I held it in my hands. It also has the macro capability and is, of course, authentic Leica! What else is there…
I have tried other brands on my Leica cameras before, but they were never a perfect match for me. You can see some macro photographs I took of the beauty right in front of me in the gallery below.
I can look back on my hike with a smile on my face. Testing ancient Leica lenses, which were new to me, let me learn more about my main passion in photography. Many people learn photography with the most recent materials, but I’d like to travel back in time with lenses and bodies. I adore the soul of the images formed by lenses, which still bring art to paper when used. For me, it is a personal preference, but I admire photographs with spirit!
It’s still a desire of mine to return to film. At the moment, I have all of the lenses necessary to make it happen, and I made a wise decision to be able to combine film and digital.
We’ll see what life brings, but I’ve discovered more using ancient materials than I ever have with the best cameras I’ve used as a sports photographer.
Life is about passion, and without it, there is no heart-pounding…
Knap werk , prachtige foto’s