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Windmills at Kinderdijk


Windmills at Kinderdijk
Photo Information
Copyright: Nel Diepstraten (NellyD) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 362 W: 0 N: 697] (2745)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-11-18
Categories: Nature
Camera: Canon 350 D, Canon EFS 18-55 mm
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Dutch windmills [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-11-18 7:48
Viewed: 681
Points: 51
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This picture I took today. I visited Kinderdijk, on this cold and windy but sunny sunday over here in Holland. Here's some info on Kinderdijk from the internet:

Kinderdijk is a village in the Netherlands, partly in the municipality Nieuw-Lekkerland, partly in the municipality of Alblasserdam, South Holland province, the Netherlands. It lies about 15km east of Rotterdam.

Kinderdijk is in a polder at the confluence of the rivers Lek and Noord. To drain the polder, a system of 19 windmills was built around 1740. This group of mills is the largest concentration of old windmills in the Netherlands. The windmills of Kinderdijk are one of the best known Dutch tourist sites. They were placed on the list of UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1997.

The name Kinderdijk is Dutch for "Child's Dike". In 1421 during the Saint Elizabeth flood of 1421, the Grote Hollandse Waard flooded, but the Alblasserwaard polder stayed unflooded. It is said that when the terrible storm had subsided, someone went on to the dike between these two areas, to see what could be saved. He saw in the distance a wooden cradle floating. There was no hope that anything would be living in it, but when it approached, movement was seen. When the cradle came nearer, someone saw that a cat was in the cradle trying to keep it in balance by jumping back and forth so that no water could come into it. When the cradle eventually came near the dike, someone fished the cradle out and saw that in it a baby slept quiet and dry.

Kinderdijk is well known for its numerous windmills. In the Netherlands, the drainage system is an important matter. The Dutch need a large drainage system in order to keep the inhabitants from drowning, because some parts of the Netherlands are below sea level. In Alblasserwaard, problems with water became more and more apparent in the 13th century. The Dutch dug large canals to get rid of the excess water in the polders. These canals are called "weteringen", and they can still be found all over the country. However, this method was sufficient only for a short period of time. The ground started to lower again because of its structure and the level of the river began to rise at the same time. An additional way of maintaining the level of the water in the polders was required. The Dutch decided to build a series of windmills. The windmills would pump water into a reservoir until the level of the river had reached a certain level, in which pumping water into the river was made possible again. Gaining full control over the water was never possible. In the past, the residents of the Netherlands suffered from many severe floods.
Hendrika, mickyg, Monceflibra, paweljg, VeeJayCee, chrisJ, norenastramus, vandana2923, Royaldevon, Emma, JohnTulip, jan515, sorinabal, juyona, boomcat has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Claudine: you are rightvandana2923 1 11-18 09:52
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Critiques [Translate]

Très jolie photo et bel angle de vue.
Cordialement
Audrey

fantastic windmills.i realy like it.
great picture
cheers
monika;)

L'angle choisit est très dynamique. Belle tonalité et définition.
The angle chooses is very dynamic. Beautiful tonality and definition.

Hi Nel,
I love this place, so peaceful and pretty.
Also good warm light but we see that it will be winter soon. Thanks and greetings
Sabine - wishnugaruda

Merhaba Nell,
Classical shot from Netherlands.Nice point of view and great perspective.TFS.
Cheers!

hAyAti

hi,
Nice composition, but i think more light would have been a plus!!
Bye

Bonjour Nel
Belle perspective de tous ces moulins et une ambiance très particulière bien rendue.
Bonne soirée.
Cordialement
Gildas

echt hollands nelly.. mooi gedaan..

Czesc Nel,

Lovely landscape with windmills :] Great composition. plays with perspective, nice colours and soft light. Well done & TFS :]

Greetings from Poland,
Pawel

Hello Nel,
I think I have seen this scenery before but I guess that it must be an often photographed place :) This is exactly how I imagine Holland! This is a beautiful scenery with great POV, tones of colors, DOF and composition. Your notes are also very interesting. Well seen and well done! Thanks,
Claudine

Hi Nel. We have similar in Norfolk England. I was there last week just either side of the flood surge which all but came over the sea defences. The windmills there perform the same function and were built mainly by the Dutch who had more experience of the problem. This image is superb. The composition is perfect and the depth of colour brightens even a wintry day. Great clarity and sharpness also.

  • Great 
  • chrisJ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4237 W: 414 N: 6691] (42201)
  • [2007-11-18 8:59]

Hi Nel

Nice repetition of the windmills with superb diminishing linear perspective. Excellent sharpness & tfs!

Hello Nel,

This just oozes Holland!
I love the way the windmills give the whole photograph perspective!
This could be a Dutch Master at work!

I understand what Vandananis saying about the lead-in! Still a great shot!

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

  • Great 
  • Emma Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1403 W: 6 N: 1920] (10151)
  • [2007-11-18 10:43]

Hello Nel.
Excellen repetition the windmils.It is a beautiful picture, congratulates.
Kind regards.
Eva

Nel, welcome in the Molen club :-)
You are not the first, yoy will not be the last to come with the (kinderdijk) Molens , but you sure came strong here!
excellent photo.
Every time we see these milss trough a diffrent lens :-)
Welldone

John T

  • Great 
  • jan515 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2498 W: 56 N: 3862] (17484)
  • [2007-11-18 11:19]

Hello Nel,
A marvelous composition of the Windmill in addition perfect details and a wonderful effect of the picture. Very good work. Congratulate.
Janusz

Hello Nel,

I like very much this photo and as well your note. Very nice colored and sharp image.
In the same time, location remembers me our beautiful Easter holiday spent in Holland. We visited at that time the UNESCO site of Kinderdijk which impressed me a lot.

Best regards,
Sorina

Great perspective you chose to get all the windmills in line and the curving river bank breaks up the blue water area nicely .. nice colours and to me typically Dutch Nel

Hi Nel, wonderful composition with splendid windmills, great colors, splendid perspective, very well done, ciao Silvio

Hi Nel,
Dat is recent - heerlijke frisse dag en die molens stonden daar dus prettig in de rij te wachten om gefotografeerd te worden.
Fantastic capture here.
TFS
Els

  • Great 
  • juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2641 W: 1 N: 1262] (15439)
  • [2007-11-18 13:58]

Hola Nel,
preciosa postal,
y bello panorama,
agradable compo y pov...
saludos

i love your windmills, Nel.. what a view.. i think the windmill look lovely in Kinderdijk.

tfs and regards, terry

Hello Nel,

I guess its almost same POV like mine photo from September visit of Kinderdijk

Claudine is right here.
You missed the lead-in line though.
Nice photo. TFS

Vandana
later

Hi Nel,
Very beautiful composition and lovely windmills.Great shot and colours.Well done.TFS.
Greetings.
H.Ayhan

Mooi kinderdijk plaatje. In de WS heb ik ietwat contrast toegevoegd.

Groetjes,
Pedro

Nel.

Dit is heel vaak vastgelegd, maar deze is wel heel schitterd hoor.
Mooi perspectieve.
Knap stukje werk.
Gr.
Aloys

Hello Nel,
A strong diagonal composition with the beautiful windmills!
The warm light adds atmosphere, and the image has good details and a fine feeling of depth...
Greetings,
Pablo -

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