In autumn, I went in search of seepage for macro photography. It can be found in several places in the Drentse Aa's stream valley system. Seepage is actually groundwater. This groundwater flows from the Drents Plateau to lower-lying places such as stream valleys and surfaces there. Sometimes the water takes decades or even hundreds of years to reach the surface. In that time, it is enriched with all kinds of minerals. Iron has also been included. When the seepage water reaches the surface, this iron starts to react with oxygen from the air. This then causes the groundwater to take on a rusty brown colour. Seepage can look beautiful because of all this, a colourful lot because of the minerals, and in spring it forms a good breeding ground for kingcups, hollow rush and water violet.
Karla Leeftink prefers to photograph in the peace and quiet of early mornings with a hint of mysterious mist. The Drentsche-Aa region and the Reest valley are ideal for this with their frequently occurring misty landscapes. She also likes the wide open Wadden Sea landscapes and rough Norwegian fjord landscapes... Read more…