Running through the north of North Holland is the Westfriese Omringdijk, some 126 kilometres long. This dyke has a history that has had major consequences for the Netherlands. Indeed, this was once of the first reclamations of the Netherlands, allowing land for longhouses and homes. On the dike, you will still find a number of mills or remnants of them, and the houses are spread over different heights.
This photo is one of a series from my report 'Morning on the Omringdijk'. This involved me going up the dike before sunrise one summer to photograph the silence and peace. This mill can be seen from my house and served as a grain mill in addition to draining the polder. Now, next door is a bakery where people with disabilities work and make delicious bread and pastries! They too get up early to put the bread on the shelves on time. Real early risers!
When I was 4 years old, I got my first own camera in December, the roll filled up in one afternoon and I still have the picture of my father and dog. In every friends book I wrote that I wanted to be a photographer later, and.. Read more…