St.Lambert basilica, Hengelo

Hengelo, my hometown.

After 25 years of absence, it felt like coming home when I set foot on familiar ground again in 2022, back on the old nest. When I left Hengelo in 1998, there was still a shopping centre right behind Lambertus Basilica. Fortunately, that image is now a thing of the past. The year I returned, the centre was renovated and the place had a completely different look. Instead of the shop premises, there is now a beautiful city garden, a green oasis in the heart of the city.

What Hengelo also does well, and which particularly appeals to me as a photographer, is the care and attention they pay to the city's lighting. The market square, the town hall and, of course, the Lambertus Basilica itself are attractively lit at night. This not only gives the city character, but also warmth and a sense of pride.

On a balmy summer evening, I decided to take my camera and capture this renewed view of my city. I waited patiently until dusk, until the first lights lit up gently against the dark sky.

I tried different angles, played with perspective and composition, until I felt the image was right. Once home, the second part of the process began: post-processing. Quietly, with attention to detail. The colour tones are especially important to me. The warm yellow and orange tones of the artificial light against the deep blue evening sky give the photo that distinctive atmosphere - a harmony of light and feeling.