The Dune of Råbjerg Mile is the largest migrating dune in Denmark. The westcoast has for many centuries struggled with migrating dunes due to the harsh wind and sand covered areas - and being close to Grenen in Skagen, the weather at Råbjerg Mile is far from mild. 
Each year the dune moves around 15 meters towards Northeast, closer to Grenen, the top of Denmark. Attempts of afforestation did not stop the migrating dune, which is expected to cover the main road to Skagen in a century or two. Once the dune reaches an area trees, or other plantation, it takes approximately 40 years for the tree to re-emerge on the other side of the dune, which covers an area of roughly 1.000 square meters and reaches a height of 20 meters.  

One of the best attractions in the neighbourhood of Skagen (Dk). Also visit the Grenen location early in the morning. In the day it is quite crowded. 

(Credits: www.visitnordjylland.com )

​On 19 May 2018 I visited the heide at Kalmthout again. (A favourite place of mine). My first objective was to visit another part of the area different of the location where I did a shoot with Fleur-de-Lis. The shoot is still under production as I want to create something special with the results of the shoot. (shoot presentation with music). Still have to write and record the tune...  During this walk I challenged myself by only using one camera (Canon 6D)  and one lens (IRIX 15mm 2.4 Blackstone version). The irix is a top manual prime lens and I used it at the hyperfocal distance for an aperture f9. Very enjoyable walk and I hope you like the result. See you... 

I will never get enough of Oye-Plage. Was making a short movie there and took the time to look around. 

Over the 10 last years I stopped several times at Oye-Plage for making a walk on the beach. I always admired the very long beach and the horizon not spoiled by buildings.  
Oye-Plage (50°58’43”N 2°02’42”E) itself is a commune located between Dunkirk and Calais. The name Oye comes from the word Ogia that can be interpreted as “Island”.  In the 8th century it was an area that kept dry during the high tides of the North sea. Oye had a port but it disappeared when the sea retrieved during the last centuries. Today it is a good starting point to explore the magnificent coast. The Plage des Escardines de Oye-Plage is located in the centre of an 11 km long natural reserve.
 
We stayed at the B&B “La Ferme Wessière”. (http://www.ferme-wessiere.fr/).
It’s a very nice place to spend the night.(in a very good bed).
Francoise told us that during the summer it is very pleasant to have a breakfast on the terrace surrounded by art works in her garden.
At morning Francoise will prepare you a good breakfast made with mostly local products. At our stay she presented us homemade marmalade, eggs from their chicken, self-pressed orange juice. Even the bread was house made. I can only advice to visit here if you need a good place to stay overnight.
 
What is there to see for a photographer?

• Coast of 9 km. & atlantic wall.
• reserve of the platier d’Oye (970 acre)
• A garden complex with plants and exotic butterflies. Located aside the B&B.
• “La Tour Penchée”: blockhaus made famous by the Belgian photographer Stephan Vanfleteren in his book “Atlantic Wall”

 
We stayed there 2 days and I have put the photos in two galleries Day 1 and Day 2.
 
Useful links :
 
Garden exotic butterflies:  https://jardindubeaupays.fr/)
B&B La ferme Wessière :  https://www.facebook.com/francoise.fermewessiere 

DAY 1

Vernissage Vrijdag 26 Januari 2018 at 20.00 h.
Open with presence of club members:
Saturday 27 Jan. 14.00 h to 16.00 h.
Sunday 28 Jan. 16.00 h to 18.00 h.
Saturday 3 Feb. 14.00 h to 16.00 h.
Sunday 4 feb.. 16.00 h to 18.00 h.

For over many years I have used a Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 carbon fibre tripod in combination with a Manfrotto 498RC2 head. This combination was advised by Kamera-Express as a good, serious solution for my all rounds needs. Not a cheap set but very suitable for traveling, studio work and whatever I might want to do. During the years I was very satisfied with this combination.
 
As time goes by I moved towards landscape and there the 498RC2 head showed his limitations. It was a real problem in staying 100 % horizontal during panning.  This resulted in a loss of time in post-processing the pictures.  If you didn’t spend enough time to tune the head and tripod then you run in problems during processing.
 
Process of tuning the setup:

• Put the tripod on place.
• Use the tripod bubble level to tune the tripod 99% horizontal.
• Put your camera on the 498RC2 head and start it.
• Use the horizon line in the camera to position the ball head horizontal.
• Turn the ball head 90% and retune.  
• Turn the ball head 90% ….. retune.
• Etc…

Do this until the horizon in the camera stays horizontal during 360 ° panning with the ball head. You have understood that 100% horizontal is Utopia.
 
The time issue:

• The time for taking pictures during the sunset and sunrise is limited.
• Taking long exposures photos is time consuming if you try some combinations.
• Every placement of another angle of a view takes a long tripod setup time.  

 
So it was time to look for another combination. I searched the web and came to see the Manfrotto MHV500AH head. This head, originally made for filming, had the features that resolved the time consuming levelling of the setup. It has his own bubble level unit and the head only does pan and tilt. The bubble level is placed below the rotation axe for the tilt.
 
If I want to tune my setup I only have to tune the feet of my tripod. When done then the head is very horizontal tuned. Gain of setup time and more photo time.
 
SUMMARY
 
 Min points:

• The weight of my setup increased with 310 gram.  
• If I want to use the camera in portrait position then I have to use an extra 90° angle accessory.

 
Plus points:

• Better stability.
• Faster setup time.
• Horizontal is more horizontal than with the ball head.
• Sliding plate to move the camera forwards and backwards. You can easily move the focal point of the camera-lens combination above the panning rotating axe. Ideal for making panoramas.
• If you forget to fix the sliding plate there is no danger that the camera could fall of the tripod.
• Made for DSLR filming with fixed fluid drag system on Pan and Tilt.

 
 An extra point: They are not killing you with the price.
  129 € at Kamera-Express seems an honest price to me. 


https://www.kamera-express.be/product/12185628/manfrotto-mvh500ah-videokop/?gclid=CjwKCAiAjuPRBRBxEiwAeQ2QPtr9h4AJdn4jXcq5Injn6pdO35yEjBKDqyrD3uKTvLZY2OmWGcl3CxoC_3AQAvD_BwE

The very old village of Lillo was composed of Oud-Lillo (+/- 840), Lillo-Fort (1573) and Kruisweg Oud-Lillo.  Oud-Lillo and Kruisweg Oud-Lillo had to disappear in favour of the expansion of the Harbour of Anrwerpen. In 1957 Oud-Lillo disappeared under 4 meter of sand. Kruisweg Oud-Lillo lays at the bottom of the kanaaldok.  

The remaining part Fort Lillo had a very important role in the history. Price Willem van Oranje ordered the building of this fort to protect Antwerpen against an expected Spanish attack. Antwerpen was known as one of the revolting cities in the Nederlanden against the Spanish empire.
After the fall of Antwerpen in 15 August 1585 the spanish never conquered the fort. 
today the Lillo-Fort is completely surrounded by the industry in the harbour. 





















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​To the Lillo Gallery at the page various. 

Done my first development and looked at the result :
It looks deceiving. I'm missing some sharpness in the negatives. The question is now: are the pictures unsharp or was my scanning a lousy job. Probably both parameters will have influenced the result. Next step : put a new film in the camera and start again a serie of test pictures with a frame diagram on the wall. Then test the sharpness of the camera. 

Some weeks ago I bought me some second hand rangefinder camera's as I feel the need trying out some real b/w film. I got a Yashica Electro 35 GS, A Electro 35 GSN and a fujica 35 ee  camera. After playing around and inspecting I have my doubts that I can repair the Fujica. The Electro 35 GS is running with new seals and a combination of a Varta CR1/3N and a Duracell CR123A bought at https://www.batterijeshop.com/. The 2 different batteries replace the old obsolete PX640 mercury cell. Seals were refreshed and a film Kodak 400TX was loaded. The test can begin. In the meantime i'm looking out for some second hand development set. The negatives will then be scanned into Lightroom. Looking forward to see the results.