Afsluitdijk / Kornwerderzand

A line that never ends

The Afsluitdijk is one of those places you understand immediately the moment you stand there. On one side the IJsselmeer, on the other the Waddenzee. In between, a straight stretch of 32 kilometres of concrete, asphalt and water. It is almost too simple to be photogenic, but that is precisely what makes it so strong. There is little distraction. Everything you capture counts.

At Kornwerderzand, on the Frisian side, you have the most options. You will find the locks, the bridges and the historic casemates of the Wons complex from the Second World War. Those concrete fortifications give you something to work with: rough texture, cool tones, geometric shapes.

Light and timing

Sunset works particularly well here, especially when you are facing west with the IJsselmeer in front of you. The sun drops straight into the water and colours the surface from gold to red. But the blue hour, the twenty minutes after sunset, is personally what I find most beautiful. The light softens, the water calms. With a long exposure of ten seconds or more you draw the movement out of the water and turn waves into a smooth, even surface.

In autumn and winter there are fewer tourists and the light sits lower on the horizon. That gives longer shadows on the concrete and a coldness to the colours that suits this place.

Composition and focal length

The leading line of the dyke itself is the most obvious choice, but be careful not to reach for it too quickly. Look for a foreground first: a lock gate, a moored vessel, a group of gulls on the concrete. That is what makes the difference between a snapshot and a photograph.

For architecture and detail I like to work with a 35mm or 50mm here. For a sense of the open space and the endless horizon, a wide angle of 24mm or broader is more effective. A tripod for long exposures is not an option but a requirement, particularly because it is almost always windy on the dyke.

Practical

You can park for free at the Kazemattenmuseum on the Frisian side. The casemates themselves are accessible and offer shelter if the weather turns. Bear in mind that the A7 runs right alongside you. You can hear it, but it is barely visible in your images if you shoot close to the ground. For information about water levels and the tide on the Waddenzee, consult Rijkswaterstaat. That is useful if you want to know when the water is high or low on the north side of the dyke.

Sources and further reading

• Kazemattenmuseum Kornwerderzand
• Rijkswaterstaat: de Afsluitdijk
• Wikipedia: Afsluitdijk