Amelisweerd

Old avenues and old light

Amelisweerd is one of the finest country estates around Utrecht. The wide avenues of plane trees and oaks are old, and you can feel it. The trunks are broad, the gnarled branches hang low, and when you walk through them in the morning it seems as though the trees are holding the light in place. For landscape photography, that is exactly what you want.

The estate lies between Bunnik and the eastern edge of Utrecht, right along the Kromme Rijn. The river winds through the grounds and offers additional compositions: reflections in the water, reinforced banks, and sometimes mist that sits low over the land in the early morning.

Autumn or spring greens

I like to come back here in October or November. The beeches and oaks turn orange and yellow, and when there is wind the leaves blow through the avenues. That brings movement to a still image. Spring greens work well too: the young foliage is translucent, light filters through it, and the avenues take on something almost cathedral-like.

Summer afternoons are less interesting. The light is too harsh and the shadows flatten out. Come early in the morning or around the golden hour. In overcast conditions you can keep shooting longer, especially for macro work.

Compositions and focal lengths

A telephoto lens, somewhere between 70mm and 135mm, works well for the avenue perspective where the trees converge. A 35mm or 50mm gives you more space and works better when you are standing close to a trunk. For macro, the paths offer plenty of opportunities: mosses, fungi in autumn, dew on grass in the early morning.

The Kromme Rijn is best photographed standing on the bank, lying low, or from the small bridges that cross the estate. Watch for reflections when the wind is calm.

Practical

You can park at the entrance on the Koningslaan on the Utrecht side, or along the Rhijnauwenselaan near Bunnik. The estate is freely accessible. No permits are needed for private use. The grounds are large, so take your time. It is popular with walkers and runners, but early in the morning you will have the avenues largely to yourself.

Sources and further reading

• Landgoed Amelisweerd, Utrechts Landschap
• Amelisweerd, Wikipedia
• Recreatieschap Stichtse Groenlanden