Amsterdam grachtengordel

Two canals, endless compositions

Amsterdam has dozens of canals, but the Brouwersgracht and the Reguliersgracht are two of the most photogenic. Not because they are better known than the rest, but because the compositional possibilities here are simply greater. Leaning facades, moored houseboats, wooden bridge decks and water that mirrors everything. It works.

The Brouwersgracht sits on the north-western edge of the canal ring. It was once a supply route for brewers and traders, and you can still see that in the wide quaysides and the heavy warehouses with their shutters. That combination of industrial past and residential calm gives the street its own character. At the start of the canal, where it meets the Singel or the Prinsengracht, you get a long view with several bridges lined up. With a telephoto lens, from 85mm or longer, you can compress those bridges into a rhythm of arches.

Reguliersgracht: the seven bridges

The Reguliersgracht is known for the spot where you can see seven bridges at once. That viewpoint is at the junction with the Keizersgracht. You need to arrive early, because this is one of the most photographed spots in the city. The best moment is just before or after sunset, when the water still holds colour but the lanterns are already lit. The blue hour works particularly well here: the warm orange glow of the bridges plays nicely against the cool blue tones of the sky.

A wide-angle lens is less suitable here, unless you are deliberately using distortion. A 35mm or 50mm on a full-frame body gives an image closer to what the eye sees, and that works better with architecture in a narrow street.

Light and season

You can photograph the canal ring at any time of year. In winter the foliage is gone, which makes the facades more visible. In spring the chestnut trees along the quaysides add some green and depth. Rain is no reason to stay home: wet cobblestones reflect light and that makes the streets more lively in a photograph.

Watch out for crowds. In the summer months it is almost impossible to get a quiet image during the day. Go before sunrise, or after ten in the evening in summer. It is noticeably quieter then and you sometimes have the quayside to yourself.

Practical

Parking is difficult and expensive. Public transport or a bicycle works better. The canal ring has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010, but that has no practical consequences for photography on public roads. Drones are prohibited in the centre of Amsterdam without an exemption from the municipality.

Sources and further reading

• UNESCO World Heritage – Seventeenth-century canal ring area of Amsterdam
• Gemeente Amsterdam – Grachtengordel
• Monumenten en Archeologie Amsterdam
• Wikipedia – Reguliersgracht