De Slufter (Texel)

A landscape that breathes

De Slufter is one of the few places in the Netherlands where the sea is simply allowed in. A wide inlet in the dunes of Texel, where fresh and salt water meet and the landscape shifts a little every day. No dikes, no pumping stations. Just wind, water and an enormous sky above your head.

What makes De Slufter so interesting for photography is precisely that unpredictability. The tide plays a part in what you see. At high water the channels fill up and the sky reflects in the wet sand. At low water you find patterns of creeks and salt marsh vegetation that you might want to photograph from above, but which already offer plenty at eye level.

Light and season

The golden hour in the morning is at its best here. The sun rises over the mainland, and when there is some cloud cover you get warm colours across the purple and grey-green sea lavender and samphire. In summer that vegetation is at its finest, but autumn gives De Slufter a different quality. Quieter, stiller, with migrating birds over the water and a lower sun that rakes in at a longer angle. October and November are my preferred weeks.

Try a grey day as well. The soft, shadowless light works well for the textures in the sand and the reeds. The colours are more muted, but the details come through more clearly.

Composition and focal points

A wide-angle lens, anywhere from 16mm to 35mm, captures the space and the sky. Get low and use a channel or a path as a leading line towards the horizon. A telephoto zoom from 100mm onwards works well for birds and for compressing the dune layers in the background. Take your time to walk around. De Slufter has several entry points and each path gives a different perspective.

Practical

You park at the De Slufter car park on the Postweg, north of De Koog. From there you follow a path through the dunes down into the inlet. The area is part of Nationaal Park Duinen van Texel and freely accessible, but stay on the paths to protect the vegetation. Drones are not permitted within the national park without an exemption. Wear waterproof shoes, especially if you want to get close to the channels.

Sources and further reading

• Nationaal Park Duinen van Texel
• VVV Texel – De Slufter
• Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed – Waddengebied