Kardinge / Lauwersmeer kwelders

Salt marshes and open sky

The Lauwersmeer is one of the quietest places in the north of the Netherlands. What was once an open sea inlet was transformed, after its closure in 1969, into a lake surrounded by expansive salt marshes, reeds and mudflats. For a landscape photographer, that is invaluable. There is little development, no distracting elements on the horizon, just water, land and sky.

The salt marshes on the south-eastern side of the lake, in the area around the coordinates near Groningen towards Lauwersmeer, are exactly the kind of place where you feel genuine space. Not the space of a postcard, but the quiet, wide space that makes you feel a little small. That is the feeling you want to capture.

Autumn and morning light

Autumn is the best period. The reeds turn gold and brown, the bird population is at its busiest, and the morning mist sits low over the water. Come early. Being in position half an hour before sunrise means you catch the first light from the right spot, with the salt marsh vegetation as your foreground.

The light in Groningen in October and November is remarkably soft and horizontal, even during the day. That brings out the texture in the grass and the reflections in the water. Overcast mornings are at least as interesting here as sunny ones. Diffuse light gives the salt marshes a calmer, more understated atmosphere.

Composition and focal length

A wide angle (24mm or 28mm) works well for capturing the expansiveness, but be careful that the sky does not become dominantly empty. Always look for a foreground: pools of water, plant debris, a row of posts in the lake. A longer focal length (around 70 to 100mm) is useful for the reed zones and for birds flying low over the water.

Keep the horizon low when the sky is dramatic, and high when the water surface is mirroring. Alternate between the two as you walk, because the place changes with every hundred metres.

Practical

There are several car parks around the Lauwersmeer, including at the visitor centre Lauwersoog and at Zoutkamp. The area falls partly within Nationaal Park Lauwersmeer, which means you stay on the paths. Drones are not permitted in the national park without an exemption. Bring wellies, especially after rain the terrain gets wet.

Sources and further reading

• Nationaal Park Lauwersmeer
• Staatsbosbeheer – Lauwersmeer
• Wikipedia – Lauwersmeer