Lemelerberg

What you find on the Lemelerberg

The Lemelerberg lies just outside Lemele, a small village between Ommen and Raalte. It is a glacial ridge, pushed up by ice sheets during the last ice age. That gives the area a relief you do not find everywhere in this corner of Overijssel. Slopes, open heathland, and among them old juniper bushes that have been standing there for decades. That combination makes it interesting to photograph, both for wide landscapes and for detail and macro work.

The area is managed by Landschap Overijssel. Access is free, but stay on the paths. The vegetation is fragile, and the juniper bushes in particular are slow-growing.

When to go

August is when the heather blooms. The purple color draws plenty of visitors, but also a quality of light you will not find anywhere else in this landscape. Come early. In the morning hours mist regularly settles in the low ground near Lemele, and when that mist is just starting to lift while the heather is purple and the backlight sits low, you have something. Later in the day it is gone.

Fall works well too. The juniper bushes stand out sharply against grass and heathland as the colors change. The light stays low, the shadows long.

Composition and focal length

For the wide landscape I use a focal length around 24 to 35mm. The slope of the ridge gives you a natural sense of depth if you sit low with heather in the foreground and the horizon in the distance. Watch the junipers as anchor points in your composition. They have a distinctive shape, no two are the same.

For macro, the heather itself offers plenty. Heather flowers, spiderwebs in the morning with dew, insects on the blooms. Take your time and move slowly. A 90 to 105mm macro lens works well, as you do not need to get too close to your subject.

Practical

You can park at the parking lot on the Lemelerbergweg. From there you walk into the area. The paths are easy to walk, but in wet weather the slopes can be slippery. No permit is needed for personal photographic use. Flying drones is subject to regulations, check the current situation via the Nationaal Register Luchtvaartinformatie.

Sources and further reading

• Landschap Overijssel
• Nationaal Register Luchtvaartinformatie (drone regelgeving)
• Wikipedia: Lemelerberg