Moerputtenbrug

A railway bridge in the middle of the marshes

The Moerputtenbrug connects Vlijmen with 's-Hertogenbosch, cutting straight through one of the wettest stretches of Noord-Brabant. It is a historic railway bridge dating from 1881, more than 700 metres long, built on wooden piles above a vast area of marshland. For photographers that is a rare combination: industrial heritage in an almost unspoilt setting. The bridge is still standing, though no train has crossed it for many years. You can feel that silence.

What the light does here

Misty autumn mornings are the reason you get up early for this place. When haze drifts over the marsh, the bridge retreats into layers. The wooden piles emerge as silhouettes, the reeds barely move. It is the kind of light where nothing needs to be sharp to work well. Soft contrasts, muted colours, a sense of stillness. The sun rises in the east, roughly in the direction of 's-Hertogenbosch, so if you shoot towards Vlijmen the light is partially in your favour.

Compositions and focal lengths

From the Vlijmen side you have a long perspective along the bridge. A longer focal length, somewhere between 100mm and 200mm, compresses the piles and draws the marsh forward. If you want to give the surroundings more space, a wider viewpoint works better, especially when the vegetation has colour. In autumn the reeds turn gold, sometimes almost orange. That calls for a lower position so the reeds serve as foreground.

Practical

You can park along the Moerputtenweg on the Vlijmen side. From there it is a short walk to the bridge on foot. The surrounding area is a protected nature reserve, so keep to the paths. The bridge itself is not publicly accessible. You photograph it from outside, but that gives you more than enough to work with. It is not too busy on weekday mornings, though the spot is not unknown. Come early, for the light and for the quiet.

Sources and further reading

• Rijksmonumentenregister, Moerputtenbrug
• Natuurmonumenten, De Moerputten
• Wikipedia, Moerputtenbrug