Molens van Schermerhorn

Polder mills in the heart of the Beemster

Schermerhorn has a handful of mills standing directly on the Noordervaart, and that makes this village one of the strongest landscape locations in Noord-Holland. Not decorative backdrops, but working polder mills that are part of a genuine, open polder landscape. The sky has room here. The lines are horizontal and clean. And when conditions cooperate, everything reflects in the water along the canal.

When you get the most out of this place

Come in winter or early spring. The trees are bare, the sky is more often cloudy and dramatic, and the chance of mist is greater. That morning mist is exactly what lifts locations like this. The mills half disappear into the grey, the distances become more mysterious, and as a photographer you hardly need to do anything except be there at the right moment.

Sunrise works well here. The light comes in low across the land, catches the sails and the reeds along the water, and gives texture to a landscape that can look fairly flat on a grey afternoon. Come early, then. In winter that means earlier than you might be used to, but the reward is worth it.

Compositions and focal lengths

With a wide lens, say 24mm or 35mm, you can place the mills within their surroundings and make use of the enormous sky. Keep the horizon low when the sky is doing what you want. With a longer focal length, around 85mm or more, you can compress the mills together and emphasise the repetition.

Long shutter speeds work well here. An ND filter in windy conditions introduces movement in the water and the sails, while the mills themselves stay sharp if they are stationary. Pay attention to wind direction: moving sails at a long shutter speed give you blurred streaks, which can look good but not always.

Practical

Parking is easy in the village itself. The mills are freely accessible and the path along the Noordervaart is comfortable to walk. One of the mills, the Museummolen, is open on certain days. That gives you the chance to photograph from above, which offers a completely different perspective on the polder landscape around you. Check the opening times in advance, as they vary by season.

Sources and further reading

• Museummolen Schermerhorn
• UNESCO Werelderfgoed Beemster
• Wikipedia: Schermerhorn