Amsterdam Cop doing his thing...which happens to be taking care of plants, not fighting crime, or even getting some Donuts, it seems.
I think this dude is trying to make a point here....the Amsterdam police is famous for always doing the wrong thing at the wrong time and this picture very nicely sums up their attitude towards their customers, us citizens of the best city in the world.
Instead of assisting us when we're in need, the local coppers have decided to focus on minor 'crimes' like not having a valid ID card, not having lights on your bike or even standing on a terrace while having a drink, admittedly serious offenses to society that need to be punished harshly, and the boys&girls in blue are doing their best to make Adam the most inhospitable, least attractive town in mainland Europe, following the insane orders of our Cockmeat-sandwich-eating city council...still a bit to go, but they've made some major progress towards getting rid of all those unwanted visitors and alienating the local folks enough to force us into civil disobedience and a rebellious mood...watch out Job, we're not going to accept any further brain farts to escape your narrow mind into the mean streets of Amsterdam, why don't you move back to Haarlem and leave the big city to the big boys&girls? Then you don't have to hide in your Mayor-mansion from us anymore and we can go back to being the freest, best city in the world, thank you ;-P
Have a nice weekend!
Saturday, 22 August 2009
Setting The Right Expectations
Friday, 21 August 2009
Big Kurl&Bang Bang Tomahawk
Unedited mobile phone cam shot of Big Kurl himself and his wickedwild Posse, Bang Bang Tomahawk a.k.a. Bang Tomahawk Bang a.k.a. Tomahawk Bang Bang, hanging out in the wonderful, dog(shit)-free zone of the Sarphatipark in, of course, Amsterdam.
Big up to Big Kurl and Bang Bang Tomahawk, they are one of the hottest things in town at the moment, they're the new kids on the block that will break up, shake up and rearrange the Nightlife in the best city in the world with their crazyass Parties and their brand new&slammin' style that will burn your brain and clog your ears for years to come, Amsterdam watch out, haha :D
On top of that they are really cool dudes (they even got a Monkey stalking them!) and we go way back on a daily basis! Keep your eyes peeled for flyers, stickers or tattoos that will soon announce their wicked activities in this lovely city, you don't want to have to explain to your grandchildren that you missed the beginning of a new era ;-P
P.s. If you look at this shot for more than 3 minutes, you can actually see the girls in the background slowly inching closer to the boys of BBT, they're just irresistibly cute and everybody was hoping for some of their sparkling, positive energy to rub off on them, true story!
Thank God it's Friday, yay :D
Hanging Out In The Park
Unedited mobile phone cam shot of a monkey hanging in a tree in the Sarphatipark in Amsterdam.
Very likely this monkey was secretly watching those girls you see in the background, it was a hot day after all and this particular monkey is a very horny one...beware when you see him in the park, it's best to keep your 'special areas' covered up while he's hovering there, undressing you (unless you're a dude, he's not 'that kind' of a monkey!) with his greedy little eyes...brrrrr, I'm getting all creeped out, I think I'll call the Park-patrol now, hehe ;-))
Or maybe he was just checking out my cool friends Big Kurl&Bang Bang Tomahawk, then I guess it's OK if he keeps staring obsessively :-))
Have a great start into your weekend!
The Swizz Connection
The lovely Miss Z, smiling at me (hidden, as usual :) at the Krasnapolsky Hotel in Amsterdam, where we attended a reception with drinks&snacks for the participants of the 'In love with Amsterdam' photo exhibition/contest a while ago.
Unfortunately for Amsterdam, she has left us and moved to the last enclave of Neutrality and considerable monetary resources, Switzerland...that sucks!!!
Lately there's a constant stream of great people leaving Amsterdam, as if they know something I don't....maybe the Polar caps have finally melted and we'll all be washed away in a big flood or something...whatever it is, I didn't get the Memo, so I'll have to wait it out and go with the flow, hehe ;-P
Have a great life my dear Miss Z, you are missed very much, I still feel like I'm seeing you on your bike somewhere in the city almost every day...come back soon to visit us :)))
This picture was taken by the lovely Miss Monyart :)
Reflections Of Amsterdam - What Lies Beneath
Reflections Of Amsterdam - What Lies Beneath, originally uploaded by AmsterS@m - The Wicked Reflectah.
Unedited mobile phone cam shot of the Singel canal in Amsterdam. No editing, no tricks, no Photoshop :)
When I biked by the Singel canal a few days ago, I noticed trillions of bubbles popping up at the surface, a very unusual sight, as the water consists mainly of pee&poop coming from the toilets of the houseboats you see everywhere (we don't have a system (yet) to filter their Nr.1's and Nr.2, weird, I know!), that flow directly into the canals and rivers, which makes it impossible, or at least very unpleasant for anybody and anything to swim in them, hence my disbelieve at seeing obvious signs of life, or at least signs of somebody farting under water, I still don't know what it was, but it definately adds something to this wicked reflection :))
If you look closely, you can see the bubbles!
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Hope Is Green
Unedited mobile phone cam shot of the Westergasfabriek in the Westerpark in Amsterdam, reflected in a little lake. No Photoshop, no tricks, no editing at all :)
They say that Hope is green, so I sure hope that the weekend isn't too far away anymore, it's only Tuesday and I already need a rest, hehe ;-P
With all the green'ishness in this shot, there should be a lot of hope floating around, so keep your fingers crossed that the work-containing days of this week will be over soon and we can commence to rest and enjoy the good life in the best city in the world :)
Monday, 17 August 2009
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Spikehead
Unedited mobile phone cam shot of a couple in front of the Amstel Hotel, reflected in a puddle on the Rokin in Amsterdam. No Photoshop, no tricks, no editing at all :)
I stumbled across some little puddles yesterday outside the Amstel Hotel, one of my favorite spots in the best city in the world, and was lucky enough to capture this couple passing by on their Sunday walk :)
I really like the clarity of the details in this reflection and that it's clearly visible that it actually is a reflection, and not just some Photoshop-generated trick. The joy over this picture is slighlty troubled by the fact that it's Monday again, but oh well, it'll be over in a few hours too and then it's almost weekend again ;-P
Sunday, 16 August 2009
Reflections Of Amsterdam - The Tower Of Babel
Reflections Of Amsterdam - The Tower Of Babel, originally uploaded by AmsterS@m - The Wicked Reflectah.
Mobile phone cam shot of buildings and tourists, reflected in a puddle on the Warmoesstraat in Amsterdam. I've played with the contrast and saturation a bit, but no other editing, no Photoshop, no visual tricks :))
The Warmoesstraat is one of the main 'Gay' areas in the Amsterdam Red Light District and it's full of adult places, Sexshops and other unspeakable things, but still it's safe enough to bring your children and let them have a first peak at the many reasons why the best city in the world is so famous and popular among Earth's population :-))
If you walk (or bike) through the narrow streets of Amsterdam, usually you hear all kinds of different languages and accents, which is of course the fault of the builders of the Tower of Babel, hehe ;-P
Enjoy your Sunday, take it easy!
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Starface
Unedited mobile phone cam shot of a lady and the Magna Plaza, reflected in a puddle in Amsterdam. No editing, no magic tricks, no Photoshop :))
Last night we had this crazy cool party (that I might post some shots of later :) in the middle of the Red Light District, we started in the early evening and didn't stop until late, it was hilarious and we all agreed that there's no place like the best city in the world, with all those hip, beautiful cool people (us, hehe ;) and the manymany possibilities to hang out and do our thing....something else we noticed (again, we just tend to forget this once we're high as kites, lol ;-) is that after 12 it's virtually impossible to get Ciggies, Beer or Food anywhere, and that is so wrong, especially if you realize that you forgot to buy any of those Friday-Night essentials in advance, haha :D
God did not create this wonderful city to have some tight-assed bureaucrat shut it down around the same time that any decent person would start swinging his/her soul through the dark'ish yet harmless and lovely corners, shrubs and peed-up alleys of Sin City! Again, that is so wrong...but then, it could be a lot worse, I guess, I mean, we could live in Belgium for example or something, mhuahaha :))
And oh yeah, another important message that crystallized itself out of the Aftermath of smashed bottles, spilled drinks and burn-holes in the carpets and walls once again, is the confirmation that Heineken is the only beer in Holland that will give you a Headache&Hangover while you're drinking it, and not just afterwards, that's why you should stay far away from that crap and get some Grolsch or any other acceptable Dutch beer, it's good for you :-P
Enjoy the weekend!
Reflections Of Amsterdam - 2010, Here We Come!
Reflections Of Amsterdam - 2010, Here We Come!, originally uploaded by AmsterS@m - The Wicked Reflectah.
Unedited mobile phone cam shot of bikers with a soccer ball, reflected in a puddle on the Rokin in Amsterdam. No Photoshop, no tricks, no editing at all :)
These guys are getting all ready for next year's Soccer World Championship that will be held in South Africa, and they're right, you can never prepare yourself too much for an Event like that one...I've been training my Beer-arm for weeks now and I'm looking forward to testing out my Skills in real life in only 10 months from now, hehe ;-P
Here is a shot of me doing my exercise during last year's European Soccer Championship, the Euro 2008, as you can see, I'm a Professional, mhuahahaha ;-D
Don't get left behind, be part of this preparation process, get your shorts and your Adidas ready, meet me in the Vondelpark after 4!
Thank God it's Friday :D
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Survivorman
Unedited mobile phone cam shot of a biker, a tram and buildings, reflected in a puddle on the Rokin in Amsterdam. No Photoshop, no tricks, no editing at all :)
Dedicated to Daniel, for reallyreally liking my wicked reflections, thanks Dude :))))
This guy on his bike is doing the right thing (besides riding a bike :), he's checking the street for potentially dangerous things coming his way before crossing the road...believe it or not, the majority of the people in the streets in the best city in the world don't follow this simple, yet essential rule for safe urban inner city traffic!
Regularly you see or hear about people getting crushed by trams, trucks, cars or any other vehicle that is bigger and stronger than they are (were), just because they refused to have a look to the left, a look to the right and another look to the left before crossing those death-traps we call streets here in good old Adam...
On many occasions I had to make emergency stops with Bikey as well, to avoid running over those retards that don't seem to care much about their own wellbeing and that of others around them, but I don't know how much longer I can do this, I think eventually I'll just give up and run them over, I think as long as I brace for impact and make sure there are no loose parts hanging from Bikey that can smack me in the face, I should be alright...maybe I'll wear puffy padded MC Hammer pants from now on, to break my fall in case the worst happens, hehe ;-)
Almost weekend, this time for real!
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Legs Up!
Mobile phone cam shot of a lady biker and the Amstel Hotel, reflected in a puddle in Amsterdam. No Photoshop, no tricks, just a bit of saturation&contrast added for your viewing pleasure :)
The bridge outside the Amstel Hotel has this installation that sprays water on the street and tram tracks, to prevent them from melting on hot Summer days, so I always have my puddles there. The water gushes out at such high pressure that the bikers have to lift their feet to avoid getting soaked. Unfortunately, the wet street&tracks cause lots of them to crash&fall, in the 10 minutes or so that I was there to take photos, I saw 3 accidents, luckily nobody was seriously harmed, but I'm sure if we were in the US, I could sue somebody over this mindless situation :))
At one point an ambulance came flying by and the water fountain it created totally drenched this guy on his scooter who stood by the side to let them pass, I had to laugh and wonder if he thinks 'It's OK, I got all wet, but I might have helped to save a life by standing by the side of the road, getting soaked while letting the ambulance pass by to get to their destination faster'...it was probably more something like 'F*****g Hell, those Bastards!', hehe ;-P
It's Wednesday, that means the weekend is just around the corner, yay :D
Have a beautiful day!
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Watching The Crazy Man
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Watching The Crazy Man, originally uploaded by AmsterS@m - The Wicked Reflectah.
Unedited mobile phone cam shot of girls and buildings, reflected in a puddle at the Rembrandtplein in Amsterdam. No editing at all, no tricks, no Photoshop :)
I was really lucky yesterday, it was a beautiful, perfect Summer day, so I plugged the earphones into my mobile, hopped on my bike and cruised through the best city in the world with an ethereal smile fixed to my face, it was sooo nice and I really appreciated every tiny detail, every beautiful thing and when I was ready to ride my steel horse back home, I found a tiny puddle that I used to take the picture above, yay :))
As you can see, the people passing by the puddle looked at me as if I was a Madman (and that is one of Adam's busiest streets, so lots of staring going on!), I felt really awkward and had to imagine they're all naked (not the men of course :) to make me feel less self conscious, hehe ;-P
Almost weekend!
P.s. I get a lot of questions about how I manage to take wicked reflection shots when it's not raining for days and with a mobile phone and without using Photoshop or any other kind of editing software...well, here's the answer:
I seem to have some kind of superhuman internal system that detects the tiniest patches of wetness, alerts me to their levels of reflection wickedness, makes me jump off Bikey and into a kneeling position that I use to point my mobile, hit the shutter and re-mount the bike to rush home and upload the unedited shot to Flickr :))
Seriously!
Reflections Of AmsterS@m - The Cheapskate
Mobile phone cam shot of Me, Myself&Mobie, reflected on the side window of a car. I've thrown some contrast&saturation at this picture to make my new Shirt come out better :))
As you can see, I am wearing one of the new cool shirts that have popped up in the AmsterS@m Shop lately, and I have to say, they're not just very comfortable and cool, they're also cheap, which, in Holland, is a very important point when purchasing goods :)
The nice folks of Spreadshirt, the company that is doing the whole technical&financial Voodoo stuff that keeps the shop online and the shirts coming your way, are offering a 15% discount on any order above 35 euros in the AmsterS@m Shop until the 23rd of August, so go and get some before the goodness stops, you know you want to :-P
Have a good start into the new week!
Sunday, 9 August 2009
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Cup-A-Soup Time
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Cup-A-Soup Time, originally uploaded by AmsterS@m - The Wicked Reflectah.
Mobile phone cam shot of the Munt tower in Amsterdam, reflected in a puddle. I've added some saturation&contrast, no other editing, no visual tricks, no Photoshop :)
Dedicated to 'Iam sterdam' for taking the time to try to find out what the secret behind all this puddle madness is, and having to find out that there is no secret :))
The title is inspired by the hilarious Cup-a-soup commercials that try to make everybody in Holland have a delicious soup at 4 o clock every afternoon :-P
I really like the Munt tower, it looks cool and old school...and there are usually puddles somewhere around it, even in dry periods like the current one :)
Here's some historic background on the tower:
"The Munttoren ("Mint Tower") or Munt is a tower in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It stands on the busy Muntplein square, near the flower market and the start of the Kalverstraat shopping street, where the Amstel river and the Singel canal meet.
The tower was originally part of the Regulierspoort, one of the main gates in Amsterdam's medieval city wall. The gate, built in the years 1480-1487, consisted of two towers and a guard house.
After the gate went up in flames in a 1618 fire, only the guard house and part of the western tower remained standing. The tower was then rebuilt in Amsterdam Renaissance style in 1619-1620, with an eight-sided top half and elegant open spire designed by Hendrick de Keyser, featuring a clockwork with four clockfaces and a carillon of bells"
Fascinating, isn't it?! No? Hehe ;-P
Have a nice Sunday, relax, enjoy :)
Saturday, 8 August 2009
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Local Heroes
Mobile phone cam shot of tourists and buildings, reflected in a puddle in Amsterdam. I've played with the contrast and saturation a bit, otherwise this picture is unedited, no Photoshop has been used to create the wickedness :))
It is thanks to brave people like these right here that the Amsterdam economy has not completely collapsed yet despite the harsh, idiotic, childish rules we have now in the best city in the world...for example, you can't stand up while having a drink on a terrace, you can't smoke a cigarette with your beer, you can't drink a beer with your joint and you can't have magic mushrooms with anything, while you're obliged to always carry a valid ID and bike lights on you, even if you don't have a bike (OK, that very last bit I made up, but with the current weird rules trying to control us like little babies, it could have been true ;), it is outrageous!
It seems that we're slowly turning back the wheel of oppression though, the 'Ai! Amsterdam' campaign, who's only goal is to make Amsterdam a fun city again, has announced that the ban on standing while drinking has been revoked, I'll have to look into that to be able to confirm it, so for now, make sure you're sitting down when you're enjoying a beverage, better safe than sorry ;-P
Have a wonderful weekend!
Friday, 7 August 2009
Reflections Of Amsterdam - I AmsterSam
Mobile phone cam shot of the Rijksmuseum and the world famous letters 'I amsterdam' in front of it, reflected in the little pond outside the museum. I've added a bit of contrast and saturation, but no other editing, no tricks, no Photoshop :)
I really like those letters and one of the reasons is the major international scandal that one of my photos caused in April this year when the good folks of the 'I amsterdam' campaign (the good folks who put those letters there) used it to promote the best city in the world, what a laugh that was :)))
As you can see the Rijksmuseum is still being renovated, for what seems years and years already, but you get used to having large areas of Amsterdam revamped and rebuild constantly, the city center is a giant construction site since the late 90s and it doesn't look like this is about to change anytime soon...at least we can see our tax money at work :))
Have a freaky Friday :)
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Park Pleasure
Mobile phone cam shot of buildings next to the Vondelpark, reflected in a little lake. I've added a bit of contrast&saturation, no other editing, no Photoshop :)
Yesterday I went to the park to hang out with some friends and it was a perfect day, we had food, drinks, smokes and music, the sun was shining, it was about 30 degrees and we all agreed that we should do that more often, as these kind of days are the essence of what's beautiful and important in life...
Of course the problem with these perfect days is that you can't plan them really, they just happen and you have to enjoy and appreciate it while it's happening, or it's too late, time waits for no one and life has no 'Pause' button :)
Thank God it's Friday, yay :D
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Jurassic Park
Mobile phone cam shot of trees reflected in a little lake in the Vondelpark in Amsterdam. I've added some contrast&saturation, no further editing, no Photoshop :)
We were chilling out in the park yesterday, enjoying the good life, feeding the ducks and in general just going with the flow, it was most delicious, life as it should be, easy and enjoyable :)
I took some wicked reflection shots of the trees surrounding our spot and I have to say, there is a certain prehistoric vibe to these babies in the background...luckily for us, there were no hungry Velociraptors around :))
Enjoy your Friday, the weekend starts here :)
Thursday, 6 August 2009
Reflections Of Amsterdam - The Diamond Factory
Reflections Of Amsterdam - The Diamond Factory, originally uploaded by AmsterS@m - The Wicked Reflectah.
Mobile phone cam shot of a biker, a car and the Diamond Factory on the Muntplein in Amsterdam, reflected in a puddle. I've added a bit of contrast and saturation to bring out the colors better, but no other editing, no tricks, no Photoshop :)
Lucky me, my weekend started today, yay :D
I'm chilling out on my lovely balcony, no urgent tasks on my agenda besides watching the plants growing and smiling at me, the sun slowly crossing the sky towards an even better, brighter future and the ants rushing around, collecting dead insect as if there's no tomorrow...a perfect day :))
Have a good one, take it easy, almost weekend for you too :)
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Missing Motivation
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Missing Motivation, originally uploaded by AmsterS@m - The Wicked Reflectah.
Unedited mobile phone cam shot of a guy and some buildings, reflected in a puddle in Amsterdam. No editing at all, no Photoshop, no magic tricks :)
Do you know these Motivational posters? If not, check them out here! The dude in the puddle looks like he's a poster boy for 'Lack of Motivation' or something similar horrible ;-)
Sometimes I feel like he looks, so I'm taking a looong weekend off from the Grind, I'm really looking forward to chilling out for some days :)
Reflections Of Amsterdam - The Angel Of Haarlem(merstraat)
Reflections Of Amsterdam - The Angel Of Haarlem(merstraat), originally uploaded by AmsterS@m - The Wicked Reflectah.
Mobile phone cam shot of a building at the beginning of the Haarlemmerstraat in Amsterdam, reflected in a puddle. I've added a bit of contrast&saturation, for the rest this picture is unedited, no Photoshop, no magic tricks :)
I love this building. I've shot it many times in the past and I can't seem to get enough of it...the Angel on top adds a nice finishing touch that makes it just so much more special :)
It's a rainy, gray Sunday today, so stay inside and contemplate all the good things you can do for others in the next week, it's good for your Karma!
Reflections Of Amsterdam - The End Of Haarlem(merstraat)
Reflections Of Amsterdam - The End Of Haarlem(merstraat), originally uploaded by AmsterS@m - The Wicked Reflectah.
Mobile phone cam shot of a building at the end of the Haarlemmerstraat in Amsterdam, reflected in a puddle. I've added a bit of contrast&saturation, for the rest this picture is unedited, no Photoshop, no magic tricks :)
I love this building. I've shot it many times in the past and I can't seem to get enough of it...the whole 'Brandenburger Tor'ness it radiates adds a nice finishing touch that makes it just so much more special :)
It's a rainy, gray Sunday today, so stay inside and contemplate all the good things you can do for others in the next week, it's good for your Karma!
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Gay Bar, Gay Bar, Gay Bar!
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Gay Bar, Gay Bar, Gay Bar!, originally uploaded by AmsterS@m - The Wicked Reflectah.
Some guys and a Sexshop on the Warmoesstraat, reflected in a puddle in Amsterdam. Shot with my Panasonic DMC-FZ8. I've added some saturation and contrast. No Photoshop was used to create the wickedness in this picture :)
Here's a twin shot from 2 years ago :)
The Warmoesstraat is one of the main areas of Amsterdam that has a lot of gay bars, like the world-famous club 'Cockring' and many other naughty establishments that you should not enter without a 'Jimmyhat', or at least at your own risk ;-)
Today the 'Gay Pride Parade' is kicking off again in the best city in the world and the canals are already filled with floating Disco's and beautiful men, it's probably a good time to grab a camera and go downtown :)
Enjoy the party, be careful, be safe, have a wicked weekend!
Reflections Of Amsterdam - The Gutterman
Unedited mobile phone cam shot of bikers and buildings, reflected in a puddle in Amsterdam. No editing, no tricks, no Photoshop :)
I really like this one, the way the gutter and the sidewalk meet and go through the middle of this shot looks extrawicked and makes me happy when I look at it :)
The title was inspired by the song 'Mr Gutterman' by Greg Osby. Here's a link to YouTube, check it out, it's "From 1993. Pre - bling era, back when music and artists were creative and still had integrity. This was Osby's heads up to the condition of the homeless."
I think it's one of the best Jazz/Rap songs of the 90s :)
And of course it helps that he is raising awareness for one of human societies uglier sides, Homelessness, and how it affects the lifes of those experiencing it and those around them...as you might know, this is a topic that I also voice my opinion about every now and then, hehe :)
Thank God it's Friday!!!
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Heavy Duty
'De Waag' and a biker, reflected in a puddle in Amsterdam. Shot with my Panasonic DMC-FZ8. I've fiddled a bit with contrast and saturation but no tricks, no Photoshop :)
This picture is dedicted to Shahrazad26 for liking my wicked reflections of famous buildings, so just for you, here's one of our oldest and prettiest buildings, the 'Waag' on the Nieuwmarkt in the best city in the world :))
For those of you who don't know the 'Waag', here's some historical information, enjoy :)
"The Amsterdam Waag is a remnant of the former city walls in Amsterdam. Constructed in 1488, it was originally one of the city gates, the Sint Anthoniespoort. When the city wall disappeared, the Nieuwmarkt (new market) was created around it and the weighing scales for the market were placed in the former gate. Today the building houses the Waag Society, an ICT research foundation working in the social and cultural domain, and there is a café/restaurant on the ground floor.
The building carries the oldest plaque in Amsterdam, which reads On 28 April 1488 the first stone of this gate was laid.
The city walls that the Sint Anthoniespoort was part of were built in the years 1481-1494. These walls have now completely disappeared and the only remnants are this gate, the lower part of another gate, the Regulierspoort (now the Munttoren) and one defence tower, the Schreierstoren. When in the late 16th century the city expanded the wall was torn down and the gate lost its function. The defensive canal and palissade around the gate was turned into a market square. In the process the ground level was raised, so the building is no longer quite as high as it used to be. For the new weighing function the original front and rear gate were connected with a roof..."
So, there you have it :)
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Vive La France!
Reflections Of Amsterdam - Vive La France!, originally uploaded by AmsterS@m - The Wicked Reflectah.
Unedited shot of a girl carrying a Baguette and some buildings, reflected in a puddle in Amsterdam. Shot with my Panasonic DMC-FZ8. No editing, no tricks, no Photoshop :)
The baguette is clearly not a real French one, but the vibe in this picture did remind me a bit of France...which reminds me that I have not been to France in a while and I should probably go again soon :))
When I was a wee little Reflectah, I used to look at this photo book of Paris and imagine living there when I'm a grownup, but luckily I ended up in the best city in the world instead...I think that's the best for all involved, can you imagine surfing to www.parisam.com (OMG, don't click that link, I just discovered that it's an actual real site and it's dirrrrrty!! Oh this rotten Interweb, haha ;) and not to www.amstersam.com?! That would just be weird ;-P
Almost weekend!!
Reflections Of Amsterdam - T3
Amsterdam Central Station, reflected in a puddle in Amsterdam. Shot with my Panasonic DMC-FZ8. I've added a bit of contrast and saturation but for the rest, no tricks, no Photoshop :)
I really like our Central Station, it's such a beautiful building...and in this shot, it looks like it's made out of the same material as the T3 and about to float away :)
Hey, it's Tuesday, we're through the worst part of the week already, from here on it's downhill, hehe ;-))
Have a nice day!
Straight Eye For The Straight Guy
This picture is dedicated to all the straight guys, to assist you with readjusting your visual apparatus after seeing thousands of sexy, (half)naked men dancing on boats at the 'Gay Pride' festivities next weekend in the best city in the world ;-)
I took this shot while biking really fast&drunk last Friday, so it's not the best quality, but I'm trying to make a point here, hehe :-P
Have a relaxed Sunday.
Circle Jerking
Next weekend Amsterdam is hosting the 'Gay Pride' again on its canals and mean streets that, if the stories from the gay people I know are anything to go by, will very likely be cum-crusted come Monday, mhuahaha ;-D
It's a lucky coincidence that The Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions has started a new campaign called 'Everyone's Gay in Amsterdam', just in time to lure rich gay people to the best city in the world for the parade, because they're one of the last groups of tourists that 'still travel and have stable purchasing powers despite the recession' (their words, not mine!)...
So, my dear visiting gay tourists, please make sure to pick up a couple of T-shirts and Stickers before you go back home, our Mayor is counting on you, hehe ;-))
Be Safe
Next weekend at the 'Gay Pride' parade the visitors have to be a bit careful when and where they behave gay, even if 'Everyone's Gay in Amsterdam' as they say at the NBTC, it seems to be rather dangerous to kiss and hold hands in the best city in the world, at least when both persons involved are men...last week Hugo Braakhuis, the organizer of the 'Gay Pride' was beaten up by a group of Moroccan&Dutch guys after kissing his friend in public!
So be careful and be safe, have a nice party :)
