What to do in Amsterdam?

[Mats_A]

I am going to Amsterdam 8-11/3 to visit my daughter who is studying there.
Apart from the obvious sites like van Gogh and Heineken-museum what can be of interest to an analog photographer?
Are there any natives here who could give some advice? Any nice camera-museums? Are there any shops left with analog equipment? Medium format? Large format?

Any advice appreciated

r

mats

 

[Laurent]

I'd be happy to share the information you get, we are planning a family trip in April...

 

[alex66]

I very much enjoyed Rembrandt's house, but I am very much a fan of his work. A friend who moved there met up with us on the first day we were there and showed us around, mostly things people don't look at. Alas I had some form of food poisoning on the way back and after Rembrandt's house I was laying on a bench in the coach terminal. There is Ann Frank's house but I have to say we were not that impressed, there are some nice buildings to look.

 

[janalwin]

You might like the shop Parallaxe (www_dot_parallaxe_dot_nl). A shop with mainly 8 mm film stuff but also some darkroom equipment. Very nice owner.

If you want't to see some photoexibitions check out Foam (www_dot_foam_dot_org) and Huis Marseille (www_huismarseille_nl).

Jan Alwin

PS. I haven't got rights to post links yet. So replace _dot_ with a dot.

 

[jslabovitz]

I recommend getting away from the tourist districts, into the neighborhoods, and just strolling around. Amsterdam is a lovely and generally safe city, and the old city is very photogenic. Find a canal and just walk along its edge; you'll take a U-shaped tour around some beautiful architecture and streets. My favorite area is northwest of the Centraal Station; I'm forgetting right now what the neighborhood is called, but it's filled with locals and few tourists.

Have fun!

--John

 

[Mats_A]

Thank you all for your tips!

r

mats

 

[Jed Freudenthal]

It depends in what you are interested. Street scenes, portaits, the harbour, markets. And in April, April 30 is queensday. At that day you canbmake thousands of pictures, of all sort.

Jed

 

[sandermarijn]

Foto den Boer is a great little shop: all the film you can think of in stock (also chemistry, papers, equipment), and the owner & personnel are super friendly and helpful. Not far from the very centre of town- should be your absolute first choice.

Also consider nivo-Schweitzer: much less analogue in stock but still a good shop.

Kamera-Express is off-centre and mainly have digital, but they are very competitive. They only have a small selection of film.

Calumet is even further out of centre, but they do have the best film prices of the entire country- worth the detour only if you need a lot of film, I'd say.

I can reiterate the above tip of just walking around town, following the canals. Amsterdam centre is easily covered on foot (if you have a normal physical condition).

Have fun and shoot lots of film!

 

[A.Reijs]

well, what I like in A'dam [lived there for about 10 years but nowaday I live in The Hague] first stop close to the central station:
Cafe "De Oude Aep", Zeedijk nr. 1. One of the two wooden medieval houses left, very nice small cafe with a long and very dubious history [this cafe even made into an expression in Holland, "In de aap gelogeerd zijn" which basically means that you have been screwed. Good choice of "bier" ;-) The Zeedijk also was the most infamous neighborhood in the Netherlands but has gone through a metamorphoses thanks to private entrepreneurs.

"Begijnhof" close to the "Spui", very nice and has the second wooden house. Also nice neighborhood, the local municipality museum is also there.

"Spui", has a nice old fashioned bookshop "Atheneum" and a popular cafe, Luxembourg. IF you go left into the "Heisteeg" just keep walking to the "Huidenstraat 12", there you'll find Pompadour, I don't know any better pastry shop in the Netherlands.

"museum Van Loon", house of a mergant family and co-founder of the VOC

Must see: in the middle of the red light district [during day-time certainly no problem but don't start making pictures of prostitutes], the "Oude Kerk" [quite close to the Zeedijk]. Very nice medieval church, when you're inside, remember that there are 2.500 gravestones your walking on with on average 4 people beneath it so about 10.000 graves ;-)

Close to this church: "Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder". House from 1630 with a "hidden" catholic church. [hidden gem]

Cafe "In de Waag" is also very nice, De Waag used to be an old city-gate in the middle ages before the 17th century canals where being dug.

Just reopened: the "Het Scheepvaartmuseum" museum for ships etc. Haven't been there yet but family was very enthusiastic.

Cameragear, you'll need to go to the City "Delft", very nice small city, to "Talens Foto".

Or to "Delfshaven" and make an appointment with the owner - www_mkoptics_net

In the evening when it's dark, just walk either the "Keizersgracht" or the "Prinsengracht", when it's dark you can take a glimpse inside the houses and it's an area which is not visited much by tourists and when you pass the "Reguliersgracht" you'll have a very nice view, especially when it's dark.

Also very nice is the 17th Town Hall on the "Dam". Today it's called the "Paleis op de Dam" when it was seized by the usurpers, the family of Oranje

AVOID: [for general ugliness]
Rembrandtplein
Leidseplein
Leidsestraat
Damrak
Central Station

 

[Simon R Galley]

Dear Mats,

Whats to do in Amsterdam?........well for me The Van Gogh Museum is simply the best museum in the world...could be because he is my favourite artist. But to be honest I just love Amsterdam, everything about it, I have been fotuanate to travel to virtually every major city in Europe and lots outside of Europe and frankly I just Love Amsterdam and its 'vibe', it could also be that the Dutch are considerate, courteous and friendly, I always feel 'at home' and welcome in Amsterdam, all over the Netherlands really.

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited :

 

[jmdco]

Dear Mats,

Amsterdam, I had fun… like a nutcase
Here a beautiful (analog) walk to make in one day:

Starting point:
A: Centraal Station (Its time should not be wasted)
To go towards an old analog store to 500 m (approximately 7 mn)

B: Foto jansen (The cave of Ali Baba)
Haar lemmer straat 81

You to continue straight during 650 m (approximately 8 mn) to arrive at
C: Nivo-schweitzer
Haarlemmerdijk 114 (digital and analog)

You walk along the canals (a poem) of 1.6 km (about 20 min)
direction
D: Foto den Boer (Not to be missed)
Second Hugo Grootstraat 10

And you finish on to 2.4 km (approximately 30 mn)
E: Lomographie
Herengracht 298
You are at the heart of the city

Have fun (I put a plan in attachment)

 

[tessar]

What jslabovitz said. I was born in Holland and lived in The Hague before moving to Canada. I've made many visits to Amsterdam. It's a photographer's paradise. The streets on the canals in the old central city are full of life and great architecture. The light is wonderful, whether sunny or cloudy or (perhaps best of all) rainy -- it rains a lot. You'll get wet, but you'll like your photographs.

 

[artonpaper]

The early morning light on the canals.

 

[Paul Jenkin]

Some great, narrow streets and back alleys. Flower markets, bridges over canals, houseboats in various states of repair / derelicton, churches, museums, open-air eateries and bars, a really multi-cultural population, glamorous bits, seedy bits, history, modernity, art galleries, street shows and all in a very small area. It's possible to walk from Centraal Station to beyond the museum quarter in less than an hour - and most of what's inbetween is great fun. Enjoy......!!

 

[raspberry-patch]

Amsterdam

The other suggestion - rent bicycles.

We rented a houseboat on the Prinsengracht in the west end, near the Noordermarkt which was great place to walk around and explore the old archirecture, markets and people. It is an extremely bicycle friendly place, and you may appreciate the value of a pedestarian bike (versus the MTN, et cetera).

I use the term - Anarchy with manners to describe Amsterdam traffic. Meaning the rules of the road and right of ways is loosely followed (if that), never-the-less, people ride-drive with express attitude to do no harm.

Building, canal, people, bikes, cafes, food, et cetera are all subjects available.

No cameras in the Van Gogh Muesem. Vincent and John Singer Sargeant are my goto artist, and the VG muesum is great, but comparative to Paris, Paris has the better collection of muesums. As an artist, the Rembrandt House (resident printer is from Seattle, and thus recommended) Rikjsmuesem and Van Gogh are must sees, then whatever you desire. It is the city that is great, having a beer, watching.

 

[Bill Harrison]

Your kidding, right?