Text by Alex
On regular days, Amsterdam is teeming with tourists, but recently, they’ve all disappeared. Under the pandemic, the Netherlands hasn’t gone into a full lockdown, and residents can still go out for walks. So photographer Albert Dros took advantage of the dusk hour to head to the city center’s canals and see the long-missed scenery.
▲ The Amstel River is very calm, with only the chirping of birds heard around.
At the moment, all shops, restaurants, bars, and other establishments in Amsterdam have closed their doors, and boat traffic on the city’s canals is also prohibited. As a result, the Amstel River is extremely tranquil, with not even a breeze, creating mirror-like reflections on the water. Albert dramatically said that he has almost never seen Amsterdam looking this beautiful in his life. So without hesitation, he captured this enchanting dusk moment.
▲ The sky reveals blue and purple hues under the dusk light.
▲ Due to the ongoing pandemic control measures, residents have suspended most activities, and even in the afternoon, the river remains very calm.
Although these are tough times, Albert is grateful that the Netherlands hasn’t completely restricted residents from going out. Being able to document these unique scenes through a small photo series is something he believes will be worth remembering forever.
▲ Normally, many tourists take selfies on the Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge), but now, none can be seen.
▲ Albert enjoys photographing the windmills—they make great focal points, and they also look beautiful when the lights come on at night.
Dutch photographer Albert Dros has won multiple awards, and his works have been published in various international media, including Time, The Huffington Post, Daily Mail, and National Geographic. His other works can be viewed on his personal website, Facebook, and Instagram. The original article can be read here.
▲ A shot of the Magere Brug taken from a distance. Albert doesn’t recall ever seeing such beautiful reflections on the bridge before.
▲ There are many bridges over the Amstel River. The one shown here is the Walter Suskind Bridge.
▲ As night falls and the lights on the bridges come on, Amsterdam takes on another kind of charm. On the right is the Carré Theatre.
▲ Albert guesses that the people living on houseboats haven’t enjoyed this kind of tranquility for a long time either.
▲ The houses are perfectly reflected on the river surface.
▲ With reduced air pollution, many stars are visible in the sky.
Source: Albert Dros