Like every year, this winter also sought out the real cold. Winters in the Netherlands these days are so warm and full of bad weather that the Arctic Circle attracts me every year. Lapland's tranquillity, vastness of land, delicious food and friendly people have made it a favourite travel destination. Of course, I always try to photograph the northern lights during the long, dark nights, but more than once, you are dependent on the weather there, too.

The ice and snow-covered trees provide a nice contrasting image both during the day and at night. At night, mainly because of the millions of glints from the ice crystals, for example, in the headlamps of your snowmobile. However, there are a lot of trees and lakes and making unique images over and over again can be a challenge.

This time, wearing snowshoes, I took a walk for a few hours around my holiday home. You don't get very far very quickly, and especially in the woods, walking is laborious. On a lake, it went a bit better, but then again, it seems like you are only barely making progress. Still, I could enjoy every step. What a beautiful country!
One challenge I have taken up here is to show the contrasts in monochrome. To avoid the dullness on this completely cloudy day, I think a little high-key editing was also successful. In the middle of a lake in 20cm of snow, I came across this little island. All alone with the peace of the land around me, I felt at one with nature. But an hour later, I was also quite happy to be with my wife in the luxurious cabin with a fireplace.