Advice needed: Belgium

[ERN812]

Hi all, I may be traveling to Brussels at the end of the month and was wondering if folks could offer their advice on photography gear to bring. Right now, I'm thinking a 16-25mm and a 24-105mm for lenses. (I really only want to bring two lenses so I'm foregoing a telephoto.) I'd also pack 3 and 10-stop ND filters, and a polarizer. I'm also inclined to take a tripod but am wondering if I could get by with something like platypod.

Finally, any recommendations on places to shoot? I'm aware of and can easily find the regular spots online, like the grand palace etc. Anything interesting out there that's not reported much on travel websites?

 

[Koban]

Just check photos on 500px, flicker. Get inspiration on locations etc.... Check the EXIF info for camera type, used focal length and settings. This helps me most of the time with gear selections.

Most of the time I bring more then I going to use. When not using it I leave it in the Hotel safe.

 

[Maceairsidh]

The Grand Place as night falls; as the sun sets, the coloured lights in the buildings around the square start to come on and by the time it is dark, you are surrounded by a rainbow of old, ornate buildings.

 

[jaggedhorizon]

Hi,

I've lived in Brussels for the last ten years. Here are some ideas, depending on the type of photography you like:

Brussels:

- the area around the Palais de Justice, nice views over the city centre, some interesting geometry in the buildings - for instance: http://cedricpopa.zenfolio.com/p297576767/h273f6acc#h273f6acc

- the Mont des Arts area, somewhat touristy but not as much as some other areas. Interesting mix of modern and traditional buildings, wide vistas. The only photo I ever had hanging in an exhibition is taken there (though not my best photo, in my view):

- the Sunday flea market at Jeu des Balles, good street photo opportunities (if it runs in the winter, I could ask if you're interested)

- there are lots of Art Nouveau houses in Brussels all over the place, and contrasting architectural styles on many streets - is that interesting for you?

- you can do a long walk just following grafitti works of art:

- Grand Place has been mentioned and is obviously in all the guides. It IS very beautiful. If you want to catch it with few or no people, try very early morning or late at night. Near Grand Place you have the Royal Shopping Galleries with beautiful architecture, and the Delirium bar which holds the Guinness World Record for most beers available (over 2000). Cool interior too.

- Also in the guidebooks but worth seeing: Place Ste Catherine in the centre, and Cinquantenaire Park and the great arch there (which you could combine with seeing the European Institutions. For my money the Parliament, which is furthest, has the best architecture). In respect of the centre, one could do a route from Palais de Justice to Place Ste Catherine, passing through a lot of cool side streets.



Outside of Brussels

Bruges is an obvious destination, very touristic but beautiful and worth going there

Loading…

www.zenfolio.com

Gent also has canals, also very beautiful, and far less touristic. Worth it both as an alternative to Bruges and as part of a two-destination trip (they're not far but I think too much to see in each of them to do this in a day). Easy train ride from Brussels.

Antwerp is also interesting. Not sure I would do all three above, though.

If you like abandoned places, the village of Doel should do the trick. You'll need to drive there, though:

Loading…

cedricpopa.zenfolio.com

Let me know what interests you and I could provide more info / link to more photos.

--

1x.com • In Pursuit of the Sublime

Browse 200,000 curated photos from photographers all over the world

1x.com

 

[jaggedhorizon]

Forgot to add: yep, unless you really like details and / or compressed perspective*, 16-35 and 24-105 should be plenty.

Looking at your galleries here, I think you'll take some very nice shots in Brussels / Belgium.

(*I know that perspective depends on where you stand, not the lens. Just using this as a convenient shorthand).

 

[akustykmagmanetpl]

not sure how long are you staying but nearby Ghent is much more picturesque than Brussels, and only slightly further, still easily accessible with public train, is Bruges which is absolute wonder to shot.

in Brussels alone: I'd say Grand Place and Rue de la Loi for some evening shots, then Galeries Saint-Hubert, panorama from near Musee Magritte... and that's it. for just walking around I like the area west of Bourse and around Grande Place...

not really worth to lug all the stuff you've listed. although for Rue de la Loi telephoto would be a good option, I guess.

I would still recommend to look for any option to go to Bruges or Ghent (in that order) instead of Brussels.

Hi all, I may be traveling to Brussels at the end of the month and was wondering if folks could offer their advice on photography gear to bring. Right now, I'm thinking a 16-25mm and a 24-105mm for lenses. (I really only want to bring two lenses so I'm foregoing a telephoto.) I'd also pack 3 and 10-stop ND filters, and a polarizer. I'm also inclined to take a tripod but am wondering if I could get by with something like platypod.

Finally, any recommendations on places to shoot? I'm aware of and can easily find the regular spots online, like the grand palace etc. Anything interesting out there that's not reported much on travel websites?

 

[tsinsf]

I'm always intrigued by the "what lenses should I bring?" question, because everybody's photography styles are so different. If you have ever been on a workshop where there is a review at the end and people show their photos, you will see a huge range of focal lengths chosen. A common technique in photo classes in the past (when zoom lenses were less common) was to make an assignment to go out with one lens and only use that one for an entire shoot. Visiting an old European city, do you choose a wide angle for the view in a cathedral, or a telephoto for a close up in an interesting composition in an alcove? Or both? Outside do you choose a sweeping view receding into the distance, or an intimate close up of a couple talking at a cafe? Are you drawn to grand vistas or moody close up intimate shots?

 

[Chris De Schepper]

not sure how long are you staying but nearby Ghent is much more picturesque than Brussels, and only slightly further, still easily accessible with public train, is Bruges which is absolute wonder to shot.

in Brussels alone: I'd say Grand Place and Rue de la Loi for some evening shots, then Galeries Saint-Hubert, panorama from near Musee Magritte... and that's it. for just walking around I like the area west of Bourse and around Grande Place...

not really worth to lug all the stuff you've listed. although for Rue de la Loi telephoto would be a good option, I guess.

I would still recommend to look for any option to go to Bruges or Ghent (in that order) instead of Brussels.

Hi all, I may be traveling to Brussels at the end of the month and was wondering if folks could offer their advice on photography gear to bring. Right now, I'm thinking a 16-25mm and a 24-105mm for lenses. (I really only want to bring two lenses so I'm foregoing a telephoto.) I'd also pack 3 and 10-stop ND filters, and a polarizer. I'm also inclined to take a tripod but am wondering if I could get by with something like platypod.

Finally, any recommendations on places to shoot? I'm aware of and can easily find the regular spots online, like the grand palace etc. Anything interesting out there that's not reported much on travel websites?

Being a Belgian I largely agree with this advice

 

[ERN812]

Hi,

I've lived in Brussels for the last ten years. Here are some ideas, depending on the type of photography you like:

Brussels:

- the area around the Palais de Justice, nice views over the city centre, some interesting geometry in the buildings - for instance: http://cedricpopa.zenfolio.com/p297576767/h273f6acc#h273f6acc

- the Mont des Arts area, somewhat touristy but not as much as some other areas. Interesting mix of modern and traditional buildings, wide vistas. The only photo I ever had hanging in an exhibition is taken there (though not my best photo, in my view):

- the Sunday flea market at Jeu des Balles, good street photo opportunities (if it runs in the winter, I could ask if you're interested)

- there are lots of Art Nouveau houses in Brussels all over the place, and contrasting architectural styles on many streets - is that interesting for you?

- you can do a long walk just following grafitti works of art:

- Grand Place has been mentioned and is obviously in all the guides. It IS very beautiful. If you want to catch it with few or no people, try very early morning or late at night. Near Grand Place you have the Royal Shopping Galleries with beautiful architecture, and the Delirium bar which holds the Guinness World Record for most beers available (over 2000). Cool interior too.

- Also in the guidebooks but worth seeing: Place Ste Catherine in the centre, and Cinquantenaire Park and the great arch there (which you could combine with seeing the European Institutions. For my money the Parliament, which is furthest, has the best architecture). In respect of the centre, one could do a route from Palais de Justice to Place Ste Catherine, passing through a lot of cool side streets.

Outside of Brussels

Bruges is an obvious destination, very touristic but beautiful and worth going there

http://www.zenfolio.com/cedricpopa/e/p11259436

Gent also has canals, also very beautiful, and far less touristic. Worth it both as an alternative to Bruges and as part of a two-destination trip (they're not far but I think too much to see in each of them to do this in a day). Easy train ride from Brussels.

Antwerp is also interesting. Not sure I would do all three above, though.

If you like abandoned places, the village of Doel should do the trick. You'll need to drive there, though:

http://cedricpopa.zenfolio.com/p1994777

Let me know what interests you and I could provide more info / link to more photos.

--
https://1x.com/member/cedricpopp

Thanks for all the suggestions. Those are some great images.

 

[ERN812]

not sure how long are you staying but nearby Ghent is much more picturesque than Brussels, and only slightly further, still easily accessible with public train, is Bruges which is absolute wonder to shot.

in Brussels alone: I'd say Grand Place and Rue de la Loi for some evening shots, then Galeries Saint-Hubert, panorama from near Musee Magritte... and that's it. for just walking around I like the area west of Bourse and around Grande Place...

not really worth to lug all the stuff you've listed. although for Rue de la Loi telephoto would be a good option, I guess.

I would still recommend to look for any option to go to Bruges or Ghent (in that order) instead of Brussels.

Hi all, I may be traveling to Brussels at the end of the month and was wondering if folks could offer their advice on photography gear to bring. Right now, I'm thinking a 16-25mm and a 24-105mm for lenses. (I really only want to bring two lenses so I'm foregoing a telephoto.) I'd also pack 3 and 10-stop ND filters, and a polarizer. I'm also inclined to take a tripod but am wondering if I could get by with something like platypod.

Finally, any recommendations on places to shoot? I'm aware of and can easily find the regular spots online, like the grand palace etc. Anything interesting out there that's not reported much on travel websites?

Being a Belgian I largely agree with this advice

I had no idea that Ghent was so picturesque. Unfortunately, I don't know that I'll have the time to get out there. I'm only going to be in Belgium for a little over two days, and most of that time will be devoted to work activities. If I'm the work is less than planned and I end up having an extra day, I'm definitely going to try and take the train out to Ghent as I'd love to see that city.

 

[The World Ahead Of Us]

I'm always intrigued by the "what lenses should I bring?" question, because everybody's photography styles are so different.

I second that. I just take the same gear everywhere I go, based on my personal style and not the destination. It would be weird for me to change gear every time. Whether it's Africa or my backyard; my basic gear and lens would be the same.

But I can understand too that some people just have another workflow and switch their lenses and camera based on the destination...

Interesting discussion, though...

 

[embie]

I second that. I just take the same gear everywhere I go, based on my personal style and not the destination. It would be weird for me to change gear every time. Whether it's Africa or my backyard; my basic gear and lens would be the same.

 

[ERN812]

So, looks like I probably will try to spend half a day in Ghent if I can. Seems like it's a 30 minute train-ride away. It also seems like Belgium is fairly safe. Aside from the normal precautions and situational awareness, is there anything/anywhere I should be concerned about and try to avoid? I'm fairly comfortable in large cities in the U.S., though I also know where I should and should not be going there.

 

[embie]

Hi ERN812,

I don't think you have to be concerned about safety but maybe you can find some more information here :

www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g188634-i204-Belgium.html

Enjoy your travel and welcome to Belgium,

"Travel is fatal... to prejudice, pedantry and pettiness" (Mark Twain) - "The world...is our home" (embie)

 

[mujana]

So, looks like I probably will try to spend half a day in Ghent if I can. Seems like it's a 30 minute train-ride away. It also seems like Belgium is fairly safe. Aside from the normal precautions and situational awareness, is there anything/anywhere I should be concerned about and try to avoid? I'm fairly comfortable in large cities in the U.S., though I also know where I should and should not be going there.

Belgium is one of my favorite countries in Europe and yes, it's safe! Too bad, you do not have more time to visit.

 

[ERN812]

Well, turns out I'm not going to Belgium after all (at least, not any time in the near future). I'm disappointed by it. Seems like a great country to visit with some great stuff to photograph and some great beers to down while sorting through images. Hopefully one day ...

 

[Maceairsidh]

Go out and buy a 6 pack of Leffe beer to soften the blow!