CLEVERcreating - Balance between thinking and doing

A Magnificent Museum and the Enchanted City of Cuenca, Spain

April 12, 2024April 12, 2024 by Hannie Mommers

In between Madrid in the centre of Spain and Valencia on the East coast lies Cuenca, an eagle’s nest between 2 rivers.

There are just a few tourist highlights in Cuenca to be seen, for instance, the Cathedral and the so-called Hanging Houses, but the old city as a whole is fantastic. It is stuck on a mountaintop, sandwiched between 2 gorges carved out by the rivers Huécar and Júcar.

That and our favourite Spanish museum, Museo de Arte Abstracto Español, make a visit more than valuable for us. All the more now we have heard of yet another touristic highlight: The Enchanted City.

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Photography is a Passion, Why is Taking Pictures Important?

April 3, 2024April 3, 2024 by Hannie Mommers

Taking pictures is narrowing your view in a good sense. Looking through the square hole makes you focus on the composition, colour and details of what you see. It’s all about making choices.

When I was 12 years old I got a camera from my granddad. It was an Agfa, that I know for sure. But I am not sure anymore whether it was a Click or a Clack.

All these years I was convinced it was a Clack-II, but googling pictures of it made me wonder. The image in my memory resembles more of the Click-II.

What to See in Antwerp, Belgium, Including Unknown Hot Spots

March 27, 2024March 27, 2024 by Hannie Mommers

In the Netherlands, we lived 5 miles from the Belgium border. Crossing the border really meant crossing a frontier, despite that small distance.

As soon as you are in the neighbourhood of the border you can see that the street is different (ask any professional cyclist – Belgian cobblestone roads are famous), the houses are built with materials we don’t use in the Netherlands and on a back road it even shows that nature looks different. In the Netherlands everything is clean-cut, Belgium is cozier.

For Tom and me, Antwerp was closer than Amsterdam, so if we wanted to sniff some culture we usually went there. What to see in Antwerp? There is a lot of variety and the terraces are great!

What is a Viewpoint in Photography and How does it Impact our Images?

March 22, 2024March 21, 2024 by Hannie Mommers

A viewpoint, point of view, standpoint, or outlook. All expressions you can use in either literal sense or as a matter of speech. Here I mean of course your point of view with a camera at hand. What is a viewpoint in photography?

Usually, you will hardly think about where you stand when you take a picture. There’s a party or some other important event, or you’re on vacation and you want to capture those moments.

Still, it is useful to be aware of your point of view every now and then. Anything that expands your toolbox of possibilities improves your photography.

7 Beautiful and Photogenic Places of Interest in Murcia, Spain

March 13, 2024March 13, 2024 by Hannie Mommers

On a first superficial look at the province of Murcia in Spain, you might judge this as a place of little significance. Some parts are even ugly and I sure have mixed feelings about the area where I live.

If you are able to see the beauty in ugly things, there are a lot of places of interest in Murcia. If I look with my photographic eye, I see the beauty of the blossoms and (almost) forget about the poison that is sprayed on them.

No way to forget the ugliness of the chemical industry in the neighbourhood of Cartagena but still I can enjoy the lines and colours of the machinery.

What is Composition in Photography? 7 Tips to Improve your Images

March 4, 2024March 4, 2024 by Hannie Mommers

During my education at two art academies in the Netherlands, I was trained to look at the composition of paintings and sculptures. That was a big advantage for me when I started taking pictures.

Painters often had a conception of composition that depended on their time. The Renaissance had a balanced, calm structure of the works. In the Baroque, the dynamic composition was usually applied.

What is composition in photography? The usual rule of thumb is the rule of thirds. It’s a great rule to start with, but in this article, I will explain some other possibilities for composition you can use.

The Endless Possibilities of Manual Use of your Photo Camera

February 29, 2024February 29, 2024 by Hannie Mommers

If you own a Single-lens reflex camera, whether it’s a camera with film (SLR) or a digital one (DSLR), it’s a pity not to use the different possibilities.

Of course, I set my camera on full-automatic too at times, but the only advantage then is the speed of taking a picture.

If you want to have special effects like depth-of-field for example, you have to put the camera on half-automatic or manual.

The manual use of your photo camera will improve your creativity and expose a whole new area of possibilities.

National Park Hoge Veluwe, the Netherlands, Definitely Worth a Visit

February 22, 2024February 22, 2024 by Hannie Mommers

Years ago my husband and I were finally able to take a day off (we had the worst bosses ever – we were both solo entrepreneurs) and decided we wanted to have a combination of culture, nature, exercise and fun. Preferably all in one place.

We could have gone to Insel Hombroich just across the border of Germany, but another great place where you can have it all is National Park Hoge Veluwe. It’s located in the east of the Netherlands and even on that winter’s day it was beautiful.

Cars are allowed in the park but are strongly discouraged by an additional charge on the entrance fee. If you have no difficulty moving, it is better to park the car at one of the entrances and continue on foot or by bicycle. This way you save nature and you see more details of the park.

How to Create Abstract Photos by Using the Hipstamatic App

February 16, 2024February 16, 2024 by Hannie Mommers

Years ago I discovered the app Hipstamatic for my smartphone. It was love at first sight. I even have to admit I once bought another iPhone to have more pixels and speed.

As an artist, I love abstract art. Taking pictures with abstract results enhances that love and using the Hipstamatic app for those pictures doubles the fun.

In this article on how to create abstract photos, the focus is on the app Hipstamatic. In the meantime, I also explain how you can make your pictures more abstract without the app.