Rural village A-I, a photo from West-Vlaanderen, Flanders

Photographer's Note

© 2013 - All rights reserved. The photos taken by photographer John Maenhout are registered and copyrighted. Use in any form (web, paper publication, public exposure, etc.) is strictly forbidden without the written permission of the photographer. To contact with photographer please use TE Contact Me

I wish everyone a nice workweek.

took these pictures Thursday afternoon as tribute to TE friend Paul VDV.
Paul you was here in these area but these environment is for the next visit along Hoeke and Lapscheure, two forget villages.
One of the most beautiful villages out of the area, real a agricultural area but with a lot nice natural places with a lot birds and green lung through the a lot trees.
Enjoy of this nice picture

These history is written through Henrik De Leyn member of TE (hdl).

According to tradition, the village owes its emergence to Guthago Sint (or Saint Guthagon) of Scottish (or Irish) had royal blood. He lived in the 7th century (other sources speak of the 9th century) as a pilgrim in Flanders. He was buried in Oostkerke. After miracles happening to the grave, a chapel was founded. In 1159 his remains were placed by the Bishop of Tournai in a reliquary.
The tower of the church would have formerly served as a lighthouse for sailors. In the cemetery itself would have some tombstones are from the 14th and 15th centuries. Like other villages in the polders was affected by flooding. Not only nature but also man has caused suffering and destruction. Beggars and foreign armies plundered, demanded food or cattle, poked dikes etc. .. The last major destruction occurred at the end of the 2nd World War. Heavy shelling and the flooding of the region had many casualties. If crowning glory was the tower of the church blown up by retreating German soldiers. 2500 kg dynamite did the tower collapse and destroyed almost the entire church. After the war, the church was rebuilt in the former state.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Shooting Date/Time
9/05/2013 15:03:23
Manual Exposure
Tv(Shutter Speed)
1/25
Av(Aperture Value)
32.0
ISO Speed
100
Lens
EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Focal Length
70.0mm
Image Size
5616x3744
Image Quality
RAW
Picture Style
Landscape

jacquest, tyro, snunney, krzychu30, pierrefonds, cornejo, timecapturer, No_One, Angshu, papagolf21, ourania, rychem, Graal, danos, pajaran, fabbs99, Romano46, PaulVDV, ikeharel, mcmtanyel, mohammad_H, kato, clic, raszid62, tedesse, Schnappilic, fritzi007, bartekp, umutlu101, TRB, Didi, ChrisJ, adramad ha contrassegnato questa nota come utile

Critiques | Translate

besnard (59036) 2013-05-13 2:47

Bonjour John
Une belle image printanière et champêtre avec l'église qui se laisse deviner au milieu des arbres.
Merci pour le partage et bonne journée.
Nicole

jacquest (19251) 2013-05-13 3:16

Hello John,

A nice rural scene indeed where the distance on the grass brings deepness. The row of trees and the red roofs make a good frame to the tall building. The animals grazing in the field add a touch of calm and peace. The good light brings out colors and the sharpness is very good for an image of great quality.

Best regards

Jacques

tyro (29026) 2013-05-13 3:48

Hello John,

A fascinating note about this place and how wonderful that this church was rebuilt after the Second World War to its former state.

A beautiful vista with remarkable details and sharpness and lovely soft colours. A very peaceful and restful scene with the cattle quietly grazing and the church tower perfectly placed in the frame.

Lovely soft colours and light, perfect exposure and exquisite details and sharpness.

Beautiful!

Kind Regards,

John.

snunney (130965) 2013-05-13 4:08

Hello John,
A pleasant rustic composition with the church making an excellent focal point. I like the layered effect and the fresh natural colours. The cattle add interest to the foreground.

krzychu30 (15512) 2013-05-13 4:16

Hello John,
fabulous landscape and very interesting note about the church we can see in the distance.The place was a witness of tragic events in the past and today we see here an idyllic atmosphere.
Well composed and executed image with really fabulous,well-saturated colors and outstanding overall quality.

Have a nice day
Krzysztof

cornejo (61174) 2013-05-13 4:31

Hi John, lovely view of this beautiful rural landscape with village in the background, very well composed and captured in this excellent and beautiful photography. A lovely image of a beautiful scene of daily life of the place, with very good sharpness, depth, light and color. A great job well done, congratulations my friend. Thanks for sharing this beautiful work.

Good evening and happy start to the week.
Warm greetings from southern Spain.
Angel.

timecapturer (49288) 2013-05-13 4:32

Hi John
lovely shot this, has a masters painting tonality and appeal about it. Beautiful spring greens and a real sense of re-emergence about it. Looks so peaceful and bucolic and you would never guess its turbulent history. Captivating imagery!

Have a great week - Brian.

pierrefonds (93505) 2013-05-13 4:33

Hi John,

The length of the field is giving depth to the composition. The point of view is showing the details and colours of the bell tower. The good luminosity is bringing out the colours. Have a nice day.

Pierre

No_One (4) 2013-05-13 5:31

hi John,
This is a fine pastoral scene, it has so many elements between the greenery, the animals and the very fine church. The red roof of the church gives a wonderful extra touch of colour to contrast against the greens and blues. Really nice, thanks for sharing.
All the best
Noel

Sergiom (115632) 2013-05-13 5:36

Bonjour John

J'aime beaucoup ce plan large sur les champs bien verts de la Belgique en cette période de l'année. Les vaches aiment beaucoup plus l'herbe tendre que le foin de l'hiver.

Amicalement

Serge

Bluejeans (64251) 2013-05-13 5:41

Ola John ,
Bonita esta paisagem rural com a primavera bem presente pelas cores vivas cheias de luz , bom primeiro plano com este campo bem verde em contraste com o azul , parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

Angshu (56760) 2013-05-13 5:43

Dag John
Nice picture of the village especially the church which was rebuilt as a strong focal point. The cattle in the FG create strong interest. Nice sky with cotton like clouds create good interest
Best Regards
Angshu

tars (882) 2013-05-13 6:19

Dag John,
hoef jhm niet te zien om te vermoeden dat dit een foto van jou is. Prachtig breedbeeld van het landelijke Oostkerke met zijn platte toren. Zeer scherpe, breedbeeld opname met grote diepte. Mooi blauwe hemel die nog beter uitkomt met de witte schapen wolkjes. De koeien op de voorgrond geven extra diepte en breken de groene oppervlakte. Een echte jhm foto.
Tars

Fis2 (142565) 2013-05-13 7:15

Witaj John!
Nice view, wonderful climate.
Interesting church, curious tower.
I like frame and super colors.
Well done.
Have a nice afternoon
Krzysztof

JFS (32459) 2013-05-13 7:38

John.
Image pleine de couleur, du soleil et de la calme! Très plaisante pour nos yeux, merci!
Amicalement,
Juan

carlo62 (81023) 2013-05-13 7:38

Ciao John
una vera bellezza, la tranquillità traspare evidente ed il paesaggio è da sogno.
I fantastici colori e la luce, completano l'opera.
Saluti
Carlo

Nicou (188378) 2013-05-13 7:52

Hello

quelle immensité et image avec le vaches en tout petit et cette lignée d'arbres en fond dans un très beau ciel quel vert sur le champs splendide.
Bravo et belle soirée
Nicou

papagolf21 (145060) 2013-05-13 8:05

Bonjour, cher ami John,
Magnifique vue bucolique présentée avec beaucoup de poésie.
Une jolie peinture.
Très bonne journée.
Amitiés.
Philippe

ourania (51103) 2013-05-13 8:34

Hello John,
a very beautiful, idyllic scenery that in no way evokes the disasters and destructions of the past. It looks so peaceful and your composition has enhanced this pleasing quality through the distances and depth it has created. There's a very deep and simple foreground leading to a background rich in attractive elements, it intrigues us to learn more about it. The colours are vivid and lovely and make a very delightful impression. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a great week,
Ourania

eldancer1 (36343) 2013-05-13 9:36

Beautiful countryside scene and what looks like a typical lazy day on the range! Good pov and it has good dof with nice details. Well done, tfs.

rychem (68021) 2013-05-13 10:23

Beautiful, idyllic country scene, beautiful wide panorama, nicely composed, high class photo
regards
Ryszard

Graal (103038) 2013-05-13 10:56

Hi John,
nice spring presentation and rural reportage. Good quality of photo. Interesting view. I like the green and group of animals on FG. Photo is very well done.
Have a nice evening.
Aleksander

danos (110395) 2013-05-13 10:59

Hello John,
very nice and flat the ground outside of the village,with some houses to can been seen from this panoramic POV.Excellent the light and the colour management as the clarity of the image.

Regards,Danos

pajaran (92082) 2013-05-13 11:10

Dobro vece, gospodine.
Vrlo interesantan i dobar tekst o mestu, sa datim podacima i istorijom ...
Lep pogled ...
Dobar trenutak snimka, kontrast, lepe boje.
Dobra kompozicija, lepo pokazano mesto.
Dobar tekst o upotrebljenoj tehnici i elementima snimka.
Prijatno vece i sve najbolje u novoj nedelji koja je pocela.
Srecno.
Paja.

Good evening, sir.
Very interesting and good article about the place, with the given data and history ...
Nice view ...
A good time recording, contrast, beautiful colors.
Good composition, nice place shown.
Good article on the used technique and elements of the image.
Good evening and all the best in the new week that started.
Good luck.
Paja.

holmertz (83280) 2013-05-13 11:23

Hello John,
There's a good balance between the large blue and green areas. In spite of the fine view towards the town and the rebuilt church it's really the sheep that make the picture, in my opinion. They are small, from this distance, but quite many and well spread out and they create a pleasant atmosphere that a church tower could never do.
Kind regards,
Gert

fabbs99 (17179) 2013-05-13 12:15

Hello John,

Attractive countryside shot here.The green field is well complemented by the blue sky.The cattle grazing in the BG add value to the landscape.Very well done.TFS.

Best Regards
Farhat

Romano46 (18472) 2013-05-13 14:04

Ciao John
queste visioni rurali ti sono più che congeniali perchè riesci a trasmettere molto bene con le tue foto la pace della campagna oltre che la sua intima bellezza.
Ottimi colori, nitidezza eccelsa e contrasto e saturazione perfetti ne sono i maggiori pregi.
Ovviamente, eccellente il soggetto e la composizione.
Complimenti!
Ciao e buona serata
Romano

PaulVDV (49024) 2013-05-13 16:58

Dag John,

Hartelijke dank voor de hulde d.m.v. deze foto. Ik heb je tip van je vorig bericht onthouden. Ook de website van je vriend Henk is daarbij veelbelovend. Er zijn in de buurt van Damme nog verschillende prachtige dorpen en vele mooie hoekjes te ontdekken. 't Is eigenlijk wel kras dat ik pas onlangs voor het eerst in deze streek tussen Brugge en Nederland kwam.
Het is een bijzonder mooi landelijk gebied waarbij de natuur in de loop der tijden grondig van aanzien veranderd is door menselijk ingrijpen. De kanalen bepalen nu vele van de gekende zichten. Daarbij kwam voor mij het heel mooie centrum van Damme. Via die website en de vele foto's die je hier al gepost hebt, is het duidelijk dat nog andere dorpen, of deelgemeenten, getuigen van een bijzondere schoonheid.

Heel mooi is ook dat vele TE-leden foto's van dit gebied herkennen als jouw streek. Misschien zijn die foto's voor sommigen ook een eerste stap naar een concreet bezoek. Brugge is immers vlakbij en trekt steeds meer buitenlandse bezoekers.

Nu ik je foto van Oostkerke zie, stel ik vast dat ook de kerk daar net zoals in Damme een platte toren heeft. In Damme waren de zichten van bovenop de toren echt fantastisch!

Sommigen zien hier schapen in de wei maar volgens mij zijn het toch grazende koeien. Doordat ze zich op de scheidingslijn tussen twee weiden bevinden, krijgt de foto meer diepte.

Ik denk dat we links tussen de bomen het kasteel terugvinden waarvan je vroeger al enkele mooie foto's getoond hebt.

Stilaan wordt alles groener in het landschap. De bomen hebben hier reeds duidelijk veel meer bladeren. Tussen het groen vormen de rode daken een prachtige afwisseling. Gelukkig had je toen ook een stralende dag.

Vele groeten, Paul

jjcordier (79299) 2013-05-13 22:25

John
Très bonne photo rendant bien l'atmosphère paisible de ce village entouré de prairies. Belle lumière et joli ciel.
Amicalement
JJ

dkmurphys (77034) 2013-05-13 23:42

Hi John,
Very attractive countryside image. I like the atmosphere and the spring colors. Well taken, enjoy a fine day.

Daniel

branley (3681) 2013-05-14 6:01

A lovely springtime image, full of colour and life. Good to read the history of the village and so pleased the church was rebuilt. A very fine composition my friend.

ikeharel (98746) 2013-05-14 7:37

Wonderful spring scene, John, so much (new) green after long winter cold.
Town houses and church tower in good contrast to the pasture in foreground.
A lovely shot on a bright day.
Good evening,
Ike

Silvio1953 (191151) 2013-05-14 13:32

Ciao John, great view of beautiful vilage, lovely bucoloic composition, wonderful colors, excellent clarity and splendid light, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

mcmtanyel (54491) 2013-05-14 19:29

Hi John,
Refreshingly green meadows, peacefully grazing cows, a heavenly chapel in the background: Beautiful scenery captured masterfully. TFS.
Regards,
MT

Alco (7559) 2013-05-14 20:44

Hello John,
Beautiful rural landscape.I like very much the variety of colors offered by the grass,the trees and the buildings with their red roofs.The animals add life to your picture.Superb composition and very sharp picture.Very well done.
Regards.
Alain

marabu61 (11587) 2013-05-15 0:08

Hello John
Very charming rural scene with some beautiful colors in a pleasing light. I like the different layers created by the lines of the animals, the green pasture and the trees. The dominant church adds a good point of interest to the composition.
have a good day
Daniel

omid266 (6770) 2013-05-15 6:46

Hello dear John ,

All the Best with this beautiful pic.

Thanks for sharing ,

God Bless !

mohammad_H (10178) 2013-05-15 8:17

Hi
Range is very beautiful and eye-catching, green and natural environment and the countryside, enjoy seeing these images, the recording is very good angle, contrast, clarity and transparency, excellent
good afternoon
seyed mohammad

Urs (14082) 2013-05-15 8:29

Hi John

Sheep in the deep green grass looking for food and in the BG a nice village. It is idyllic and romantic for visitors but how is it for the locals, for some certainly boring, especially the youngsters. Your shot makes me dream, well done

Warm regards
urs

claudeD (47754) 2013-05-15 9:11

Hello John,

very good idea to share this rural scenery with us here on TE. Very good composition and fine colors.Very well done.TFS.

With regards from Luxembourg

JC

jemaflor (125665) 2013-05-15 11:42

Hi John,
Well composed with this countryside landscape, well framed with the tower as focal point and lovely colors and light.

kato (11630) 2013-05-15 14:37

Hello John,

You're capturng well this place by a good composition and excellent tone/clarity, so it's interesting and impressive to see the peaceful rural village with the wide pasture, lovely houses with a red roof and the surrounding greenery of backdrop. Once, that this was a ground of the battlefield seems to be a lie. And, the blue sky with white clouds is wrapping in this place gently.

Kind regards,
mikio

clic (22824) 2013-05-15 15:36

Hello John
Lot of serenity felt in this wide view of the small village, expressed by that much vivid greenery, seasoned of the red roofs on each side of the old campanile.
Superb natural colors create a "grounded-to-earth" tableau!
Cheers.
Robert

chrisvek (7003) 2013-05-15 17:41

Hello John

Great colors on this shot with perfect details and awesome saturation.Great depth and POV.Well done!

All the best
Chris

raszid62 (18457) 2013-05-15 23:49

Hello
Beautiful spring pasture with white cows, by the village, which is an interesting ruin of the Church. I really like it soft, pastel colors. Perfect picture quality.
Yours
Joseph

ChrisJ (152324) 2013-05-16 3:26

Hi John

I like this well composed shot using the rule of thirds with a ratio of 2/3 sky and 1/3 land. Good sharpness and realistic colour and saturation. The sheep and livestock fences provide scale. Nice repetition of the bg trees. Have a great weekend! Tomorrow is Friday at last!

gildasjan (43826) 2013-05-16 10:12

Bonsoir john
Beau rendu naturel des couleurs de ce paysage des Flandres.les toits de tuiles apportent un bon équilibre des couleurs à cette image.
Bonne soirée
Amicalement
Gildas

mjw364 (1466) 2013-05-16 15:52

Hello John

Nice rural idyll captured here.Sharp image and great sky.

TFS

Mike

jcpix (14030) 2013-05-16 20:18

Hi John,

To me this says "The Simple Life." :) A very pleasing and agreeable look at more of the beautiful countryside on a bright, sunny day. Everything looks sharp in focus with detail throughout. At first glance I thought maybe there was a bit too much negative space in the sky, but the high clouds are just the right touch and create a a layer of separation, breaking down the composition into the textbook 1/3rd's. A very nice rural setting and a calm atmosphere have made for a solid image, well done! Thanks for the view. Have a terrific Friday.

All the best,

Jason

bayno (18348) 2013-05-17 11:09

Ciao John,
very relaxing image, so nice light and colors, sharp image and well framed scene...well done...regards,
Valter

Royaldevon (64274) 2013-05-17 12:50

Hello John,

A lovely bucolic scene, which is utterly relaxing to peruse. There is an atmosphere of tranquillity which is so associated with animals grazing, rich green grasses and a blue, cloud flecked sky.
The line of the buildings is, for composition, a fine separation line but also brings interest in its own right. The church tower, the focal image, is strongly positioned and the red roofs add a lovely splash of colour.

Have a great w/e,
Bev :-)

tedesse (25147) 2013-05-17 14:01

Hello John!
Nice view, wonderful rural atmosphere.
Interesting church with an interesting tower.
Good frame and beautiful spring colors.
Have a nice weekend
Tadeusz

tomi1 (2206) 2013-05-17 14:48

Oeiras, 17-5-13
Hello John
I have liked your visit in my gallery. I do not why but very seldom see pictures of Belgium. It is time to explore this country too. All the view in pure nature is a place to be kept in my memory. The natural beauty is well present by the tall tress hiding the village. An aerial photo should be interesting with a special camera. Certainly helicopters do it. Warm regards. Domingos

bukitgolfb301 (53380) 2013-05-18 1:59

Hi dear John

Again you did supper job!
Your photo world has become more and more sophisticated. Fantastic panfocus image of perfect balance.
Thanks a lot and have a good weekend!

Takero from Tokyo

Schnappilic (9692) 2013-05-18 4:37

Hello John,

Good presentation of this rural scene with calm atmosphere together with an interesting note. Greetings to your friends!

Best regards,

Ovidiu

fritzi007 (14698) 2013-05-18 6:16

Hallo John,
stimmungsvolles Landschaftsfoto, wirklich sehr gut gemacht!
Viele Grüße
Wolfgang

manrezaei (1749) 2013-05-18 11:15

Hi John,

Very nice shot. Great exposure, superb colors and lights you captured here. Very well done.

Regards.

Mansour

williewhistler (16606) 2013-05-19 3:48

Hello John,
the animals grazing peacefully in the fields contribute enormously to the bucolic scene.It`s the epitome of rural Belgium,a lovely location.
Kind regards,
Les.

berek (50508) 2013-05-19 6:55

Hello John
A great nature photography. I can see a large area. very nice natural green color.
greetings
Burak

bartekp (4746) 2013-05-19 7:23

hi John,

I like Your composition with natural colors. Very nice reportage from West-Vlaanderen.

Have a nice afternoon

Bartek

umutlu101 (13629) 2013-05-19 13:13

salut john,
le printemp est là....
les arbres montrent la puissance du vent; ça soufle fort par-là :-)
amicalement
ömer

TRB (14138) 2013-05-20 12:54

merhaba John,
very nice composition.
with the view of giving peace of mind simply excellent.
tebrikler, selamlar

Tülay

Didi (61569) 2013-05-20 17:07

Bonjour mon ami
Belle vue rurale sous une belle luminosité qui me manque en ce moment
Le cadrage au 1/3 avec priorité au ciel est intéressant
Sincères amitiés

carper (96) 2013-05-27 10:50

heel fraai neergezet fraai vlaams landschap goed fotowerk John.
gr. jaap

Hanssie (11018) 2013-05-29 2:05

Beautiful lines in this rural village, John......

Miguel82 (35788) 2013-05-29 5:32

Good afternoon John,
A countryside photo I like with some healthy cows in the bg!
Fine colors, excellent depth and sharpness
Beautiful scenery from Flanders
With respect

jmdias (91870) 2013-05-30 6:57

john

another marvelous sample of the rural landscape in your region. I liked the view of that barrier of trees and the tower of the church, the animals added more life to the image. TFS.

hugs

jorge

elenimavrandoni (0) 2013-06-30 12:49

Hello John, a true conspiracy to create a perfect picture! Somehow you collect all those elements from nature, from color, from sky and you "paint" photographically and beautifully the most exciting natural pictures!And this is one more to your collection.
best wishes,
Eleni

daddo (28698) 2013-07-11 2:38

Hi John. Another rural scene but this one is much more spacious than your shepherd scene.very nice blend of history, architecture and countryside. Regards. Klaudio.

adramad (62618) 2013-08-17 8:14

Hi John.
Delicious landscape, masterfully composed, love the foreground with the wide meadow and grazing cows, the following line with houses, trees and church is a marvel, an image that conveys peace and tranquility of these beautiful rural corners.
Ideal very naural palette.
Very good light and crisp.
Enjoy the weekend.
Best wishes.
Luis.

Matyas (0) 2015-12-10 0:40

Hello John! Superb long and wide perspective. Excellent weather Nice lightness and brightness. Marvelous sheep. Amazing architecture. Fine rural composition. Stunning view. Regards!