I’ll be honest, up until about a year I go I had never heard of Zwolle. Then again, Geography has ever been my strongest subject, so when I was given the opportunity to spend some time there (and after some rapid research courtesy of Google) I was very excited to go.
I don’t think the residents of Zwolle would appreciate being compared to Amsterdam, but for those like me who were finding out about this amazing little city for the first time, it’s the easiest way to explain. Think Amsterdam, but on a much smaller scale, with far less tourists but just as many gems to find. Pockets of character and history dotted all around, make this the perfect place for a bit of street photography.
You’ll find Zwolle about a hours train ride (or drive) from Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport in the Northeast area of the Netherlands. It’s quiet and modest, but has a lot to offer for those willing to look. After arriving in the Netherlands and I was asked by security where I was going, they seemed almost surprised given the locations higher up on most tourist’s lists. The officer responded with “Of all places!” after I explained where I was visiting.
My trip was semi-indefinite at the time of planning, which made it difficult to decide what camera gear I should take. I wanted to travel light while also taking enough with me to make sure I made the most of my time there. I knew I planned on making a video, which meant taking the bulky, Canon 6D Mk2 along but also saw it as a opportunity for my Fujifilm X10 to shine. Having used this little pocket point and shoot consistently for over a year now, I was confident in taking it to capture some every day life in the city.
I made the right choice, using the X10 for stills and the 6D Mk2 to capture video around the city over a couple of days. You can see the final result of that below.
I managed to get two or three days out dedicated to photography, the rest of my time I spent working, but the X10 went everywhere with me every day. These are a few of my favourite images taken during my time in Zwolle, but please watch the video to get a real feel for the city.
Would I go again? Absolutely, given the cities modest size (seriously, check it out on Google maps and see how the city centre is built up) I only scratched the surface and there is so much more to see. Hopefully I will get to go again in the future. Top tip, get on the bikes, they make traveling much easier, everyone does it, that and the buses are way more reliable over there if cyclings not your thing.
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That’s probably it! Thanks for reading :)