The city of Amsterdam is extremely rich with photography eye candy. From the famous canals in the city center to the people that live there, we’ve all seen the iconic images. But there are quite a few locations in Amsterdam that you might not know about that lend themselves particularly well to shoot photo’s. I’ve compiled a list that should get you started on your urban exploration through Amsterdam. Use this as a guide and you will find your own spots in no time!
NDSM Wharf
This place is hip. Berlin has Kreuzberg, Amsterdam has the NDSM wharf. What used to be the city’s industrial harbor area is now an up-and-coming artsy student neighborhood. If you want the ultimate urban-exploring experience, be sure to visit NDSM. Easiest is to take the free ferry departing from central station.
Photo credit: @Bastiaansizoo
Leliegracht
I know, I mentioned the canals already and you might argue that you’ve seen them all already. But this one’s too beautiful to leave out. In spring, the lush greenery that fills the sides of the canal creates an almost surreal feel. It’s fairly small, but you can’t skip this one. Tip: take your tripod with you after sunset and shoot some long exposures of the canals, there’s a whole different feel to them when shooting at night.
Photo credit: @vrijmiboot
IJdock
These buildings situated just north of Central Station are incredibly cool and one of the best photographic locations in Amsterdam, yet almost no tourists will go here. Highlight of this place is the triangular spiral staircase – a must for every Amsterdam Instagrammer.
Photo credit: @lucahalma
EYE and ADAM tower
These architectural masterpieces are fairly new in Amsterdam and also easily accessible from Central Station by ferry. You can go inside the Eye building to grab drinks or watch a film, or go up the ADAM tower to get the coolest panoramic view of Amsterdam possible.
Photo credit: @Bobsizoo
Sarphatipark
Amsterdam is full of parks, the Westerpark and the Vondelpark as the most famous ones. But there’s a lot more. One of the gems I found to be particularly suitable for a photo shoot was the Sarphatipark. There aren’t a lot of people around so you can really create that sense of seclusion – in the middle of the city.
Photo credit: @bastiaansizoo
Hortus Botanicus
If you want to go for a more tropical feel while staying in Amsterdam, go the Hortus. The Hortus is a botanical garden in the Plantage district of Amsterdam, which makes it very easy to give an exotic feel to your images.
Photo credit: @florinephotography
Photo credit: @Wander-Lust
Best,
Bastiaan
*Bastiaan Sizoo is a professional Instagrammer living in Amsterdam and part of the well renowned Sizoo Brothers. He travels the world with his camera and shoots the most amazing projects for his Instagram account @bastiaansizoo. He will write for Wander-Lust on a monthly basis.