A new coastal landscape photograph: Ending Silence

By Johan Peijnenburg

It’s been a while since I posted a coastal landscape photograph in black & white, so here is a new one. I shot it early July when I met up with Joel Tjintjelaar and a few other people near Domburg in Zeeland, The Netherlands. The weather that day was a complete disaster. It rained way too hard during most of the day, and when the rain finally went away, it was way too windy. The breakwater in this photograph lies on the beach of Domburg, a Dutch municipality in the province of Zeeland. The beach of Domburg is well-known for the many breakwaters that are there to keep the coast from eroding.

Ending Silence, a minimalist coastal landscape in B&W

A minimalist coastal landscape in B&W with a dark sky above a breakwater in the North Sea near Domburg in Zeeland, The Netherlands.

I shot this photograph during a long-awaited short period of relatively quiet weather … which inspired the title “Ending Silence”. I like how the contrast between the brewing sky and the silky water came out. I hope you like it as well!

This coastal landscape photograph was captured using a Nikon D3x with a Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. A stack of two ND filters pushed the exposure reduction to 12 stops. The exposure time increased to a couple of minutes as a result. The photograph was processed using Nik’s Silver Efex Pro 2.

Click on the photograph to learn more about it or to buy a print or a licence of Ending Silence.

Cheers, Johan 🙂

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This photograph is part of our Minimalist photography theme, which also includes:

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Wooden breakwater poles near Westkapelle gradually disappearing in the North Sea, in black & white. Vanishing - Copyright 2024 Johan Peijnenburg - NiO Photography
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Vanishing, a wooden breakwater in misty North Sea water in B&W

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A mooring post at the North Sea coast near Westkapelle in the Netherlands, captured in black & white on a moody day. The Mooring Post - Copyright 2024 Johan Peijnenburg - NiO Photography
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The mooring post, a wooden docking pillar at the Dutch coast

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A misty and Icelandic landscape in B&W, featuring rugged lava stone and black sand and the mountains of Landmannalaugar. Rugged - Copyright 2022 Johan Peijnenburg - NiO Photography
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Rugged, an Icelandic volcanic rock landscape in B&W

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An old wooden pier disappearing into the mist above Lac de Neuchâtel in Switzerland, in black & white. The Abyss - Copyright 2022 Johan Peijnenburg - NiO Photography
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The Abyss, a wooden pier disappearing into the mist

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A misty larch tree forest with sun beams illuminating the trees and fog, captured in black & white. Misty forest - Copyright 2022 Johan Peijnenburg - NiO Photography
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Misty forest, a larch wood with fog in black & white

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A Dutch coastal landscape in B&W, showing the underside of the Zeelandbrug (Zeeland Bridge) in The Netherlands against a cloudy sky in the back. Under the Bridge - Copyright 2020 Johan Peijnenburg - NiO Photography
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Under the Bridge, a Dutch landscape in B&W

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Please visit our Black and White Photography portfolio to see more fine Art photographs like this one. Alternatively, check out our The Coast photography theme to find coastal landscape photographs from all over the world.

204 thoughts on “A new coastal landscape photograph: Ending Silence”

  12. Heine J. Melgaard says:

    Great shot Johan, and real nice to meet you in Domburg, and it would be really awesome to meet you guys again in the new year to come. Have a merry christmas with your family 🙂 

    Reply
    • Johan Peijnenburg says:

      thank you!!! The pleasure was mutual. Would indeed be cool to meet up in the new year again. Happy Christmas Heine! 

      Reply
  25. Matthias Haeussler says:

    can’t believe I never commented on this one Johan. I remember seeing it (and smiling for seeing it again in the plusextract), but I never interacted. Sorry … it is really great and exactly the style I like!

    Reply
  42. Julia Anna Gospodarou says:

    Wow, what a beautiful minimal Johan. Love the milky atmosphere and the dramatic sky and I think I know that pier 🙂

    Reply
  45. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Patricia: thanks Patricia! 🙂
    @Dedi: glad you like it Dedi!
    @Lilia: sounds like you are having fun 😉 Glad all is wel over there! 

    Reply
  46. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Grzegorz : you’re very welcome and I am looking forward to your LE images!
    @Gemma: many thanks for the compliment !!
    @Robby: great description and compliment Robby! Thanks 🙂 

    Reply
  51. Lorenzo Montezemolo says:

    Johan – the photographic filter industry thanks you for singlehandedly ensuring its continued profitability! :)

    Reply
  52. Armand Dijcks says:

    Nice to see this minimalist seascape in your stream! I really like the composition and the fact that you left some texture in the clouds, instead of going for an extreme long exposure look. I think this could actually work very well in colour as well…

    Reply
    • Johan Peijnenburg says:

      thank you! For long exposures I tend to work with something in between 10 to 16 stops, depending on the light. On a bright day 16 stops ( 10 + 3 + 3 ) might be needed to achieve an exposure time of 4 minutes. And I sometimes want 4 minutes to give clouds enough time to move and to blur water enough 🙂

      Reply
  60. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Meg: Thanks for the kind words 🙂
    @Paul: thank you! Glad you do. I kinda like it as well once in a while 🙂 

    Reply
  66. John Dunne says:

    Wonderful LE Johan, I love the juxtaposition between the drama in the sky and the ‘silence’ of the water and peer.

    Reply
  70. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Lilia: hoi Lilia 🙂 Alles goed? Thank you for your kind words 🙂
    @Mikko: nice to hear that from you Mikko! 

    Reply
  71. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Sandy: I love the word “cracking”. Thanks Sandy!
    @Aditya: thank you!
    @Nathan: thanks … yup! 🙂
    @Shirren: thank you Shirren! 

    Reply
  93. Lorenzo Montezemolo says:

    Beautiful and very serene scene, Johan. I’m glad that you were able to find enough of a break in the awful weather to capture this one!

    Reply
  95. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Dominique: good point Dominique! Thanks. Glad you like it 🙂
    @Michael: thanks for the kind words! Sometimes we don’t have another choice then just wait it out. Glad I did this time 🙂 

    Reply
  96. Michael R. Reynolds says:

    Very pleasing LE image. Great to be able to make such a nice image on a day when maybe conditions were not so great. Best Regards.

    Reply
  100. Carolyn Fahm says:

    At some point we get input fatigue, where so much comes in that our ability to appreciate and thoughtfully interact becomes completely overwhelmed. 

    Reply
    • Johan Peijnenburg says:

      but I do like a hint of mountains in the background of LE’s Philipp! Didn’t have a choice in this one though:)

      Reply
  108. Yasmin Simpson says:

    This is adorable as most of your pics. Like I told you before it doesn’t matter weather, place, time you always create awesome things friend Johan.
    Have a great week!!!

    Reply
  110. Peter Maris says:

    This is a sweet shot and reminds me of getting a 10nd stopper. gives a great effect, something I see possibilities for around my own home.

    Reply
    • Johan Peijnenburg says:

      Thanks for the compliment 🙂 You will love LE photography. Make sure to get a 10-stop plus a 2 or 3-stop … you often need more then 10 to get nice effects! 

      Reply
  117. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Gerard: thanks! Wow that has been a long time Gerard! Everything done and dusted with the new house?
    @Vishal: many thanks Vishal!! 

    Reply
    • Gerard Charmley says:

      Almost a year Johan 🙂 it’s taken a hell of a lot of work and we still aren’t quite there but the majority is done. Just got the basement studio to do but that will have to wait till early next year now :D. How’s things been with you?

      Reply
      • Johan Peijnenburg says:

        Good to hear and glad to see you back! All’s very fine here thanks. Getting ready for what hopefully will be a great winter season in the Alps :)

        Reply
  120. Johan Peijnenburg says:

    @Stefanie: thanks for the kind words Stefanie! Yes, it was one of those days 🙂
    @Aileen: thank you very much Aileen!!! 

    Reply
  122. Stefanie Loges says:

    Sorry for the many vexations Johan, but I am glad that you got at least one image out of that morning. Beautiful transitioning tones with the light centered right at the end of the wave breaker!! :)

    Reply
    • Johan Peijnenburg says:

      Really glad you do Joel ! Yes it was that day. I am still trying to get the sand out of my bag 😀 Next time I want to organize something on the beach with better weather!

      Reply
  124. Jerry Johnson says:

    This amazing photo is built, in my opinion, around the lovely transition of the light and tones along the horizon which is perfectly placed in this scene and emphasised in just the right way, by the dock on the right! :-)

    Reply

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