By Mark McConville
STUNNING aerial images have captured the scenic beauty of two of The Netherland’s biggest cities: Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
The incredible pictures show a bird’s eye view of Amsterdam with the famous Museum Square, Royal Palace and Munt Tower all on show.
Other striking shots show Rotterdam Central Station, the Erasmusbrug Bridge in the city and Rotterdam Cube House Museum.
The remarkable photographs were taken across Amsterdam and Rotterdam by photographer Jeffrey Milstein (74) from Woodstock, New York, USA.
“The Netherlands is very flat and water is so much a part of the landscape,” he said.
“Flying above it all you get a sense of how it all unfolds, and of the relationships between manmade structure and the geography of the landscape.
“Amsterdam is interwoven with canals, and bridges, and tiny alleys and gardens. The architecture is homogeneous with tightly packed steeply gabled houses of similar height with stepped sandstone facades lining the walking streets like tightly fitted Lego. Many of these houses and churches are from the 17c Dutch golden age.
“Rotterdam had to be rebuilt after bombing in WW2, and so has a very different style with modern architecture and skyscrapers and bridges and highways in the central part of the city. Between the two cities is flat farm land and peat bogs lined with canals.”
Unlike other most aerial photographer these days, Jeffrey doesn’t use a drone but instead leans out the side of a helicopter or small plane in order to capture the images.
“My first career and training is as an architect,” he added.
“The plan views I photograph become like architectural drawings. I think I try to create order in my work.
“The world is chaotic and I want things to be orderly and balanced. And who wouldn’t want to fly around like a bird?”
