I will be coming to shoot a music video in June and I've only been to the country a few times so I need some advice on locations in Holland or nearby countries.
I was wondering if any of you knew of any super-cool places you've been to/heard about for photographs. I am looking for something grungy, dungeny, interesting and sewer-y (but I know you have different systems than here in North America). It's for a techno artist
We do have a budget to work with and are able to rent out a place / bribe the guy running it to let us shoot there. I know Rotterdam has a lot of harbors there and industrial stuff
I can't think of anything right now, because all the cool places I knew from the last 10 to 15 years have been renovated or demolished -I've been to a few because I have a job in construction-. But I'll keep an eye out, think about it and talk to my dad (he knows even more spots and projects that are only talked about and not yet on paper).
Hmm, the only interesting place I can think of right now is a subway tunnel here in The Hague. It's not grungy, but still a very interesting location for a shoot. Unfortunately it's not allowed to take pictures there, but you can always ask permission of course. Hanneke did that too when she wanted to take some pictures there for her Feet series.
Here's a small pic of what the tunnel looks like:
When I know some more interesting places, I'll let you know of course.
That's about all I can think of in my area. They usually take down buildings quite quick here.
Along the coast we have some oil-refineries and such, I don't know how they handle official/proffesional photoshoots if you ask them nicely.
I know this one is quite big and cool looking:
Yes, "bunkers" could be an interesting option, there are several along the coast. Many might be closed off.
And there must be some kraakforten and kraankpanden (old forts and houses that are taken over by people who live there without permission, most of the times the buildings are in bad state) here and there.
My favorite is "kasteel van Mesen", a castle in belgium in a small village named "Lede".
Til now i've never been there but i saw a lot of intresting photos from that castle, more photos than you can find in the link.
I am not sure if it is permitted to go there, you have to find out yourself, because it might be a very dangerous place.. .. . .. . ..
Check out this link to view pics of "castle van mesen";
By the way, here in my home town we've got a large "fort". Build by, yes, NAPOLEON !!
In World War II, the germans rebuild parts of it and turned it into a "bunker".
Its not a forgotten place, parts of it are renovated. So now there is a restaurant, an large aquarium and the rest of the fort is a museum. If you might be intrested please let me now, there are stil a lot of forgotten places in the "fort", and "forts" around here. I might have any connections, so you to go there with a permit.. .. ..
Please let me now if you're intrested in this one, so i can work it out for you ................................
I'll see if I can think of something. But you could also try Belgium, in Belgium they are a bit slower with demolishing old buildings so there are quite a couple of them over there. From abandonned morgues to castles.
Thanks a lot for all the information, didn't expect so much feedback on cool places. We might cross over to Belgium for a few places we've been looking into, but 'castle van mesen' looks very interesting and it would be worth to track down who is in charge of it. Danke danke danke
Sent you a PM lowlands
I'm not dutch or really a photographer but i spent some time in holland two years ago. I recomend getting down onto some of the docks along the canals in Amsterdam. They get pretty grungy ;)
Also the neighborhood around the Stayokay in The Hague has some neat "dreary" places.
