Sail Amsterdam 2015: The Sail-In Parade

[Cem_Usakligil]

I have had the chance to visit the Sail Amsterdam this year; a 5-yearly event which brings more than 80 tall ships, naval ships and replicas from all around the world to Amsterdam for 4 days. This is a huge public event with more than 1.5 million visitors in total. At the start of the event, the participating ships all sail into the Amsterdam harbour. They are greeted and accompanied by thousands of local boats/ships, small and large. It is a sight which should be seen in person to be truly understood. But I'll still do my best to provide an impression by sharing my pictures with you here. We were lucky since we could visit good friends of ours who live at the top floor of a building which is right at the mouth of the harbour. Needless to say, generous as they are, they had a lot of visitors that day. We went up to the roof which provided an excellent view. I have used the Pentax K3 Nicolas has kindly lent me and I have attached the 70mm/2.4 lens (105mm equivalent on a 35mm sensor/film) on it. It has remained on the camera during the majority of the parade.

The Tall Ship Stad Amsterdam leading the Sail-In

​

... to be continued in the next post.

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

... continued...

This was a near collision!




​

... to be continued in the next post.

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

... continued...

​

... to be continued in the next post.

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

... continued...

​

Thanks for looking. Please feel free to comment if you wish to.

You can see more pictures in this flickr album.

 

[Asher Kelman]

These pictures are simply spectacular, Cem! You have a steady hand. I can read the tiny letters on some of the boats!

One cluld discuss each of the photographs in great length! This is an important collection of great boats. Some of these vessels are the first training at naval seamanship for new recruits!

Asher

 

[nicolas claris]

Great job Cem!
In your hands the K3 delivers really good images imho…
Of course I know about this event, but you did a great report!

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Great job Cem!
In your hands the K3 delivers really good images imho…
Of course I know about this event, but you did a great report!

Thanks Nicolas,

I just point and shoot. The camera does the rest.

 

[Jerome Marot]

I just point and shoot. The camera does the rest.

I also want one of these cameras that makes the perfect picture appear in front of itself!

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

I also want one of these cameras that makes the perfect picture appear in front of itself!

Hahaha....

 

[Maggie Terlecki]

Spectacular, Cem. I like how the smaller boats really help show the size of those massive and beautiful big sailing ships.

 

[Antonio Correia]

Great set of images Cem !

Well done !

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Thanks Maggie and Antonio, appreciated.

Here is a great time lapse video (a short one) showing the Sail-In parade and how so many boats move on the water without crashing into each other.

https://www.facebook.com/havenbedrijfamsterdam/videos/747027292092014/?fref=nf

 

[Antonio Correia]

Where were you Cem, to take the photographs from this high point ?

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Where were you Cem, to take the photographs from this high point ?

We were on the roof of a building which is right at the mouth of the harbour. See below a picture of the building itself.

l04361 by Cem Usakligil, on Flickr

By FaceMePLS from The Hague, The Netherlands (Silodam Amsterdam) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

​

 

[Antonio Correia]

Thank you Cem.
After I posted I saw the time laps and coud understand that it was from a high point.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Cem,

The time-lapse video is so thrilling and provides a sense of the excitement and mass celebration at the event with everyone inspecting and regaling everyone else!

How many photographers? Seems like a large project to take so many angles.

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Bump!

This is really a superb series deserving your attention my dear friends. Frankly it is a tragic error not to react to such good work!

Asher

 

[Jerome Marot]

I came across that animated gif of the same event this morning. It is not of my making.

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Thanks Jerome. It's incredible all that traffic on the water, isn't it?

 

[Paul Abbott]

Cem, the eighth image in your series really sums up the amount of boat traffic on this stretch of water while the others enforce it. Thanks for showing them...