On April 27, 2020, Dros made a private trip in the midst of a springtime explosion of colors to one of the world’s largest flower gardens after obtaining permission from Keukenhof in Holland.
The incredible photos depict the dedication of the passionate employees and partners at Keukenhof who spend a year preparing the beautiful exhibit for visitors. So although this year has been “special,” Dros notes, “[E]ven without people, nature and the show of the garden goes on.”
Though Dros has traveled far and wide to places such as Antarctica and Kyrgyzstan in the pursuit of capturing spectacular landscapes, he describes himself as “a real Dutchman” who is “a big fan of our flowers.”
Springtime in the Netherlands always attracts huge crowds of Dutch people and international tourists to witness the bulbs turn into blooms.
With the pandemic keeping people at home, Dros contacted Keukenhof to explain what he had in mind, and they agreed to allow him to photograph the gardens for a day.
This incredible opportunity just happened to coincide with some unusual climatic conditions. Dros noted that “we have experienced the sunniest April EVER in the Netherlands, making all the flowers pop very fast.”
While this meant that pretty much everything in the park was blooming, it also created some challenges from a photographic perspective to make sure that the colors weren’t washed out. “Photographing in broad daylight with the strong sun was a challenge,” Dros wrote.
However, once in the iconic gardens, Dros couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the experience of communing with the beauty of nature. “Walking around there all alone, with only the sounds of birds and the incredible smell of all these flowers, is an experience by itself,” he emphasized.
Each year, Keukenhof opens for just eight weeks starting from March through May, combining the beautiful colors of the Netherlands’ national flower, the tulip, along with many other spring favorites and flowering trees.
Below is a 4k drone video compilation of the Netherlands’ incredible tulip fields and windmills in spring from Dros’s previous works to inspire the self-isolator’s imagination. Even if you’re stuck inside, it’s still spring outside.