De Draak I, a photo from Oost-Vlaanderen, Flanders

Photographer's Note

© 2014 - All rights reserved. The photos taken by photographer John Maenhout are registered and copyrighted. Use in any form (web, paper publication, public exposure, etc.) is strictly forbidden without the written permission of the photographer. To contact with photographer please use TE Contact Me

Flemish pictures jhm

Ghent remains a pleasant city for me, every time see I new images for to make a picture.
The springtime in Belgium is extraordinarily with high temperatures and a lot sun, excellent for take good cup of coffee on the terrace of the "De Draak" or Dragon in English, this is the centre of the city.

I hope you like it.

History of the “De Draak” in dutch, Dragon in English
On the heavy foundations of the now vanished monastery Riches Claires this Ghent builds its own coffee roasting craft tradition further. Since its origin in 1864, we guarantee excellent coffee. We select for more than 100 years of coffee beans from the noble estates throughout the world. From this grand cru we choose our range of origin coffees and we set our own specific mixes together which are then roasted. Traditional manner Our goal is not simple: the creation of the perfect cup of coffee.
Ten years ago we also started to focus on making a logical result of our passion for coffee. Us Meanwhile, we have a unique assortment of quality managed to build. Along with the knowledge we develop, is still growing our fascination for this very interesting product..

Camera Model Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Shooting Date/Time
5/04/2014 13:12:03
Shooting Mode
Manual Exposure
Tv(Shutter Speed)
1/100
Av(Aperture Value)
14
ISO Speed
100
Lens
EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Focal Length
38.0mm
Image Size
5616x3744
Image Quality
RAW
Picture Style
Landscape

pajaran, jjcordier, papagolf21, besnard, timecapturer, holmertz, jacquest, Romano46, saxo042, cornejo, ourania, Royaldevon, shreya2000, photoray, tedesse, rychem, jcpix, mcmtanyel, tyro, ikeharel, adramad, kato, omid266, danos, Buin, COSTANTINO, gildasjan, bukitgolfb301, bukitgolfb301, ricardomattos, fritzi007, Kielia, Didi, mirosu, ChrisJ, aliabazari has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

pajaran (115831) 2014-04-27 23:14

Dobar dan.
Interesantan tekst o gradu, sa istorijom i opisom ...
Lep pogled i trenutak sa posetiocima ...
Dobar trenutak snimka i kontrast, lepo pokazano mesto, arhitektura sa detaljima na fasadi i posetioci, lepe boje.
Dobar rad i kompozicija, lepo uhvacen trenutak.
Dobar tekst o tehnici i elementima snimka.
Imajte lep i uspesan dan, sve najbolje u novoj nedelji koja je pocela, srecno.
Paja.

emka (158092) 2014-04-27 23:17

Hello John,

Nice shot from Ghent. The three ladies in colourful trousers are eyecatching. very pleasant relaxed atmosphere.
have a nice week

MAlgo

jjcordier (79299) 2014-04-27 23:25

John
Tout le monde cherche à profiter au maximum du soleil sur cette terrasse accueillante et devant ces architectures très intéressantes.
Amicalement
JJ

jurek1951 (42198) 2014-04-27 23:31

Hi John,
a spectacular photo of this place with attractive composition, the colours and lights are beautiful,
Georg

papagolf21 (152607) 2014-04-27 23:38

Bonjour, cher John,
Un bien joli moment offert à travers cette composition. Le soleil d'avril éclabousse avec plaisir cette jolie place.
Intérêt évident de l'architecture.
Très bonne journée.
Amitiés.
Philippe

carlo62 (81265) 2014-04-28 0:21

Ciao John
nel mio viaggio in Belgio sono riuscito a vedere poco di Ghent, per fortuna posso utilizzare le tue foto.
Bella giornata di sole in questa splendida piazza, tutto sembra così tranquillo e pacifico.
Buona giornata
Carlo

besnard (59196) 2014-04-28 1:13

Bonjour John
Un joli cliché de cette place ensoleillée entourée d'immeubles de caractères. Les promeneurs sont nombreux aux terrasses.
Amitiés et bonne journée.
Nicole

lousat (139220) 2014-04-28 1:27

Salut John,une composition excellente et tres riche,elle tombe un peu a droite mais pas de problemes,capture super dans la meilleure lumiere,les facades sont merveilleuses.Belle semaine et merci,Luciano

timecapturer (49288) 2014-04-28 3:02

Hi John
a shot that epitomises the feel good factor of a fine Spring and also the appeal of this fine old Belgium gem of a city. Excellent clarity and a wonderfully enticing composition.

Enjoy a good week - B.

holmertz (102650) 2014-04-28 3:18

Hello John,
Several fine buildings of different styles and lots of people enjoying the fine weather of spring. There are many interesting details to discover in this photo, and the people bring fine colours and create a good atmosphere.
Kind regards,
Gert

jacquest (19269) 2014-04-28 3:58

Hello John,

You managed to get a very nice view on those buildings and animated place. The light is superb and gives good details and natural colors for a composition of very good quality.

Best regards

Jacques

pierrefonds (114395) 2014-04-28 4:23

Hi John,

The presence of the people is adding life to the scene. The point of view is showing the details and the colors of the architecture of the buildings. The good luminosity is enhancing the beauty of the colors. Have a nice day.

Pierre

mesutilgim (0) 2014-04-28 4:52

Hello dear John,
Very nice capture from Ghent with very good layout and light.
The crowd sitting in front of the cafe adds life to the scenery.
Niceframing and many interesting notes.
TFS and best regards from rainy İstanbul.
MESUT ILGIM

Sergiom (117241) 2014-04-28 4:56

Bonjour John,

Content de voir que vous pouvez profiter de vos terrasses au mois d'avril. Chez nous c'est encore un peu frisquet. J'aime l'architecture autour de la place animée, la netteté et les couleurs.

Amicalement

Serge

Romano46 (18472) 2014-04-28 5:31

Ciao John
ancora Gand e le sue belle strade riprese come sempre in maniera tale da mettere in risalto la sua bellezza, anche se qui non c'è la presenza affascinante dei canali.
Il titolo annuncia ulteriori foto dedicate allo stesso soggetto del quale è descritta la sua storia in maniera esauriente tra le tue note.
Come sempère ottima definizione e grande cura del dettaglio.
Cioa e buona settimana
Romano

saxo042 (38078) 2014-04-28 7:54

Hi John,
A pleasant day indeed and a perfect day for sitting outside, having a coffee. A fine picture with beautiful buildings and plenty of people to bring life and colours.
Kind regards
Gunnar

Nicou (193806) 2014-04-28 8:28

Hello

fantastique compo et vue sueprbe iamge quelle belle place avec les personnages les terrasses sueprbe vue et compo et ce édifices quel ensemble et iamge.
Bravo et amitié
nciou

cornejo (61504) 2014-04-28 8:48

Hi John, very good view of this interesting scene of daily life, with interesting buildings, beautifully captured in this photograph pretty good. Interesting picture with good sharpness, light, color and quality. Very good and nice job perfectly done, congratulations my friend. Thanks for sharing this interesting work.

Good evening and happy start to the week.
Warm greetings from southern Spain.
Angel.

ourania (51103) 2014-04-28 9:13

Hello John,
your springtime pictures are most enjoyable, not only for the lovely natural or urban sceneries they present but also because they are so sunny and have a pleasant atmosphere. In this picture we can see an interesting corner of the city in a fine composition. The buildings are sharp and imposing as a group, the people animate the setting and confirm our impression that this is a day one must spend outdoors. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a great evening,
Ourania

Alco (7559) 2014-04-28 9:15

Hello John,
Beautiful picture of that place with all these people enjoying the nice temperature.This terrace seems very popular.I like the architecture of the building in the middle (MAX).Very nice colors.Very well done.TFS.
Have a nice day.
Alain

No_One (4) 2014-04-28 11:27

Hi John
THought I knew little of Ghent before using this site, I now feel thanks to your posts that it is one city in Europe I must someday see in person. It seems to be a perfect postcard come to life, even here the many people are decked in every color known against these fairytale buildings. Its always a pleasure to see these pictures in the gallery.
Thanks as always for sharing
Noel

Silvio1953 (221525) 2014-04-28 12:09

Ciao John, great view of lovely city, nice composition with a lot of people, excellent perspective, splendid light and wonderful colors, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

elenimavrandoni (0) 2014-04-28 20:25

John, Ghent is a fascinating city with so much history and culture and with your picture is much more fascinating and beautiful!! fantastic light and marvelous architecture!!
Eleni

Royaldevon (85896) 2014-04-29 0:51

Hello John,

Your description perfectly matches the photograph. This looks like a warm and welcoming place.
The f/g figures, strongly placed, introduce us to the pin-sharp details of the photograph.
You have a lovely composition with the side street, to the right, leading us deeper into the shot, after we have absorbed the details of the f/g buildings.

have a great day,
Bev :-)

shreya2000 (2815) 2014-04-29 3:34

Dear Sir,

I like your pic showing the architecture and detail of Draak. The life seems to be at its best in that place.

Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
joginder

photoray (13981) 2014-04-29 7:36

Howdy John,

Fine Ghent panoramic scene for the strollers and outdoor table coffee fans in front of the classical architecture.

Well done,
Cheers,
Ray
PS: My main lens for scenes is a Sigma 24-70 mm zoom.

abmdsudi (95869) 2014-04-29 9:08

Hi John
Gorgeous shot of a lively street scene with that sky and speck of vivid colours are really lovely adding so much vibrancy. Fabulous light, great composition and excellent timing bring a nice interest to the image. Great snap, TFS
Best regards

tedesse (25147) 2014-04-29 10:53

Hello John!
Interesting picture of Ghent!
Excellent POV and composition, nice colors and good sharpness.
Regards
Tadeusz

Fis2 (170693) 2014-04-29 11:57

Witaj John!
Interesting buildings.
Good frame and colors.
Nice scene from street.
Good night
Krzysztof

rychem (72187) 2014-04-29 21:39

The quality of the photo is perfect as usually, very nice street scene and interesting architecture with a long history, very well done
regards
Ryszard

jmdias (115100) 2014-04-30 1:42

john

nice perspective of this old buildings in different styles. I liked these details of architecture and the daily life scenery too. good light and sharpness. TFS.

hugs

jorge

izmirli (3989) 2014-04-30 3:21

MERHABA MY FRIEND.....:) NICE COLORS AND LIGHT..FRIENDLY GREETINGS FROM ISTANBUL..

eldancer1 (36343) 2014-04-30 7:12

Dinning on the sidewalk is becoming popular in Las Vegas except it gets so hot in the summer I don't think I want to try it. Nice capture of the scene with beautiful architecture in the background. Good lighting and sharp details. Well done, tfs.

jcpix (14030) 2014-04-30 15:17

Hi John,

I think you've made Ghent a pleasant city for all of us to enjoy! Although I may not be there in person to take in the beauty and charm, I can at least admire it through your lens, as you continue to showcase the city in a fine manner...and one which the tourism board should appreciate. :) This appears to be a relatively simple square, but one just as enticing as any other under the sun filled sky. Hope all has been well. Take good care.

Friendly wishes,

Jason

mcmtanyel (68447) 2014-04-30 20:50

Hello John,
I am envious! What a beautiful, sunny April day! The clothing of the pedestrians spruce up an already cheerful photo.
Regards,
MT

tyro (30513) 2014-05-01 3:44

Hello John,

An interesting note about Ghent and a very fine photograph of the "Dragon" coffee house taken in splendid sunny warm weather - more reminiscent of summertime than spring.

Your composition is excellent, the white facade of "De Draak" standing out proudly and nicely balanced by the street on the right and by the seated visitors relaxing. Gorgeous light and colours, perfect exposure and exquisite details and sharpness.

Beautiful!

Kind Regards,

John.

Zucca (8) 2014-05-01 7:15

Hello John,

The scene is pleasant, nice reflections on the windows, good mix of classical and modern facades too ! I hope you enjoyed those last sunny weeks because the weather is getting stormy now !

Have a nice afternoon,

Sylvain

adramad (72970) 2014-05-01 8:30

Hi John.
A stunning composition, as this group of lovely and varied facades, but with good harmony, terrace bar, full of people, brings a touch of vitality to the image.
Very nice colorful, these soft tones.
Very well balanced lighting and very good sharpness.
Well done. I love it.
Wish you a very nice day.
Best wishes.
Luis.

ikeharel (113291) 2014-05-01 8:31

A fantastic bright spring day, John, and you taken this picture with abundance of light.
Beautifully shown the facades of the tow architecture's jewels, reflections on windows, people sit on the cafe' and stroll along. All culminate to a vivid scene.
Cheers, and enjoy a good evening,
Ike

kato (11630) 2014-05-01 10:03

Hello John,

You're capturing perfectly this place by a good composition and very excellent tone/clarity, so it's interesting and impressive to see several kind of fine buildings and many regidents who are enjoying the coffee at corner of the square. Especially, the architecture of “De Draak” seems to elegant and tasteful by its design and color combination.

Kind regards,
mikio

dip (21408) 2014-05-02 0:32

Hello John,
very nice capture of the daily life scene and all the beautiful and interesting details there,
a beautiful shot in best quality!
thanks for sharing,
Dimitris.

macjake (98438) 2014-05-02 1:04

Hi John
I always enjoy viewing your photos from Belgium...something new to see each time.

Its fun how the red and blue pants on the right stand out so strongly!

a warm and friendly scene with charming architecture.
cheers
craig

Kamilutka (8107) 2014-05-02 5:06

Hello John,
looks like a pleasant place to have a cup of coffee :-) The sunny weather encouraged some people to sit outside and the whole picture has this nice spring atmosphere about. The light has been managed very well and the colors are natural and properly saturated. Interesting place and good note accompanying the picture.
Thanks for sharing and enjoy the rest of your day
Kamila

carper (96) 2014-05-02 10:33

mooie foto van dit scheve huizenblok, toch kan je hem eenvoudig rechttrekken met photo shop 6
groet jaap

omid266 (6816) 2014-05-02 20:56

** Salam John,

Dear my friend,

An excellent and spectacular view from the buildings from the old city , Ghent,

Very nice POV, fine details with people around,very good colours, splendid light , excellent clarity,

very well seen , well done and Thanks!

** Have nice and beautiful times **

Friendly Regards,

danos (110407) 2014-05-03 3:03

Hi John,
very nice the view as the presentation of the constructions with the brilliant light to enhance the vivid colours and the charmy of them.
I like the superb quality of the scene with the sharpness to be superb.

Regards,Danos

Buin (42580) 2014-05-03 8:47

Hallo John!
At first thank you for the most interesting and informative note! Exemplary!
You show us a wonderful relaxed scenery and a place to feel good, to take a rest, to have e.g. a coffee ... Sight-seeing often is hard work ;-))
I like that all these buildings are maintained very well.

Greetings from sunny Westphalia! Have a nice weekend!
Frank

COSTANTINO (116421) 2014-05-03 11:35

Hello my dear friend
I agree with you that springtime is extraodinary
generally and one of the best seasons I love
too much simple scenery with a lot of
people into the framing taking good cup
of cofee and everybody interested in
something else
its a pleasant relaxed atmosphere
regards
have a nice w Sunday
Costantino

batalay (41261) 2014-05-03 14:16

Dear John,

Ghent is definitely a city I would like to see in person after seeing your beautiful photos over the years. With people sitting in leisurely fashion outside a 150-year old caffe, the scene is extremely inviting.

Have a wonderful Sunday, dear John,

Bulent

SWEETFREEDOM (24623) 2014-05-04 4:31

Hi John,
Very nice spring day. Excellent light management.
Wish to have a cup of coffee there.
Regards
Alessandro

gildasjan (43826) 2014-05-04 10:38

Bonsoir John
Le lieu est bien animé.ici les personnes semblent prendre beaucoup de plaisir.Dans cette image mon regard est particulièrement attiré par les deux personnes habillées en vert en bas à droite de cette composition.
Bonne soirée
Amicalement
Gildas

bukitgolfb301 (54014) 2014-05-04 17:34

Hi Bonsior dear John

After fantatsic nature image, this time is so authentic architecture image at all.
Perfect shrap and clear image via complete in very tight but reasonable framework. Outstandingly vivid sharp color touch is very fantatsic to see.
All the best and have a new start of week, Takero

ricardomattos (17460) 2014-05-04 18:44

Hi John,

As a good Brazilian I appreciate good coffee and here we have a wide variety. Glad spring is there because here we are in the fall but the cold starts beating on our doors. Beautiful architecture you show us here and resulted in a beautiful picture too.

Congratulations

Ricardo

jemaflor (147076) 2014-05-06 11:04

Hi John,
Beautiful light to present these houses, perfect sharpenss, good life effect with all these people, interesting contrast between these facades.

fritzi007 (14698) 2014-05-06 12:19

Hallo John,
gut gelungenes Foto, sehr gute Farben und eine hohe Fotoqualität, sehr guter Kommentar, gratuliere!
Viele Grüße
Wolfgang

fabbs99 (17179) 2014-05-07 21:44

Hello John,

Excellent presentation of the street restaurant from Ghent in bright colors and a very good composition.Very well captured.Keep sharing.TFS.

Regards,Farhat

branley (3681) 2014-05-08 0:41

This is a place I could spend a few hours drinking coffee and chatting with my old friend John. A lovely composition and the ladies on the right give it good balance. Another fine shot my friend......

Kielia (24077) 2014-05-10 6:53

Hello John,
what a lovely view! You have chosen an excellently working POV to present these famous facades so nicely. You managed the difficult light conditions very well. The composition is excellent; my compliments!
Warm regards
Harriet

npecanhuk (79329) 2014-05-11 14:42

Hello John!
Very interesting and attractive façades and a lively urban environment!
Very beautiful picture too!
Sharpness, exposure, colors, horizontal format, chosen pov and composition are all excellent and I truly enjoyed them all!
TFS - congrats,
Cheers,
Neyvan

Didi (61589) 2014-05-14 8:53

Bonjour mon ami
Pour un début avril la luminosité était très belle sur cette place de la ville alors qu'en cette mi mai le froid et le mauvais temps sont revenus
Sincères amitiés

mirosu (16313) 2014-05-15 7:00

Bonjour John,
Excellent view to beautiful buildings in very nice light.
The arrangement with the part of the town square and the crowded outdoor restaurant is very good, the contrast against blue sky perfect.
Very well done.
Greetings,
Miro

ChrisJ (171822) 2014-07-25 11:48

Hello John

Missed this one. Must have been on tour. Superb sharpness as evidenced by the pinpoint clarity of the text. The colourfully attired people add scale and life to the scene. A nice blue sky that contrasts well against the red roofs at right. Tfs!

aliabazari (22127) 2014-08-09 9:25

Hi John dear
Mooi schot van de mensen op de straten met de Architecturale achtergrond. Ik hou van je. Je moet het goed vast te leggen. Blootstelling duidelijkheid en goed uitgevoerd. Thanks

Matyas (0) 2015-04-08 1:09

Hello John! Superb houses, amazing architecture. Happy people. Fine weather. Nice brightness and colours. Good cut. Ideal frame. Original work. Regards!

Photo Information

Copyright: John Maenhout (jhm) (211736)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2014-04-05
Categories: Architecture
Camera: Canon EOS 5 D Mark II, Canon EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, Sandisk CFIII 16GB, B+W 82 010 UV - Haze 1x MRC
Exposure: f/14.0, 1/100 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2014-04-27 23:04