The randonneur

A journey worth sharing.

THE FAVORITE...

Old man of Storr

Photo courtesy of @the.randonneur
Portree, United Kingdom: 57°30'27.4"N 6°10'28.5"W

Old Man of Storr

With strong, cold eastern winds getting stronger and stronger as soon as daylight dimmed, i quickly started to realise i was about to spent one of the coldest, loneliest nights of my life here. While the areas surrounding the beautiful pinnacle rock can be a crowded place in good conditions during the daytime, that night it was only me, the wind and the old man. Right when the last other human soul in this place was about to return, light became very intense for just a few minutes, right before night fell in. If you look close, you can see that last unknown explorer making his way back down, leaving me and the place at piece for a short and frosty night.

The Storr (Scottish Gaelic: An Stòr)is a rocky hill on the Trotternish peninsula of the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The hill presents a steep rocky eastern face overlooking the Sound of Raasay, contrasting with gentler grassy slopes to the west.

The backyard...

Peerdsbos

Photo courtesy of @the.randonneur
Antwerp, Belgium: 51°16'35.6"N 4°28'56.5"E

See more of my favorite PLACES

The lonesome...

Neist Point

Photo courtesy of @the.randonneur
Neist Point Lighthouse, Isle of Skye: 57°25'24.5"N 6°47'17.9"W

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Neist Point Lighthouse

I captured this image on a beautiful evening in the stormy Scottish spring. Brave gannets flying heroically around me as i wait for the sun to go down on a nearby hill. A steep and (very!) windy cliff makes the perfect decor to set up my tripod. I probably haven't taken a single shot in my life where my fingers were as cold as they were when i pushed down the shutter on this one.

Neist Point is the most westerly point on the Duirinish peninsula on the Isle of Skye. Basalt at Neist Point is very similar to that at the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. Whales, dolphins, porpoises and basking shark can be seen from the point. Common seabirds include gannets, black guillemots, razorbills and European shags. Several rare plants, including saxifrages are found on the point.

Some details...

An inspiration for Ayacucho

Video by Ben Steensels
Filmed on assignment for A.S.Adventure in Belgium and France.

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The hideaway...

Ardennes

Photo by @the.randonneur
Luxemburg, Belgium: 50°24'55.3"N 5°49'04.4"E

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Belgian Ardennes

When you are picking up a friend on a frosty morning at 4 a.m., you know you are into something good. Whenever i have a spare weekend left, i try to hit the dark road for a few hours and arrive in the beautiful Ardennes just before daylight breaks. That is my favorite time of day. When the velvet morning light hits the moss on the pines, you hear and see wildlife moving mysteriously all around you, and you feel like you are all alone out there. I can't think of a single thing that compares to being out there when all the world is still asleep. I am so grateful i found that place in my own country and am able to share it with some friends.

Forever

on

the

road

The discovery...

Pian di Spagna

Photo by @the.randonneur
Lombardia, Italy: 46°10'50.0"N 9°25'46.2"E

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Riserva Naturale Pian di Spagna e Lago di Mezzola

Definitely my favorite hideaway near the beautiful Lake Como. I discovered this natural reserve several years back when i tried to escape the crowded, touristic borders of the lago di Como. I found myself all alone amidst this natural beauty.

The Italian afternoon sun was high and burning, so i could only just take a quick walk and thought: "Oh yeah, the place is ok."

Knowing better, i decided to come back the next day at 5 a.m. and discovered the true hidden beauty of this magical place: Misty mornings, wildlife all around, 360° mountainviews and birds both small and large flying fast above your head. Since that morning i came back here. Almost every year.

The special one...

Lac du Der

Photo by @the.randonneur
Grand Est, France: 48°31'55.9"N 4°42'59.6"E

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Lac du Der-Chantecoq

Sure, this shot may not seem all too special to you. I must have had a hundred mornings or more where i met deer in foggy fields, and i hope you have had them too. But nevertheless this picture will always fill up a gap in my heart as it was captured on the first morning of the first vacation we did with our baby girl.

Even though she was only a month or two, we decided to go travel in France. We drove the car a few hours, found the perfect basecamp for our hikes and saw the cranebirds fly swiftly over the house. We always talked about how we wanted to adapt the baby to our lifestyle and show her with our own eyes how beautiful this world can be if you care to see.

Ever since that morning i felt very happy and grateful we still live by those words.

See you

OUT THERE

Some of the places i have recently visited.
If your place is still dark, get me there.
:-)

Contact me

Know more about me...
A glimpse of crazyness

I have never been a photographer and never will be. I'm more of a self-taught adventurer and natural born outdoorsman. When returning to the tents after an early morning hike, one day my friends asked me if i had seen anything out there in the woods. When i told them yes, a few deer, they wouldn't believe me. The next morning i went back. Only this time with a camera in hand. And so i did most of the mornings ever since, for them to see what i had seen. I shared some of my pictures with them and with a bunch of other friends online.

Sure, this wasn't what i expected. What started as a one-man mission to go out and explore both the known around the corner and the unknown abroad, quickly turned out to be the adventure of thousands of people through my lens. People told me they got inspired by my stories and all of them inspired me just as much. Hearing their thoughts and comments keep me out there longer, make me try and take better pictures and even see things through a whole new pair of eyes. I could never thank them enough for that.

My valued partnerships...Some of the organisations and brands i have worked with or that feature my work.

Working together with like-minded people is the greatest pleasure there is. It has been a privilege to have my work featured by some of the organizations that i really admire and it is an unreal honour to work close with a few brands that share the same vision and passion for the outdoor lifestyle...