With the entire world pretty much on lockdown right now, some of the most beautiful tourist hot spots and landmarks have been left entirely undisturbed by visitors.
But just because attendance has dropped off doesn’t mean these places are suffering. In fact, some are actually thriving despite the lack of human activity.
Dutch photographer Albert Dros was recently granted entry into Keukenhof’s world-famous flower gardens in Holland where he snapped a series of stunning photos showcasing how the flowers are still proudly blooming in the absence of tourists.
Albert shared the breathtaking photos on Facebook where he wrote about his experience visiting the usually jam-packed garden while it was entirely empty.
As he explained online , his visit was in partnership with Visit Keukenhof in an effort to bring all the dazzling charm of the gardens to the world, even while we’re all stuck inside our homes.
“We aim to show the beauty of the park through these images,” he wrote. “Too bad there’s no smell involved.”
Albert said he’s always had a passion for photographing tulips, but had never been given the opportunity to capture Keukenhof without any tourists.
However, he spied his perfect opportunity in April during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. While everyone else would be stuck indoors, he could tour the stunning gardens alone and snap photos as he pleased without any visitors disrupting the scene.
He explained, “I contacted Keukenhof explaining what I had in mind and they were so kind to let me photograph the garden for a day.”
For the first time in 71 years, the Keukenhof gardens have been closed to the general public.
“But that doesn’t mean there are no flowers,” Albert wrote . “On the contrary; the flowers look incredible and get as much attention and care as always. All the passionate gardeners do their work as they’re used to.”
“Because even without people,” he added, “nature and the show of the garden goes on.”
On the day he visited the gardens, the sun was shining down on the flowers, causing them all to “pop very fast.”
Albert admitted the intense sunlight posed a bit of a challenge when it came to photographing the tulips and other flowers.
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But rather than dwell on the difficulty of his craft, he urged people to “forget about the photography for a moment” and went on to describe the sheer beauty of the picturesque gardens laid out before him.
It was an experience most of us can only dream of — wandering through a dreamlike garden of stunning flowers entirely alone.
As Albert explained,
“Walking around there all alone, with only the sounds of birds and the incredible smell of all these flowers, is an experience by itself. I sometimes just sat next to the flowers and the water, enjoying the nature for 30 minutes long. It was just a magical experience.
With the total absence of its usual crowds, Albert freely strolled through the gardens, snapping away and making sure to also pause and bask in the natural beauty surrounding him.
“It was a beautiful sunny day and I was occasionally just stopping without taking any photos and just enjoying the silence,” he told Business Insider . “Taking it all in, hearing the birds sing, and the fountain of water. All the little things, it was just so relaxing.”
At the end of the day, Albert left Keukenhof with a series of breathtaking photos, ones which he happily shared with the rest of the world.
“Now that the park is closed this year, I hope to show the beauty of our flower garden to the people sitting at home,” he told Insider .
“Sometimes people can get depressed, and with these colorful images I hope to show a little bit of color on a grey day.”
Although most of us are cooped up inside our homes, people like Albert are making it possible for us to enjoy all the beauty and wonder of the world that’s still out there.
To see the full collection of photos from Albert’s visit to Keukenhof or to check out more of his stunning photography, visit his website www.albertdros.com .
You can also see his work on his Instagram @albertdrosphotography , Twitter @albertdrosphotography , and official Facebook page, Albert Dros Photography .
