My Study Abroad Experience in Amsterdam, Netherlands Through the Lens of a Digital Camera
Amsterdam is one of the most picturesque cities in the world. Any visitor to this gorgeous city will no doubt leave with a loaded camera roll and memories that will last a lifetime. While I did leave with a couple thousand new pictures on my iPhone from my study abroad semester here, my digital camera was definitely the star of the show. If your friends are anything like mine, the come-back of the digital camera is not news to you. One by one, the digital camera made its way through my group of friends back home in the U.S., and soon it was packed away and ready to begin its new adventure with me in Amsterdam.
My friends that I made here through CEA CAPA had the same idea. Before I knew it, strolls through the canals, spontaneous dinner dates, and weekend trips abroad became documented through the lens of my little red camera. What first began to spice up the look of my photos turned into so much more. While our camera rolls get cultured with screenshots and other junk, digital cameras have a more of a physical feel to the photos, since you must manually scroll through them. However, the main reason why I love digital cameras is simply because they allow me to stay more present. Putting my phone away and using my camera instead for moments that I want to document make for more meaningful moments both when alone and with friends. If you get the chance, I encourage you and all your study abroad friends to invest in a digital camera, just like I did. You will not regret it!
This picture was snapped on a trip with my fellow CEA CAPA students to Zaanse Schans, a small town just outside of Amsterdam.
I feel that the digital camera perfectly captures the beauty of the Dutch countryside. Not pictured are the many windmills that make this place feel like a scene from a fairytale!
Even four months in, I could never get sick of even the simple sights in Amsterdam, like this quiet street at sunset.
This is a still from a video taken on my camera at the Keukenhof tulip fields. The vibrant colors of the flowers are a sight I will never forget.
The digital camera seems to add charm to things that might seem rather plain, such as this mural on a street in the city center.
While this photo itself was not taken on a digital camera, it shows just how ready me and my friends are to snap a picture at any moment.
We all spotted many window kitties in Amsterdam during our time here, but we couldn’t resist saying hello to this one.
Pictured here are me with my friends Richi and Stephanie at the Amsterdam Food Truck Festival! Every May, hundreds of trucks gather to serve almost any kind of food you can imagine. Just out of frame is a plate of Argentinian meats that we all shared—it was fantastic!
This photo was taken at the Pool Bar in the city center. This is a great place for students in Amsterdam to come grab a drink, play some pool, or even some board games!
This photo captures a blurry yet typical moment in Dutch daily life—biking! My friend quickly pulled out her camera to document us gathering our bikes before heading home from a late dinner.