I left my office at StartDock to visit the Allard Pierson Museum. Google Maps said it was a 14-minute walk.

I ended up selecting 14 photographs from that journey, one for every minute between my office and the museum.

I brought my Nikon and wanted to take photos along the way, partly because I was curious to see how my new lens would perform outdoors while capturing the city as I walked.

It was around noon, the sky was overcast, and the light was soft. Not exactly the conditions people imagine when they think about beautiful travel photographs. But Amsterdam in autumn has something special about it, even without sunshine.

The trees were turning yellow and orange, the canals reflected the cloudy sky, and the familiar architecture seemed to take on a different character. So I started walking and photographing.

Fourteen Minutes on the Map, a Little Longer With a Camera

One thing I enjoy about Amsterdam is how much you can discover within a relatively short distance. A walk that takes fourteen minutes when you're simply trying to reach your destination can become much longer when you start paying attention.

This is one reason I enjoy exploring the city with a camera, even after years of living here. The streets are familiar, but the photographs are never exactly the same. The seasons change, the light changes, and sometimes the way you look at a place does too.

Amsterdam's Canals in Autumn

The canals were particularly beautiful that afternoon. With little direct sunlight, the water reflected a mix of grey sky, brick façades, and autumn foliage. Some trees were still green, while others had turned bright yellow or orange. I love that transition.

Amsterdam doesn't suddenly become autumnal overnight. The colors appear gradually, sometimes with several shades of green, yellow, and orange on the same street. And while sunny autumn days can be spectacular, I think cloudy days deserve more appreciation.

Without strong shadows, you can see building details that might otherwise disappear into darkness. The colors are softer, and the light is more consistent as you move between streets. It's a different kind of beauty.

The Details That Make Me Stop

Not every photograph from this walk is of a canal. I also stopped to photograph a wooden doorway, traditional Amsterdam façades, bicycles, shopfronts, and a café terrace. These little details are what make the city interesting to me.

Amsterdam's architecture rewards curiosity. You can walk past a building many times without noticing the window decoration or the shape of its entrance. And then, one day, you look up. I particularly enjoy photographing these details because they create a different rhythm within a collection of images.

This is my favorite picture from this autumn walk:

Trying My New Lens on a Familiar Walk

There was another reason I brought my camera that afternoon. I wanted to spend some time photographing with my new lens, away from the pressure of a client session. I spend much of my working time photographing people: couples, families, proposals, and visitors exploring Amsterdam.

During those sessions, my attention is naturally focused on the people in front of my camera. A walk like this is different. I can stop whenever something interests me, experiment with a composition, or photograph a detail simply because I like it.

No client is waiting, so I have room to observe, and I value that, especially as I get familiar with equipment that will become part of my professional work.

A short walk through a city I know well can be a surprisingly useful way to practice.

Arriving at the Allard Pierson Museum

Eventually, I reached the Allard Pierson Museum. The final photographs show the approach to the building, with its monumental stone architecture and the autumn trees beyond.

I came to explore the exhibitions and permanent archaeological collections, but the walk had already given me a collection of photographs I was happy to bring home.

Inside the museum, I discovered ancient glass, theatrical history, Egyptian artifacts, Greek and Roman sculptures, and an unexpectedly informative exhibition called The Site.

I've written about those experiences separately, if you're curious about what you'll find inside.

• Visiting the Allard Pierson Museum: Ancient Civilizations, The Site and the Stories Behind the Objects
• Glass, Made in Antiquity at the Allard Pierson Museum
• The Art of Transformation at the Allard Pierson Museum

A Reminder to Keep Looking

I think that's what I enjoyed most about this walk. According to the map, I was going from my office to a museum in fourteen minutes, and yet, along the way, I found enough interesting scenes to create this collection of fourteen photographs.

Carrying a camera encourages me to look a little longer, notice the small details, and appreciate the city as it is on that particular day. Especially during autumn in Amsterdam.

Joanna Pantigoso

Amsterdam Vacation Photographer and Proposal Planner

I photographed this in Amsterdam on 29 October 2026, around midday, with a Nikon camera and my new NIKKOR Z 24–70mm f/2.8 S lens.

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