Blog Archives
I AMsterdam.
I finally made it to Amsterdam. That one European city you hear about all the time since you were about the age of 15. Why? Because there is legal marijuana and the Red Light District of course!
So, my objective of this blog post is to erase that image that people have of Amsterdam. The marijuana and the Red Light District is just a fraction of what the city has to offer. Sure, you can argue that it brings tourism which equals business which equals jobs which equals money, but in reality, it’s the wrong kind of tourism because it just brings people that will most likely disrespect the city (Las Vegas, that includes you too).
What I am trying to get to here is that Amsterdam is one of the best cities I have ever been too so far. Everything from the friendly people, to the endless canals, to the bicycles, to the variety of food, to the parks, Amsterdam is everything a city should be. Sure, the marijuana doesn’t hurt. This city has something to offer to everyone. If you enjoy museums, I recommend you check out the Anne Frank House (yes, I never actually realized she lived in Amsterdam), the Van Gogh Museum, and the EYE Museum of film. I also recommend exploring the city by bicycle, which was my favorite part of the city. They truly are the only bicycle city in this world. A fact that I learned from someone I met over there said that the canals are about 6 meters deep (roughly 18 feet), and that 3 meters of it is old bicycles dumped into the canals. Oh ya, and there are more canals than Venice, Italy. So that just gives you an idea of how many bicycles there are in Amsterdam!
Below are some of my favorite pictures from the trip. Of course I had a lot more where that came from, but I want to save some maybe for a future post, depending if you liked the pictures or not!
-Ben
Sit-Down Hydrofoil Fun
This is my good friend Pascal Combes-Knoke trying to do his first ever back flip on a sit-down hydrofoil at Lake Ming located in Bakersfield, California. This is one of my favorite action sports shots because it makes me laugh every time I look it. Aside from it’s humor, it is actually a well-framed photograph that really exhibits the intensity of the sport. Personally, I refused to try the hydrofoil and just stuck with the classic wake-board. Follow my blog to see some more action shots that I will post in the near future. Please like, comment, and share if you enjoyed this picture!
Ben
Streets of the South
I have been passionate about photography since I was about 14 years old when I had the option to take classes at my Alma Mater, Agoura High School. It was a fantastic experience because the first year of Photography class were required to shoot in film. As much as I love digital, film photography is still one of the most fascinating processes and I recommend anyone to try it if you haven’t already. So as much as I enjoy capturing some of life’s most beautiful moments in a single, still photo, I have also developed a passion for producing short clips of fun adventures I do with my friends and family. There is no better feeling than getting people excited about something you created after spending hours on it. Aside from the excitement, these videos will also serve as wonderful memories when we will all be older.
This is my newest project that I shot 100% on my GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition. I have been working on it over the last month and I believe it was one of my better clips as an amateur filmmaker, especially considering the lack of equipment I own. I hope you will enjoy this just as much as my photography! Please like, share, and comment if you enjoyed the video! I will respond to you as soon as I can. (*Please watch in HD 1080p, video also available on Vimeo)
Ben
Ben Ricard Photography & Film 