1. The underwater bicycle parking at Stationsplein
In January 2023 Amsterdam moved 7,000 bicycles under a canal. The Fietsflat that stood here is gone, and the view came back with it. Shoot across to the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, then wait: the frame only lands when someone rides the escalator up or down while a boat crosses above. Two levels of Amsterdam traffic in one shot.
Location: 52.378462, 4.897529
2. The IJ from Eye Filmmuseum
The main hall's amphitheatre steps face a full-height window over the IJ. Sit high up, get a drink from the bar, and shoot straight out. Best in the last hour before sunset. Ferries cross back and forth the whole time, so you can wait for one to enter the frame.
Location: Eye Bar & Restaurant
3. The courtyard at Sluishuis
BIG and Barcode Architects finished this in 2022. The block lifts on both sides to form an arch over the water, so the courtyard is half harbour — boats sail in underneath. Shoot from under the building looking out through the opening. Go wide, and put your friend near the water: without a figure there's nothing to read the scale against.
Location: Sluishuis
4. The flamingos from Artisplein
ARTIS has been here since 1838, but this square sits outside the ticket gate — the zoo opened its edge to the street. The flamingo pond faces it, so you get the birds for free, with De Plantage's terrace behind you in the old Ledenlokalen building. Go early, in soft morning light, before the square fills.
Location: 52.366241, 4.913693
5. The tree tunnel on Lomanstraat
Plan Zuid put tall brick blocks on both sides in the 1920s and left the trees in shade. The only light was above the road, so that is where they grew until the crowns met. Shoot from the middle of the road, straight down the line, so the trunks lean in from both edges. Go early, while the road is still empty.
Location: 52.350648, 4.857470
6. The canal houses at Singel 67–77
It's just a real postcard view. Set of houses from the 17th and 18th centuries, all leaning slightly and none quite matching. The row was never planned as one ensemble — it accumulated, and that's what makes it worth shooting. Stand on the opposite side, directly across, and keep your verticals and horizontals straight. Otherwise the lean looks like your lens, not the buildings.
Location: 52.376652, 4.891387
7. The hanging stairs at REM Eiland
A platform built in 1964 and anchored six miles off the coast, outside Dutch waters, so it could broadcast the country's first commercial television. The government raided it after four months. It stayed at sea for decades, came ashore in 2006, and now stands on its legs in the Houthavens as a restaurant. Shoot from the entrance on the sunset, looking up the external staircase — it's the original, and it still reads as offshore rather than as a building.
Location: REM
8. The crane from the F7 ferry
An old crane from the NDSM shipyard, still standing and now holding hotel suites up its frame. The F7 crosses from Pontsteiger in seven minutes and it's free. We love shooting from the IJ ferries — after the tight streets of the centre the water opens the city up wide. Take it from the open deck as you come in, while the crane still has clear water in front of it.
Location: 52.395333, 4.890326
9. The Westertoren from the Eenhoornsluis
The Prinsengracht runs straight from here, so the Westerkerk tower closes the view at the end of it — the canal is aimed at the church. Shoot from the bridge late in the day, with the light behind the tower, and let it go to silhouette.
Location: Eenhoornsluis
