Tilburgse Kermis by Night – Light, Motion & Memory

Each year, I return to the Tilburgse Kermis to photograph the fair by night. There’s something captivating about artificial light painting the darkness — spinning wheels, streaks of neon, and brief moments of chaos frozen in time. But every year, it gets harder.

As the fair becomes more crowded and compact, finding clean compositions and unobstructed views for long-exposure shots has become a true challenge. The iconic rides are now surrounded by a tangle of signs, people, and modern clutter. That’s why, this year, only three images made the final cut.

Still, those three tell a story.

Long exposure photography is, at its core, about time — compressing seconds into stillness, revealing movement that’s invisible to the eye. It’s a small act of control in an overwhelming scene. And with my Canon 7D Mark III and the versatile 15-85mm lens, I tried to distill the heart of the fair into a few fleeting frames.

The fair is changing. But in every blur of light, I see memories, tradition, and the evolution of public space.

Let’s not forget to look — even when it gets harder.

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