Offshore Substation

This offshore substation isn’t just infrastructure — it’s a hub of scale, engineering, and the environment. These images show parts of its structure, deck, and setting offshore, captured during site conditions that mix light, metal, and sea.

Today I’m sharing a collection of images from that substation. The steel beams, walkways, cable trays, and platforms are framed against open sky and occasionally shifting light. There’s contrast in the work-worn surfaces, in the reflections, in the human scale where people or fittings show just how large these structures are.

This shoot adds to my ongoing series on offshore industrial installations. If you’re interested in renewables, structural photography, or commissioning work in wind infrastructure, check the wind industry section of my portfolio.

Noord Pier IJmuiden — Early-Morning Drone Photography, Netherlands

Predicting what dawn will bring is part of the job. This time, I cycled to Noord Pier in IJmuiden, raised my drone just before sunrise, and tried to capture how the pier looks when light, weather, and tide conspire. The difference this visit had over previous ones was in the softness of the sky and calm water, which changed how shadows and reflections behaved.

These shots show the pier’s structure against the open sea, the water reflecting the early sky, and the perspective lines of the jetty converging toward the horizon. The clean air and low tide helped turn familiar elements into more dramatic compositions.

Revisiting locations like this lets me see subtle changes in light and atmosphere. For more coastal drone work with changing conditions, check out my Places and Drone Photography galleries.

Evertsenstraat Watertoren IJmuiden — Drone Photography, Netherlands

The converted water tower at Evertsenstraat in IJmuiden caught my eye during a recent trip — its history, monument status, and architecture combining into something photographically interesting. What used to supply drinking water now stands as residential apartments surrounded by park-like green spaces, and the tower’s shape against sky feels different from every angle.

The complex dates from 1914–1915. Built as a water supply complex, the tower and filter building remain as national monuments. Flying the drone above the Watertorenpark, I aimed to capture both the structure’s form and its setting — the clean lines of the tower, the geometry of the rooftop apartments, the park and landscaping around, and the sense of height.

Architecture and monumentality in unexpected places is a focus of mine. For more structural drone photography in the Netherlands and beyond, check the Drone and Places galleries.

IJmuiden, Seaport Beach — Drone Photography, Netherlands

Golden hour over IJmuiden’s seaport beach gives light a rare softness — when metal, sand, and sea all respond with reflection. These drone shots capture that brief moment when the elements line up at the edge of sunset.

Flying over the beach and port area, I watched how the light changes the textures — wet sand mirrors sky, breakwaters cast long silhouettes, shipping containers and cranes glow faintly in warm tones. Each image is about contrast: structure against horizon; calm water against the industrial edges of the seaport. Golden hour makes everything more dramatic without forcing it.

These images are part of my ongoing exploration of shorelines and port environments. For more coastal and industrial drone work, see my Drone and Wind Industry galleries.

Stadhuis, City Hall, van Velsen, IJmuiden, Netherlands — Drone Architecture Photography

The Stadhuis (City Hall) in IJmuiden stands out among local architecture — its design contrasts sharply with surrounding Dutch styles. Taking these drone shots, I aimed to show that difference: form, angles, and how this building interacts with space around it under open skies.

Flying above, the images capture City Hall’s clean lines, flat roofing, and the mix of materials that make it visually distinct. Shadows fall sharply across facades; geometric shapes play with negative space. Where local architecture tends toward gabled roofs and traditional colour tones, this building’s style emphasises modernism and function. The aerial view lets you see its relationship to nearby streets, plots, and the way light hits its structure from different angles.

Buildings like this break from the expected, offering contrast in form and style. For more architectural and drone photography exploring such design variety, see my Places and Drone galleries.

Zuidpier, IJmuiden — Early-Morning Drone Photography, Netherlands

Light and weather turn the same pier into a different subject every time. At Zuidpier, IJmuiden, those early-morning skies sharpened the pier’s structure against calm sea, bringing out contrast and texture where grey mornings before felt flat.

These drone images capture the pier extending into the North Sea, boardwalks, railings, and sea walls outlined against reflective water. Light played across metal and concrete surfaces, changing perspective and bringing out details in shadow and form. It shows why revisiting locations matters — the difference between dull and dramatic often comes down to weather and light.

Revisiting sites like this helps me see the same location anew. For coastal structure, reflection, and drone work, see my Places and Drone galleries.

North Pier, IJmuiden at Early Sunrise — Drone & Coastal Morning Light, Netherlands

When the horizon is calm and dawn breaks over the water, familiar structures take on new form. The North Pier in IJmuiden at early sunrise offered one of those moments — air cool, light soft, reflections still. Riding a bike before the workday started to catch that transition from darkness to colour made all the difference.

These images came from a session where outcomes were uncertain — sky, tide, cloud cover all played their parts. Walking or cycling toward the pier meant seeing small changes in light on railings, weathered timber, and pier surfaces. The drone lifts you above the scene: boardwalks become lines, the sea becomes a mirror, and the horizon becomes a soft gradient. Even when the result isn’t what I originally planned, I enjoy what emerges — shapes, tones, mood.

Mornings like this remind me why I chase light before day begins. For more sunrise pier, coastline, and drone work, see my Places and Drone galleries.

Wind farm substation

Good Morning,

Today I’d like to share some images of a substation that I have recently visited.

This is located in the Netherlands side of the North Sea.

I hope that you enjoyed this post,

Have a good week.

Thanks,

Lee

360 Globe.

Good morning, I have recently been playing with a 360 camera, here are a couple of stills that i liked from a recent trip offshore.

What do you think about renewable energy?

Share your thoughts in the comments on my instagram @lee_ramsden and explore more of my images to experience the full beauty of offshore wind farms.

Thanks

Lee

Helicopter flight.

Morning,

Here are some images taken on my phone, capturing the transit of personnel from a jack up platform. We were flying in and out of Den Helder in the north of the Netherlands.

Adventure training... or work?

Good morning,

Here are some images of guy conducting specialist rope access, to inspect and repair the coating to an offshore sub station in the North Sea.

Would you enjoy this type of work? Love to hear your thoughts over on Instagram @lee_ramsden

Thanks,

Lee