Egelsberg Mill

The Egelsberger Mühle is a white windmill standing all along on a low hill surrounded by fields on the edge of a nature reserve. Built around 1802 to grind grain, it is a classic brick tower, capped with wooden shingles and four tall sails. Uniquely from late spring into summer the fields around it fill with red poppies. That sea of red against the white tower and a big open sky is just begging to be photographed. Because the mill sits all alone it is easy to find an angle to shoot it with the poppies as foreground. The hill is open on every side, so you can circle to put the low sun wherever you want it. Early morning or evening light warms the white brick and makes the poppies glow, especially when you shoot into a low sun. The mill is floodlit after dark too, which gives you a clean dusk shot as the sky goes deep blue. Getting here is easy with two car parks close by, one near the mill and one at the neighbouring glider airfield. The outside is free and open to photograph at any time, but the inside only opens on occasional event days, so plan around mainly shooting only the exterior. Make sure to stay on the paths while you are finding your favourite angles because walking into the fields is not allowed here. (Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)