Cora Beers-Goemaat: winner of the Visit photo competition 2024

Cora Beers-Goemaat won, to her own surprise, the second photo contest of Visit Haarlemmermeer. The theme of this edition of the photo contest was: 'View Art and Culture in Haarlemmermeer through your lens'. 79 entries were submitted in response to the call. The jury found Cora's photo to be the best. We are curious to see how Cora, with her background as a photographer, looks at Haarlemmermeer.
Winner of the photo competition (Cora Beers-Goemaat) and Councillor for Culture Marja Ruigrok Source: Source: Bibi Vastenhout

Photo Contest

Cora: “I hadn’t thought of entering the competition myself. My neighbour suggested doing it together. Then you have to look for a subject that fits within the theme. That’s a matter of weighing up the pros and cons: what do I want, where am I going to look for a subject. It took me a week and a half to decide what my subject should be. It’s more than just taking a photo. You pay attention to the weather, the time is important. I went by a few times to check all that. That ultimately resulted in the winning photo!”

There is a lot of nature in Haarlemmermeer that people should really go and see.
Cora Beers-Goemaat

From Haarlem to Haarlemmermeer

Born in Haarlem, Cora eventually ended up in Burgerveen. She has now lived in the polder for fifteen years. Photography has been part of her life for all those years. “I started in my teenage years. Not continuously, but often. We had a darkroom at home, so I could develop and print my own photos. At school I took a minor in photography. Now I have been photographing digitally for fifteen years.”

Grain silos Source: Cora Beers-Goemaat
Burgerveen Source: Cora Beers-Goemaat
Nature photo Source: Cora Beers-Goemaat

Chance

That Cora Beers ended up in Haarlemmermeer was pure coincidence. “You start looking for a house. My partner is from Venneper, that’s how you end up in this region. I like living in Haarlemmermeer. My first reaction to Haarlemmermeer: ​​Burgerveen and Nieuw-Vennep. My region, which I love. When we go out for dinner in the area, we prefer to go to the Venneper Lodge. Nice and close.”

View on Haarlemmermeer

This photographer from Haarlemmermeer prefers to wander around the neighbourhood. “Preferably along the Ringvaart. Then I look at small things, grab my camera and look through my lens. When I walk along the Ringvaart, I might notice a step at a jetty that you can easily use to enter the water to swim. Or a beautiful plant. It is the time of the mushrooms now. Now you mainly see me walking looking at the ground. I am an image viewer. Give me a subject, and I will search more specifically for a subject. Normally I photograph what I notice, what I find beautiful. A photo that I am proud of, and a place in Haarlemmermeer that I find beautiful, is the sugar factory in Halfweg. A place that attracts attention. I also find inspiration in the Haarlemmermeer forest. The Geniedijk is also beautiful, walking between the sheep. 

Out at night

For a few years now, Cora Beers has also been going out at night. “I took photos at night in Hoofddorp. You see things differently. When you look at a building during the day, you see people around it and daylight dominates. At night, it's different. Buildings are beautifully lit in the dark. That makes it very special.”

Nature photo Source: Cora Beers-Goemaat