Dries Buytaert

Newest photos

This page shows my latest photos, newest first. They offer a glimpse into my personal life. I have over 10,000 photos on my site. For older photos, check out my photo albums. You can subscribe to my photo stream using RSS or sign up for a monthly email with curated photos.

Three hikers starting down the Navajo Loop Trail past a trail sign in Bryce Canyon National Park.
We started at Sunrise Point in Bryce Canyon National Park, hiked down Queen's Garden, through the hoodoos, and climbed back up on the Navajo Loop. Beautiful views and pure magic all the way.
A woman with trekking poles hiking down a switchback trail among tall orange hoodoos in Bryce Canyon National Park.
Vanessa making her way down through the hoodoos on the Navajo Loop in Bryce Canyon.
A young adult wearing a hoodie overlooking the hoodoos at sunrise in Bryce Canyon National Park.
Up before sunrise to watch the hoodoos glow at Bryce Canyon in Utah. Cold and early, but unforgettable.
A young adult sitting by a fire pit, taking a roasted marshmallow off a stick and placing it onto a cookie on his knee.
Ending the day right with s'mores by the fire.
A family sits around a fire pit at a campsite in the high desert outside Bryce, Utah.
Glamping in the high desert outside Bryce, Utah. Even in summer, the high elevation brings cool evenings, and the fire felt perfect after a day on the trail.
A young adult carrying a large Connect Four board on a desert trail with another young adult behind him.
Stan carrying a giant Connect Four set along the desert trail to our tent. I still can't believe how skilled he is at the game. He won almost every match, and I'm still smiling thinking about it.
A person carefully walking along a narrow sandstone slot canyon in Zion National Park.
Making our way through the narrow slots in Zion.
A teenager wearing a helmet lowering himself down while holding onto a large boulder inside a canyon in Zion National Park.
Dropping down carefully, using the boulder for support.
Two young adults reaching down to help a parent climb up a steep sandstone wall in Zion National Park.
Time has a way of flipping the roles.
Person rappelling down a tall sandstone wall in Zion National Park.
Dropping into the next section, never quite sure what is waiting below.
Three people wearing helmets standing at the bottom of a sandstone chamber in Zion National Park, looking up at the canyon walls.
Taking a moment to look up and appreciate the scale of Zion's canyons.
A woman wearing a helmet and sunglasses, smiling while rappelling in Zion National Park.
Getting ready to rappel in Zion, and enjoying every moment of it.
A small group walking through water into the Narrows, a narrow canyon with glowing rock walls in Zion National Park.
We hiked 7.5 miles through the Narrows in Zion National Park. Most of the hike is actually in the river itself, with towering canyon walls rising all around you. One of my favorite hikes ever.
A person standing on a rock in the Narrows at Zion National Park, looking up at the tall canyon walls.
Taking a moment to look up and take it all in.
Three people walking up the river with their boots in the water in the Narrows at Zion National Park.
Wading forward together through the Narrows in Zion.
A view of a wide, U-shaped bend in the Colorado River surrounded by steep red rock cliffs.
We visited Horseshoe Bend, a dramatic curve in the Colorado River near the Grand Canyon. A quiet reminder of what time and a patient river can carve out together.
Grand Canyon view from Navajo Point showing layered red rock formations and deep canyon walls.
The Grand Canyon as seen from Navajo Point.
A large concrete dam spanning a deep canyon.
When the Hoover Dam was built, they used an enormous amount of concrete. If they had poured it all at once, it would have taken over a century to cool and harden. Instead, they poured it in blocks and used cooling pipes to manage the heat. Even today, the concrete is still hardening through a process called hydration, so the dam keeps getting stronger over time.
A person leans forward to blow out a candle on a warm cookie topped with ice cream.
Stan celebrates his 16th birthday with a warm skillet cookie topped with ice cream.
Two young adults sit on a couch, smiling at each other as they clink glasses of beer.
Stan turned 16! I'm filled with pride seeing the young man he is becoming. We celebrated this milestone with a beer, a moment we both looked forward to. (In Belgium, the legal drinking age is 16.)
An older man stands at the sink, doing the dishes by hand under a warm light, while the kitchen around him is dark and quiet.
Vanessa's dad doing the dishes by hand, the way he always has.
A woman stands at the stove, stirring a pot and cooking dinner in a warm, softly lit kitchen.
Vanessa cooking dinner in her parents' kitchen, the home she grew up in. Her mom is going through cancer treatment, and we are here to spend time together. The house holds years of memories, and tonight that care goes the other way.
Two chefs in white uniforms create clouds of powdered sugar and meringue while preparing a dessert at a restaurant table.
I've been wanting to try Alinea ever since watching their Chef's Table episode. We finally made it happen! Dessert was wild: two chefs turned our table into their canvas, powdered sugar and meringue flying everywhere. The edible balloons that came next felt like the perfect finale.
Nighttime view of a 7-Eleven store on a street corner with people walking by.
Chicago by night from our hotel window.
A black camper van is parked in a forested campground surrounded by tall pine trees.
Parked at Camp Sherman Campground, next to the Metolius River in Oregon, USA.
Wooden "Dead End Road" sign covered in moss, with a yellow 15 MPH speed limit sign below.
Dead end, but the moss is thriving.
Rusty steering wheel and exposed seat springs inside an old, abandoned truck with cracked windows.
I can't help but wonder what stories this truck could tell.
Old rusted Ford truck parked on dirt, with faded paint and wooden flatbed in the back.
Our van's neighbor for the night was a beautifully rusted Ford. Retired but still stealing the spotlight.
Tall rock cliffs surround a winding river and hiking trail at Smith Rock State Park in Oregon.
We hiked the Misery Ridge and River Trail in Smith Rock State Park. The steep switchbacks and rocky terrain made it a tough climb, but the panoramic views were worth it.
Person sitting in the doorway of a parked camper van at a quiet, remote campground.
Arrived at Skull Hollow Campground. No power or water, but it's quiet and the sky is full of stars. It feels like we're exactly where we need to be.
Two chairs sit at a barrel table inside a rustic barn decorated with string lights and flowers.
We visited several vineyards while driving through Oregon, each with its own character. The Four Graces was our favorite, but Dominio IV came second. They celebrate new wine releases in a beautiful old barn.
Person stretching and smiling next to a laundry cart in front of dryers at a laundromat.
Laundry day in a small town in Oregon. We're camping in a van and stopped to wash some of our clothes. Life on the road!
Two people carrying surfboards walk toward the beach with a large rock formation in the water.
Camping in Pacific City, a small surfer town on the Oregon coast. The main landmark is Haystack Rock, also known as Chief Kiawanda. It looks like a gorilla's head with a rat tail. Once you see it, you can't unsee it.
Large illuminated letters spelling "Acquia" are displayed next to tables arranged for a beachside dinner.
A great evening in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, celebrating Acquia's top performers. It was a real pleasure getting to know more of our incredible sales team.
Two instructors lead a water aerobics class at a resort pool.
Morning water aerobics in Punta Cana.
Woman in a sun hat and sunglasses relaxes on a lounge chair by the pool.
Vanessa relaxing by the pool.
A man holds up a brightly colored Easter egg with a quiet smile, ready to tap it against another.
At Easter brunch we played an egg tapping game, where everyone takes turns tapping eggs until only one stays uncracked. My dad won, calmly eliminating ten others with his steady hand and quiet smile.
A nighttime view of a bar with "Commerce" printed on its windows, people drinking at outdoor tables, and a person entering the doorway.
I spent a couple of days in Leuven, Belgium for Drupal Dev Days. One of the stops on the official pub crawl was Café Commerce. It was a great place to talk Drupal over a good Belgian beer and meet others in the community.
Three women smiling in the sun, wearing sunglasses, with one holding a wine glass
Debbie, Eline, and Vanessa soaking up the sun and each other's good energy on the Belgian coast.
Two men laughing in the sun with arms around each other, both wearing sunglasses.
First real taste of spring: sunshine, laughs, and cold drinks with Jonas and Nico at Beach Bar Le Zoute in Knokke, Belgium.
The Krog Street Tunnel is a narrow, dim tunnel in Atlanta, covered in colorful graffiti on every wall and pillar.
Arrived in Atlanta for DrupalCon! As tradition goes, we kick things off with a two-day Drupal Association board meeting over the weekend. At the end of day one, we walked through the Krog Street Tunnel and checked out nearby murals.
A steaming kettle on a gas stove, with coffee mugs and pancake mix in the background.
It's 7:32 AM. The kettle whistled and I poured hot water into our cups. Coffee first, then pancakes. A quiet morning before a day on the slopes.
Amsterdam canal with houseboats, calm water reflections, and the Rijksmuseum in the distance under an overcast sky.
Our second visit to Amsterdam this year, and it's only February. A final stroll along the canals before our flight back to Boston.
A basketball player in a green jersey jumps to take a shot while a defender in blue attempts to block his shot.
The game was tied and every play mattered. As one player rose for the shot, the defense jumped with him. The crowd was on the edge of their seats. For a moment, everything hung in the air.
An open design book on a rustic wooden table, in front of a green sofa, with a warm fireplace in the background.
A cozy evening by our fireplace.
Handwritten barbecue menu on butcher paper hanging on a wall. It lists meats and sides with prices per pound, including brisket, pork ribs, pulled pork, turkey, sausage, and jalapeño cheddar sausage.
I finally ate at Franklin Barbecue in Austin — the undisputed king of Texas brisket and one of the most famous BBQ places in the United States. Pitmaster Aaron Franklin has a James Beard Award, a Netflix feature, a 10-episode PBS series, and a daily line around the block. Some people even bring camp chairs for the wait. We got there at 10:20am to beat the rush but still had to wait in line for two hours. Was it worth it? Absolutely.
A woman using steam to soften and shape a custom hat.
A hatmaker in Austin, Texas, shaping a custom hat using steam.
Two people in winter gear with a small dog sitting in the snow, set against a snowy forest.
My first ski trip to Saddleback Mountain, Maine. I enjoyed skiing, hiking, good food, board games, and quality time with friends. It quickly became one of my favorite mountains on the East Coast!
A woman in Amsterdam, seen through a shop window, looking at stone statues of Dutch houses.
Our flight to Boston was canceled, so we spent the day exploring Amsterdam. This photo shows Vanessa on a street corner, seen through a shop window.
Lobsters grilling over open flames as someone applies metled butter using a bundle of herbs.
Winter lobster grill.