Month: November 2017

Weekly Photo Challenge: Serene

Pink Serenity
Pink Serenity | Namibia | 2017

Rarely has the theme of the Weekly Photo Challenge from Word Press’ The Daily Post hit a nerve with me more as this week with “Serene“.

I’m totally in need of some serenity. The job that pays the bills has completely taken over my life, add in some special topics as the upcoming move of my big girl and the typical pre-festive season stress, another upcoming ten day business trip across the big ocean, and you can imagine why I would absolutely love to jettison myself out of reality and to a serene place like the lagoon of Walvis Bay in Namibia with its Flamingo swarms. Obviously bringing my camera.

Getting to some photography and even blogging has been a bit of challenge the past days, as well as answering comments and checking out posts from the blogs I follow, so apologies for not being present as much as I want to be.

The serene scene above was taken with my Olympus OM-D E-M1 with the mZuiko 40-150mm F/2.8 Pro Zoom. Image specs 1/1600 secs @ f/5.6 and ISO 200, focal length was 150mm (300mm full frame equivalent). The photo is pretty much out of cam, aside from slight cropping.

I wish everyone a great Thursday!

Marcus

Related Posts:

Namibia Explored – Sandwich Harbor

Instant Inspiration (16) – Dusk at the Ocean

Where the river meets the ocean

Instant Inspiration (15) – Long Exposure Waterscapes

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What’s there and what’s missing

Thinking Out Loud
Thinking Out Loud |Berlin | 2017

For all my free tips and inspiration around photography visit my Learning Center.

Putting a camera in someone’s face takes some getting used to. It is obviously something where you need the consent of the person you are photographing. This image I took with my Olympus PEN-F and the mZuiko 25mm F/1.8, the “nifty fifty” of micro four thirds (due to the m43 crop factor of 2). Which by the way is also an awesome portrait lens, if you are close, like a good arms length away. Image specs are 1/160 sec @ f/3.2 and ISO 200.

This is for sure not the prettiest of street portraits but it shows a couple of things that are important for this kind of photography.  This guy caught my eye, I walked up to him and asked if I could make his portrait. Turns out he is visiting from Montreal, Canada, and he was just looking for a place to eat some typical German food. A win-win for sure. I got to shoot his portraits, he got directions to a place where he could find some good beer and a “Schweinshaxe” (he asked me to type everything in his iPhone).

While we chatted I snapped away. I liked the shot of him best. I had asked him what he liked best about visiting Europe, he closed his eyes and thought hard. Asking people about something (e.g. what they like best about something….where they got their interesting outfit, glasses…what they are doing here, what is their profession…) puts their mind away from being photographed, puts them at ease and tends to draw some interesting poses, face expressions and gestures.

And this what is missing here. I wish he had made a hand gesture, putting his fingers to his face, adding interest to the shot. I didn’t want to ask him to do that, maybe I should have. But then again, I’m just starting this kind of street photography, and I will learn. And you can learn along here on the “Streets of Nuremberg”.

Have a great weekend!

Marcus

Related Posts:

My Eric Kim Workshop Experience

Instant Inspiration (8) -Make a portrait of a stranger

Street Photography Quick Tip (8)

Back on the Streets of Nuremberg

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Transformation

Ghost Town
Ghost Town | Namibia | 2017

Transformation is something affecting all of us constantly. It is also the title of the Weekly Photo Challenge  Jen H. from Word Press’ “The Daily Post” has given us for this week. Transformation is very visible outside our windows here in Germany, as the strong autumn storms are blowing the last leaves from the trees and nature readies itself for another winter.  Managing transformation processes is also an integral part of my professional life and the job that pays the bills.

Peter Iredale
Peter Iredale | Oregon | 2017

My take on the challenge this week is the decay of man made structures as they are slowly recaptured by nature and transformed to rubble and dust.

Like the wooden buildings of the diamond ghost town Kolmanskoop. slowly but steadily blown to pieces by the high winds of the Namib Desert or swallowed up by the passing dunes. Or like the iron remnants of the more than one hundred years old sailing vessel “Peter Iredale” on the Oregon coast, that are gradually being dissolved by microorganisms and through the forces of the great Pacific Ocean.

To all my American friends I wish a very happy and peaceful Thanksgiving!

Everybody else have a great Thursday 🙂 !

Marcus

Related Posts:

Weekly Photo Challenge: Elemental

Weekly Photo Challenge: Wanderlust

Namibia Explored – Diamond Ghost Town

Where the river meets the ocean

23

My Eric Kim Workshop Experience

Eric Kim Workshop Making Of
Marcus & Eric | Berlin | 2017

Just a little over a week ago I had one of the most memorable photographic weekends ever when I attended the workshop “Conquer Your Fears in Street Photography” with Street Photo Legend Eric Kim in Berlin. For my in depth experiences from the workshop plus a bunch of both “behind the scenes” images and my workshop “results” continue after the jump…

Continue reading “My Eric Kim Workshop Experience” →

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Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast | Berlin | 2017

Who says that Diamonds are a girl’s best friend? This photograph taken on the Streets of Berlin during my Eric Kim workshop last weekend certainly suggests otherwise. But it is another great example of how much fun it is to actually walk up to interesting looking people and ask them if you can “make” their portrait, something that I would not necessarily have done prior to it, a feedback shared by all participants (Eric’s blogpost with the best photos from my peers you can find here).

I know I owe you a full review of the workshop (at least I’m done selecting my photos and a few “making of” images), and I’m dying to take my newly acquired skills to the Streets of Nuremberg, but this weekend need to spend helping the significant other preparing the garden for winter and helping my big girl getting her apartment downtown ready for her move (yes, we’ve reached the stage where the first kid is leaving the house).

So in the meantime I leave you with the photo of this beauty and her beast, taken with my PEN-F and the mZuiko 25mm F/1.8 – my new favorite street shooting combo – as the 25mm (50mm full frame equivalent) is awesome for street portraits. Image specs are 1/180 sec @ f/2 and ISO 200.

Have a great weekend

Marcus

Related Posts:

Street Photography Quick Tip (11)

Some thoughts on monochrome shooting

A penny for his thoughts

Instant Inspiration (8) -Make a portrait of a stranger

 

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Experimental

Underground Ascent
Underground Ascent | Berlin | 2017

For all my free tips and inspiration around photography visit my Learning Center

“Experimental” is the theme of the Weekly Photo Challenge from Word Press’ The Daily Post for this week. When I experiment with my Street Photography, I often use slow shutter speeds of 1/8 sec or less for creative motion blur effects. There is a lot of hit and miss with this technique. Crucial for an image that works is an interesting background in which to place the blurred objects, like this entry to a Berlin subway station.

This shot I took with my Olympus PEN-F and the mZuiko 12mm F/2 prime lens with a shutter speed of 1/3 second for intensive blur, an aperture of f/9 to have ample depth of field and ISO 1000. I took the shot handheld, another example how effective the image stabilization system of the PEN-F is.

Experimenting with slow shutter speeds is fun, it can be applied to moving persons, moving traffic or a combination of both. For some more of my experimental street photos continue after the jump… Continue reading “Weekly Photo Challenge: Experimental” →

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Street Photography Quick Tip (13)

Studies 1/60 f/1.8 ISO 640 PEN-F 25mm
Studies | Berlin | 2017

Street Photography Quick Tip 13 – Shoot in a Coffee Shop

My Street Photography Quick Tips are short, easy to read and easy to use tips that I think could help you while shooting in the streets. Today’s post is for those of you who dread hitting the streets in this awful wet and dull November weather. Take your camera into a coffee shop near your, sit down, enjoy a strong Espresso, observe the other guests and take some candid portraits of scenes that will catch your eye. People in coffee shops tend to be really relaxed, engaged in talks with others, reading papers or books, staring obsessed into their mobile devices or simply use the free wi-fi to blog or do their studies. And believe me, they will not notice you.

The photography above I took last weekend (during my Street Photography workshop with Eric Kim) at the Bonanza Café (Oderberger Str 35) in Berlin with my Olympus PEN-F and the mZuiko 25mm F/1.8 prime lens, image specs are 1/60 sec @ f/1.8 and ISO 640. Raw processing and monochrome conversion in Lightroom Classic CC.

For a few more coffee shop shots continue after the jump… Continue reading “Street Photography Quick Tip (13)” →

23

I conquered my fears

Fetish Designer

This past weekend I have spent in Berlin together with Street Photo Legend Eric Kim, his wife Cindy, his sister Annette and a great crew of 12 other like minded Street Photographers who joined Eric’s “Conquer Your Fears In Street Photography” workshop in our Nation’s capital. It was a truly unforgettable experience. Mainly for meeting a bunch of fantastic and fun people. Thanks so much, Eric, Cindy, Annette and all of my co-students!! And it did the trick. Normally being rather “unobtrusive” in my street photography, I was blown away by how much fun it actually is to simply walk up to interesting looking people, asking them if I can “make” their portrait and share a few life stories with them. So the workshop really delivered on its promise, thanks to Eric.

 

Not Grumpy

Waiting

Already back in the treadmill of the job that pays the bills, I just wanted to quickly share the success message and a couple of my street portraits taken during the workshop, all with my Olympus PEN-F and the mZuiko 25mm/F1.8 prime lens.

Here is the link to the post on Eric’s blog on the workshop results, check it out!  There were so many great photos that came out of that two-day session in Berlin, they deserve some appreciation.

Once I find time to sort through all my photos I will do a proper workshop review with some more of my workshop results and a few “making of” images. Stay tuned !

Have a great week!

Marcus

Related Posts:

Learning Center

Instant Inspiration (8) -Make a portrait of a stranger

Street Photography Quick Tip (1)

Street Photography Quick Tip (2)

 

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Temporary

Cuddly Protection
Cuddly Protection | Berlin | 2017

After a totally crazy week at work, where the job that pays the bills has pretty much sucked up all my time and energy, I’m at the doorsteps of a hopefully nice (only contents-wise, the weather forecast is gruesome) weekend in our Nation’s capital Berlin, where I will attend a workshop with Street Photography Guru Eric Kim, a gift from my family and friends on the occasion of my half century birthday I had earlier this year.

Curious about what will await me I’m posting a street photograph I took during a visit to Berlin back in May, which is my entry into this week’s Word Press’ Weekly Photo Challenge, that has the theme “temporary“.

What is more temporary than a fleeting moment of life captured in a street photo. In the end, all street images are snapshots of life as it happens in that exact instant, and that never will be repeated. And it is especially true for this photograph of a father sharing an intimate moment with his little son.

Taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 and the mZuiko 14-150mm F/4-5.6 travel zoom. Image specs 1/13 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 1600 and 120mm focal length. Monochrome conversion in Lightroom Classic CC.

I wish everyone a great and creative weekend!

Marcus

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Waiting

House of Blue and Gold

Road to Berlin

You see me

36

Storefront Lambada

Shopkeeper's Dance
Shopkeeper’s Dance | Meran | 2017

Just a quick snapshot from today’s stroll through the streets of Meran in Italy. For me, this photograph represents perfectly why I love Street Photography. It is all about capturing life as it happens. It is about walking around with open eyes, observing people going about their daily routines, anticipating what interesting scenes might just emerge in front of your lens. Capturing that candid shot that makes you laugh or makes you think…

Taken with the Olympus PEN-F with the mZuiko 12-40mm F/2.8 Pro Zoom. Image specs are 1/80 sec @ F/2.8 and ISO 640, 40mm focal length.

Next weekend will be all Street Photography, as I’m heading to Berlin for a workshop with Street Photo legend Eric Kim, and I’m really exited about it.

Have a great weekend!

Marcus

Related Posts:

Instant Inspiration (6) – Storefront Windows

Street Photography Quick Tip 8 – Capturing Gesture

Finding your photographic style

20

Weekly Photo Challenge: Peek

Audience
Audience | Nuremberg | 2016

This is my Street Photography entry for this week’s Weekly Photo Challenge “Peek” . Sometimes a change of perspective can add interest to an image.

I took the photo with my Olympus PEN-F with the mZuiko 25mm/F1.8 prime lens, image specs 1/400 @ f/4.5 and ISO 200.

If you look for more inspirations and tips around photography, I invite you to visit my free Learning Center.

Have a great weekend!

Marcus

Related Posts:

Weekly Photo Challenge: Textures

Weekly Photo Challenge: Pedestrian

Weekly Photo Challenge: Elemental

 

18

Why you should never be without your camera

Allerheiligen Schenna 03
Remembrance | Schenna | 2017

What is the cardinal sin of a photographer? Not having his camera on him/her at all times.

Using the double public holiday week for a short getaway my significant other and me took to the roads and headed down south to the Italian Alps to spend a few days in Schenna near Meran, in Alto Adige province.

Dinner at our hotel was as excellent, the 5 course menu taking us to the limits. This obviously caused the inevitable, with the significant other asking for an after dinner walk. So we headed down into the historic village below the magnificent castle, to the impressive church sitting on top of a small hill surrounded by a grave yard.

Today, November 1st, is All Saints Day, a religious fest where the faithful remember their death (see yesterdays Halloween post). Custom is to light candles on the graves. So when we entered the grave yard, we were greeted by a sea of mostly red candles, casting a magnificent atmosphere across the deserted cemetery.

And what did I not bring along? You guessed it right. Consoling myself that I could return tomorrow and hoping the big candles would still be alight tomorrow, I pulled out my iPhone 6 and did the best I could to capture the magic of the moment.  For a couple more photos from that beautiful scenery, continue after the jump… Continue reading “Why you should never be without your camera” →

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