My last post was about my first attempts shooting with a 60 year old lens. For that The Significant Other and I took a short trip to the nearby ruins of medieval Gnadenberg Abbey. We’ve never been there before, despite it being only a 15 minute drive from our house. And it is much too beautiful not to share a few photographs and the history of this magic place with you…
In yesterday’s posts I left you with a small riddle, asking whether anyone would recognize the building were I shot the abstract fine-art architectural shots. While no-one came up with the right solution (Oculus – World Trade Center Station in New York City), a few readers correctly recognized the work of architect Santiago Calatrava. Today, continuing my series “NYC Experience” from our trip to the Big Apple in 2018, I show you a bit more of the outside and interior of this new iconic NCY landmark.
Put me in a building with interesting architecture and light, and I feel like a child in a sandbox. Using my camera as my little shovel. Playing with light and lines…
To everyone out there, but particularly to all the many magic people I’ve had the blessings to meet virtually during my five years blogging on the “Streets of Nuremberg”, I wish a peaceful and merry Christmas and much love and laughters together with your family and friends. And please stay safe!
Do you still need a present? Well, you need to hurry. At least when you live in Germany. Tomorrow our government will announce that it’s gonna send the whole country into a total lockdown. From early next week until at least mid January, everything apart from super markets and drug stores will be closed. The originally planned easing of curfews over the holidays is likely to be withdrawn. Is it necessary? There is no doubt about it. The intensive care units in the Nuremberg area (as all over Germany) are filled to capacity. And cases are still rising significantly. There is no alternative to the total lockdown. It will be a very, very quiet Christmas.
Today I was revisiting some old photographs from the trip to Moshi, Tanzania, that The Significant Other and I took back in early 2016. I will apply a different editing style in Lightroom Classic, which will be fun. It is amazing, how different you look at your own images after having them let marinate on your hard disk for a couple of years. There will be quite a few posts coming with photographs from this trip. As it looks I will plenty of time to play with my archive in the next weeks. Oh, and I have got all my presents. Hopefully I will be able to see all the people to hand them over.
This afternoon I pulled out some random shots from this week last year that I think I never posted. And you can clearly see what’s missing this year on the Streets of Nuremberg…
“Let it snow” is a pop song from 1945, mostly played during the Christmas season, written and composed by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne. Sung by many, the probably most popular version of this song is by Dean Martin. And a most fitting song for today, December 1st 2020, as the Streets of Nuremberg are covered by the first snow of the season. How is that for a winter cliché? And now I’m dreaming of a white christmas 🙂
This photograph of half timbered houses in the Old Town below the Imperial Castle was taken with my Olympus OM-D E-M1 and the mZuiko 12-100 F/4. Image specs are 2 secs @ f/8 and ISO 250, with a focal length of 31mm (equals 62mm in full frame). Camera was on a tripod. RAW conversion and post processing in Lightroom CC
Have a great Tuesday! And keep warm and stay safe!
This weekend marks the start of Advent season, the four weekends prior to Christmas. Which, under normal circumstances, turns Nuremberg into Christmas City. Not so this year. For the first time since World War II the traditional Christkindlesmarkt has been cancelled, as have been all other Christmas events in the city that has been paralyzed by Covid-19 and the renewed lockdown in place until (for now) just before the holidays.
So instead bringing you the festive lights from the start of the holiday season on the Streets of Nuremberg, I visited a more somber place for some creative shooting with my little Ricoh GR III, the Rochusfriedhof. Take a tour around one of Nuremberg’s historic cemeteries in the 9th edition of my series Nuremberg Explored.
This past weekend, the soft Autumn sun has graced Franconia, so yesterday I grabbed The Significant Other and my Leica M and headed out for a hike in the Steigerwald, a hilly region rising up to 500 meters above sea level and bordering on the valley of the River Main. The slopes down to the river are famous for their vineyards. And, this time of the year, are also famous for their colorful autumn views.
Fair enough – this is an older street photograph, but one I never posted. But doesn’t it fit perfectly into these crazy days? I guess the space suit works just as well for virus protection. But who wouldn’t want to beam up these days?
“Ground Control to Major Tom Ground Control to Major Tom Take your protein pills and put your helmet on Ground Control to Major Tom (ten, nine, eight, seven, six) Commencing countdown, engines on (five, four, three) Check ignition and may God’s love be with you (two, one, liftoff)”
I get asked a lot for advice on a low-budget entry level camera. I usually respond by asking for what kind of photography it is intended to be used. Because, frankly speaking, if people want to spend 300€ on a simple entry level camera for just some basic snapping of the usual holiday / people / travel photos, they should stay away and just use their smart phone. Because smart phones these days are also really good cameras, and one that you always carry with you….so the question is: Smartphone or entry level camera?