My year 2014 in images

Over the last years I assembled each year a photo book containing the best photos (in my opinion) of that certain year. Although I create separate photo books for the important travels, there are many photos left. These are taken on one of the roundtables, a photo walk or simply the best of a trip. These yearly books contain the essence of a year, taken from all 3 kinds. Usually such a book has 40 – 60 landscape pages, each with one big photo. I almost always choose landscape format books instead of portrait formats, because the majority of my photos is in landscape format. So, they are presented in the best (biggest) resolution, when I choose a landscape format book. The back side of this decision is, that those few photos in portrait format are printed a bit smaller, because of their orientation. Thus, I put two of them on one page.

I already assembled my 2014 collection and created my book. Now, I sieved this collection again and picked out the best ones. I created a slide show from these photos, that you can watch below. The resulting short film lasts about 1 1/2 minutes and has 14 MB in size. Thus I put it on an external web server to save space here.

I hope, you like it, despite it’s not perfect!

Take care and a Happy new Year for you all!

 

4

When I put this photo from Barcelona online on G+, I got a comment from a Russian Woman, Ирина Остапенко (Irina Ostapenko). By using the integrated translator, I was able to understand her writing, although the translation wasn’t perfect (like almost always).

Now, I tried to translate it into English.

Four Elements

Like sand slips though your fingers,
or time from previous lives – all in vain.
You know, a little life does not happen,
Just all depends on you.

Like water spilled from the mountains flow
It was gone and did not return.
For you let it be a life lesson
Paving the way of error.

As the fire burns around obstacles
All that was passing will fly away.
The past is no longer necessary to keep,
You repent, may God forgive.

Wind opens your door wide-
The Soul set free to walk.
Water running through the sand will wash away the sins of all,
So, she does not die in the fire …

I guess, my translation isn’t perfect. Just in case, someone of you is able to write a better translation, feel free, you can find it below.

I feel, the idea in this text fits perfectly to our current situation: between 2 years. 2014 is nearly over but left memories, 2015 is around the edge and bears hopes and wishes.

Here is the original text:

ЧЕТЫРЕ СТИХИИ

Как ПЕСОК сквозь пальцы убегает,
Время прожитое – прожито все зря.
Знаешь, мало жизни не бывает,
Просто все зависит от тебя.

Как ВОДА прольется с гор потоком,
Было и обратно не вернуть.
Для тебя пусть будет жизнь уроком,
Из ошибок выстилая путь.

Как ОГОНЬ сожжет вокруг преграды,
Все что было мимо пролетит.
Прошлое держать уже не надо,
Ты покайся, может Бог простит.

ВЕТЕР настежь дверь твою откроет –
Душу выпусти на волю погулять.
Сквозь ПЕСОК ВОДА грехи все смоет,
Чтобы ей в ОГНЕ не погибать…

Weekly Photo Challenge: warmth

This weeks photo challenge at The Daily Post is called “warmth”.

This photo is taken on one of my dream locations: La Digue, one of the Seychelles.

I often take my book and remember the soft, warm winds, the sound of the ocean and feeling of the sand under my bare feet and how good it feels, getting up very early and touching warm tiles with your bare feet.

 

Take care!

(as always: click on the photos to see them in a bigger size)

Merry Christmas 4 all!

This (late) afternoon Christmas starts here in Germany. Last year I wrote a bit more detailed about Christmas traditions here. Maybe you have some spare time to have a look.

I want to wish you a merry Christmas.

Monochrome Madness 43

Todays photo for Leanne Cole’s Monochrome Madness is something special. It’s a colorkey photo.

A colorkey photo is an ordinary monochrome photo, but with one color left in its original color. In my photos I left the red color of the berries of this bush. Only very few plants keep their leaves during winter, and this is one of them.

It’s an European Holly (Ilex aquifolium) and it shows leaves and fruits. There are several species around. They grow up to 2 to 25 m, depending on the species. This species grows up to 10 -15 m, on a 50cm trunk and can get about 300 years old.

The fruits are toxic for humans, but many birds need them to survive during winter. The leaves are steady and have stingy ends, as you can see in the first photo. At the bottom I attached one photo in its original toning for comparison.

Sometimes you can find holly sprays in Advent wreaths and other christmas related decorations. But, it’s not that common (at least in my area).

The plant itself is protected by certain laws here in Germany. You’re not allowed to cut it without permission.

Take care!

(as always: click on the photos to see them in a bigger size)

 

 

 

At night at the ocean shore

One night, we were out at the ocean shore to enjoy the lights.

Enjoy the smell!

Enjoy the wind!

Enjoy the silence!

Keep the colors in your heart and mind!

Take care!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Monochrome Madness 42

Today I want to take you on another trip of mine.

Three years ago, I was on Helgoland, a small island in the North Sea, located quite away from the main lands between England and Germany. We were there for photographing baby grey seals in mid January.

These old lobster huts standing beside the road along the coast from the harbour to the beginning of the small city. Now, you can find here a gift shop, a jewelry shop, a tiny pub and a d-i-y shop. Most of them are still used for personal purposes. Once, poor workers for the than big lobster fishing business lived here during the lobster fishing season. Now, there are too few lobsters around the island to fish them anymore. A scientific breeding project tries to increase the population, because lobsters can’t come over from other locations because of the isolated location of Helgoland.

This is my contribution to Leanne Cole’s Monochrome Madness this week.

Take care!

(as always: click on the photos to see them in a bigger size)

 

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: twinkle

This weeks photo challenge at The Daily Post is called “twinkle”.

For this challenge I picked one of my photos from my upcoming series on Iceland. That series will start here in January and here your get an appetizer. 🙂

Take care!

(as always: click on the photos to see them in a bigger size)

The school at La Sagrada Familia

Right next to the church you can find a small school set up for the workers kids to educate them and to teach them. In that time educate was a rare and expensive good. By teaching the workers kids, they offered them a career as a worker on the building site. While teaching them the basic math and tool handling they were able to get skilled and qualified workers. On the other hand, the kids got an opportunity get a job and to make their living. Keep in mind, other big cathedrals were constructed and build for at least decades. The construction of the cathedral in Cologne, for example, lasted more than 600 years! Thus, several generations of people were supposed to make their living on working on this cathedral. And, even after finishing such a building, some stonecutters will stay with the cathedral works to renew and repairs several parts every now and than.

Take care!

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Monochrome Madness 41

Todays photo for Leanne Cole’s Monochrome Madness is taken in a mining museum.

You know, my area has a long coal mining tradition. Here you can see a mining railroad, that brings the miners from the mine shaft to the place, where the coal is.

In this museum, they have a replica of the underground mining area stuffed with original tools and machines.

There are already a few other photos on that topic here in my blog.

Take care!

(as always: click on the photos to see them in a bigger size)

 

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Gone, But Not Forgotten

This weeks photo challenge at The Daily Post is called “Gone, But not Forgotten”.

Although, this is a kind of typical November theme and my first idea led me to a cemetery, I picked this photo for you. It’s taken on Cuba last year and shows one of the wonderful vintage cars. I like these cars because of their shape. They are beautiful designed and have a kind of character, other than todays cars. Modern cars are so uniform.

There are so many of them still on the road. Thus it was a feast for me to see them rolling.

Just in case, you like them too, I published a calendar with some of these beautiful cars. Ordering information is in one of my last posts.

Take care!

(as always: click on the photos to see them in a bigger size)

Below La Sagrada Familia

 

Below the church you can visit the workers area. Here you can find old paintings, plans, small model of different parts and so on.

You can reach this area also from the place before Christmas front. Leave the building and turn right. Follow the path leading you down, below the building.

Here, you can also find one of the two gift shops. 🙂 (The other one is on the Easter front side).

Take care!

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Monochrome Madness 40

For this weeks Monochrome Madness I want to take you to France. This is Abbaye de Jumièges in the Normandy. I took it a few years ago in April in early spring.

I picked it and processed it again with Tonalty Pro for this post. I gave it a slight vintage look, because in my opinion this look supports the mood of this photo.

As usual I started with preset and modified it afterwards. Therefore I gave it a slight sepia toning, a slight vignette to simulate a faint lens and a frame that brings a used-look. I know, there are many people, who don’t like frames around photos. But especially in photos with a vintage look, I like frames.

You know, I started photography many years ago and during my early years I also took many photos on black-and-white film. And, I also developed these films on my own im my own darkroom. I also did my own prints. Every sheet of paper had to be put under the enlarger and was hold by small plates to ensure, the paper lays flat under the enlarger. And, guess what, these plates hindered the light to exposure the covered parts of the paper and … left the frame!

So, you know, why I like frames around my bw photos every now and then.

Take care!

(as always: click on the photo to see them in a bigger size)