Throwback Thursday: Club Tropicana and LAPC 195 “colorful expressions”

 

Today I have another image taken in Club Tropicana in Havana for you.

I’m not interested in dancing at all. So, I wasn’t very eager to go, when I saw this topic on the agenda. But, I also didn’t want to stay alone at the hotel and the visit was already prepaid in the package. Thus, I went.

I have to admit, it was a great experience. I’m happy about the good quality of my images because it was very dark. All of my images are taken at ISO 6400 😲😳 to have short shutter speeds with a suitable field of depth and avoid motion blur.

I guess I’m going to show you a couple of more images taken during that night in the near future. Stay tuned.

In case, you want to see more from Cuba, click here.

Because of the colorful dresses of the ladies, this image is also a perfect fit for LAPC. It’s hosted by Anne, this week.

Take care!

 

Throwback Thursday: Club Tropicana

 

Today I have another image taken in Club Tropicana in Havana for you.

I’m not interested in dancing at all. So, I wasn’t very eager to go, when I saw this topic on the agenda. But, I also didn’t want to stay alone at the hotel and the visit was already prepaid in the package. Thus, I went.

I have to admit, it was a great experience. I’m happy about the good quality of my images because it was very dark. All of my images are taken at ISO 6400 😲😳.

I guess I’m going to show you a couple of more images taken during that night in the near future. Stay tuned.

In case, you want to see more from Cuba, click here.

Take care

 

 

Throwback Thursday: Club Tropicana

 

Oh, wow. Finally, I’m done! I was in Cuba back in Mach 2013. In the past, I already published some posts and images taken during that trip. But, one chapter of that trip was still nearly completely undone: the images taken during our visit of Club Tropicana in Havana.

I’m not interested in dancing at all. So, I wasn’t very eager to go, when I saw this topic on the agenda. But, I also didn’t wanted to stay alone at the hotel and the visit was already prepaid in the package. Thus, I went.

I have to admit, it was a great experience. I’m happy about the good quality of my images, because it way very dark. All of my images are taken at ISO 6400 😲😳.

I guess, I’m going to show you a couple of more images taken during that night in the near future. Stay tuned.

 

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Take care

 

 

WPC: Gathering

This week’s topic for the weekly photo challenge by “The Daily Post” is “Gathering”

I took this image while being one of the authorized photographers at this concert. It’s the gathering of the members of the German rock band Luxuslärm.

Take care have a great weekend!

(as usual, you can see the photo enlarged, when clicking in it)

A day at the opera

 

This is the proposed post on Harpa. As I told you last week, when we had a look at the outside at night, I take you to the inside now.

The mantle is made from a very special kind of glass:Dichroic glass

This kind of glass interacts with the changing daylight. The different angles of the lightfall, the different frequencies of the light at different times make the glass reflect parts of the light in the complementary color or let it pass to the inside.

Take care!

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A night at the opera

This impressive and very unique building is called Harpa. It’s an opera house, but it’s also open to the public during the day. You can enter for free and find a snack bar and a gift shop at the ground floor. But, way more impressive are the upper levels.

As you might have guessed already, I’m showing you this building at night. My next post will focus on the inside.

Harpa is located right next to the harbor. Behind the opera house, you can find the ocean. It was opened in 2011. Unfortunately, the english Wikipedia does not have many facts. There are way more in the German Wikipedia about the origin of the name, the logo, the idea behind the design and the used materials. All of these is inspired by the island: glaciers, northern light, hot pools, volcanoes.

The main concert hall has room for 1,800 people, but there are 3 more rooms Smaller in capacity, but all of them full of the most modern concert and audio technique. As well, as 9 cabins for interpreters.

Take care!

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I’m back …

… from Lisbon.

During the last few days I was in Lisbon, Portugal, with a few friends.

They were some days with nice company, a lot of fun, many interesting impressions and a lot of photos.

As usually for a ‘I’m back’ post, I don’t want to write so much. But, at least I want to show you an, as in my opinion, iconic picture of one of the small, old trams running in Lisbon. They even climb up steep hills and are usually very full despite their tight schedule.

Old, but not useless and definitely a eye-catcher for tourists, but they are still in regular operation, although there are some trams dedicated to tourist round-trips.

Take care

 

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Cover Art

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

This time, they ask for our creative mind. Everyone should create a book-, magazine- or record cover. Every now and than I do so with one of my model photos just for fun. Thus I already have some photos in my box, that would probably fit in here. I decided for this record cover and I hope, you all like it.

Take care!

Magic Fountain of Montjuic

Here it is: the Magic Fountain of Montjuic!!

It a huge, illuminated fountain. At night you can see a fantastic light show with music here in the fountain. According to the played music the lights change their colors and the water nozzles inside the fountain modify their direction and their intense. What a spectacle!!!

During winter this only happens on week-ends, but during summer every night. It was very crowded, so go early to get a good spot. I can only remember the song played last: “Barcelona” by Freddy Mercury and Montserrat Caballé.

A very impressive experience (although a bit wet in some places because of the wind distribution the fine water in the air).

Enjoy the fountain.

Take care!

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“dancing in the street”

Who expected to read a post on David Bowie? Sorry, guys.

This post is also on Barcelona. You know, we were in Barcelone to escape the Carnival processions and fetes hold here in the metropolises at the river Rhine, as well as getting some sun and warmth during winter. Our plan on that certain saturday evening led us to the Magic Fountain of Montjuic (I’ll explain this in my next post). When we accidentally run into a carnival procession – what a funny coincidence.

Several groups of people were coming down the street dancing to music. As far as I understood, this procession was organized by people originating from south america.

Maybe, someone is here, who is able to confirm this and explain it bait more detailed.

Take care!

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The stage at Palau de la Musica Catalana

As I mentioned in my last post, the stage is very different to stages usually found in theaters and opera houses. While those stages are able to be modified by paper walls lowered from the drawing floor, we only find a small stage with a few steps in the back for a choir (and the organ above).

Do you see, the figurines on the wall? These are muses. 18 figurines, each equipped with a different musical instrument, are looking at the musical at the stage. So, the artist is surrounded by audience. The common people in front of the stage in the seats on parquet floor or on the balconies. And, to back and inspire the artist, the muses beside and behind.

As a visitor you can’t see all of the muses. And that’s ok, because they are here only for the musician. The photo above is taken while standing right before the stage. The farer you have your seat, the less of them you can see. In the photo gallery at the end of this post, I’ve put a few of them in detail.

The idea of a muse was born in ancient Greece. They are goddesses from the Greek mythology and responsible for inspiration, literature, poetry, science, music, arts and considered as the source of knowledge.

Even today there are saying referring to the muses, i.e. someone was kissed by a muse (= had a very good idea or a flow of inspiration).

I hope, you also got a kiss of a muse every now and then for your inspiration.

Take care!

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Palau de la Musica Catalana

Every city has one or more theatres, cinemas, sport stadiums and maybe an opera. In Barcelona you can find another kind of stage of musical entertainment: the Palau de la Musica Catalana.

This Palace was built between 1905 and 1908 and is now part of the UN world heritage.  A theatre and an opera bringing plays on stage.  Actors playing their roles and opera singer sing their classical opera songs. You have a stage and a pit for the orchestra below the stage with an open space between the audience and the front border of the stage.

The Palau is different. There is no orchestra pit, as you can see in the photo above. The whole stage is kind of small and very special. My next will be on the stage itself.

The palace was built following the current style at the building time: Art Nouveau. While looking around by using the photos in the attached gallery, pay attention to the big glass window in the ceiling and its unusual shape. In the above photo you can see the shape from the side. Also, both sides of the building have colorful glass windows.

In case, you book a guided tour, you can also feel the wonderful sound inside the building. They demonstrate it with a hidden organ.

There is also a small auditorium, the Sala d’Assaig de l’Orfeó Català (the Orfeó Català Rehearsal Room), just below the main stage. Artists can use this area for performances with small audience or for exercises. This area is as good equipped as the central auditorium. The guided tour starts here with a short documentary with testimonials from many international musicians, praising the Palau. Here you can find the first stone of the Palau, laid in 1905.

The Foyer of the Palau is an area for waiting while drinking a coffee or a tea. This area is open to the public as a café or cafeteria.

Take care!

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Düsseldorf Jazz Rallye

What’s that, you might ask.

It’s a weekend with lots of music in the old town of Düsseldorf. In many public places, pubs and restaurants jazz bands were playing. On Saturday, when I was there with my friends on our monthly photo trip, they were playing Dixieland. Some parts of the old town were very crowded, especially one place, where the Dixie band played opposite to one of the famous brew house which the old town of Düsseldorf is famous for.

At the same time another event was in Düsseldorf. Not far away, on the promenades along the river Rhine, a french weekend took place. Stands offering french literature, food, wine and art were set up to interest the passersby. And … huge fenced areas for playing boule. It seemed to me, they were holding a boule championship. So it was quite interesting to watch on both events.

Usually the promenades have a solid surface of tar and stones. But for the boule patches, they brought pea gravel the set up the boule patches. Only a small area was left for the passersby. But, it was still enough room to have a look. Although I said, it was crowded, it was much less crowded than it was here 3 weeks ago at Japantag. Neither on the promenades nor in the old town you got stuck.

Take care!

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On a trip with Mary Poppins

Do you know the stories of Mary Poppins, Jane and Michael’s nanny?

One day, when their father was looking for a new nanny for his kids the wind turned east and Mary Poppins arrived in the Cherry Tree Lane number 17 on a gust of the East Wind. She greets their mother, and slides up the banister. Now, Jane and Michael’s lives are turned magically upside down.

On one trip the kids and Mary Poppins met a carousel, just like the one in my photo. Although on the carousel I met no-one was able to ride one of the carousel horses free and follow the real horses on their track by leaving the carousel, like carousel horses were able to do when  Mary Poppins with Jane and Michael entered the carousel. But I was reminded to those stories and edited this series to fit in that scene.

When I arrived at the carousel, it was spinning around slowly and the music came from the old fair organ in the wagon in the background. A very special sound, not comparable to current carousels.

I hope, you like it

Take care!

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Street Life

For this weeks Photo Challenge at The Daily Post I picked a photo taken in Paris.

Take care.

Palacio de Valle in Cienfuego

Palacio de Valle is an impressive building in Cienfuegos. It was built by the italian architect Alfredo Colli 1913 to 1917 following design ideas created by the moors, the arab people in Andalusia, Spain.

The first owner was a merchant, who sold it to a great land owner, who finished the villa. Later, it became a gambling casino owned by dictator Batistas brother. Today, you can find a restaurant and a hotel in it. As a visitor you can go and have a look at is. Some parts are open to the public. On the second floor you can find a café on the roof-deck with a great view on the Cienfuegos bay (Bahia de Cienfuegos).

The three different towers symbolize each a certain character: the gothic tower stands for strength, the indian tower stands for love and the moorish tower stands for religion.

Take care!

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Teatro Terry in Cienfuegos

Here we have the theatre of Cienfuegos. It’s called after Tomás Terry, a very rich sugar cane plantations owner originally from Venezuela. It’s built at the end of the 19th century following the neoclassical principles, just like many other parts of the old town of Cienfuegos.

In a painting at the ceiling right above the stage in front of the curtain, you can find “1889”. I don’t know, if this is the finishing year or the founding year. But, having in mind the founding year of the town, 1881, this is a very interesting connection.

There’s room for about 900 visitors in the theater and it is still used i.e. for piano concerts. Although there are chairs in the parquet and on the upper floor tiers, the loges don’t have seats. I guess, that’s because there is no need for upper class loges in a communist country.

As I mentioned earlier, here we also had to pay an additional fee (5 CUC) for the allowance to take photographs. The entrance fee for the theatre instead was covered by our tour guide.

Come, take a break, and enjoy the architecture of a past epoch of glamour and glory for the rich and upper class members, but hard hand work for the others.  You can find this kind of architecture in many places in Europe. But, would you have expected to find it in Cuba? I didn’t!

Take care!

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psychedelic dreams

Today’s post something very special. I’m not only a travel and landscape photographer. I’m also a portrait and wedding photographer. But most of those jobs are private. So, you haven’t seen any of them here. But every now and then I also work with a model for theme shootings.

This photo was taken at such a theme photo shooting and finally I edited it quite hard, as you can easily see. I’m very curious for you opinions and feeling regarding the photo. I know, not everyone will like it, but I’m really interested in your opinions. The cover is inspired by the 1960s and early 1970s, when the flower power and hippie movement  was on its summit and psychedelic rock came up.

Sometimes I create fake magazine covers for the models. This time got inspired by Leanne Cole to create a vinyl record cover, that aims to have been stuck in the tight record box for a long time. Leanne Cole is an Australian photographer and has started working with textures a few weeks ago. While working with certain textures she is able to create a very special mood in her photographs.

Watching the parade

Last week, I introduced you to the idea of a parade on the occasion of a fun fair. In my region it is usual, to hold a parade on Sunday afternoon. Many people collecting ideas, build wagons, tailor dresses for or volunteer for being part of the parade. The parade is usually supported by several marching bands and fire service bands. As usually, the night watchman led the parade this year, too.

There were 63 motives (groups, wagons, one person displays, bands) this year on the 4.5 km track around the inner city. The parade lasts about 2 hours, but I don’t know, how long the participants needed for the course. Fortunately, it wasn’t that hot and it wasn’t raining. So, there were many people in the streets watching and supporting the actors. It was warm enough, but not hot.

This time, the slide show is quite large. There are 63 photos in this slide show, so be prepared. It was hard, to decide, which motive was too bad, to be put in this selection. I skipped most of the marching bands and other “music only” displays and I even skipped some of the motives to keep it short.

For quite bigger photos, I recommend clicking on the photo above and use the clickable arrows below the photo for you further navigation.

Have fun!

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Another fun fair

As I told you in two of my last posts, I want to show you some more photos taken at a fun fair. Every year, there is a fun fair here, where I live. It’s always at the first weekend of September, starting on Friday early afternoon and lasting ’till Tuesday night.

As I mentioned before, I like the smell and the colorful lights, especially at night. So, I was this time also at night at the fun fair. Here you can find some impressions.

As you can see, It’s much smaller than Crange. And it’s located in the streets and a big parking ground of the inner city, instead of a big place.

I’ll write another post regarding the parade held on Sunday afternoon.

Have fun!

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Daily Prompt: Can’t Drive 55

Today’s assignment for photographers at The Daily Post is speed.

Here, where I live, the annual fun fair starts tomorrow. So, I guess, it’s more than suitable to pick a photo taken at the fun fair back in 2009. I hope, you can stand the speed and enjoy the photo.

The colorful lines in the foreground are a result of a fast-moving carousel. It’s like an octopus. Several arms are moving up and down while they are spinning around a center. Each arm ends in a few cabins, each for 2 people. These cabins are also spinning around, but they are spinning around their base at the end of their arm.

More on this year’s fun fair in a later post.

Take care!

Let’s dance!?!

I’m not the guy, who loves dancing. So, I wasn’t that much excited, when I read about the visit at Tropicana in our trip schedule.

But Tropicana is much more than a dancing show. Pretty girls, handsome guys, cuban music, artistry and beautiful costumes were on the stage. The audience got a can of cola, a 1/3 bottle of brown rum and a cigar per person for.

The show started at 10 p.m. when it was completely dark outside. The Tropicana theatre is a roofless building, where only parts of the audience, the kitchen and the restrooms are solid buildings. The stage itself is open air.

When coming to the show, avoid bringing a camera or even a mobile containing a camera. You have to pay an extra fee of 5 CUC for taking photographs or hand your gear to the guard. I paid the fee and it was definitely worth the money.

When in Havana, I’d definitely recommend visiting Tropicana.

Have fun!

addendum:
These photos were all shot during the first scene in approximately 30 minutes. The dancers changed their costumes several times and displayed different styles in music and dancing, some accompanied by singers. I guess, I’ll show some of them, too, but later in a separate post.

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Let the music play

When thinking about Cuba, what do you think first? Rum? Cigars? Tabaco? Music? Or old cars?

To shorten it: I found all of this.

Music is everywhere. In hotel  lobbys, restaurants and in the streets are people playing music. Usually bands with more than 2 and  up to 10 members. Here in Germany music in restaurants is usually played by CD and street musicians are playing alone. But in Cuba there were usually bands playing music.

Many of them also try to sell their own CDs. Some CD are homemade, using a CD burner, others are made professional. The price

Leisure time

In the evening you can meet many, many people at the Malecón.

This street goes along the sea-coast for about 7 or 8 kilometers. Only a small wall divides the city from the sea, the atlantic ocean. This wall is used by the people in the evening for meeting, sitting, chatting, playing music, drinking and, of course, smoking. At about 5 p.m. the first few people appear here and stay until late. One night

Did I already mentioned the Parisian street musicians

No? Here they are:

You can find musicians not only in the subway (called metropolitain or metro) stations or the metro trains, but also in the streets or places where many pedestrians come to. So you can find them at tourist attractiions i.e. at the Basilica Sacre Coeur,  in front of the former kings palace Louvre (now a big and famous art museum) or at the Eiffeltower. And, certainly, in some restaurants musicians were playing piano.

I usually saw musicians playing