hard time for photographers!?

You know, each first Saturday of a month I meet with some other photographers for our monthly roundtable. We’re not only sitting somewhere and talking. But, we meet somewhere to walk around and take some photos. Later we’re visiting a restaurant for having dinner.

Currently, this isn’t possible because of the governmental restrictions because of the Covid19 pandemic. Although the restrictions here in Germany are not so hard as they are in France, Spain or Italy, where you’re not allowed to leave your home for other topics than going to work, doing your groceries or walk your dog (only very short distances are allowed). Here in Germany, we’re still allowed to go out, but we need to keep a distance of at least 1,5m (~5 ft.). Only the essential stores are allowed to open: supermarkets, gas stations, pharmacies, doctors, hospitals. Everyone else should work from home, wherever it is possible. Even doing your groceries is quite hard under these circumstances. Some products are rare in the supermarkets and out for weeks now like flour, toilet paper, pasta or yeast. But, most products are available even though not in every supermarket.

Back to our monthly photographer’s roundtable. We met yesterday as usual, but not at about 14:00h as we usually do. Instead, we met at 19:00h. And we did not meet in person somewhere, but we set up a video conference to see each other and talk a bit. To have a specific topic to start with, I organized a theme for us. As I have some inspiring cards for photographers, I drew one card for each participant and transmitted a photo of the card via messenger last weekend. So everyone had one week to prepare some images to show during our video conference. As everyone had a different topic to work on, it was very interesting to see the results. 8 of us 10 regular participants were there. The two missings were prevented for private reasons on short-notice. Nevertheless, it was a nice evening (considering the circumstances).

My topic was “backlit”. All images are taken with my DSLR camera and were not a result of post-processing or some other graphical works. All images are taken last week. The images are looking way better in a bigger size. So you can resize them by clicking on then.

 

moss, about to start blooming very soon equipped with some dew drops (macro)

white tulip blossom in a vase on our kitchen table

star magnolia in the garden

amaryllis petals in our living room

oil drops (macro)

oil drops (macro)

product image of a collectible bottle

 

So, being not allowed to leave your home must not hinder you to take your camera and take some photos. In case you don’t have an idea, drop me a line and I’ll give you an assignment for the next week 😀

Take care and stay healthy

 

photowalk on a beautiful pre-sommer day

Yesterday, I attended our monthly photographers roundtable. I guess, I already mentioned, this is more like a photowalk, than sitting somewhere and discussing photo related topics.

This time we were on a small hike (3 hours) through the valley of the river Düssel, not far from the place, where the fossils of the homo neanderthalensis were found in 1856. Today, this valley is also called Neanderthal (Neander Valley). Now, you can find a museum here and some other places donated to the times, when homo neanderthalensis was alive: the ice age. Kids can learn in workshops, how to make fire, spear, bow and arrow. They can even learn how people used to hunt during ice age.

I don’t want to bore you with all these details. Instead, I want to show you some impressions from the nature and the animals, homo neanderthalensis has hunted: the european bison or wisent and the aurochs. While wisents are still around in some eastern parts of Europe, the aurochs is assumed to be lost in the beginning of the 17th century. But, in the early 20th century, the brothers Heck, zoo directors in Berlin and Munich, tried successfully to breed the aurochs back from the common cattle. So, these animals aren’t real aurochs, but heck cattle. Over the years, the heck cattle became more and more look-alike to the ancient aurochs. A small herd of about 30 animals lives here and you can go and see them. I recommend bringing field glasses, just in case they are not near the fence.

Take care!

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below the feet

Below the feet, there is an other world. Quite dark, weather independent and very different to the surface of out plant.

Saturday afternoon I met with some other photographers for our monthly photographers roundtable. And, this time we went underground 🙂

October 3rd is our national holiday and so all of shops are closed, just like on Sundays. City-centers and shopping malls are empty. Only few people are inside the cities. This gave us the opportunity, to apply for a permission to take photographs on a usually very crowded place: in the subway stations. We got permission for 3 very stylish subway stations.

Despite we were underground instead of enjoying the nature at such a beautiful, warm and sunny afternoon, we were very happy about the locations and that there were only few people.

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at the airfield

Yesterday, I met with my friends at the monthly photographers roundtable. This time we were visiting a small airfield. The owner of this airfield, a local air sports club, organized an event. Several old aircrafts were there. All of them still in operation. I love such old aircrafts. Sports airplanes, old gliders (from the 1950s), a stunt flying aircraft from the 1960s and especially a few old biplanes. Unfortunately, there was no chance, to come closer to them. They were parked at the side of the airfield, but behind a cutoff. Thus, I have had to use my long tele lens instead of the macro lens 😦

Because of bad weather, some flights were skipped. Also the tandem drops, the hot air balloons and the night glow had to be canceled. The Pilots of RC controlled model planes with combustion engines also have had only small windows to show their skills in controlling their aircrafts at flight.

I really love those small airfields. When I was a teenager, my parents were with me and my younger brother in Lugano, canton Tessin in Southern Switzerland next to Northern Italy. Right next to the hotel, there was a similar airfield, but with a paved runway. Every free minute, I was there. Standing beside the runway at the railings and awaiting every single plane with my Kodak Instamatic 65X Box camera for 126er film cassettes. What a time! When I have heard the noise of an engine, I started running, grabbing my camera and haven a look, if there is a new aircraft arriving. I’ve collected planes on film 🙂  – No, I’m not a plane spotter, now. There is so much more outside to see. But, I still love these small airfields. Standing beside the runway, following the starting aircrafts with my eyes and dreaming of sitting inside of one of them. Most likely one of the old, open biplanes.

But today … I only have some pannings from starting and landing aircrafts, the stunt flyer and some ground activities for you.

Enjoy!

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fun games with water and more

Each first Saturday we have our monthly photographers roundtable. Meeting, chatting, talk shopping and taking photographs. Usually we meet for a photowalk, but, when having bad weather, this walk takes place in a museum or so.

During winter we often have weather conditions, that won’t allow being outside or at least it is (very) uncomfortable being outside for taking photographs. For this Saturday the weather forecast proposed sleet, rain, snow, cold winds and slippery streets. Thus, we met inside and using our gear for some fun games.

It’s really fun to figure out together with some friends, how a setting has to be for such a photo. OK, the downside is, everyone only has limited time. When each of eight photographers want to try the same and each one only needs 15 minutes, the whole thing lasts two hours.  But, it’s worth the effort. Each following photographer benefits from his forerunners and the results are getting better. Another benefit is, you can share gear, thus none of us had to have all the necessary gear (gear, you probably usually don’t need).

While four of us tried the water games, the others were trying other kinds of macro, and vice versa, as you can see in my gallery below.

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Take care!

Monthly photographers roundtable

Yesterday I met with some other photographers for our monthly roundtable. You know, it’s not literally a roundtable for sitting and chatting, but walking and taking photographs.

This time we were in a valley nearby. The valley proposed several remains from the industrial revolution, back in the 18th and 19th century. We expected to see some of the old grinding shops, groundwood mills and knife forges. But, we only found creeks, ponds, forest and signs, telling what kind of workshop once was in that place. Once, more then 10 of these workshops were beside those creeks. Nevertheless, we have had a wonderful afternoon: November 1st and t-shirt weather, what a surprise.

So, instead of showing some industry culture, I’m able to show some autumn photos from one of our local forests.

Enjoy and
take care!

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