Babaoskar Shoots Back

flotte biene

I still have to work on basic operations of the camera, such as speed and focussing. It is a first try to catch wildlife in action.

railic

Is there a ‘best’ camera? Yes, the one which you carry with you and is not (yet) the mobile phone camera… Therefore, an upgrade was due.

carmina burana

Is there a ‘best’ camera? Yes, the one which you carry with you.

harvest

I proudly present the results of my 2012 gardening efforts. Five differnt types of tomatoes from seven flower pots enrich my salads every day. Jealous?

photokina 2012

There were times when expensive equipment had lasting value – for years, sometimes for decades. Our today’s throwaway society is hunting for increasing turnover of magnesium, plastic and silicon. The two-years’ ago Nikon D700 novelty is nowhere to be seen anymore. The sweet hype for more pixels and more camera features induces the desire for changing expensive toys more quickly – generating great turnover for the manufacturers.

Although advertisements suggest differently, gender segregation still works fine when it comes to technology: Men behind the lenses taking picture of scantily-clad women posing on stage. Certainly, society develops in different pace than technology.

Kölner Lichter 2012

Actually it is useless to take pictures at such an event when one is unprepared. The ambitious hobby photographers already took position hours before the fireworks started while I passed by from a farewell party back home. Certainly, a tripod is indispensable for taking proper fire works pictures. Using 3200 ASA doesn’t really make sense for capturing the dynamics, but it is very suitable to catch the bizzarly coloured surroundings with the visitors.

not las vegas

… seen at the world’s largest miniature model railway. Amazing details and almost real light effect makes it almost difficult to distinguish it from real world. Such as the photo ‘tricycle on the motorway’.

It is stunning what those digital cameras can grab. Even jupiter’s moons are more visible than what I can see with my binoculars. The new D800 probably would identify elephants on Ganymede.

venus and jupiter

Once in a decade the  20 hectare lake Höhenfeld is covered by a layer of ice, strong enough to turn it into a leisure attraction. Spectacular is the cracking sound of the ice and a very strange noise as if steel cables under tension are hitting against each other. What might people of pre-industrial generations have thought about such noises?

Cycling and walking allow enjoying such morning views. By coincidence, my old Canon G3 was in my bag. Not the most suitable camera for such moments, but it gives a glimps of how great the aurora looked – even in an technical-urban setting.

Müllheimer Brücke

“Magpies are believed to be one of the most intelligent of all animals” (wikipedia) since they are one of few animals recognising themselves in a mirror.  This could be the reason for having a magpie nest in front of my large office window. And it seems that they feel comfortable in-midst the highly urbanised setting.

urban dwellings

And here the nice view overlooking Father Rhine:

Rhine view

(due to lack of snow)

Snowman

Sad, sad, sad. No, not the talks about the new legal deal for cutting greenhouse gas emissions coming into effect in almost 10 years – after tough negotiations between the EU and India on  wording. No, it is about the dead mobile phone battery which I wanted to replace during the weekend. Cologne’s largest retailer for consumer electronics doesn’t stock such batteries anymore. Not cost effective, the salesman said. New mobile phones are cheaper than a battery. And the cheaper phone contains an even better battery than the one I asked for, plus a headset, worth the price of the phone. Well, the phone is now produced in India, not anymore in the EU. Must be the transport which makes products cheaper, I guess.

Consumerism

colours of holweide

My almost daily bike ride to the office sometimes offers mystic views which makes me forget living in a one million inhabitants city. Not even one km further down the cycling lane, the all morning commuting nightmare takes place in full blast. Every morning. Every evening. Every day. Throughout the year.

Motorway A3

…is over

Cologne Carnival

Surely, this is not what one considers volcanoes. But this area is seismically one of the most active areas in Germany. The volcano itself is hiding in the fog, the ‘maar’ is waking up in the morning light.

Wild camping usually is not a problem in Germany, except drunken youngsters in their tuned up car discover your tent in the middle of the night. I forgot to cover the reflectors of my bicycle which caused a scary situation. Luckily, I got away with it.

Another bicycle.

Getting more snow.

Santa Claus? Santa Claus!

Thieves are back! This year, last year, next year – it doesn’t matter. They are always there.

Regensburg’s main theater turned into a huge living advent calendar. From the first to the 24th December, each evening a new window will be opened. No, there will be no chocolate in it – unfortunately. Neither beer nor mulled wine. The windows will be filled with songs, poetry, dances and music. Strangely, the door to 24 already opened, but nobody singing.

Hiking along the Rhine is a wonderful experience, particularly during autumn: the forests’ smell of mushrooms, the colourful leaves of maple, oak, beech trees and majestic  Rhine carrying freight vessels, ferries and passenger boats.

Although busy with tourists, Dragon’s Rock offers a fantastic views up- and downstream. Here, Siegfried, the hero of the Niebelungenlied, killed the dragon and bathed in its blood to became invulnerable – almost.

It was not easy, to squeeze my camera lense through a small hole in the blinds which the organisers of the spectacle put up to prevent peeping people to take decent photographs from the fireworks.

What the heck, the official photographers had much better positions with professional support. Why me trying to ‘compete’ in disfavouring circumstances?

“Uwe Seeler (born 5 November 1936 in Hamburg) is a former German football official and retired football player. He played for Hamburger SV and also made 72 appearances for the West German national team.” (wikipedia)

The king demanded the miller’s daughter to turn straw into gold. She was saved by Rumpelstiltskin who asked for a high price. She was not willing to pay it and in turn she destroyed him. Luckily, I didn’t need any body’s help except the evening sunlight to turn the barley field into gold…

Following weeks of miserable weather, Whitsun gave people vast opportunities to celebrate the start of summer.  Open air pools opened, swimming lakes were crowded and the kids enjoyed water wherever it was available…

St Pieter’s Cathedral of Regensburg belongs to most remarkable Gothic buildings in Southern Germany. An unusual feature of the Cathedral is its separation from the older structure of the cloister. The cloister, usually not open to the public contains a fine Romanesque All Saint’s Chapel from 1164. The garden in twilight gives a sweet sense of inspiration – and a taste of what the night of open churches offers.

The courtshipping (?) peacock was a nice surprise during a morning walk across a botanical garden. I wasn’t aware that my D700 is female (should have guessed before). Bitter for him that she turned him down and walked away with me.

Today is a colourful day in North-Rhine Westphalia.

First May reminds me of the nuclear disaster which happened 24 years ago. Almost a quarter of a century and it feels like yesterday. Yes, I know, it didn’t happen first May. But that year, first May was the first warm and beautiful day of the year and, together with friends, we went out into the nature, played on the ground, enjoyed the smells of spring until a sudden but warm rain shower surprised us in the afternoon. It was a wonderful day – in the evening we got the news about the disaster! In Germany, the area of Regensburg was particularly affected. Playgrounds were closed because of the high contamination. Many other things happened. And we got the rain shower – fully contaminated – onto us.

May smells of lilac. Particularly, if the lilac tree is placed in front of the bed room.  From the bed room window, it is placed between the bed room and the brand new solar heating.

First May: the solar heating is completed and in operation. My personal battle against the nuclear industry which earned lots of money for heating the water in the past. I gave it to the copper industry instead.  At least, they didn’t put nuclear particles onto my skin. I’m looking forward to my first ‘solar shower’ in this house.

Finally, spring has come. Finally, we moved to the new (old) house. Finally, I hope to spend more time on visuals again. Yellow is my favorite colour and the contrast with the clear blue sky is gorgeous.

The end of Colognes Carnival is marked by the liquidation of the Nubbel, the symbol of all sins and misconducts which the partying people committed during Carnival. The scarecrow is accompanied by a ‘priest’ and a ‘hangman’ who lead the tribunal.

The colorful ‘sins’

Walking from Gare du Nord towards Ixelles emerges to a journey through Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Brussels is a melting pot of  different cultures, although critics say that its segregated cultures living their own lifes. Still, for a visitor it is astonishing and amazing.

About two hours drive from Cologne the landscape is still covered in snow and ice. Next to crowded ski resorts one can hike through lonesome nature. The perfect setting for cross country skiing.

Swimming in summer and ice skating in winter: as far as temperatures allow, the small quarry pond of about 20 hectares offer many leisure activities. On a Sunday early morning the lake is almost yours, except few joggers.

This landscape reminds me of my early childhood.  Sure, this tree could be anywhere, the grassland could be anywhere and the sky could be anywhere. The smell of the soil, the air and the water, however, is distinctive and intriguing. ‘Home’, I would call it. Or trapped in backwardness?

The reputation that Germans turn loads of money into ear-splitting noise, glistering fire, and breathtaking smoke to welcome the New Year is truly true. Picturing the detonating fire crackers was a particular challenge which may require further experiments in the coming years.

Finally, winter has arrived in Cologne!

Early morning hours transform the usually busy European capital into a peaceful town. Multifaceted Ixelles belongs to the most attractive parts of Brussels. Next to posh shopping malls designer shops or the nicely illuminated town hall you’ll find such corners of morbid character.

I know, it’s not a nice photo – dust in the sky, bad scanning and post processing of an image from 2005. But I had to think of it while our politicians are banging their heads in Copenhagen. Nice statements but the reality is here. Each kWh of electricity produces almost 1.5 kg CO2! Leave alone the damage to the earth. But sure, this blog also consumes electricity…

Dawn seems to be the best time to capture the beautifully illuminated houses of Cologne. This type of traditional building belongs to the ‘bergische’ region, a low mountain range starting at the Eastern part of Cologne.

Encroaching ‘development’ not only threatens fauna and flora of Thielenbruch, also islands of autonomous living are at gun point. The authorities would like to extend car parking space by removing ‘untidy’ settlements.

Squeezed in between cities, railway lines, power lines, gas pipelines and motorways, a small nature reserve is determined to offer rare species protection against destruction and extinction. Due to the low light situations the ambiance these days is particular. Up to now I have been excited using my manual Nikkor lenses, however, the 20mm lens suffers from strong vignetting using open aperture. Yet another task to find a way to get rid of the vignetting…

Opposed to Markus’ yesterday’s advent photo I experienced a slightly different start of the festive Christmas season. The spring like weather – interrupted by a thunderstorm and followed by blue sky and a beautiful rainbow – flooded the nature with intensive colours. Some plants seem to resist the approaching winter – or don’t even believe anymore in its coming.

The challenge is: how to capture the ugliness of Christmas decorations  popping up everywhere…

This time I tried hard to produce  something reasonable from the raw format. In vain. I was not able to get any close to the camera produced jpg which I display here. Still a long way to go to get them unbolted.

The Rhine banks offer beautiful views at Cologne’s historic centre. The ambiance these days live with the low autumn sun. I particularly liked the real sun and her reflection in the building’s facade. As a newbie to (real) digital photography I’m quite impressed by the possibilities in challenging light conditions.

As autumn progresses, some trees seem to go head over heels in their colours. Today’s sunshine allowed me (finally) to use my 200mm with comfortable shutter speed and ISO position. My manual fix focal length (primes?) work rather well with the D700.

It is scary that the presumable mass murderers Ignace Murwanashyaka and Straton Musoni could freely live in Germany since the Rwandan genocide 15 years ago. Finally, they have been arrested yesterday. In 1994, I worked in a Hutu refugee camp in Goma. The conditions were appalling.  I had my small Rollei 35 with me but the camera and even the film were slightly damaged during the stay. It was anyhow not a pleasure to take photos in this camp.

After I had missed the opportunity for a potentially good photo a few days ago, I accustom myself to carrying the camera bag with me more often. Today, I realised that adding a tripod to the equipment would further enhance the possibility taking good photos. Still, with my 105 mm lens I was able to catch the light just before complete darkness.

For the first time, I tried to convert a NEF file into something displayable. I have not yet the feeling that I have reached what I really wanted. But maybe I’m also not really sure about what I want.  Touching digital photos seems at least as challenging as sitting in the dark room processing prints from negatives. And I never made colour prints. However, I feel that with some practice, one gets a feeling for the many ways to enhance, manipulate and change photos at the computer. It’s just a question of time which I’m willing to spend on such work.

Inside the trunk of an old cherry tree I’ve found this family discussing about the latest colours of their dresses. A lonely mushroom stood aside and was afraid to join them. They might tease him due to his old brown cloak which he was wearing.

Due to the lack of motives today, I add an unintended self-portrait from yesterday’s Carnival celebrations.

The  suffering in Cologne has ended: the fifth season has started today! Until Ash Wednesday in February, people in Rheinland will devote their life to preparing for the culmination of Carnival. Despite miserable weather, about 50000 people gathered in the historic part of Cologne to celebrate the begin of Carnival.

I’m new to taking photos with a digital SLR and still use it like an analog apparatus. The lens which I used is certainly from analog times, a 200mm, f4 with manual focus. A bit challenging with the lack of light.

Carnival in Cologne

Cologne Carnival