Babaoskar Shoots Back

carmina burana

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

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.

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?

…trying to circumnavigate traffic jam?

Köln Mülheim

Köln Mülheim

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

And here the nice view overlooking Father Rhine:

Rhine view

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

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?

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…

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.

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’

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.

Finally, winter has arrived in Cologne!

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…

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.

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.

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