Walter Q's

Sun and peak

2011-12-29T06:52:00.000-08:00

Time to show another image from last fall. As I've written in my last post, I made a wonderful hike on my first day in Tux. Up to the Frauenwand and then down back via the Weitental valley.

The image shows the Hornspitze, that peak (2650m) rises above the Weitental valley. I walked from the left and then down the valley back to Tux.

It was really a gorgeous day with lots of sun and a deep blue sky. As I walked this way I noticed that the sun would make a great counterpoint to the mounain peak. The panorama is a result of 3 images with almost no post processing. Only the lens flares are sometimes not the way I like it. It seems I got lenses that always produce too many colorful dots and circles when photographing the sun. If anybody has a hint how to avoid these, I really like to hear it :-)

I have some more panos and images from the week we've spent in Tyrol. All with a blue sky, a bright sun and great alpine scenery. I think I'll post more soon, it's fun to show what a great country Austria is.

Fall in the Alps

2011-11-08T00:19:00.000-08:00

(Click image to see a larger version)

Recently we've been to the Tux valley, this is a side-valley to the Zillertal in Tyrol. We know this place very well and have been there for some years now. While Sylvia enjoys ski trainings for slalom etc. I prefer to hike and enjoy the scenery.

Currently we have a really sunny and bright fall. For weeks now we see mild temperatures and sun almost every day. So it was in Tux as we stayed there. This image is from the first day, I hiked up to the Frauenwand (2541m).

There wasn't that much snow, but still it was knee-deep in places and there was lots of ice and frozen brooks on the way. I didn't have my snowshoes with me, so walking was sometimes exhausting. Still I used my crampions because of the ice and they've been very useful.

The image has been taken on the highest point of that hike. It's a small "gate" between rocks you see on the right, you can also see my traces in the snow. It's a steep ridge, one step forward and you fall... The view goes straight to the Olperer peak where hundreds of skiers run on the slopes. After taking this panorama I followed the path on the ridge to the left and then descended down to the Tuxer Joch and the Weitental valley. I reached the village of Hintertux after 6 hours.

I made some more gorgeous images and panos during our stay, stay tuned to see more ;-)

Classical concerts on YouTube

2011-10-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

Today I want to share some great videos with you. If you like to listen to classical music, then you'll find plenty of great recordings of live concerts on YouTube:

Exceptional:
Bruckner, Symphony 9, Blomstedt
Mahler, Symphony 2, Dudamel
Mahler, Symphony 6, Chicago SO, Haitink
Mahler, Symphony 7, Berliner Ph., Haitink
Mahler, Symphony 9, Lucerne, Abbado
Mozart Requiem, BBC Proms
Shostakovitch, Symphony 10, Dudamel
Shostakovitch, Symphony 13, Gergiev

Great:
Mahler, Symphony 1, LA Philharmonic, Dudamel
Mahler, Symphony 6, Gergiev
Shostakovitch, Symphony 4, Ashkenazy

Interesting:
Mahler, Symphony 4, Tokyo Ph, Myung-Wung Chung
Mahler, Symphony 9, Norrington at BBC Proms
Shostakovitch, Symphony 15

You will find lots more of concerts at this channel.

I hope you like some of these videos :-)

Fall at the lake

2011-10-27T00:49:00.000-07:00

Another colorful fall image, taken at Lake Langbathsee. It's always great fun to take pictures in fall, colorful leaves glowing in the sun, calm weather, clear air.

Although the colored leaves look gorgeous, I think it is difficult to take a good fall photograph. I always try to think about a good composition, so the color is not the only feature, Here I managed to get the leaves, the tree and the lake in one shot. Additionally there are the mountains in the background and the shoreline leading to the rocks which give depth to the image.

I hope you like it :-)

Fall Light

2011-10-20T15:18:00.000-07:00

Last sunday we enjoyed the sunny weather to drive to Lakes Langbathseen, two small lakes near Ebensee, Austria. It was rather chilly but the bright sun lit the landscape perfectly. The fall colors in the trees and the glowing reed made for a perfect photograph.

Again I was impressed with my new Canon EF 70-200 1:4 L. It is a perfect lens, this image was taken at 200mm handheld and still its sharp and clear.

This day we've not been alone, of course. Dozens of people had the very same idea and sometimes we walked in single file. But it was a pleasure, nonetheless. It was also fun to see a lot of other photographers pointing their cameras at the gorgeous scenery. I really love the fall season, its light and colors are so rewarding.

So if you have any chance, get out and enjoy nature's beauty these days :-)

My new artist webpage

2011-10-20T01:24:00.000-07:00

After joining Fine Art America I got my own webpage to sell my images:
Check it out: http://walter-quirtmair.artistwebsites.com/

Fine Art America

2011-10-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

Now you can visit me at Fine Art America :-)

Lake Weissensee

2011-10-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

A large panorama of gorgeous Lake Weissensee from June. We stay there almost every year for now 9 years. It's such a great place, the lake is the highest european lake you can swim in in summer. During the summer months the temperature can get to 24 C.

You also can do great hikes, I took the series of images for this panorama on the start of a walk. You see fresh mowed grass and small huts. On the shore you'll notice the white strips of sand and lime. It's that color which gives the lake its name (Weissensee = White Lake).

If you visit Austria then plan to stay at this area (or any other of our beautiful lakes :-)

New photos at ImageKind

2011-10-15T10:21:00.000-07:00

I recently sold a print of one of my photos at ImageKind. Reason enough to upload a bunch more images, maybe there' s more potential :-)
Have a look here: ImageKind

iPhone Cases

2011-10-11T11:04:00.000-07:00

After a long time a new post... sorry for not writing more, I usually don't find the time. But I'll try.

The site RedBubble, where I publish and sell my images, now also sells iPhone cases.
They really look cool, have a look at my collection of iPhone Cases.

Thx,
Walter

Dachstein

2010-06-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not posting in the last time, I'm too busy...

Last weekend we were hiking in the Dachstein mountain range. The weather was bright and sunny, a welcome change after a very cold and wet May. It's said it was the coldest May since beginning of weather recordings. So you can image how we enjoyed the sun and being out all day.

Because of the bad weather there is still lots of snow in the mountains as you can see in the picture. The snow reached down to 1800m altitude, which is just where we walked that day. As we passed the track to the hut you can see in the middle back of the image, we had to cross some avalanches. The snow was fresh and clean, an indicator that the avalanches occured just recently.

And that's why we don't understand that the hiking trails was opened. Usually the authorities very quickly close trails in the Alps as soon as the danger of avalanches rises. But there many hikers and tourists walked that passage, right accross the avalanches that happend just days ago.

It was clear to us that it was not a good idea to walk there. Talking to the manager of our local hotel he agreed with us about closing the path. While we paused at the hut (and had some fine snack) we heard new avalanches coming down the mountains. It's a unqiue sound, like thunder in the distance. Sylvia also watched a small avalanche coming down at the place you see here standing in the image.

As for the image, its a panorama made of 4 shots. Using my new camera, the Canon EOS 7D, I'm amazed about the good quality it delivers. The image has 33 MB and thanks to the 18 MP of the camera I can zoom in like never before. I can switch from having the full view to see Sylvia's face in clear detail. I guess I will make some more panoramas in the future. It's fun.

Click in the image and zoom in to get the full view.

(Copyright Notice: All pictures and text are copyrighted by the blog's author. You may not download the images and use it except with written permission.)

Look Up!

2010-01-28T12:52:00.000-08:00

This was a great winter day, I walked up a seldom visited side valley near Hinterstoder. There I reach the Dietl Alm, in spring it's a beautiful alpine pasture. Now in winter all is covered in thick snow and its very quiet and tranquil.

After walking to the end of the valley, right before the mountains' walls, I stopped and enjoyed the scenery. There was total silence, not even a bird was flying or singing. Lookup I noticed that gorgeous blue sky peeking through the white branches. It was amazing!

The image got really well, the bright contrast between the snow and the sky is perfect. I also managed to have all trees point to the middle.

If you ever need a break from everydays hustle I recommend a walk in the forest. Best you can do for your soul.

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Praslin

2010-01-19T12:59:00.000-08:00

A panorama of 4 images of Praslin island, Seychelles. The images has been taken from near the highest mountain on La Digue island.

Only recently I started to try out panoramas and it's fun. But sometimes it's not easy to find the right motif or to take the proper images. If you are not thinking twice it's easy to fail with the images. They just won't fit together to give a good panorama.

What I'm doing is: measure the exposure in all images you think you'll need. Remember the exposure with the shortest time and set your camera to manual mode. Adjust the settings to the exposure/aperture you measured and take the series of images. Focus can be different but the exposure should be always the same.

For the images try to make them overlap at least by 10%, even more. It's better for your panorama software to stitch the images when there are enough overlapping details. Also using wide angle for panoramas can be tricky as the single images are so distorted they won't properly fit together.

Another issue is the distance to the focal point in the single images. This Praslin panorama was easy as all images have the same distance to the motif. But I've taken panoramas of mountain scenes where the rightmost image focuses on a wall only 100 meters away while the leftmost image shows a distant hill 500 meters away. Although the hill is much higher in reality the panorama shows something completely different with a real huge wall and a tiny hill far away...

But in the end, just try it, make different series with different settings. You'll see on your PC what works and what not. Give it a try... :-)

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Visitors

2009-12-21T10:54:00.000-08:00

This has been shot when we travelled along Australias east coast on Nov. 2007. It's a detail of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and I still like the image a lot. The five people are visitors that walk along the bridge - of course secured. We learned that it's a rather expensive adventure but still I think it would be fun to do it one day. I'm sure not with my wife, she's thinking I'm crazy.

From this angle the steel beams look really interesting and give a good feeling of height and how massive the bridge is. Added the people you have a good sense of scale. Surprisingly there are rare images of this kind around. People always like to photograph bridges in full view. I think they miss something.

As I sell some images to stock image agencies I was amazed to find out that this particular image has been used as a CD cover. Have a look here. Although it was cropped to fit the CD square format, it still looks good, I think.

Sometimes your are rewarded a way you never thought before :-)

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(Copyright Notice: All pictures and text are copyrighted by the blog's author. You may not download the images and use it except with written permission.)

Island

2009-11-24T13:22:00.000-08:00

While we were in the Tux valley I did a short walk in rainy weather to get some fresh air. As usual I took my camera with me - you never know what to find. Near some depots filled with heaps of shavings I found a rusty and weathered white container. Actually I passed that place many times and never noticed anything special.

Not until this day, the weather was not good and I had time to stray around. I inspected that container and found it was full of bright orange rust marks. So I started to shoot in macro mode and looked for unqiue and different abstracts of rust.

There were lots of them! The image shows a figure that resembles a flower, corn or and island. The black lines of the flaking paint are a wonderful detail. And the orange of the rust harmonizes very well with the bright white of the paint.

You can see more of the series here.

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(Copyright Notice: All pictures and text are copyrighted by the blog's author. You may not download the images and use it except with written permission.)

Entry

2009-11-23T11:29:00.001-08:00

After a while away from the Blog I will continue to show more images. I've just been too busy.

This photo has been taken at the entry to the Weitental valley which is located near Tux in Tyrol, Austria. Actually you have to hike upwards about one hour from the village of Hintertux to reach this spot. In the background you can see the waterfalls named Schleierfall. There's little water now because of the cold season. In summer there's much more water pouring down.

To get into the valley one has to follow the path through the gates and walk up a steep and narrow path on the right side of the waterfall. You can see the path on the upper part of the image where the hills form a "V".

Now in November there should be much more snow already. But this year it is a really warm fall season and we had 5 degree Celsius up to 3000m altitude! So you won't see much snow in this image, although there is some on the way leading up. Especially in the shadowy parts where there's no sun all day. The valley itself is covered on snow.

I followed the path up but I used my crampons to pass the snow and ice. When you have to pass a slope with a lot of inclination which is covered by frozen snow you know what I mean. It also feels much safer.

When I returned I rested at a bench right besides the wooden gates you see in the picture. Then I noticed this would make a great image and took this shot. It really works for me because of the combination of unusual angle and light contrasts. I also like how the waterfall is in the lower part of the image and so it's not the main focus. You also can see the primary colors for this season in the Alps: brown, blue and white. Soon it will all be covered in bright white!

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Primeval Paradise

2009-10-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

We're back from our vacation to the Seychelles Islands. Two weeks in tropical heat, strong sun, heavy rain and gorgeous scenery. We liked the islands, lots to see and explore and the landscape is really unique and beautiful.

The image has been taken on the famous beach Anse Source d'Argent on La Digue. We arrived on the island at noon and decided to walk to the beach (which took us about 1 hour). The weather was not so good and we already thought we would not be able to make good photos. Lucky us the sun broke through the clouds right as we arrived at the beach.

And you need sun to really appreciate the beauty of the rocks, beach and sea. The granite rocks are impressive and the water is crystal clear in the bright sun. The color of the sea shines from deep blue to a light turquoise. Of course there are a lot of tourists, you just have to wait for a good and undisturbed view.

Still it is not easy to get interesting images. I tried to find the right angle and composition to combine the rocks, the water and the blue sky to a perfect image. I think these settings works best when the motifs are reduced to "pure" lines, geometry and colors.

This image, for example, works for me because of the lines of the rocks and clouds. Both lines lead to the center of the image where then the pristine water is the main focus. And I even waited for a wave to come towards me ;-)

I will now work on the Seychelles images and probably will show more here. You can find all at my RedBubble site.

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The last calendars for 2010

2009-09-17T13:09:00.000-07:00

Here are the last calendars I created for 2010:

13 Animals

Black & White

Fields

Open

Next Calendars for 2010

2009-09-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

What I've created today:

Birds

Alpine Pastures

Winter Blues

Forests

Snow Traces

Trees

More Calendars for 2010

2009-09-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

Today I had following ideas for calendars:

Beaches

Dreamscapes

Textures

2009-09-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

Some more calendars, I hope you like it:

At The Wall

Facades

Rocks

Calendars for 2010

2009-09-11T23:47:00.001-07:00

Hi all, I have made some calendars ready for 2010, just click on the images to see them:

At The Pier

Austria

Cows

Reed

Clouds & Light

Walk This Way

Lakes

Doors

Ye Old Window

Details

Water Flow

Small Boats

Sailing Ships

Nepal

Follow Me

Ripples

Firewood

Rust

Fences

Snow

Weissensee

Dreaming

2009-09-03T15:21:00.000-07:00

As we stayed at Lake Weissensee this July, we had mostly bad weather. Lots of rain, clouds and chilly wind. No summer at all. But on some days the sun broke through and we could enjoy some time in the sun.

When crusing the lake with a passenger ship we always passed the shoreline and it gave me the opportuntiy to take this shot. First I tried to place the man in the lower part of the picture but then I thought it works much better when he's at the top. This way the title fits perfectly, a dreaming person floating on green water.

The reed also is a good addition, it even matches the green of the lake perfectly. Sometimes I'm lucky to find such a motif. It's hard to plan such an image.

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Pause

2009-08-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

While walking down many steps towards our day target deep in the valley we passed farm houses and inns. In rural Nepal most of the goods are transported by porters and so we have seen many of them on our hiking trip resting and drinking.

It was hot and we've been walking for five hours already, so actually I only thought about a rest and some water. But I spotted this man and quickly grabbed my camera. Lucky me I managed to make a shot while he was pouring water out of the can.

After I put my camera away I thought how refreshing a drink must be now ;-) But soon we reached our target and I had some cool drinks by myself.

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Drama

2009-08-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

Just recently I meant I seldom photograph clouds - now I have done it again ;-)

But it was a lazy day, swimming, relaxing, daydreaming. And a thunderstorm passed by, we had luck and no rain came our way. But some clouds drifted in our direction and while I lied in the grass my eyes followed the spectacle high above.

Using the tele lens I took a series of images and tried to capture an interesting crop and some rays of light. Granted, most of the photos turned out boring, but that's a problem of - clouds. They are so common its hard to find an interesting motif.

But I think this is good, tweaking a bit with the contrast on the PC I got this "dramatic" cloudscape. The dark-to-white clouds and the light rays work very well. I also like the crop with the fluffy clouds framing the rays. And still there's enough blue sky visible.

I hope you like it, too. So I can try to get another cloudscape image - resting, being lazy, watching the sky and waiting for the motif... that's a good job ;-)

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Explorer

2009-08-20T12:10:00.000-07:00

This was fun. On a sunny and hot day we went swimming to a lake and enjoyed a great day out. After a refreshing swim in the dark green alpine water I rested in the meadow and watched insects flying by. One of the flys stopped on our inflatable mattress and checked it for food. Unofrtunately for the fly the mattress was yellow and glowed in the sun, but surely it's not a flower.

After some minutes watching I decided to take some pictures. Using my tele lens at 300mm I got some good shots, luckily it was a bright day so enough light for the lens. None of the images was blurry and actually it was fun to lie in the grass and zooming onto that tiny insect just a meter away.

The result lookes much better on the screen than on my cameras display. It just seems to be a distant and different world, bright yellow and full of hills and valleys. The black fly is an explorer looking for signs of life ;-)

So I learned to watch out for everyday objects and especially in "Macro" mode. Combine the usual things you use with insects or some other small and tiny beings. Chances are good to get a great "outer world" image!

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Regatta

2009-07-30T13:58:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we did a short hike in one of our favourite regions, the Salzkammergut (Salt Lake District), it's a 1-2 hour drive from our place. We are often there because you have 76 lakes (large and small), lots of mountains and gorgeous villages. Being there always reminds us how beautiful Austria is...

That image shows Lake Wolfgangsee as seen from the village St. Wolfgang where our hike ended. That small town seems to be magnetic to tourists from all over the world. As usual we've seen dozens of Japanese, British, American, German, etc. people. All enjoying the scenery and the sunny day. These are the moments when I realize that tourism plays a major role in our countries economy.

Despite the bustle we had a nice hour strolling the alleys and having some ice cream :-) And while I licked my vanilla I spotted the bright white sails out in the lake. I noticed that actually it's a regatta taking place and right after finishing my desert I picked up my camera.

Now it wasn't easy to get good images, I can tell! The ships have been really fast, floating and turning quickly. Most of my shots weren't good because with a zoom (at 300mm) it's even more difficult to get sharp images when the object moves.

But finally some were good. The bright white sails make a fine contrast to the forest in the back. Also the ships form a row which looks good, too. And the glistering blue water shows what sunny day it was.

So again I was rewarded with a fine, unplanned image :-)

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Nobbys Head

2009-06-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

This is the lighthouse at Nobby's Head in Newcastle, Australia. We walked there at the pier to enjoy the view and relax a bit from driving down Australias east coast. I like the image a lot, it has a great feel of the ocean and sunny day to it.

Actually I waited several minutes to catch the right wave for the image. I wanted a good white wave in contrast to the green sea. It turned out that the wave also forms a fine arc and fits well to the lines formed by the rocks and beach. Also the clouds give depth and the colors are catchy.

As usual Sylvia walked ahead while I waited (we photographers are always behind), but it was worth the time. This is one of my favorite images I took Down Under.

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Dreaming

2009-06-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

A nice image, made while we rested on a short hiking tour in Salzburg in June. It was our last day of a three-day weekend when we walked a easy tour before driving home. This is on a summit at 2000m altitude which is easily accessible by cable car and then a 1-hour walk. So, actually we haven't been that tired, but it was relaxing to sit and watch.

After eating our picknick I noticed the colorful meadow which would make a perfect addition to Sylvia's boots and the mountains. In the next minute you could watch me lying on the ground and pointing the lens towards the shoes. Must have been funny to watch for the other people ;-)

It's a classical motif to integrate your hiking boots into a landscape shot. Look at any magazine or hotel brochure in the Alps. So it was fun to try it by my own. Although I think it is still work to make a series with models and pros. It was more fun for me.

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Duo

2009-06-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

This has been taken at the Great Barrier Reef, a one hour trip with a ship from Cairns. It was our first or second day in Australia and we did a cruise to the world famous reef. There we snorkeled and enjoyed the day swimming and relaxing. Many people were on board and so in the water. So when everybody jumped into the sea I waited and grabbed my camera. Sometimes you get a fine image unplanned ;-)

This couple was swimming among all the others, I managed to get a shot of the two alone. In the evening in our hotel I checked the images of that day on my laptop (yes, I took a PC with me, but mainly because my company urged me to do so. I had to contact the office every 2-3 days and help get problems solved). Only on the laptops screen I noticed that both swimmers make the same movements that second!

When I look at the picture today I have to think about how couples or pairs often walk in the same rythm. It's funny to me that even in water the same synchronization occurs.

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Anticipation

2009-06-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

Of course we went to see the Opera House when we stayed in Sydney in Oct. 2007. Early morning we've been the only ones that wanted to do a guided tour, that way we got our very own tour guide ;-) We walked through the building and got all the special things explained. Very nice tour and a friendly lady that told us many things.

Taking pictures inside the Opera House is limited, especilly no one is allowed to make photographs of the concert hall when there are people on stage. Even then, when it's stagehands that prepare a concert. So I was allowed to make a shot when all workers left the stage for a moment, but of course it was way too dark and with ISO 800 setting the resulting image was noisy and not worth showing.

But in the rest of the building we could take pictures occasionally and so I tried my luck on the steps with that red carpet. The curves/lines and the shadows made it interesting to me. The abstract and minimalistic feel is very nice.

I'm sure you can find such stairways and carpets in any theater building or concert hall all over the world. So next time I have the opportunity I will look for these gems and hopefully there won't be any people walking on it and the light will be good ;-)

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Gem

2009-06-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

Finally a flower image ;-) This one was taken on Madeira, the "Flower Island". We've been there in May 2007 and enjoyed it a lot, although it rained most of the time. And indeed it is an Island full of flowers, esp. in the spring season. When hiking along the Levadas (historic irrigation channels) you can find plants and flowers in all colors and shapes. Very interesting and picturesque, a great place for any flower photographer.

This little gem was near a trail we walked some day. It was really a small flower and this photo is taken with the Macro mode of my Sigma 17-70 lens. The drops and the colors purple and green looks really good. I wish I could have used my tripod, but as usual there's not much time when hiking with other people. Nevertheless I'm happy with the image, it's a good reminder of the beauty of Madeira.

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Mystery

2009-06-18T15:17:00.000-07:00

I don't take pictures of clouds that often. Most of the time they are nothing spectacular and look plain boring. But this one caught my eye.

It was a bright sunny day last weekend. We hiked in the Alps and while walking we watched clouds coming our way from the horizon. It's been said that rain and thunderstorms will approach til the evening. So initially we were not happy to see clouds above us at noon.

Then I turned back and looked up to see this gem of a cloud. It's shape was changing by the minute because of the strong wind. First it reminded me of some U.F.O, then streaks and lots of details became visible. Fascinating to watch! It looked so vivid, light and fluffy.

I took some shots, all with a polarizing filter to get a strong blue/white contrast. The final image is very nice, I think of making a print of it and hanging it above our bed. Will look nice, I guess ;-)

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Fluid

2009-05-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

Water abstracts are an all-time favourite of mine. They always have a mysterious feel to it, something hidden, vague, dreamlike. I could look forever on the soft wobbling surface of a lake or some other body of water.

So this is one of my many water abstract photographs. It was taken at Lake Weissensee (again ;-) back in 2005 with my old film camera Canon EOS 300 and a Fuji Sensia film. After scanning almost no postprocessing was done. The blue color is natural as are the shadows and waves.

Here the waves different tones and the shadows of some reed mix up to an intersting combination of details. I also like the darker upper part. I hope you like it too. It really looks great printed in A4 size and hanging at our wall :-)

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Pond with a view

2009-04-30T01:24:00.000-07:00

What I really like about hiking is the hidden treasures you can find. Whenever I walk though nature in our Alps I always end up seeing something unexpected. Like this little pond in the Tuxer Alps, Tyrol. My way led up a grassy hill and I almost missed this water beauty. It must have been melted snow that built this pond. Although it was August there was plenty of snow in the heights, so no wonder there were brooks and ponds around. A year later I passed the same spot and there were no ponds anymore.

The photo is nice because it shows a reflection in the pond which is a good motif for itself. Combined with the mountains in the background it makes for an idyllic and wonderful alpine pasture. And besides, my wife Sylvia was skiing on that snowy slopes in the background while I was hiking and taking this photo.

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Parliament

2009-04-26T12:33:00.001-07:00

While the capital of Australia, Canberra, is a rather uninteresting place, its Parliament House is a good sight. It is located on top of a hill and has some architectural features, including walls, places and the flag mast. Combined it made for a good motif and I'm pleased with the resulting image. The mixture of colors and the lines running to the flag works very well. Also the little cloud makes an interesting counterpoint. It was worth getting on my knees there ;-)
We found the city boring and scattered over a large area. There's really not a "center" , at least we couldn't find one. The Parliament and the other government buildings in that area are the only intersting things to see. At the end of our journey we thought Canberra was the least intersting place we surely could have missed. But with a organized tour we had to stick to our route. Next time we'd rather stay more days in Sydney or Melbourne :-)

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Far Away

2009-04-19T00:37:00.000-07:00

While we travelled along the Australian east coast in 2007 we always enjoyed the endless roads and the vastness of the landscape. Often we've seen so different places then we have in Europe. The roads seems to go forever into the horizon and the colors and light were magic.

This is a good example of such views. While it may seem common to any Australian it is an unusual sight for us. And we didn't have to drive off the highway that much, this is just a side-road leading to a farmers land. The red of the soil, the green grass and the bright blue sky made for some gorgeous scenery.

There are more photos of this kind I'll show you. Although they all have roads running to a vanishing point they are still different. Australia is a great country for travellers, no doubt.

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Water Ghosts

2009-04-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

Shooting waterfalls seems to be an easy task. But in my opinion it is rather difficult to get something interesting on film (or chip). Using normal shutter speed doesn't really give a good image, lower shutter speeds are essential to me. But that's not enough. There are so many waterfall photos with a good water blur, yet they are boring. I always try to find a different approach to the water flow.

Two weeks ago we've been again in the Stoder Valley where the river Steyr has its origin. Now with the snow melting and flowing from the surrounding mountains there's plenty of water in the river. It has some smaller waterfalls, too. This time I tried to use my tele lens to find new views. Mounted on the tripod I scanned with full focal length at 300mm (times 1.6 crop factor). I noticed that rock barely visible and the water jet it caused. Taking some pictures this one was the best.

I love it, it has a eerie feel to it because of the whirls at the end of the jet. To me they form little water "ghosts", like hidden creatures living in the rush. And the form of the jet is important for the photo as are the matching colors of the water and the rock. Overall I'm happy with the picture, I think it will make a wonderful print. It surely will look good hanging on a wall, maybe in our bathroom ;-)

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(You can view more images of the river Steyr here).

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Watercolors

2009-04-07T15:07:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I'm blind. I just can't see the beauty right in front of me. It must have been a dozen times I walked by this brook and enjoyed its clear water and colors. But I simply missed to notice what a great photo this would make.

So finally last weekend I was on my way back form a walk and so again I passed this place. Maybe it has been the light or some other thing, but I noticed the beauty of the colors, they are even in layers. I took the photo and at home I saw the beautiful variations of water colors.

Thinking about it, I wonder how that different colors are possible in such a small place. The area you see is about only 1 meter across. It must be the different kinds of rocks, soil or vegetation on the ground. However, I enjoy its beauty. Just imagine the water running, bubbling and glistening in the light. Refreshing.

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At the beach

2009-04-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

Fraser Island is a wonderful place. The island, completely made of sand, has lots of vegetation, forests, fresh water lakes and gorgeous beaches. The photo shows a scene at 90-mile beach, a well visited place among tourists. We've been on Fraser Island on our Australia trip in 2007 and spent some days there. Exploring the island (with a guided tour) was both interesting and fun. We enjoyed the scenery a lot.

If you do a tour on that island you will definitely drive to 90-mile beach. The tour buses and jeeps all drive right on the sand besides the surf. You will see the famous Maheno shipwreck (I post an image some day) and walk up a fresh water river that runs out of the forests into the sea.

I took the photo while we walked around the beach when we did a short stop. The colors and light were amazing. I took some shots of the beach but this image is the best I think. I always prefer the portrait format for landscape shots, this gives an additional contrast. Especially here you have the shades of blue and the layers of sky, water and beach that assemble to a fine result. I like this image, it just looks so "holiday"-like. It always brings back good memories.

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Alpine Reservoir

2009-03-30T14:48:00.000-07:00

I really like this photo, it shows brilliant colors and contrasts. And I didn't have to tweak or manipulate it, it came out of the camera that way. That's because it was such a beautiful day with bright light and a clear sky. Using my tripod helped a bit to get a crisp and sharp image.

To take the shot we had to walk/climb a small hill nearby the dam. Not many people walk up there, most are tourists who prefer to walk around the dam a bit and then sit in the small cafe to enjoy the sight and sun - which isn't a bad thing ;-)

I had no idea how beautiful a reservoir and dam can look. From now on I will take every opportunity to explore new sights at these monuments!

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Hut

2009-03-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

I love old barns, farms and mountain huts. The weathered wood, the oldfashioned windows and doors, the overall look of "age". Lucky me that there are plenty of those rural buildings in Austria :-)

This hut and its lovely window is located at the Gosau lakes, two small alpine lakes which we can reach after a two-hour drive. So we are often there, in winter for skiing and in summer for hiking or just a great day out.

I walked there in Spring 2007 and there was lots of snow still around. I had seen the hut from a distance and then I had to trudge through thick layers of snow to reach it. But it was worth it, as I arrived the sun came through and it was well lit for my photo. I like the way the trunks and the rock lie there beneath the window. It lookes like arranged but I found it that way. Makes for a perfectly balanced still life. And the white hearts on the windows are a bonus ;-)

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Follow the Light

2009-03-24T01:18:00.000-07:00

What a glorious day out this was! Hiking with my snowshoes into this beautiful valley and enjoying the bright sun, fresh cold air and the quiet alpine scenery.

It's the Langental valley in the Sellrain mountain range, Tyrol, Austria. A small side valley seldom visited, in winter only back country skiers will walk here. That's because it is not accessible easily when all is covered with thick layers of snow. I guess I was one of the few people walking there in winter time.

After a two-hour walk upwards I stopped and walked back, but I could easily have walked for many hours more. The weather was gorgeous, although a chilly wind blew. Sometimes I had to stop and turn away from the gust blowing snow crystals in my face.

On my way back I walked past this wooden cross and then turned around to see my back view. I always do this to see if there's a good view backwards. Many people just walk ahead and never turn back - a mistake in my opinion. I then took this photo and I deliberately positioned the sun right into the picture. Often this doesn't work and just results in a great white spot or lots of lens flare, but this time it was perfect. The suns circle makes such a great motif.

I thoroughly enjoyed this day and I will recommend snowshoeing to everybody who loves nature. Unfortunately it's planned to build a reservoir and dam in that valley starting from 2011. It's sad, because another beautiful place is sacrificed for human needs.

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Winter Glory

2009-03-24T00:52:00.000-07:00

This is the alpine peak Spitzmauer with a height of 2445m. It is in the Stodertal valley in Austria, a well known area for hiking in summer and skiing in winter. We are often there, especially in winter when Sylvia wants to ski. Because I don't ski I always walk around and take some pictures. As you can guess I already have dozens of images of the motifs there, but there's always something new to discover. For instance I like the Spitzmauer because it is such a distinctive mountain, you can recognize it from any angle.

When I took this particular image it was a cold winter day this January. After some days of bad weather the sun finally came through and the light was gorgeous. I also was lucky because most of the time clouds are around the summit. The look of the snow and rocks is great and the contrast to the blue sky works very well. It's one of the best photos I took of this mountain.

If you're ever in Austria you should visit this valley, you can do any sorts of summer or winter sports and the scenery is great.

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The Jetty

2009-03-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

Another image from Lake Weissensee, there are so many beautiful motifs at this scenic place. This jetty and its reflection make a great photo in combination with the sunset. The colors of the sun rays match the water's blue and the mirrored poles looks good. I also like the silhouettes of the mountains in the background a lot.

It's been a quiet and serene evening. After dinner we walked around a bit and enjoyed the scenery. As we returned to our hotel we saw this scene. The sun was about to set behind the mountains and clouds and the last rays of light made a wonderful impression. Luckily the water was calm enough so we also got a good reflection of the jetty.

I can't wait to be there again this summer :-) Hopefully we have good weather so I can look for another series of great images.

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Cool

2009-03-11T15:26:00.000-07:00

One of the photos that got much better then expected. We've been at Hinterstoder for skiing (actually my wife skies, I don't) and got there at 8am. While Sylvia took the chair lift up to the slopes I walked to the Schiederweiher, a little pond usually covered with ice in winter. This time it was warm enough so I could see the dark green water.

Just as I came there the morning sun started to shine through the trees and suddenly a haze emerged from the water surface. I tried to get out my tripod of the rucksack as fast as I can! I knew there would be little time to capture this scenery. If the sun will rise more it will get warmer and the fog will disappear.

While preparing the tripod I also walked around to find the right place for taking the photo. As you can see I decided to put the ice covered trees into the background. And it works very nice. The haze floated in my direction and the sun was right into the lens. I feared there will be lens flare but all was ok.

The result is good and I like that photo a lot. Such kind of scenery is rare and I was lucky to be at the right place the right time.

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Majestic

2009-03-04T14:27:00.000-08:00

This is one of the magic places you can visit in Patagonia, Cerro Torre. It's located near the small village of El Chalten in southern Argentina. The little lake is Laguna Torre and there are little icebergs floating around.

After a 4-hour hike we stumbled up a small hill of rocks and finally stood in front of that majestic mountains and the lake. It was a glorious day with lots of sun, only behind the summits clouds approached fast. We've been lucky to see the peaks for a couple of minutes.

The three peaks are amazing, like sharp needles they reach out of the surrounding landscape. Unfortunately we could only stay for about 30 minutes to have a quick lunch. In this time I managed to set up my tripod (I carried it all the journey!) and take some shots. Of course I had a rather quick snack compared to the others ;-)

Back at home I met a friend of my brother who is a mountaineer. He told me that he had climbed Cerro Torre once and it took him three days to get up with a friend. Imagine to sleep up in that wall!

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Waiting

2009-02-22T01:51:00.000-08:00

While walking through a small village in rural Nepal I saw a group of children playing in the street. This girl was sitting and watching, I thought she was waiting for something, maybe for her turn in the ongoing game. As I passed her I took this image, already noticing the great light on her face.

It was late afternoon and the sun was low over the horizon. The light was gorgeous and it works very well in the result. I also like the color tones and the facade made of bricks. Again this is a shot unplanned and the best image of that day. I think I have to try street photography more oftern...

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Condor

2009-02-17T12:25:00.000-08:00

As we travelled to Patagonia we've been told that with a lot of luck we'll see Condors. But as we stood in front of the Perito Moreno glacier in southern Argentina three Condors circled above our heads. Most people of our hiking group pointed their cameras upwards, just as we did. But it was not easy, although the large birds floated majestically over the ice they still were fast.

I've been lucky because one of the trio suddenly flew in our direction and right above me, only 10 meters away. One of the photos I took you see here, I even managed to get a bit of the snowy mountains into the frame. This works very well as it "earthens" the Condor and gives a good scale of its size.

In reality it was very impressive, just imagine that bird with its 3 meters of wingspan flying close above you and looking at you. Add the huge wall of ice of the Perito Moreno glacier in front of you and only minutes later a large block of ice broke off and fell into the lake. Wonderful scenery and impressions!

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Treasure

2009-02-12T23:22:00.000-08:00

Now this is a magical place and I like to recommend it to anyoune who visits Austria one day. It's Lake Weissensee in Carinthia, the highest swimming lake in the Alps. We visited it first in 2003 and have been coming back almost every year. The lake is surrounded by green mountains and forests and only one half of it is accessible and has roads and houses. This ensures it to be a gorgeous, quiet and beautiful place. In summer the shoreline has a distinct white color in contrast to the green water which gave the lake its name ("Weiss" = White). The temperatures can reach 25 degrees Celsius in July/August which makes it a wonderful place for swimming and diving. We often had the feeling to be in the Caribbean! In winter the lake is completely frozen and lots of people come from all over Europe for ice skating (esp. the Dutch).

We have our special place to stay (I won't tell you where, it's ours!) and that's where this photo has been taken. You have a fabulous view over the water and into the Alps, almost each day a different sunset and light. There's nothing better than to have delicious dinner and then to sit and watch the spectacle. Guess what - I took this image while sitting at the table, no need to walk around :-)

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Pink Bike

2009-02-11T13:30:00.000-08:00

Occasionally I do a sort of "motif hunt" when I have the opportunity. Last time I've been in Innsbruck, Tyrol and had two hours to wait for my transport back to our hotel. So I walked around the Old town and had no specific image in my mind. Just looking, browsing, waiting what catches my eye. It was biting cold and every time I looked through the viewfinder I had difficulties because of my gloves. And don't forget the hundreds of tourists from all over the world walking around. It was funny to watch all the people pointing their cameras at well known spots like the Goldenes Dachl or some medieval building. In contrast I pointed my camera to things no one else would do, this caused me some strange looks and smiles ;-)

Actually I walked by this bicycle first and didn't notice it. But on my way back through the alley I saw the pink wall and pink bike. So I had found a motif! After waiting for the passerbys to get out of my view I finally managed to get this image. I really like it, strong pink and contrasting white. Good lines and details.

That's what I like most, find new motifs, themes and get photos I never expected.

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Beauty

2009-02-10T13:28:00.000-08:00

While hiking in Patagonia I stepped of the path my group was following to see a river I heard but could not see. When I got through the bushes I suddenly stood in front of this gorgeous scenery. Imagine my surprise! The red rocks, the flowing water, green bushes and the mountains in the background with a blue sky... it couldn't get much better.

In fact this is Monte Fitz Roy in southern Argentina, a well known mountain range of Patagonia. The landscape is rough and beautiful, we really enjoyed hiking there. But if I didn't walk off the beaten track, I'd never seen this fabulous scene. Because I was in a hurry (to catch up with my wife and group) I could only take two photos, luckily both turned out good. With more time I could've use my tripod and try different compositions and angles. But I like the images I got, they are gorgeous and they look brilliant as posters hanging on our wall :-)

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Chimney

2009-02-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

It's a bit funny I took this photo in Greece, because one will not think the Greek need to have chimneys at all. Especially on the Mediterranean islands like Santorini where I found this. Usually it's hot most of the year and the winters are mild. But I guess this is of a bakery or it's just decoration, I don't know.

The white color of the flat roof and of the chimney looks great in contrast to the blue sky and sea. The fluffy clouds add some nice details, too. It just looks as if they come from the chimney...

I like the typically Greek colors blue and white with a rather unusal motif. It was worth to climb on and around the houses of Oia :-)

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Lost

2009-02-04T14:49:00.000-08:00

As we travelled along the east coast of Australia in 2007 we often found deserts and also desert-like beaches. It was great fun to walk up the dunes and slide down the other side. Despite it looks hot, most of the deserts we've seen were in a rather cool climate. But that could've been because of the spring season, summer was still to come.

I like such images, where some foot traces lead into the nowhere or the horizon. You could imagine any kind of story and adventure. Although with this photo it's my own footprints I took a picture of by just turning around ;-)

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Blue

2009-02-03T09:51:00.000-08:00

When taking this photo I never thought it will get that good. And that successful, it is one of my most viewed images. It was the very first picture I took while we stayed on Santorini Island in 2005. Only after the slides were developed and scanned I noticed how good the ripples on the sea looked. Combined with the blue church roof it makes an irresistible effect and the tiny bird on the cross is a nice detail. In fact I didn't see that bird when looking through the viewfinder!

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Mighty

2009-02-01T02:11:00.000-08:00

You know, there are photographs you will remember all your life. Be it the subject, the circumstances or the result. This is one of mine.

We travelled through Patagonia in 2005 and we also visited the Torres del Paine region. It is a famous place in southern Chile, known for its mountains, lakes and glaciers. One of our hotels has been the Hosteria Peho at Lago Pehoe. In fact the building resides on a tiny island in the middle of the lake. Very picturesque, you should try it, once you are there!

At arrival we had a cloudy sky and couldn't see the mountains which was frustrating. At least we travelled there to see the summits and hike the gorgeous landscape. So while having dinner we talked about getting up early next morning to see if there's better weather and maybe we could get some nice sunrise shots. Because of the early time this would mean to get up (5am) most of us had doubts about it...

But I didn't hesitate and set the alarm for 5 in the morning, just because I wanted to use my tripod I had taken with me on that journey (and got me into troubles when checking in the airport - they didn't let me take it with me in the handbaggage. I had to check it in with the other luggage. It looked so small in its bag compared to the other suitcases, I thought I'd never see it again!).

When I got up then I was the first to walk up the little hill in the back of the hotel. Some other member of our group followed a couple of minutes later. And i t was worth it! The sun was still below the horizon and we saw the mighty peaks of Torres del Pain in great blue light. What a good feeling that was, almost alone, silence around me, magic light and a great view. The lake combined with the mountains looked so pristine and untouched. A view you won't get that often (except you live there ;-)

We took a couple of shots in ca. 30 minutes and we also shared my tripod so both of us could get good images. While we stood there the sun rised in our back and the mountains were in full light. But the pictures with the early, blue light are the best. I love the images and they remind me of a great place and time. I always think of returning to Patagonia since then...

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Joy of Colors

2009-01-30T11:45:00.000-08:00

In 2004 we stayed in Caorle, Italy with friends. It was a short vacation and my first trip where I took my new SLR camera with me. Still learning the basics of photography and the features of that Canon EOS 300, I walked around the small city center.

At about 7:30am I soon noticed that it's not that easy to find places for good photos. That's just because the sun is so low over the horizon and the houses cast long shadows. And the narrow alleys in this italian village needs a high sun for good light.

After one hour I decided to return to the hotel and then, just on my way home, I passed this house which was surprisingly in full light. So this image was the only good one this day and it turned out very well. I still like it a lot and it is also one of my most viewed photos on Flickr.

I guess the message may be to never stop searching for your next photo... it could be just around the next corner.

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Black Heart

2009-01-29T13:33:00.000-08:00

I never thought I will photograph a toilet door - until I found this little gem. In fact it reminded me that at many alpine huts and barns the doors are decorated with lots of symbols carved in wood. A lovely tradition that looks good and also acts as kind of ventilation (not too bad at some places ;-)

Combined with the colorful wood it makes a great image. And especially the little yellow streak looks nice. While I like the result I also hope nobody watched me while kneeing in front of that rest room.

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Reach Out

2009-01-28T11:06:00.000-08:00

The days before taking this picture I was snowshoeing and I sprained my ankle. So, despite it was a beautiful, sunny day, I had to restrain myself and just walk a bit instead of longer hikes. So while Sylvia was skiing I hobbled through the alpine village of Gosau. Luckily for me the night and morning had been really cold. The trees were all white with hoarfrost and ice. And as the sun finally came over the mountains at about 10am the trees startet to glow!

First I thought it would be easy to get good pictures, but guess what: in a village there are houses and other not-so-interesting things. And they always tend to show up in the background! So at a point I concentrated to look up and find a good motif. Which was not easy again, because either the branches just look boring or you end up shooting straight into the sun.

Finally I managed some shots, this was one of them. I really like the abstract feel of it. The color contrast is good and the details are fine, too. These are the winter images I'm after but don't get to often.

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Spring Colors

2009-01-28T10:38:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it happens that I find a good motif just around the corner. Because I live in the midst of a city I thought I'd never find a gorgeous spring tree in a rural setting. But on a sunny sunday I took the bus and then walked a short distance. Suddenly I stood in bright yellow rapeseed fields and blooming trees were all around me. This was a stunning experience and a great day out for photos.

While I walked around and in between those trees I found this gorgeous combination of colors. A rapeseed field already makes a good photo but here I had an additional blooming tree and green grass. It looked even better in reality! This day I used my tripod very often and this is one of the best images. Looking at this picture it always reminds me of the power of spring. And I hope spring will come soon, because it's my favourite season (besides autumn).

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Tiny

2009-01-27T11:37:00.000-08:00

Another favourite from Santorini, taken in June 2005. It was on our first day on the island and we walked to dinner. I spotted that sailing ship that looked so tiny in contrast to the sea. I took the photo and after developing the slides at home I noticed how beautfiul the water was. The blue tones are all natural. The light this evening was magical and I was lucky to have this ship sailing our way. In the background you'll see the small islands which lie within the Caldera of Santorini.

I love not only the blues but the small ripples, too. Together with the waves from the ship they make a perfect texure of the water. It's a great image, also as print, and it always reminds me how beautiful our stay at Santorini was. If you have a chance, go there :-)

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Up Or Down

2009-01-26T12:43:00.000-08:00

One of my all-time favourites. I guess the simplicity and the white makes this so attractive to viewers. On Flickr and RedBubble this has thousands of views and hundreds of "Favs".

Taken on the Island of Santorini, Greece, while our vacation in June 2005. It was the time when I started to take photography more seriously. After our very old Canon EOS 750 had broken we bought a used Canon EOS 300 and I started to look for motifs everywhere. And Santorini is a great place to take photos. Granted, its often pure Kitsch and far from "original" Greece. But why not, you won't find a place that beautifully located in the Mediterranean that easy.

This image was taken on a walk through the village of Oia where we also stayed for about two weeks. I guess this staircase has been photographed a million times, you can find similar images on any photosharing site. Nevertheless I like mine best ;-) I think most of the other photographas suffer from bad light or shadows.

Despite it is a slide (Fuji Sensia 100) and scanned (Nikon Coolscan V) it turned out very well. Only a bit post processing took place. I have a print of it hanging on the wall and I'm proud of it (silly, I know ;-)

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Winter Blues

2009-01-26T12:13:00.001-08:00

Sometimes a turn can offer complete unexpected views. While snowshoeing in the quiet Längental valley, Tyrol, I turned my head because of the chilly wind. I saw the slope and bright blue sky and I knew, this will make a great abstract.

I like the gentle curve of the slope and the crossing with the mountains. The little white peaks in the middle are a perfect eyecatcher and the white is a good contrast to the blue.

Walking for about 3 hours to this spot with cold winds and through deep fresh fallen snow was worth it. But I almost always end up with some good images on any hike. Nature has so much to offer.

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