Visitors

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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Island

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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Entry

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

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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Dreaming

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

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

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

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

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

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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Duo

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

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

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

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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Pond with a view

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

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

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

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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Watercolors

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

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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