LIGHT AND SHADOWS

After another week of travel it was a pure pleasure to spend a few hours in and around one of my favorite places in Iowa’s capital, the Des Moines Art Center. It is home of a great collection of 20th and 21st century art. I have been there numerous times since 1997 and my fascination for the architecture of their three buildings and the art on display still continues.

It was a sunny day and I looked for opportunities to work with light and shadows that emphasize the architecture and art pieces of the museum’s collection. The visit inside of the art center was followed by a walk in Greenwood Park that surrounds the complex. And there I found more places enhanced by light and shadow. I hope you enjoy my selection of images that inspired me to press the shutter release of the camera.

All photos: Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S

Zig II, 1961, David Smith (American, 1906-1965), Painted steel

Three Cairns, 2002, Andy Goldsworthy (British, born 1956), Iowa Limestone, lead, steel

WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY DAY

Today is World Photography Day, the day whereby we pay tribute to the incredible art form that is photography. For me it’s a good reason to dig out some photos that were made earlier this year while spending time with good friends over in Germany. This was in the Margraviate of Brandenburg, a lovely area just north of Berlin. We went on a paddle trip with kayaks and stopped at a little lake shore bistro, where the fish they caught went right into the smoker and was served with fresh ”Brötchen”. Of course, we added some beer to the meal!

And that’s what I like to point out today. There is the image we make with an artistic intent and there is also the shots we make just for the memory of a great moment in life. Sometimes it can be all in one picture and sometimes it’s better to keep them separated. I’m sure all camera owners can tell a story about their photos today. Let’s keep it coming, not just on World Photography Day…!

AT SINSINAWA MOUND CENTER

Last night I attended the opening reception for “Driftless Depictions”, an exhibition of beautiful photographic works of local artist and photographer Henry Matthiessen III, in the Sinsinawa Mound Center over in Wisconsin. This place is the home of the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa. It was the first time I have been there and took the opportunity to visit also the Queen of the Rosary Chapel under the same roof. Here is what their website has to say about it:

No visit to Sinsinawa Mound Center is complete without a stop in Queen of the Rosary Chapel. The setting is tranquil, inspiring, and surrounded in simplicity by the mahogany pews, marble floors, and limestone altars. Visitors are awestruck with this architectural treasure and its unique circular shape, fluted ceiling, and the 37 diamond and half-diamond shaped stained glass windows. The true beauty is in the story of Christ’s redemption that is told through the brilliant mosaic of biblical scenes through rhythm in glass.

Being in the chapel not much before sunset was quite impressive. When I saw the reflection of one of the stained glass windows on the floor and on the backs of the pews, I knew I had a photo. Sure, with HDR techniques applied every detail would be visible, but I often prefer the approach with exposing for the highlights only.

Henry Matthiessen III, The exhibition “Driftless Depictions” can be visited until October, 23. Highly recommended!

Detail shot of diamond and half-diamond shaped stained glass windows in the chapel.

GET IT RIGHT IN CAMERA

Ortenburg castle, Bautzen / Germany

There are different ways to fill a window and as you can see I found a few over the years. It seems to become popular to replace the sky or other elements of a picture in Photoshop. There might be sometimes a reason to that, but I still prefer what I learned during the ages of film, “get it right in camera”…

Window in Aminas Fork, an old mining ghost town in Colorado.

Prague, Czech Republic

Chicago, Illinois