OUT WEST #16

Beartooth Highway, Shoshone National Forest, Montana

It has been a while since we visited Yellowstone National Park. This time we wanted to make a different approach and entered the park trough the northeast entrance. In order to get there we drove north into Montana and followed the Beartooth Highway all the way to Cooke City. All three images were shot during stops along this spectacular highway that winds from Red Lodge, MT through Shoshone National Forest and over the Beartooth Pass.

Overlook at Beartooth Pass (3,347 m / 10,947 ft)

Beartooth Lake with Beartooth Butte, a fossil repository that was pushed upwards during the last 75 million years.

OUT WEST #1

DIGNITY of Earth and Sky, Chamberlain, South Dakota

No activity for almost three weeks in my blog? Yes you guessed it, we were on vacation, a time I usually take a break from posting here in the blog. Joan and I, and of course our little dog Cooper, made an 18-day trip out west to the grasslands and mountains of South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. If this is something that may interest you, stay tuned for the next few weeks. As I slowly work my way through all the pictures that were taken, I will try to tell a story with my photos of our journey, about the landscapes we discovered, and some of the wildlife we found.

Any time we head out west it is mandatory for us to stop near Chamberlain, South Dakota, just before we cross the Missouri River. New at this rest stop along Interstate 90 is the statue “DIGNITY of Earth and Sky”, dedicated September 17, 2016, and created by sculptor and South Dakota artist and laureate Dale Claude Lamphere.

“Standing at a crossroads, DIGNITY echoes the interaction of earth, sky, and people. She brings to light the beauty and promise of the indigenous people and cultures that still thrive on this land. My intend is to have the sculpture stand as an enduring symbol of our shared belief that all here are sacred, and in a sacred place.” Dale Claude Lamphere

Crossing the Missouri River, Chamberlain, South Dakota

It was our fourth time that we stood at this vantage point together, overlooking the Missouri River, and it is no coincidence that a truck with parts for another giant wind turbine rolls by. Many of them were on the road, telling the story about how the true decision makers in this country, the leaders in economy and business with a view beyond just local interests, understand the need for change in energy and climate policies.

Black-tailed Prairie Dogs, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Our first place to pitch the tent was at Sage Creek Campground in Badlands National Park, South Dakota, a campsite we have been before three times, and one of our favorite places to be. New was that the Black-tailed Prairie Dogs have now expanded their territory into the camp area. Sitting in a camping chair behind tripod and camera, having a beer or glass of wine, and shooting these funny critters in the killer light of the setting sun is a great way to start a vacation, at least in my books… 😊

FIRST TIME CAMPERS

We are just back from another paddle / camping weekend. This time we paddled a nice tour on the Northern Raccoon River near Jefferson in Central Iowa. Last night we were joined by our grandsons and their dad in our camp at Squirrel Hollow County Park, a wooded area next to the Raccoon River. This was the first time for the twins to camp in a tent and I can tell you, they had a blast. An unwritten rule of camping is that the household chores are shared. We didn’t have to point that out this morning to Anthony and Teegan. They were eager to grab the empty water canisters, walk across the whole campsite to the location of the water faucet, and fill them with daddy’s help.

When we watched the boys walking away, the sun just appeared over the top of the oaks in the forest and made their blond hair standing out. I ran to the car, grabbed the camera, and made this early morning shot of this memorable moment.

True campers, Teegan and Anthony

The help didn’t stop there. According to their dad Danny, they insisted and carried the full jugs all the way back.

Breakfast with Oma and Opa

There is a German saying, “Wer gut arbeitet soll auch gut essen!” (Who works good, should eat good!). Oma Joan feeds the boys Pflaumenmus-Brötchen (plum jam bread). Looks a little messy but tastes soooo good!  Can’t think of a better morning…

This afternoon we were invited to an early birthday party for the boys. On Monday they will be three years old. Happy Birthday Anthony and Teegan!

ON THE VOLGA RIVER AGAIN

Joan and I finally paddled one of our favorite rivers here in Iowa last weekend, the Volga River, a tributary of the Turkey River. It is a very scenic stream, with cliffs on both sides, and some very secluded portions. We actually didn’t meet any other people last Saturday during our trip. It isn’t exactly a novice river tour and has a few tricky turns, a couple rapids, and several portions with ripples that require some attention, as you can see on Joan’s face while she navigates a section with pretty strong current. Kayak-dog Cooper wasn’t always thrilled about some of the bumps we went over…

We have paddled this river in high water and another time in very low water before, but this time we enjoyed it probably the most, with a good water level after some rain. The smile comes back after a difficult section, just Cooper closed his eyes and seemed to say, not another one again…

I was brave and took the camera and a couple lenses in a waterproof bag on tour with me. Both photos were made with the Nikon Nikkor 70-200, f/4. This lens is light weight and shooting it wide open at f/4 allows to catch the action on the bottom of the canyon without cranking up ISO.

CASTLE HOTEL

Althörnitz castle hotel, Saxony, Germany

I have nothing new worth to show or talk about in the blog today but some of my faithful followers have asked to see a little more from our recent trip to Germany. As mentioned before I pursued photography not very seriously this time, nevertheless a few clicks were made.

This is Schlosshotel Althörnitz (Althörnitz castle hotel) where we stayed for my mom’s 80th birthday celebration. It is located in the southeast corner of Germany, the tri-state area between Poland, Czech Republic, and Germany. Some of the rooms are in a modern addition to the castle, that has been greatly integrated into the old structure. The big trees on the right allowed me to keep it out of the frame, although the integration of the new part into the complex is one of the best I have ever seen. The castle lies in the foothills of the mountains to the south (Zittauer Gebirge) and its setting in an old park makes it an architectural jewel. The oldest part of the castle was built between 1651 and 1654. It had many different owners over the years and it opened as a hotel in 1996.

BERLIN, ALEXANDERPLATZ

I knew ahead of time this was the perspective I would consider at Alexanderplatz, in the center of Berlin, for telling the story about location and the pulsating life there. I grew up in eastern Germany and Berlin was the playground during my time as a young engineering student for almost three years back in the late 70’s and early 80’s. The famous World Clock in the foreground, S-Bahn station (rapid transit train station) Alexanderplatz in the back, and the whole scene overlooked by the Berlin Fernsehturm (television tower) was the way to go. I took a few shots but wasn’t happy at first. When the yellow street car pulled into the station I knew I had my picture. The color contrast helps to overcome the harsh light of an early afternoon and draws away the eye from an almost cloudless boring sky.

STREET ART

Street artist, Berlin, Alexanderplatz, Germany

As you know, I’m not a big portrait shooter or people photographer. So let me file this image under travel photography, at least that’s how I do it in my books. This young artist delivered an incredible performance with his puppet and the music they produced was just great. I have seen a lot of street artists in many countries of the world but this was one of the best I have ever seen in my life. It was a sunny day back in May and high contrast scenes were the standard all day long. I was happy that this young artist was in the shade of a building, right at Alexanderplatz in the center of Berlin, Germany, making it easy to get a shot.

BAUTZEN / UPPER LUSATIA / GERMANY

Oddly enough we had only a few hours to visit my over 1000 years old home town Bautzen in the Upper Lusatia / Germany. It was a holiday weekend and almost all my friends were out of town for a hiking weekend (a tradition we established when our kids were little), but Joan and I used the short time for a walk across the whole city from west to east.

This photo is one of my favorite views of the old part of the city, taken just a stone throw away from where I used to live before I came to the United States fourteen years ago. The picture shows several of the landmarks always worth a visit. In the foreground is the Old Waterworks, to the left Church of St. Michael, and the tower behind it belongs to St. Peter’s Cathedral, Eastern Germany’s only historic interdenominational church edifice. The tower on the right marks the town hall, the center of the historic city.

Other than with my wildlife photography I have no problem to clone out elements in Photoshop that hurt my esthetic feelings (to say it mildly). On the balcony on the right was a satellite dish, GONE! Down at the bridge that crosses the Spree River were some new tourist information signs, GONE! And a contemporary street light disturbed the view as well, GONE! Would you have known if I hadn’t told you? 😉

THE ZWINGER / DRESDEN / SAXONY

The Zwinger, Dresden / Saxony / Germany

We are back from our trip to Germany since two weeks and I have only shown one photo made during our journey. On the day of our arrival we used the afternoon and evening for a nice walk through parts of Dresden, the capital of my home state Saxony. It was late in the day when we wandered through the Zwinger, a palace, built in Baroque style and designed by court architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann. It served as the orangery, exhibition gallery and festival arena of the Dresden Court. Today, the Zwinger is a museum complex that contains the Old Masters Picture Gallery, the Dresden Porcelain Collection and the Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments.

Dresden is visited by over 4 million tourist every year and it is difficult to take a picture of any of the attractions, like the Zwinger, without any people in the frame. It was almost 8PM when this shot was taken and even then we were not alone on these historical grounds. I guess a little luck is sometimes necessary…😉

NATURE CLICKS #408 - SAVANNAH SPARROW

Savannah Sparrow, near Dubuque, Iowa

While on the “hunt” for the Bobolink during the last couple evenings I also came across a Savannah Sparrow. Not a first sighting but I never have made a photo of this summer guest in a natural setting, means without a wire fence in the picture. The prairie like grassland is the perfect habitat for this small sparrow. They feed on seeds, insects, and spiders. The yellow eyebrow makes it easy to identify and distinguish from other sparrows that make eastern Iowa their home for the summer.

RARE VIEW

Coast of Greenland ---------

Hello friends, we are back from a delightful trip to Europe. Events with family and friends were at the center stage and I took a backseat with my photography this time. It was nice to take a break from social media and everything around. Sure, some pictures were taken but I wasn’t serious beyond creating some memory shots.

On our final flight from Zürich / Switzerland back to Chicago the pilot had to take a different route than usual, due to a strike of French air traffic controllers. This gave us the chance to see the southern coast of Greenland. I have flown many times between Europe and America during the last 22 years but it was only the third time that I have seen Greenland from an aircraft. Most of the time the route runs further south. Luckily Joan and I had seats on the right side of the plane and we were able to enjoy this rare view with ice and snow covered mountains and ice floats in the water of the Greenland Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean.

DIGGIN’ FOR AN OLD STORY ABOUT LIGHT…

Lobster boat leaving harbor at sunrise ------   

Commitments kept me grounded today, at least photographically seen, but there is always the chance to go into the photo library and dig out an image that has not seen the light of the day yet. I have created a book about the coast of Maine some time ago, sure sign that I’m in love with this area, and I like to return to the photos I made in 2013 at the Atlantic coast of the United States.

I can ensure you this is not just nostalgic thoughts of an aging man. It was the incredible light Joan and I have experienced during early morning and late afternoon hours that made us fell in love with Maine. Well, Joan may add that 50% was the limitless availability of fresh lobster and I have a hard time to argue about that…😉

Back to the light, I think during our visit in Maine it was the first time that I started really to understand what the term “quality of light” means. The photo above is not in my “coffee-table book” (Deutsch: Bildband), but if there is ever a second edition, I will consider this picture. Light as seen makes story telling a breeze…

TUGBOAT SUSAN L

Tugboat SUSAN L, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

We saw the tow and tugboats in the warm light of the late afternoon sun while driving over one of the bridges that cross the Sturgeon Bay Canal and we rushed down to the pier immediately. I reminded myself of a quote by famous photographer Jay Maisel, I found in his book IT’S NOT ABOUT THE F-STOP some time ago: “Never go back. Shoot it now. When you come back, it will always be different.”

I think that was such a moment. It was our last day in Door County, Wisconsin, and who knows when we will be there the next time. The boats might be gone or replaced by new boring models. I’m sure the setting sun hits them from that angle only during a short time of the year. There are many variables that come together for this photo. I’m glad we stopped.

27TH FLOOR

Chicago downtown

An exhausting week lies behind me. The annual trade show of the printing industry, PRINT 17, is history but took all my attention, hence the lack of any blog posts this week. All what I can offer is a few views from the 27th floor of my hotel room in Chicago. I always ask for a high floor and was lucky again to have a room that allowed for shooting the skyline of Chicago. With Willis Tower (the former Sears Tower) on the left, Soldier Field stadium, and Navy Pier on the right, it doesn’t get any better. The only difficulty for a shot like this is the fact that several sheets of glass were between the lens and the subject. This really prevents a high quality image, but I was aware of this limitations and nevertheless not unhappy with the results.

Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm / f4, GITZO tripod GT2931 Basalt, KIRK BH-3 ball head, VELLO wired remote switch, @ 35 mm, 13 s, f/8, ISO100,

2016 RETROSPECT / 4

Bautzen, Saxony, Germany, May 2016 --------

Back in May I was over in Germany, first to see my family and friends in Bautzen and Dresden, and second for a trade show in Düsseldorf. Especially during the first half of the trip I shot a lot of pictures in my old stomping grounds. This is always fun to do in cities that are over 800 years old, like Dresden, or even over 1000 years, like my home town Bautzen where these photos were made.