Captured in the touristic village of Achenkirch, Tyrol, Austria.
Fujifilm X-Pro 1, Fujinon XC 50-230mm @ 230mm, F13, 1/250 sec., ISO 200
Greyscale
A misty morning somewhere in between the Munich city limits and Franz-Josef-Strauss Airport.
Fujifilm X-Pro 1, Fujinon XC 50-230mm @ 230mm, F6.7, 1/125 sec., ISO 800
Back from the USSR
My dearly beloved X-Pro1 asked for a little attention so I decided to treat her a nice vintage portrait lens, the Zenit Helios-44M. Those lenses were produced in old Soviet Russia from 1958 to the early 1990s and are best known for their very special bokeh and excellent portrait skills. Unsurprisingly the lens comes in heavy-duty production quality. I am sure it can be used as a weapon in case of emergency and I really wouldn’t wonder if the metal housing was made of the armour steel of a scrapped T-34 tank. :-)
Did a handful of test shootings yesterday: what a sweet shard.
(Sorry for the poor image quality. Contrary to usual practice the photo was done with an iPhone in low light.)
Such a lovely couple
Captured two years ago in the Olympiapark (Olympic Park) on top of the Olympic Hill. The man-made hill towers for 60 meters and provides a brilliant view over the city on clear days. Originally it was a dump for the debris of destroyed buildings after the war. Today it is a green hill which is also used for sledging and other activities in winter.
In the background you can see the Olympic Stadium from 1972 and the Olympic Village (on the far right, partly coverted by the watermark). The Olympic Village has a sad history as it was the place where Israeli athlets where attacked by eight members of Palestinian terror organisation „Black September“ during the games.
Who’s watching who?
Captured in the Hofgarten, Munich.
Fujifilm X-Pro 1, Fujinon XC 50-230mm @ 230mm, F6.7, 1/250 sec., ISO 1600
Classical threesome and half a foursome
The entrance of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian State Library) on Ludwigstrasse, Munich. The statues are representing Homer and Thukydides. There are two other statues showing Aristoteles and Hippokrates on the left and on the right of the entrance.
Fujifilm X-Pro 1, Fujinon XC 50-230mm @ 50mm, F5.6, 1/125 sec., ISO 1600
Three’s a crowd.
Captured in the Hofgarten, Munich.
Fujifilm X-Pro1, Fujinon XC50-230mm F4.5-6.7 OIS @ 230mm, F6.7, 1/125 sec., ISO 400
Vintage Beauties #2: Pontiac Catalina, 1960
This could be filed under this weeks „Weekly Photo Challenge: Treasure“ as well and to be honest, I was thinking about it. Yes, I know, it’s so materialistic, but what can I do? I like big beautiful classic cars and I think they are treasures to keep. I also love the big V8 blocks and the sound they provide. And in this case I don’t even care about the 20+ litres of gas they waste on a 60 mile run. Now you got me, I’m an evil cold-hearted resource-wasting materialist. Shame on me.
Still wish that lovely Catalina was mine. :-)
Priest in a hurry
Recently I had a little time-out and used it to stroll through the streets of downtown Munich when I saw this priest rushing from left to right and back again over the Odeonsplatz. I wondered what he was doing until I saw the film team in a distance. Actually the guy was an actor in the role of a priest. He had to hurry across the piazza over and over again, mostly because there were people crossing the scene which gave me enough opportunities to take some pictures. I like the graphic simplicity of the background in this one particularly.
Fujifilm X-Pro1, Fujinon XC50-230mm F4.5-6.7 OIS @ F6.4, 1/125 sec., ISO 1600
WPC: Selfie 3
Here is one final selfie. You can find the black and white version in the „Gear“ section already.
To be honest the picture is not really up to date as I am selling huge parts of my equipment (mainly the top two rows in the picture) due to a change of system. From Mamiya Universal Press to Mamiya RZ67 for those who wanna know. Can’t wait to hold those new toys in my hands…
If you ever wondered what kind of floor panels I have in my living room, there you go.
Ten thousand.
Friends, followers, readers, visitors:
Thank you so much for your 10,000 views!
I’m really pleased to have met such great folks like you.
WPC: Selfie 2
One thing I hate about the Fuji X-Pro1 and those razorsharp Fujinon lenses is that they will reproduce every little winkle in your face when doing selfies. They will leave no doubt about you growing older day by day. At the moment I am doing a pretty unusual job. I’m sketching storyboards for educational videos. Yes, you guess it: on paper. With pencils and erasers and those things. The deadline is close and I’m working night and day. You can see that clearly under my eyes… By now I am seriously thinking about pouring the money the job will fetch into a proper facelifting…
Fujifilm X-Pro1, Fujinon XF 18mm F2 R @ F2, 1/125 sec., ISO 800.
WPC: Selfie 1
The blue jacket
Shot on the Odeonsplatz, Munich on a rainy day last January. I am still pretty much impressed about the colours and the sharpness the X-Pro1 delivers. The picture is unedited (except watermarking).
Fujifilm X-Pro1, Fujinon XF 35mm F1.4 R @ F2.8, 1/60 sec., ISO 800.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Object 4
1967 Ford Mustang Fastback. Another object of desire.
WPC: Object 3
Saw these torsoed mannequins today in the hallway of the building where I have my office. There’s a small fashion company on the same floor. I guess it’s theirs.
WPC: Object 2
Object… of desire. When I saw this most beautiful 1950s Ferrari at a gas station I just couldn’t resist takin‘ a few snapshots. I was in a hurry, so no time for shooting some frames of the front. My knowledge about Ferraris is very limited, but after some searching I’d say this is a 750 Monza from 1955. Correct me if I’m wrong, Enzo-afficionados.
WPC: Object 1
Abandonned trolley in an underground carpark in the Olympic Village, Munich.
Fotografie-Blog-Bühne
Dear international followers and visitors,
I’m very sorry but this post is in German language. It has to be, because that’s the guideline to participate at this blog-presentation here.
Hope you don’t mind and have a nice weekend everybody…
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So jetzt geht’s aber weiter in meiner Muttersprache. Ist ja auch viel einfacher so. Also, der Hintergrund für diesen Beitrag:
Der Fotograf Michael Omori Kirchner hat auf Fotografr.de die Fotografie-Blog-Bühne ins Leben gerufen. „Anmelden“ können sich dort Betreiber von deutschsprachigen Fotoblogs, um sich damit einem breiteren Publikum zu präsentieren. Wirklich anmelden muss man sich dafür nicht, es genügt, auf dem eigenen Blog einen entsprechenden Artikel mit Trackback zu verfassen, was ich eben hiermit tue. Auf jeden Fall eine schöne Idee, das lasse ich mir doch nicht entgehen.
Damit Besucher auch gleich etwas mehr über den Blog und den dahinter wirkenden Fotografen erfahren können, ist eine Reihe von Fragen zu beantworten. Viele der bereits teilnehmenden Bildschaffenden haben dafür beeindruckende Essays formuliert und wunderbare Geschichten aus dem Fotografenleben erzählt. Meine Sache ist das ja leider nicht. Also, das Lesen schon, aber das Schreiben eben nicht. Deshalb bleibt’s bei mir beim kurzen, systematischen Abarbeiten.
Und zwar wie folgt:
Ich blogge seit …… 2012, mit diversen Unterbrechungen. Regelmäßig seit einem 3/4-Jahr.
Ich blogge, weil …. geteiltes Leid ist halbes Leid.
Mein fotografischer Schwerpunkt ist …. (Achtung, Wortspiel!) sehr hoch angesetzt und neigt deshalb mitunter zum Kentern.
Fotografie bedeutet für mich …. das Einzige was ich kann.
Mein fotografischen Vorbilder sind … Martin Parr, William Eggleston, Stephen Shore… und meine Omma.
Wenn ich das Budget für eine vierwöchige Foto-Reise gestellt bekommen würde, ….. Australien und Neuseeland, mit einem kleinen Abstecher nach Island.
Wenn ich eine beliebige (noch lebende) Person vor meine Kamera bitten dürfte, wäre das …. mein Sohn. Hmmm, oder vielleicht doch eher Edward Snowden.
Wenn ich einen Einsteiger für die Fotografie begeistern wollte, würde ich als erstes …. die Bildbearbeitungssoftware auf seinem Rechner deinstallieren.
So, das war’s. Oder sind noch Fragen offen? Ach ja, ein oder zwei typische Bilder sollte man auch noch in den Beitrag einfügen, sozusagen als ersten Eindruck. Ist hiermit auch erledigt. Jetzt schauen wir mal, was wird.
Ich freue mich auf zahlreiche Kommentare und wünsche allen Teilnehmern eine tolle Zeit.
WPC: Juxtaposition 5
Inside Munich’s main station.
WPC: Juxtaposition 4
Two old and bleached advertising panels promoting Bavarian milk. Captured on a Bavarian farm near the border to Austria.
WPC: Juxtaposition 3
Captured during a wedding in 2012.
WPC: Juxtaposition 2
Shot at a barbecue last summer.
WPC: Juxtaposition 1
They were such a pretty couple back in the 80s or early 90s when this advertising display was installed in Munich’s Westpark. But being subjected to the elements for over 20 years sure leaves its marks. Now the suffer from bleaching, scratches, graffiti and eczema. But their teeth are still shining in best pearly-white. Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum must have done a great job.
WPC: Family 5
Almost ready for take-off. Who’ll be the first?
WPC: Family 4
Having some sleep before the next meal.
WPC: Family 3
See how the fluff is converting to feathers.
WPC: Family 2
Shouting out loud to be served the first…
WPC: Family 1
Six years ago two thrushes built their nest in one of the empty flower pots on my balcony. Soon after that I could find four eggs in it. It took about two weeks until three naked babybirds were showing. Of course I had to take some photos of the birds growing. More to come in the next days…
WPC: Window 4
Fujifilm X-Pro1, Fujinon XF 35mm F1.4 R @ F4, 1/209 sec., ISO 800.
WPC: Window 3
Fujifilm X-Pro1, Fujinon XC50-230mm F4.5-6.7 @ 128 mm, F5.8, 1/900 sec., ISO 1600.
WPC: Window 2
Shop window near Covent Garden Piazza, London.
Fujifilm X-Pro1, Fujinon XF 35mm F1.4 R. F2, 1/680 sec., ISO 1600.
WPC: Window 1
Some business center windows in London, near Tower Bridge.
Fujifilm X-Pro1, Fujinon XF 35mm F1.4 R. F4, 1/400 sec., ISO 800.
Wet Jag
Beautiful 1950s Jaguar Mark II on a rainy Clapham morning.
London seen through the FUJINON XC 4.5-6.7/50-230mm OIS
Happy new year and hello again everybody. As you may have noticed I took a longer break of two months from blogging. Well, I’m back and I promise to post regularly again in the future.
What happened in the meantime? I finally fulfilled one of my dreams and got myself a fabulous Fujifilm X-PRO1 together with 18mm and 35mm Fujinon-lenses. For financial reasons my daily attendant the X-100 which was responsible for most postings on this blog had to leave the house. A little bit sad, but hey, I’ve got a new friend with even greater capabilities.
About two weeks ago I thought It would be nice to expand workspace towards the telephoto range. Basicly I intended to buy the Fujinon XF55-200mm F3.5-4.8 OIS but then accidentally stumbled upon a demonstration model of its favourable brother the new Fujinon XC50-230mm F4.5-6.7 OIS. What can I say? For 260 Euros I just had to give it a whack. Just for the record: the original price is about 400 Euros ($ 400 in the US). If you insist in more lightstrength, more metal and less plastic the XF55-200mm will slim down your wallet to another three hundos. Relax, I don’t want to bore you with technical details, performance tables or benchmark tests. If your looking for this you can find lots of sources elsewhere giving you all the chiffres you need.
The point of matter is that I could barely find any sample photos created with that lens in the web. So, when I took a 5-day-trip to London over the new years eve I decided to explore the city through my new achievement and share it. And if you have no interest in the lens I hope that you still enjoy the pictures. By the way: generally the weather was foggy, rainy, windy and cold of course. If you go to Britain you can’t expect a Caribbean feeling for sure, particularly not in December. Still enjoyed my stay in one of the worlds most interesting cities a lot.
All photos were shot handheld often using high ISO due to the lack of a tripod (I was with my family and I didn’t want to let them wait every few minutes so I just shot „quick and dirty“.). The pictures come in their original size and are not edited (except watermarking).
All photos here are for demonstration only and were not made for marketing or selling purposes.
Full length and opened to the max. 230 mm, F6.7, 1/125 sec., ISO 3200.
Another example on the long distance with maximum aperture: 230 mm, F6.7, 1/75 sec., ISO 3200. The stabilizer did a good job.
Give the stabilization system a break. 230 mm, F6.7, 1/1000 sec., ISO 800.
A last one with fully opened aperture: 230 mm, F6.7, 1/1100 sec., ISO 1600.
230 mm, F8, 1/950 sec., ISO 6400.
A little more depth of field: 230 mm, F8, 1/250 sec., ISO 3200.
Even more depth of field: 230 mm, F11, 1/420 sec., ISO 1600.
And even more, close to the maximum: 230 mm, F16, 1/500 sec., ISO 800.
128 mm, F5.8, 1/900 sec., ISO 1600.
135 mm, F6.4, 1/500 sec., ISO 800.
Early morning scenery in Clapham. 120 mm, F8, 1/800 sec., ISO 6400.
At the river Thames. 172 mm, F8, 1/500 sec., ISO 800.
December rain scenery. 80 mm, F6.4, 1/250 sec., ISO 3200.
Giving ‚em a little more time. 80 mm, F6.4, 1/125 sec., ISO 3200.
80 mm, F5.6, 1/150 sec., ISO 1600.
We’re getting closer to the shortest focal length: 75 mm, F6.4, 1/250 sec., ISO 3200.
63 mm, F5, 1/160 sec., ISO 1600.
A London Eye detail again. This time at shortest focal length and maximum aperture. 50 mm, F4.5, 1/340 sec., ISO 3200.
And higher ISO for some early morning Clapham shutters. 50 mm, F4.5, 1/140 sec., ISO 6400.
50 mm, F5, 1/2000 sec., ISO 1600.
50 mm, F5.6, 1/125 sec., ISO 800.
Impressive stabilization job. 1/20 sec. out of the hand. 50 mm, F6.4, 1/20 sec., ISO 3200.
50 mm, F8, 1/170 sec., ISO 6400.
50 mm, F14, 1/1000 sec., ISO 800.
Travelling #4 (Part III): Goorin Bros. Hatmakers, North Beach
This is one of the most lovely shops I ever saw, Goorin Hatmakers on North Beach, San Francisco. When I first saw it, I really didn’t know that the company is running over two dozens of branches all over the U.S. headed by three stores in San Francisco alone. Have a look, isn’t it beautiful? Everything looks like it was done with a lot of love for details. And the staff was very friendly as well…
I just had to take a line of snaps and buy that black sailor’s cap.
Find it here.
Vintage Beauties #1: Opel P4, 1935
Let’s take a break from San Francisco. Saw this upright old lady standing alone and had to take a line of frames.
Seeing a vintage vehicle always makes me wonder when exactly cars ceased being beautiful. Must have been somewhen in the late seventies I guess.
The owner was a very friendly guy who would even open the car for me so that I could take a picture of the tidy minimalistic dashboard. Compare that to the dozens of controls in a today’s cockpit. Driving must have been so much easier then.
Travelling #4: San Francisco panorama no. 9
Of course we had to take a boat trip through the bay. Seeing Alcatraz from a distance was already creepy, in particular with some knowledge about it in the back of mind. Our original idea was to take a guided tour to Alcatraz, but as we learned those had to be booked some weeks in advance. And were really pricey on top.
Travelling #4: San Francisco panorama no. 8
And another shot of Golden Gate Bridge from off the bus top. Vertical version this time.
(Fujifilm GX617, Ilford Delta 400)
Travelling #4: San Francisco panorama no. 7
Just a snapshot from the upper deck of a sightseeing bus. Like so often the bridge is hiding itself in heavy fog.
(Fujifilm GX617, Ilford Delta 100)
Travelling #4 (Part III): San Francisco architecturals
Today’s focus is fixed to San Fran’s architecture, as you probably assumed by reading the headline. Not much more to say. Have a look.
Travelling #4: San Francisco panorama no. 6
We’re going vertical today. Fire escape staircases on turn-of-the-century buildings are probably the most normal thing in the world if you are a US citizen but they are not if you are a Euro-guy like me. Reason is: we don’t have it. At least not on older buildings. Even though I’ve seen it many times before I was still fascinated by those antique steel constructions and just had to take some photos.
This one here was shot on Russian Hill near Van Ness Avenue, pretty close to our hotel.
Travelling #4: San Francisco panorama no. 5
A streetcar of the historical F-line. The F-line with its original streetcars from the 1950s was reinstalled in the 1980s mainly as a tourist attraction and also as a substitute for the cable car line which was out of business for two years due to technical overhaul. Over the years more and more waggons were bought and today the F-line is a normal transportation for locals as well as for tourists.
The waggons come in many different colour designs following the original paintwork of the cities where they once ran. Actually I wanted to take a shot of each colour combination there is, but missed it because time was running out and in the end this was the only one I took.
Travelling #4: San Francisco panorama no. 4
Actually I don’t know what the name of this dock or pier on the westside of Aquatic Park is. Just like big parts of Aquatic Park Pier it’s in a quite a derelict condition and because of that public access is not allowed. Shot the frame in the very early morning when the city was all quite and peaceful. The island on the right side of the background is Alcatraz. I will tell you more about it later.
Travelling #4 (Part II): San Francisco Chinatown
Some snapshots from Chinatown, which of course we just had to visit. It’s one of the leading tourist attractions of the city and with 80.000 inhabitants it’s the second largest Chinese community in the world. (The largest community can be found in a place called China.)
Entering this cultural microcosmos is more than impressive, a real must-see. In fact, it attracts more visitors than the cities most noticable landmark, the Golden Gate Bridge. In my personal view it’s also a very good place for eating, as there are reasonable-priced restaurants everywhere. Don’t miss out when you are there.
Travelling #4: San Francisco panorama no.3
This viewpoint is on Lombard Street, just above its extremely curvy part for which it is so famous (or notorious if you prefer). Quite in the middle you can see Coit Memorial Tower which is another great site for cityscapes.
Travelling #4: San Francisco panorama no. 1
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park seen from the end of Aquatic Park Pier in the early morning.
The ship on the left is the historical ferryboat „Eureka“. In the misty background you can see the Financial District high-rise buildings.
Photo of the day #123
It’s 11.30 pm. Out go the lights. (Sigh of relief)
Until next year.
Travelling #4 (Part I): San Francisco first impressions
Finally, here it comes. The first row of snapshots taken during my last trip to San Fran. As before I was truly impressed by the beauty of the city as well as by its multifacedness.
At first when booking the trip I wanted to locate directly at Fisherman’s Wharf, the touristic centre of the city or rather its tourist trap to shorten down ways to the harbour. In the end I was happy I didn’t. I booked a hotel on Russian Hill which was perfect for discovering the city in all directions. It’s really easy to explore San Francisco afoot or by bike as there are bike rentals nearly everywhere. The only obstacle you may find might be your physical fitness when climbing the hills of the city. But that’s up to you.
Some words about security: people generally warned me about strolling alongside Market Street or Tenderloin after dark. It’s true that those places are… let’s call it „funky“ especially during nighttime and I saw a lot of people of all ages who obviously where kind of out of their minds for some reason. But I never felt uncomfortable and nothing ever happened to me there, not even bad words. Most San Franciscans are polite and friendly, so just be relaxed and act respectful just like you would in your hometown and you don’t have to worry.
More to come during the next days and weeks.
P.S.: the only unfriendly people I met there were those … cab drivers.
Photo of the day #121
Yes, I did another extreme low angle shooting on a high rise business building. But this time it wasn’t the beloved O2-Tower. Actually, this is just one of the digital test shots. The real thing was done with my analog panoramic camera.
macingosh. fotografie. 