The sadness of Dachau
A trio of photos from a visit to Dachau, outside of Munich...
While we were in Munich earlier this year, we took a trip out to Dachau one day. I had been before when I was a kid but didn't remember it too well. It's about a 30 minute trip from downtown Munich, and well worth the visit.
If you aren't familiar with it, Dachau was a massive Nazi concentration camp that is now a museum and sobering reminder of man's inhumanity to man. It's incredibly educational and just so sad. Everyone is quiet there, out of respect, and you can wander the grounds on a self-guided tour. It's done very well and I left with a much deeper knowledge of the entire situation.
While I mostly visited as a tourist, I did take a few photos while there. If you are ever in Munich and have the time, take the visit out to Dachau and learn about this important period in history. I think you will be glad that you did so.
A pair from Heidelberg
A couple of random shots from Heidelberg, Germany...captured while wandering a bit aimlessly.
I loved wandering around the Altstadt in Heidelberg!
The altstadt (old town) is the historic center of Heidelberg, and I found it to be very photogenic. It's a beautiful little town and I loved the streets, the cafes, shops and restaurants - all of it was nice. Though I was only there for 2 nights, I made the most of it, walking about 17,000 steps on day one! Yeah, I was tired though, so I found a place to enjoy a cold German beer. :-)
30 minutes in Ramsau, Germany
The benefits of taking a detour can be substantial at times. In this case, a side trip that led to another side trip left me standing here, firing away.
Sometimes a detour is well worth it!
When we were in Salzburg, Austria earlier this year, we spent a day over in Berchtesgaden, Germany looking around and hanging out. It's just over the border a little ways and really not a far drive at all. As we wandered the shops there, I saw a postcard with a beautiful little church on it, right next to a river - and that was it. I had to go.
So I asked the shopowner where this was, and it turns out it was just a short drive away to the little town of Ramsau. I convinced my Mom and Sister, who were there with me, that it was a worthy detour, and off we went.
Of course, the roads were under construction and we had several detours, but eventually we did find this place and I was in heaven. I just love scenes like this one, and frankly I just never come across them here in the US. That's part of what makes Europe so special to me - finding these little gems in the middle of nowhere. So beautiful!
A stunning sunset in Fussen
Sometimes amazing light appears out of nowhere, and you have to dump the car and run to find a spot to shoot. You can't pass this stuff up, can you? It's impossible for me.
I love light like this, don't you?
We had been at Neuschwanstein Castle all day and were tired. We were driving home to our hotel in Fussen and when I came around a bend and saw the light like this over a river, I got very excited! I had to find somewhere to turn around and head back this way so I could park the car.
I parked and ran off like a maniac to a footbridge that crosses the river. I spent the next 15 minutes or so firing brackets into this amazing light. Well worth the stop! ;-)
A visit to Viktualienmarkt
While in Munich, we visited the Viktualienmarkt, which is sort of a big farmer's market. Here's a trio of shots from there!
This is a farmer's market in Munich, and it's awesome!
When we were in Munich, one thing I wanted to see was the Viktualienmarkt. It's like a big farmer's market with a lot of various food stalls, but it's permanent. It covers an entire town square and it's just around the corner from the Marienplatz, which is sort of like the main town square.
So we walked through here a few times, having lunch or a beer whenever we passed through. I find these sort of things really interesting. It's like getting a glimpse into daily life in a place, even though I assume there are a lot of tourists here, too. You can purchase all sorts of foods and snacks and there are picnic table set up everywhere so you can get a beer and just chill and watch the people.
I spent a lot of time wandering with the camera of course, taking shots of the market itself as well as some of the buildings that surround the square. I have a thing for German architecture so I was pretty much always distracted when we were here!
A view of Fussen
A view down a small street in Fussen, Germany...
I love little German towns!
We stayed in Fussen for a couple of days because we were there to see it's famous neighbor, Neuschwanstein (King Ludwig's amazing castle). But I can't pass up an opportunity to walk around in a town and check it out, even with something so amazing just a short drive away. So after spending the day at the castle, we came back to town for dinner. Obviously I brought the camera along, and was happy snapping away at these beautiful little streets.
Night on the Old Bridge
The Old Bridge in Heidelberg, Germany, done up with a couple of different looks. Which do you prefer?
There's just something about German architecture.
I absolutely love Germany. It's such a gorgeous country and I have adored the architecture there for many years. I also love bridges, and when I knew I was going to visit Heidelberg, Germany I knew that I wanted to get several shots of the Old Bridge there (aka the Alte Brucke). Although I was only there 2 nights, that was plenty for me to get out and capture this beautiful bridge.
I shot on the bridge looking both directions and I shot from the side of the bridge, doing everything I could think of to really capture it. This was one of my very last shots that night, as I was wrapping it up and heading back to the hotel.
This is the gate at the end of the bridge which is closest to the Altstadt (Old Town). I love those onion domes and the whole looks just screams Germany to me.
When I first edited this photo, I edited it this way:
I really like this shot and had absolutely no intentions of changing it up. But I have been experimenting with a lot of color shifts lately, and in particular one look that is fairly popular: the orange and teal look. So I decided to give this one a go with the orange and teal look, and ended up with what you see below. After spending a lot of time experimenting with orange and teal, I actually think that I like it better for this shot. What do you think?
Linderhof Castle
A view over Linderhof Castle and its grounds in Bavaria, Germany...
Mad King Ludwig had it pretty well!
I love castles, and I love Germany, so visiting (and photographing) castles in Germany is pretty much guaranteed to get me fired up. This is Linderhof, which we visited back in April when we spent a few days in Bavaria. This is one of several castles that were built for King Ludwig, and I believe this is the one he mostly lived in. The more famous Neuschwanstein wasn't finished during his lifetime. This one is elegant and beautiful, though not really large. It's definitely big enough to live in, just nothing like a Versailles or something. I climbed up the steps into the garden and above the fountain to capture this wide view of the area.
The Berliner Dom
Two photos from Berlin, of their lovely and impressive cathedral...
A magnificent cathedral in Berlin!
I love visiting and shooting the great cathedrals of Europe. They are just awe-inspiring and beautiful. When we were in Berlin, I made a point of stopping by the Berliner Dom a few times so I could capture several shots of it.
It's in the center of town and easily accessible on foot from other spots you would likely be visiting. There is a river behind it and a nice little bridge you can stand on to shoot it, too. I recommend also making a quick visit inside - it's impressive!
A look at Neuschwanstein Castle
The classic view of the most famous castle in the world...Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Germany.
It's just the most famous castle in the world...that's all. ;-)
I love castles, and when we were planning our Germany trip I knew I would get to see a few of them. My main target was this beauty, Neuschwanstein, which is just outside the little town of Fussen in southern Germany (Bavaria, to be precise).
I have been here twice before, but this was my first real visit as a photographer. When you finish the tour of the inside, you can go for a short hike up above the castle and out onto a suspension bridge (which is quite sturdy, so not to worry) for this amazing view.
It was a bright sunny day, so my photos from there reflect that fact. In other words, it wasn't exactly flattering light, but nonetheless it's an amazing place to visit. In this case I took the photo into Analog Efex Pro to give it a sort of textured, vintage treatment. Enjoy!
A nice view in Berlin
A view of the wonderful cathedral in Berlin..,
The Berliner Dom is an amazing cathedral!
While we were wandering in Berlin, I saw this little bridge that crossed the river right behind their big cathedral, the Berliner Dom. Being a fan of water, and always looking for another perspective, I walked over there to take a look.
I'm glad that I did, because it's a great spot to get an alternate view of this fabulous cathedral (as opposed to the view from the front, which I also got). It also gives you a little perspective on the scene, since you are slightly back from it.
It was late afternoon and there was some gorgeous light in the sky. Sadly I didn't have time to stick around for sunset but I'm happy with this one!
Door #4
I like photographing doors, and when I find one with a wickedly cool looking tree all around it, I go full-on crazy for it!
I have a thing for doors. I'm not sure why, but I do. Obviously if they are grand, ornate or stately then that would attract me. But even the simple ones - like in this photo - get my attention. Maybe it's a symbolic crossing into another realm, or maybe I am always look for an escape (!) or something. Anyway, I shoot a lot of them but rarely publish the shots. It's just something I do.
So while wandering in the amazing little village of Rothenburg, Germany I came across this one, and had to stop for a shot. In this case, it wasn't the door as much as it was that tree crawling all over the wall that got my attention. It's pretty cool looking, and a little spooky, too. Good fun.
Storm clouds over the Siegestor
We came across this wonderful and huge triumphal arch in Munich one day recently...
This is a huge, beautiful arch in Munich!
I was really surprised about Munich. I expected to like it, but I wasn't sure how much I would like it. It turns out that I liked it quite a lot! (Although that might have to do with the many beer halls.)
We spent a few days in Munich, mostly without a firm plan. We had some general ideas about what we wanted to see, but didn't put a huge effort into planning. I like to have a list of things I want to see in a place, but I don't like being on a rigid time schedule. I like things to be a little free-flowing when I travel. It seems to work better for me when I do.
Anyway, we took a cab over to this part of town one afternoon, and the first thing I saw was this massive triumphal arch. It was basically what I headed directly for after leaving the cab. With these rain clouds coming in I had to make sure I got some shots before I got soaked!
As it turns out, it didn't even rain for a while. We left here and wandered in the massive English Garden nearby and then back into the historical center of Munich. A good day all around!
By the way, the arch is called the Siegestor and is modeled after the Arch of Constantine in Rome.
After sunset in Fussen
Twilight descends on the historic town center of Fussen, Germany...
After a long day of seeing and shooting awesome stuff, we took it easy that evening and stayed in Fussen. I still got a decent photo out of it!
Did you see my recent post about a stunning sunset in Fussen (it was a couple of days ago)? Well, I shot that one for a bit, but left before it was even over because I had left my Mom in the car resting, and I felt a little bad about that. Not bad enough to miss the sunset obviously, but somewhat bad. Plus, there wasn't much else I could do composition-wise, considering where I was, so after a few dozen shots I left. I was happy with what I already had.
We got to the hotel and immediately went in search of dinner, which entailed a short walk across the street from our hotel to the old town center of Fussen. The light was still pretty decent, and I'm a huge fan of shooting cityscapes anyway...so here you go. I fired this while walking to dinner. Pretty exciting, huh?
The classic view of Rothenburg
The classic view of Rothenburg, Germany shot on my recent visit to this loveliest of little towns...
Ah, such a lovely town!
In case you haven't figured it out yet, I am on a trip through Germany with my Mom, and I am taking a few pics along the way. ;-) One town I was really excited to revisit and shoot was Rothenburg, which is just awesome.
We spent a short 2 days there, but that is really all you need to get a good feel for it, and in my case, get out and photograph the heck out of it!
This is the classic view of Rothenburg, and for a good reason - it's an amazing sight to behold. I must have walked by here a dozen times in the 2 days we stayed in Rothenburg, and I shot it every time! So many photos still to process, but I had to at least get one of them out here!