Engineers Photographic Playground - New Series starting now

Sometimes you stumble about some stuff and can't stop taking pictures of it. It happened to me during my Sunday bike ride with Chris (It's most likely to happen on those rides). We found this place where there were huge tubes and muffs waiting to be build in the sewer system. I shot at least two films there, and most of the pics have come out fabulous.

One of those pics is one of my "free" entry pics for the Nikon Photo Contest, but it's not the one above.

Randomly chosen Pictures

My first entry into a photo contest - Nikon Photo Contest International

so I just uploaded 3 of the 4 possible pics to the Nikon Photo Contest International. This is my first ever Photo Contest so I should be excited, but somehow I am not.

Anyway, here is the link: http://www.nikon-npci.com/

You can take part until November 30 (Japanese time). Its free and we can win some really nice Nikon cameras.

Cheers.

Basel (Switzerland) Series - Welcome to it

As promised the first pictures of my trip to Basel. It was a fantastic day even though it rained, thanks to A*.

On the Snake trip - Coolest Rubberboots ever

So since PD is on her Leopard Trip, I have to show you my brand new rubberboots with snake print. Normally I don't like snakeskin printed and much worse real snake skin. (I hate snakes, they give me the creeps.) But those rubberboots called my name. And we definitely have the weather to wear them. It rained non stop since Saturday and I've had wet feet more than once, so I've decided today to get rubberboots.

Not that easy to find rubberboots in Leipzig, there was just one shoestore which had several designs for adults in stock and incidentely there was just one pair in my size left (from all the designs). A fluke that I got those lovelies. Somehow rubberboots are kids shoes in Germany. They had really cool biker boots in Edinburgh two years ago, should have bought them then.

My mom hates those boots and she seriously thinks I couldn't wear them at work! LoL Makes me like them even more and I'll definitely wear them, when it's raining threads.

Leipzig at Night series - Entrance to the university bike parking hall

Photographic Weekend. On Saturday Chris and I went to the F/Stop International Photo Festival. I'm sad to say but the venues themself were a lot more interesting than the actual pictures. One of the reasons was probably that we've had seen a lot of the pictures at the Nuit Blanches before. Another reason were the pictures that were presented, a lot of the really good pictures we've seen on the Nuit Blanches weren't on display. However it was interesting to see the use of space and how the pics were presented.

Since the weather was so bad I used yesterdays rain to scan 4 films from September, so my Basel (Switzerland) series starts tomorrow.

The Grater

You know the drill by now, I'm going offline for the weekend. I wish all of you a very relaxing weekend.

I'll go with Chris to the F/Stop Photography Festival 500 pictures at 4 locations in the city, should be interesting.

See you on Monday.

Leipzig at Night series - Messehof Passage - Multiple Exposure

Those pics are long and some of them multiple exposures (3, 4 and 5). I steadied the camera at the column and shot straight up, always pressing the release for more than a second (don't know how long since I went on my inner clock). The light color changes over time, that's why I did the multiples to see how they come out. Pretty funny I think.

I love photographic experiments like this. Makes me feel like a real photographer.

Plants

Leipzig at Night series - architecture

The Uniriese - The University Giant

The Augustus-Platz - Augustus Square

Door of the Uniriese

Looking around - my favourite part of my small cycle round

Old Town Hall of Leipzig at night

Enjoy a very relaxing weekend

Well then, time to go offline for the weekend. Enjoy yours with hopefully a lot of sunshine, laughter with friends and some delicious food.

Leipzig at Night series - Fresh from the scanner

Städtisches Kaufhaus, Leipzig

Altes Rathaus, Leipzig

Sign before the Städtisches Kaufhaus, Leipzig

I hate scanning, but I love it when I've got fresh pictures to post. I just love my photoblog.

Relaxing

Playing with shadow and light

Oh, the agony of choice. I got over 50 portraits to pick from, and I have to pick because I don't have the money to take them all. I narrowed it down to ten already. In any case the portrait shooting was fun. And I like a lot of those pictures.

Happy Birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear san

Happy Birthday TO MEEEEEEE!

I know, I know, I shouldn't congratulate myself. But this is my blog, so I can do whatever I want. HA.

In a few hours I make myself a really nice gift, a new and really cool portrait/ application photo. I first wanted to wear my white blouse with the black bow tie but then I wouldn't get the intensity I want, so now it's black turtleneck but still red satin gloves. Before that I get my make-up done and afterwards I'll enjoy the afternoon at Starbucks with a Cappucino or Latte, we'll see. I'm in the mood to try something new. (Never liked coffee!) In the evening we'll (family) eat at Leipzigs only korean restaurant, another first. I'll have a french dinner with my friends probably on Saturday.

Now it's time to dry my hair, not that it really matters, it rains. :(

Wustrow - Bodden side

I've been to the Open Day of the Old Spinnery. Lot's of galleries with new artists. Except for one photograph I wouldn't buy any of this stuff.

To get back to the F/Stop. Well, I think Saranna is right, they looked for the subject matter.

Nevertheless, subject matter does NOT stand in an EITHER OR relationship to craftsmanship. This is 2010 you get good cameras for a reasonable price (you can lend one from a friend), there are video tutorials, books, workshops, photoblogs and so on. Photography is nothing new and you can learn the basics in no time. Unfortunately a lot of those pictures with subject matter looked like the artist was using a camera for the first time.

Photography, to me, means playing with light. Most of those artists don't know how to play.

Well, this is my opinion of those pictures. You don't have to like or appreciate it. There are probably a lot of you who would like them and that's fine.

The Glass Houses

Have a great weekend Everyone!

Playing with Dunes

I've been to the Nuit Blanches Photographies yesterday which are pre-events to the F/Stop International Photography Festival in Leipzig. While the event was really cool, music and a photography projection between the stilts of a restaurant next to the Karl-Heine-Channel, I was surprised about the kind of pictures shown. Maybe I have become a snob concerning photography due to my own photography and all of the lovely photo blogs out there. But a lot of those pictures were average and plain boring. Most of them were with objects in the center. Quite a few had only the goal to repel you, it seemed. Almost all of them used cold (flash) light.

There was just one series that played with exposure time (long exposure, really cool stuff). Just one picture with double exposure (which was really good). And two portrait series with fantastic lighting and different picture compositions. Oh and one really nice series with flower still lifes. Except for that...

I'll definitely send in some of my lomographies next year. There is a good chance I make the cut.