Train Window Diaries at 1/1000s

On every intercity express train ride that I take, I capture images through the window. While the world flies by at up to 300 km/h (186 mph), very few people even take the time to look at the unique and quickly changing scenery.

On a recent train ride from the north to the center of Germany, I captured this series of images - another set of my "Train Window Diaries at 1/1000s".

At this shutter speed, not only the far but even the close objects are frozen in time and can be recognized - which is almost impossible for the human eye to capture at these speeds.

Take a look at the beauty that is often overlooked by most passengers. The varying scenery, weather conditions and snow levels are a good indicator of the distance traveled and the regional changes that come with it.

Off-Season / Nebensaison -Timmendorfer Strand & Niendorf

Off-Season / Nebensaison is a photo project where I document popular vacation regions during their off-season.

The strong visual contrast between the busy and crowded peak season and the off-season in vacation regions is a condition that many people never get to see and therefore may not fully appreciate. While the peak season attracts many visitors due to favorable weather situations, special events or vacation time, the off-season can have some qualities and a unique beauty, too.

Crowded streets, restaurants, hotels, parking lots and stores in addition to high peak season prices can take away from a relaxing break time when one seeks to get away from everyday stress. I have learned to appreciate to visit vacation regions during their off-season, too.

I'm seeing places with different eyes when they are almost deserted without the visual and audible distraction that large crowds bring with them. Grey and cloudy days can actually make for a relaxing and comforting mood and create a unique visual beauty to my eyes.

As a visual example of the unique off-season mood that I'm talking about, I share this recent off-season image series that I captured in the North German Baltic Sea coast villages Timmendorfer Strand and Niendorf i.H.

Maybe this is an inspiration for you to see the beauty in locations during the off-season too. Feel free to give me your thoughts in the comments and share this post via the "share" option at the bottom of the post, too.

Off Season - Empty Pier - Kein Winterdienst!

Off Season - Closed Beach Chair Rental Shack

Life in a tube

Over the corse of a week, I observed how people of all age groups and genders acted inside a fast waterslide tube made out of glass. Over time I came to realize how much of a person’s character is revealed during these few seconds of intensity and more or less of an adrenaline rush.

When I froze the individuals at a few thousands of a second, I started to see curiosity, fear, joy, indifference or terror in their posture. Some of the individuals seemed to pose a “get me out of here“ and others more of a “look at me how cool I am“.

Some only coped with the situation by sliding in company or backward, not wanting to see what is ahead of them. Others went head first, on their belly or on their knees. Some seemed to enjoy the moment of not being in control and others didn’t. After a few days, this waterslide tube felt to me like a giant birth canal out of a science fiction movie where the individual's personality is infused before it enters life.

What kind of personality and posture would you show in your posture when being flushed down a tube like this?

Oslo and Copenhagen Voyage - alternating color & B&W photography

While coordinating assignments in Oslo and Copenhagen, my travel agent suggested to take a boat instead of planes for this trip. And by boat she meant a cruise boat. I have never been on a cruise ship (large ferry boats not counted) and I was intrigued.

Three weeks later I found myself boarding the Aida Luna (capacity of about 2,000 passengers) on my way to Oslo and Copenhagen. In the spring time the Baltic Sea is always good for surprises - cold rainy and warm summer like moments can take turns within hours. This is what inspired me to make a photo documentary with alternating color and B&W images on this trip.

Here are my impressions. Enjoy!

Aida Luna Bug Pool

Aida Luna Cruise to Oslo and Copenhagen. Photo Essay - Fotobericht

Aida Luna Oslo

Aida Luna Oslo Fjord

Aida Luna Panorama Window

Aida Luna Waves

Oslo Concert Hall

Oslo Street Photography

Oslo Impression

Aida Luna Balcony

Aida Luna Theatrium Show

Aida Luna Fog Ship

Aida Luna meeting Aida Diva

Copenhagen Waterfront Construction Worker

Copenhagen Waterfront Bicyclist

Copenhagen Street Photography

Copenhagen Street Jogger

Copenhagen Royal Guard

Copenhagen Bicyclist

Copenhagen Asian Tourist

Copenhagen Pedestrian Tunnel

Copenhagen Nyhavn Photographer

Aida Copenhagen Skyline

Copenhagen Bicycle Taxi

Aida Luna Stern Wash Long Exposure

As a little bonus I've added a time lapse video showing the last 25 mi of the Aida Luna approaching Copenhagen harbour. The video starts at the location of the Helsingborg - Helsongør ferry line, passing from Sweden to Denmark.

Inspiration for Photograpers

Photography gear is covered extensively on the internet. But what to do with all those fantastic cameras and lenses is often forgotten about.

That is why Scott Bourne and I have started to host a monthly "Inspiration" podcast on the Photofocus network. We cover the history, past and present of photography and introduce master photographers that most photographers should know about. We also introduce a photography related book for inspiration on each show.

The podcast airs on the 14th of each month and can be subscribed to for free via iTunes. Or you can listen to individual episodes on the Soundcloud player below:

My podcast recording studio

Hay Barns (Heuschober) Garmisch-Partenkirchen - Limited Fine Art Print Series

The subject of haystacks as art came to my attention through the work of Claude Monet.

During one of my visits to the Alps the abundant presence of old hay barns (Heuschober) in the Bavarian town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen inspired me to interprete Monet’s haystack paintings in a new way by producing a black and white fine art photo series of these historic structures.

Some of these hay barns are over 100 years old and each of them is unique. The weathered wood, skew-whiff structure, and the sporadic presence of trees growing beside them make them one of a kind structures that are as unique as a fingerprint.

These hay barns also document how agriculture was run by small scale family farms in this region and that industrial farming still has no space here today.

The nine images were captured during snow storm conditions as these portraits properly express the harsh environment that had to be conquered when living and farming in this region.

The images are offered as a limited original artist print & signed edition - each image is printed on fine art paper framed in museum quality wooden frames with Optiwhite matt/glossy glass.

**Limited Editions: Printed and framed to high museum quality standards available at erstereihe.hamburg gallwery, Schlankreye 71, Hamburg, Germany**

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