1908 - retro charme

setup: sony nex 7 with sigma 30 f2.8 ex dn | 30mm | f5.6 | ISO100 | 1/400 | lightroom 4.1

now, on sunday evening, the heat wave is almost over. we had a wonderful weekend at our beloved families and extended the trip for another night. therefor we will have to get up at five o'clock in the morning to arrive before noon at our place.

while walking through the town crimmitschau - the village where my mother lives belongs to it - we have spotted a tuned and modified trabant 601. the trabant is a car that was produced by the former east german car manufacturer veb sachsenring in zwickau. it was by far the most common vehicle in east germany. more information about the trabant on wikipedia.

the crumbled wall, the renewed street and the antique car - this could have been a retro-style scene of a movie from the 80s but it actually is the real life in 2012 in the eastern states of germany.

cu, trshptr

1808 - orange wisp of cloud

setup: sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | 50mm | f7.1 | ISO125 | 1/80 | lightroom 4.1

some pics create the impression that they weren't captured by a camera but painted with a brush. today in the evening i have shot an incredible sunset over saxony while we were walking over the fields to view the horses' way to the paddock where they usually stay in the night.

it was already getting darker and we had to turn around and go back the same way to reach the restaurant in time for the dinner of my father's birthday party when the sky bloomed in the most wonderful orange.

cu, trshptr

1708 - morning glow

setup: sony nex 7 with sigma 30 f2.8 ex dn | 30mm | f5.6 | ISO125 | 1/60 | -0.3ev | lightroom 4.1

today was an exhausting travel day - i picked tina up at half past six in the morning at the hospital - unfortunately she has had a horrible night at work with almost no sleep - and drove to my hometown werdau in saxony, where my father lives. he lends me one of his two cars for this weekend because the maintenance service is performed in my volkswagen. at half past two we finally reached our daily aim tina's grandma in thuringia.

it is great to see how zizou manages her new life. we spent the afternoon and evening with jawing, eating a great many grilled things and drinking (a lot). so to say usual family affairs.

the daily pic shows the misty sunrise that i have realised in the very early morning while i was driving to the hospital in friedrichshafen.

cu, trshptr

1508 - vista

setup: sony nex 7 with sigma 30 f2.8 ex dn | 30mm | f5.6 | ISO100 | 1/160 | lightroom 4.1

the hottest weekend of the year is due. its harbingers are already visible and palpable: at 7 o'clock we still had 32 degrees, stuffy air and before the heat wave a heavy thunderstorm will approach, a few cumulus clouds are already visible on the western horizon. today my single aim was to go to the lake after work again and to take to the water.

i met tina at half past six at our favourite lake access and afterwards we chilled there till the sun had set down. many more emulated our deeds and plunged into the water. some others settled for being in the shade and looking at the many yachts that were harbouring in the bay.

cu, trshptr

1408 - firefighting operations

setup: sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | 50mm | f1.8 | ISO200 | 1/800 | lightroom 4.1

during the last week a very special issue has caused topics for discussions in germany: highly probable germany's biggest poultry company wiesenhof will sponsor the bundesliga football club werder bremen. wiesenhof hit the headlines with information about antibiotics in the animal food, bunions, corroded lungs and absolutely disastrous living conditions for their animals plus killing in childhood.

as a result many club members are threatening werder bremen with their resignation if werder is really going into the contract. in my opinion the current discussion is bringing temporary awareness concerning the products we eat in our daily lives and how they are formed into the light of day again. no more, no less. probably rogue firms like wiesenhof are in the majority. everybody has to decide for himself how he manages the situation. and in a few weeks nobody will talk about this topic anymore.

i for one buy poultry and other meat only at the butcher of trust. if tina had her way we wouldn't eat meat anymore, but for me it's essential. fortunately today i didn't have to be behind the 8-ball: we had rib of beef of very good quality, and anyway the cows are reared completely species-appropriate.

cu, trshptr

1308 - pomp and splendour

setup: sony nex 7 with sigma 30 f2.8 ex dn | 30mm | f9.0 | ISO100 | 1/200 | -0.7ev | lightroom 4.1

the intermediate destination of my today's after work cycling tour was the splendid castle of heiligenberg. besides the cloister of birnau and the castle of salem "schloss heiligenberg" is one of the most famous medieval, architectural sights north of the lake constance. it was initially built in 1250 on a plateau more than 700 metres above the sea and almost 250 metres above the lake level and continuously enlarged. in 1559 the castle was rebuilt and remodelled in the renaissance style. with its famous hall of knights it hosts one of the most magnificent renaissance halls north the alps.

unfortunately due to the very misty weather conditions - i told you about the micro climate at lake constance - you can only see the lake and not the alps behind in the background, what would be theoretically possible on a day with foehn or low pressure and temperature.

cu, trshptr

1206 - garden-fresh harvest

setup: sony nex 7 with sigma 30 f2.8 ex dn | 30mm | f5.6 | ISO125 | 1/60 | lightroom 4.1

i know what the saying "living from hand to mouth" rather implies: you are so poor that provisioning isn't quite possible because you need simply everything you can find for your daily ration. fortunately this state isn't appropriate for us, actually most of the people of the first world don't have this problem. everything is available almost everywhere.

nevertheless also in the industrial countries some people still carry on a kind of organic farming and grow products that are obtainable in stores and shops, too. vegetables of all kinds are grown, so for many recreational farmers a hobby is associated with a useful thing - your daily bread. regardless the use of the saying of the first paragraph is also suitable for them: provisioning isn't convenient because garden-fresh, natural products are easily perishable.

the topic is present in the first place because this week tina and i care for the kitties and the great many plants and vegetables of our neighbours because they are currently on vacation. since we are assertively allowed to pick their ripe harvest, i think there are worse jobs on this planet.

cu, trshptr

1108 - into the dark

setup: sony nex 7 with sigma 30 f2.8 ex dn | 30mm | f2.8 | ISO1600 | 1/20 | lightroom 4.1

going by ferry at night is a mystic event for me. we've been already going by the night ferry home from constance when the 24 hours flea market took place and i was looking forward to today night especially because of the public transport and not only the primary event, the lake constance night festival [seenachtsfest].

as i've expected the festival itself wasn't the shit: there were too many drunken and aggressive people, who nosed forward their ways around the heavily overcrowded festival area. going to the toilet lasted at least about an hour for the ladies - simply unacceptable. anyhow the great fireworks made our day, it was really a great music supported light show that was provided by a two country cooperation and endured for almost an hour. for that reasons many photographers with huge tripods were present, too.

whereas i was already looking forward to the return journey again.

cu, trshptr

0908 - reminiscing

setup: sony nex 7 with fujian 35 f1.7 | 35mm | f1.8 | manual focus | ISO100 | 1/1000 | lightroom 4.1

coming home after a temporary leave is always a great pleasure. today in the evening not only tina but also her lovely mum romy and her brother marv have received me with wide opened arms when i arrived home from my climbing course in the alps nearby mittenwald.

for that reason tina had arranged a table in a wonderful restaurant with the nicest pub garden i've ever seen nearby friedrichshafen - the krone (crown) in raderach. we four together had a cosy night with terrific food, beer and wine from the local area at the lake constance. it's too bad that marv and romy have to leave us already tomorrow morning and i've missed almost the whole span of their visit. anyhow tina shall remain still faithful with me. clearly!

cu, trshptr

0808 - no7 in crosshairs

setup: sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | 50mm | f5.6 | ISO100 | 1/400 | lightroom 4.1

sometimes you come around at funny scenes that you cannot pass without resting a few minutes and thinking about its details.

i've absolutely no idea what the builders might have thought when they installed the light switch 30cm next to the usual, optimal position where the cable appears from the wall. i've no clue why three arrows direct your view to the yellow tape that is affixed in the middle of the slightly blue door. and i've no frigging idea what the yellow tape actually implies.

questions upon questions, and no answers. probably i should have opened the door and figured it all out.

cu, trshptr