2908 - silent reading

setup: sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | 50mm | f2.8 | ISO100 | +3.0ev | 1/640 | lightroom 4.1

it's quite possible that we've had the last day of midsummer today. probably for the last time of this year the air was pleasant warm and the lake's water invigorating cool. at the moment heavy clouds and thunderstorms are gathering over lake constance and south germany.

i'll definitely miss the daily short getaway on the lake when i'll leave the area around lake constance one day. tina was already on the lake when i ended today's work and enjoyed the silence by the water. she had soaked up the sun the whole afternoon and unfortunately her skin was already coloured in a kind of brown-red. for that reason she dressed with her white bike longsleeve and turned her back on the sun while she was reading her current (german) book "die unglaubliche geschichte des henry n. brown". she sitting in front of the glowing, silent lake was the perfect subject for today's candid picture.

cu, trshptr

2708 - summery enjoyment

setup: sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | 50mm | f5.6 | ISO100 | 1/500 | lightroom 4.1

at odd times the actual state of our living conditions passes through tina's and my mind: fortunately we are able to enjoy the four seasons in a region where the most of the germans (and also a lot italians, dutch people, polish and other europeans) want to go for holidays.

the lake, the mountains, all the boats and (sometimes even) the foreign people mix to a great pleasure. being only half an hour on the lake in the evening compensates almost a whole exhausting work day.

today we've played the joker again and faded out the time at work with a relaxing cruise in a pedal boat.

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

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

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

2805 - air corridor

setup: sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | 50mm | f8.0 | ISO100 | 1/500 | lightroom 4

these days i make heavy weather of narrowing down the choice of pics for my daily posting, there are simply too many options. it's not that they all were of best quality, but they are on a similar (medium and aspirant) level and all of them tell a certain little story.

subsequent to a challenging 90km bicycle tour with andi, a friend and workmate of mine, i have chilled for round about an hour in our courtyard when tina called me for a dinner delivery service - she is on duty at the moment. so i bought us some kebab at the turk in markdorf and drove to the hospital by car. i always feel like a very important person when i see tina at her work because in that case i'm exceptionally allowed to park at the farmyard of the hospital on the parking space of the call-out service.

at the hospital we usually eat our meals at the helicopter landing site behind the main building. for that reason we had to walk along the dark and obscure corridors. the last corridor ended in the open country - the helipad area. from there we obtained the best view over the (foggy) lake. the contrast between the dark floors and workrooms of the hospital and the bright landscape was a bit surreal. and when there is nothing to do for tina, no emergencies or something like that are occurring, there are really worse places to spend your working hours.

cu, trshptr

1705 - breaking the habit

setup: canon eos 400d with efs 18-55mm | 55mm | f5.6 | ISO100 | 1/200 | lightroom 4

although today is father's day and actually all the wives, girlfriends and sisters should be ignored, i'm very happy that currently - at my birthday weekend - my father, his wife and my little sister nadja are paying a visit to tina and me at lake constance. for this reason it is really no problem for me to break the habit of strolling about with my guys on father's day.

the five of us had a wonderful day at the lake in ueberlingen in prime weather conditions. nadja was positive flustered the whole day. her brother, the beloved tina, the sweet kitty nila and the big lake - she is a water fool - the sum of these impressions was almost too huge for her capacity. at the moment i'm writing these lines she is already out for the count since two hours. don't worry, nadja: we all have had the experience of being fagged out while being unaware of this circumstance in our youths. finally the sleep of the just relativises your impressions.

cu, trshptr

1405 - architectural ulcer

setup: canon eos 400d with efs 18-55mm | 25mm | f5.6 | ISO200 | 1/320 | lightroom 4

in my opinion symbiosis can not only come into being between biological species, but also between different other types of things. architecture or perhaps feelings are imaginable.

in my concrete case of today's posting an architectural masterpiece - the house of media in friedrichshafen - shows a symbiosis between clear and straight glass facades and a rough and structured cement ulcer. these two pieces match perfectly.

today in the afternoon - after hard work - we really enjoyed the mood of the area around this building.

cu, trshptr

0105 - cheeky easiness

setup: canon eos 400d with efs 18-55mm | 55mm | f5.6 | ISO100 | 1/400 | aperture priority | raw files cropped, aligned and processed in lightroom 4

1st of may, national holiday, may day or labour day in many countries. in the most states of germany the rite of walking and cycling has a great vogue. you have the sense that everybody is on the streets in these days.

of course we were on the roads today, too. during our bicycle tour with friends we stopped at the lake for an ice and a cappuccino. i spotted the scene shown in the picture in hagnau sitting next to the gangplank. the family on the right side was enjoying their sundae while the cheeky little girl on the left showed her butt for a funky shooting. please always keep your easiness, little lady!

cu, trshptr

3103 - silence before the storm

setup: canon eos 400d with efs 18-55mm | 27mm | f7.1 | ISO100 | 1/800 | aperture priority | raw file cropped, aligned and processed in lightroom 4

contrary to expectations the weather yesterday was not only clear but rather the temperatures made a chill out at the lake possible. so we visited hagnau, a small, pretty village right beside the lake. the sun was really warming, the cappuccinos were delicious and our walk relaxing. finally tina and i had rested on the quay walls for about two hours, in the meantime i took some pictures.

i kind of like the gangplank pic, not only based on its clear and simple appeal but the fact that chilling out at the lake is currently barely possible anyway. as i said before starting in easter a great many tourists will raid the villages and towns at the lakeshore what unfortunately forces the locals to avoid these areas. but yesterday we were still able to enjoy one of the nicest places in germany in an abandoned state.

in the evening we drove to ravensburg where all stores and shops had opened until 11pm because of a special event, the long shopping night.

we returned not on the same day, so i had to discover my new installed lightroom 4 on sunday. anticipatory i can say that lightroom is a big improvement to rawtherapee. visit my flickr stream to see it for yourself.

cu, trshptr