1708 - morning glow

August 18, 2012 in 30, cloud, colour, fog, friedrichshafen, germany, green, hay bale, landscape, markdorf, mist, nature, nex 7, orange, sigma, sky, sony, summer, sunrise, tree

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

August 15, 2012 in 30, alps, b+w, boat, corridor, countryside, germany, immenstaad, lake, lake constance, landscape, nature, nex 7, people, rest, sigma, sony, summer, tree, water

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

August 13, 2012 in 30, architecture, building, castle, cathedral, countryside, germany, heiligenberg, lake constance, landscape, memorial, mist, monument, nature, nex 7, sight, sigma, sony, tree

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

August 12, 2012 in 30, agriculture, farmer, feet, field, food, garden, germany, green, harvest, home, nature, nex 7, personal, plantation, salad, sigma, soil, sony, vegetables

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

August 12, 2012 in 30, b+w, boat, car, constance, ferry, germany, lake, lake constance, light, meersburg, mood, moon, nex 7, night, people, public transport, sigma, sony, water

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

0708 - skylight

August 07, 2012 in 30, abandoned, architecture, b+w, building, contrast, corridor, decay, door, facility, flight, floor, germany, glass, mittenwald, nex 7, sigma, sony, window

setup: sony nex 7 with sigma 30 f2.8 ex dn | 30mm | f3.2 | ISO320 | 1/60 | lightroom 4.1

during the current course we are accommodated in brilliant located grounds that are really ancient though. the interior was already modernised years ago but some rooms and especially the floors are still in the shape of 1930 or maybe even earlier. however i find that quite charming, the old architecture and the timeless mountains are a very good match.

my daily pic shows the abandoned exit corridor of the auditorium. right from the first moment i saw this part of the building, i've fallen in love for the great skylights that illuminate the floor in a fascinating way.

cu, trshptr

0508 - country portrait

August 05, 2012 in 30, car, colour, countryside, drink, face, farmer, festival, field, germany, handicraft, nex 7, people, portrait, red, sigma, sony, technics, tettnang, tractor

setup: sony nex 7 with sigma 30 f2.8 ex dn | 30mm | f3.2 | ISO100 | 1/800 | lightroom 4.1

customs and traditions are different from country to country, even from state to state. where in bavaria the munich beer festival is feasted, in eastern germany the father's day is well-known and in hamburg the people celebrate each birthday of their huge harbour. however the area at lake constance is far-famed for their wine festivals: in september we are going to celebrate the wine festival of our home village - the venue is located directly next to our courtyard. this festival is quasi coming home to us.

not far from our place - half an hour by car - the area around tettnang constitutes an exception: their cultivations aren't about grapes but hops. today the official hops hiking day was executed. four different beer villages were built to entertain and feed the people with food and beer from more than 20 different breweries. this festival was a welcome change to the otherwise executed (booze-)events. between the villages that were distributed on the hills of tettnang you had to walk and in this way you got around to arouse new thirst.

moreover we met nice and interesting people on the ways between the beer villages. above all i spotted a farmer who enjoyed his beer next to his tractor and shot a - in my opinion - really appropriate image for this rural and rustic area.

cu, trshptr

0408 - afoot

August 05, 2012 in 30, action, b+w, concert, feet, friedrichshafen, germany, live, movement, music, nex 7, open-air, people, portrait, rain, sigma, sony, street

setup: sony nex 7 with sigma 30 f2.8 ex dn | 30mm | f3.2 | ISO100 | 1/200 | lightroom 4.1

today we were searching for a possibility to escape from the heat. although the lake's water temperature is currently well over 20 degrees, a plunge into the precious water is still a pleasure and enjoyment. funnily we've found the nicest places by pure chance. doesn't matter, it's all right as long as the cooling is successful.

furthermore today the absolute highlight of the culture festival in friedrichshafen was due. two ska bands, including the band moskovSKAya from ravensburg, made for a brilliant atmosphere. even the starting rain couldn't keep the people off from dancing. i'm really looking forward to the rock am see festival!

cu, trshptr

0208 - around the corner

August 02, 2012 in 30, architecture, building, colour, facility, friedrichshafen, germany, glass, hospital, house, multilayer, nex 7, pattern, red, reflection, sigma, sony, townscape, urban, yellow

setup: sony nex 7 with sigma 30 f2.8 ex dn | 30mm | f8.0 | ISO100 | 1/60 | lightroom 4.1

a building that attracts me already since a few months is the nurses' hostel in friedrichshafen. the corridors are visible from outside through a huge glass facade. living in this big hostel has to feel more or less like living in the big brother house:

too disclosed to feel unobserved and too impersonal to feel home.

cu, trshptr

3107 - cute nagger

July 31, 2012 in 30, animal, b+w, cat, courtyard, eyes, face, germany, home, moment, nex 7, nila, nose, personal, portrait, reflection, sigma, sony, whiskers, window

setup: sony nex 7 with sigma 30 f2.8 ex dn | 30mm | f2.8 | ISO640 | 1/60 | lightroom 4.1

sometimes our little kitty nila creates the impression that she is the most unviable creature on earth.

two minutes after she has left the flat she sits at the window again and mews for me to open it up. two minutes after i have left the yard she sits at the window and mews for me to open it up again. two minutes after she has got separated from me or tina she sits at the window and mews for anybody to open it up again... and so on and so forth.

again and again two minutes in her life, in which she always seems to remember the centre of her doing.

most times our little kitty nila creates the impression that she is the most amiable creature on earth.

cu, trshptr