Smaragdspint
…or green p, as they are called by the natives. It is not very shy, rather curious and so you find it flying around you almost everywhere. Mostly they tend to seat on a low tree or cable and catching insects out of the air. Green-Bee-eater, so hi sofficial name in the rest of the world.
delawella beach
Listed as one of the ten moste beautifull beaches of the world and we found it… by accident. One of the most relaxing stays of the whole trip an one of the finest places.
Kingfisher
Despite beeing a very tasty beer of India (and an Airlines as well) they are to be found everywhere. Very, very shy, I had to improve my sneak up techniques. In the end I found this guy who was not so shy at all.
mudskippers
Half fish, half reptile they are somhow arkward creatures. They can breath through their skin as well ais their mouth, depending if they are in the water or on land. This cutaneous air breathing functions much like a skubadivers system. However their gills have to stay wet and so you mostly find them on the rocks along the shore. Flexing their body they can jump uo to 60cm in one leap. Be sure to stay calm and do not move when you want to observe them – their eyes are really good.
old varanus
On our second day in Hikkaduwa/ Sri Lanka, Santa took us to a nearby lagoon and the first animal we met, was this old, big varanus, about 2m long and really looking hazardous. They are known to be very clever and can count up to number six, which is quite big thing for animals from the times of dinosaurs. Now I am frightened.
the krestel and the jay
This weekend was nice weahter. i had an appointment in Mainz, to pick up a new/old treassure for my computer collection – a sought after Commodore PET. Nadine joined me on the trip and the plan was to enjoy a walk in the sun, along the Rhein. The guy who sold me the PET was already waiting for us and I asked him if he knew some nice area to take a walk. He said we should go and try right behind some buildings nearby… so we did and found a nature reservoir, between the motorway and the city. A rounte went through the reservoir and due to the nice weather, a lot of joggers and other people were around… and birds. This amercian krestel was hunting together with an eurasian jay… I couldn’t believe it, but they really did. Evidence will come in the next pitcture.
neighbours
We really enjoyed the nature, the slow pulse of France everything and so did the animals as well. A stork visited the crane and… nothing happend. Looks like they seem to have enough food around to not go wild on each other.
who’s controlling who?
At the risk of getting you bored by all these dragonfly pictures that lately come up here… just one more. This couple was one of many at a river in Cromartin/France. Sadly the upper one shifted out of focus. Did I mention that I need to get macro? I could swear, I told you that before… 😉
Ghostly horse visit
My aunt invited the whole family to Chiddes, Saône-et-Loire, France, for her birthday party. My parents couldn’t come, though and as we just got married, they gave us the big house, they had rented. Our honeymoon, if you want. The first night at a new location is mostly not the one I’m gonna catch alot of sleep. At 3.a.m. I found the meaddow behind our house in dense mist and some sparkling stars from above shingin through. After I took a couple of pictures, I heard snuffle right beside me and when I turned around, that grey horse lady was right beside me, curious about what I was doing at this time. We became somewhat firends after that nightly encounter. Sorry for the unsharp image, but I broke my wireremote port and so I had to keep the button pressed by hand and count the seconds manually, but it puts everything in that fairy tale glare.
6818 ft
There was not much sun at this years mountain retreat in Eggberge, but non the less nature didn’t let me down. Turbulent weatherchanges, low clouds, strom and lots of rain. Here you can see peak Rophaien in the evening, reaching out of the clouds. I like the (g)loomy attitute of this.
Into the spiders nest
Spiders – hoooh! Scary creatures, but if you take a closer look, they are actually really instresting. They got eight eyes and up to eight legs! Found this tiny nest at my marquee on the balcony. The nest normaly keeps a certain temperature and amount of humidity inside. Lowering the marquee seems to have raptured the hull that gave me this insight. Hopefully they wil make it anyway and keep the mosquitos out of my way.
Grasshopper
I don’t know in how many countries “Biene Maja” is known, but as an essentially German story from Waldemar Bonsels from the 1920s, it is hard to surpass it, when growing up in Germany. I always liked the character of Flip the most. He was funny, had a chapeau and whenever something dangerous came around the corner, he was jumpign away with his infamous “Hü-hüpf!” cry. Well, in reality they have not battelcry and they definately don’t wear a hat, but they jump away at an remarkable pace and great distance.
Locust
In comparison to the grashopper on the previous image, this fellow was about double the size, rendering it a real monster in front of my lens; shy, non the less. I figured that they rather tend to jump away on slow movement, where as they stay when I jump near them and hold still for a second. For spectators this must have been a funny show: Me, with my big lens in my hand, jumping after a big grasshopper in the field. Turns out it was worth rendering me a complete jackass…. the picture is good and it even looks as if it is trying to fake a smile.
ESI for real
Good old times, do you remember? There was a time, when cameras were analog and there was a time where ESI ruled the planet of C64. Thanks Dan, Ladyhway, Mitch… and all the rest for making my C64 times worthwile. You definatley rocked the scene. I knew what I had to do with this picture, right when I shot it at the Fasanerie in Hanau. RIP Eagle Soft Incorporated.
Dragonfly
Summer seems to be early this year. It is the beginning of June and the thermometer already passed the 25° C mark. Afrer meeting with friends ind Frankfurt for lunch I took a small detour on my way back and wandered through the beatifull Bethmannpark. Besides the hughe coys in the pond, a couple of big dragonflies where doing their maneuvers. This particular one was taking a break in the late afternoon sun…. and yess, I still don’t have a macro lens, but Sigmas 135-500 does a fabulous job, don’t you think? 🙂
halo
Really… time is a missing factor these days and photography has taken a beackseat, or at least the post has to wait. This one is from last years visit to La Palma. On top the Roque de los Muchachos we had plain sun, slight clouds and than this halo appeared. Now I know when people talk about having visions… this occurrence is by no means only visible on the picture. You can witness it right at spot. Amen!
reflections
There were two docks in Urk and when we passed the latter we had a fabulous sundown. I couldn’t resist and take this shot, as it reflects all that I learned about Urk that day.
winterstorm
Together with a bunch of friends, we spent Sylvester in the Netherlands. Although our house at Lemleveld was about an hour away from the next coast, we were all atracted to the sea and so we visited the small town Urk at the coast of Ijsselmeer. Water has something to it that makes people want more, even in winter, when like at this time the dark clouds swalloed the sun.
the raven
Our last day on the Island and together with Luca we headed for a small round on the Cumbre Viecha. It turned out that we took the wrong turn and were on the long way down, to the camping site at the bottom of the Caldera. As soon as we noticed we just went all the way back and at the parking site a friend was waiting for us or better for our Maria cookies.
just the two
Last year I thought I was lucky when I shot a dragonfly in midair, but it turned out that Karins pool is THE spot to witness more happenings in the lifeof dragonflies. There were constant fights about the territory – two male insects doing unbelievable maneuvers over the pool. Here you can see a couple on the way to the oviposition. I got more shots that are a tuck sharper, but I like the female insect touch the watersurface. And, did I mention that I have to get a macro lens? This was shot with my 500mm…..
barbed wire
One of the features that I really do like about the north of Germany is the vast space: fields everywhere, meaddows and many areas with less human beings. As a consequence of this you can see animals all day long, not worrying much about your presence. Those swallows took a rest on a nearby barbwire. I like the contrast between these little birds, soft and swift in their appearance and movement and the harsh military fence, that stands for the excact opposite.
mindnight surf
Stormy night in Karlsminde, where we spent one week. The clouds where chased along by the wind and the moon showed up every time it found a hole to peak through.
anti warbird
Down at Battery Park, right where the ferry starts off, you will find this huge statue which is the central part of the East Coast War Memorial. Black and white once more… it just fits.
freedom, or so
I was asked to help our Nike away team to join them on their mission to brush up Rucker Park, Harlem, NY for the Nike World Basketball Expo. Sure thing I went and while the show finally started on friday, me and a colleague Björn went sightseeing. We caught the ferry at Battery Park last minute and had perfect weather to visit the old lady at the harbor entrance. I don’t know why, but pictures of New York have to be black and white, don’t they?
michael
Ok, ok… calm down… it is Michael Air Jordan and thanks to my all access batch I got really close to him. He payed a visit to Nikes World Basketball Expo at Rucker Park, NY and man, this guy has a presence – almost a force field – around him. Go Micheal!
NY life
It is a common fact that the more the climate changes during the year on you homespot, the more you spent inside the house, whereas in countries where the temperatures stay on a certain high, people are mostly outside the house. New York seemed to be different…. but maybe it is due to the fact that there live so many people that you can see them in the streets, all the time.
knightrider
Oli rang me up the other day and was pretty excited: “Man! I have an idea for a shoot”. A couple of LEDs, a lonly skatepark far off, darkness, my good old SB800 – that I haven’t used for ages – et voilá…. looks easy, doesn’t it?. Actually, this was one of the later shots. Oli had to get used to the dim light and I had to trigger my flash at the right time. Not easy at all and happily no bails at all, and so sometimes the magic happens….
blindworm
I know, I know… I should have bought a macro lens instead of the big Sigma 500mm …. but hey, thats’s murphy. I bet, this little blindworm wouldn’t have shown up if I had taken the macro lens. Did you know that they belong to the family of lizards rather than snakes? And although they are called blindworlm their eyes are pretty good.
frankfurt skyline
I was tinkering with this one for quite some time. First I wanted to show the smog that and haze that was clearly to be seen on this beuatiful day and cut off all the woods in the foreground. Now that I made the 5th version of it, I think it is even clearer with the trees in sight. Damn big cities… no good for everyone.
sandy queen
Last day of our 4 day trip to Bergen ann Zee / Netherland and one day after Oranie lost the WM. Some little girl had dropped their stuff on the caffees porch and I couln’t resist. This stillife was too good to be true. I would have granted the title to the Netherlands… next time.
jack
I don’t know where you need to go in order to have a piece of cake under the plain sky and not be surrounded by sparrows. They seem to be everywhere and along with the starling family they are to be found all around our hemisphere. They are fast little birds, always there, when you drop a crumb of your meal.
shitepoke
Shitepoke? Really, that’s the name of those… see for yourself! Actually this three-colored one belongs to the herons, off which 62 different species are known. When I started photographing some years ago, I thought those were rare visitors here in Germany but they seem to be everywhere, known for having a “cosmopolitan distribution”. Lately a couple of families are nesting in Frankfurts Ostpark, so I could testdrive my Sigma 150-500mm lens and get some decent shots.
fly like an egyptian
Egyptian gooses are common place right now. A couple of years they where seldom guests in germany, but due to warm winters and the clima shift in general, they are everywhere to be seen. The bad thing about them is that they drive the old inhabitans of like the normal ducks out off their habitats…. well, where did I hear this already… ahh yes, the squirrels. Same here. World is changing constantly – mostly due to our intermission.
toadography
Living in Offenbach has many advantages. One is the “Grüne See” (green lake) is a nature reseve that is just around the corner. While attending it in summer it is hard to find a place for yourself, because everyone seems to be around, winter spring is far better. Big toad was sitting beside the main walkways an was lucky that I did not step on it. Still quite frozen and stiff it gave me the time needed to focus it with my 500er sigma. I already said it and will say it agin… I need a macro lens.
winters gift
I failed when trying to cling to my attitude towards the “bad” weather outside. I tried it, but I can’t help to say that I am really fed up with this cold, dark, rainy something out there. Winter won’t go this year and so here’s another winter shot from our trip to Oostmahorn.
ice-o-lation
Happy New Year! Sylvester was set to be in Netherland this year. Together with a couple of friends we headed north to spent four days in Landalpark Oostmahorn. Sunday was our last day and we took a walk in the nature resort Lauwersmeer. We made out a little languet on the map that we longed to reach and when the sun was about to vanish, we finnaly got there. Frozen bogland below, fog right above and a red flaming sun that shed some warm light over the cool blue blue snow.
frogger
I don’t know if i mix up somthing here, but see the crane I can imagine that those two little frogs, around the next corner, would make a good meal for him… or was it only the stork that’s after those little critters?
crane
There many inhabitants in the Caldera de Taburiente. We were lucky too meet quite a few. I tried to take pictures of cranes around my hometown but they are very shy and just looking toward their direction often is enought to make them leave, so the only ones I got where those two from the Zoo in Frankfurt, that tend to show up when it is feeding time for the sea lions. Here we go… all natural, an all wild crane from the Caldera. EDIT: I am still learning and so errors are for sure to be made… this seems to be heron, not a crane.
branco de colores
Hiking the Caldera de Taburiente is one of the greatest things one can do on La Palma. Half way back to our starting point, we found the “Cascadas de colores”, colorful waterfall with its yellow water that trails through the whole baranco.
volcano land
At times you will find some hot spots on the south side of La Palma. St. Antonio and Teneguia are the last volcanoes. The letter erupted in the 1970s and shaped the southern shoreline, adding new land and buried old parts.
crabs
They are everywhere along the rocky shores of La Plama. Shy and fast are two of their characteristics that make them somehow hard to photograph. Gotcha!
heure bleu
Every evening we were swept away by unbelievable sundowns. The blue hour was the time when La Palma showed its magic.
thr33
It is kind of funny: You can try to hide and not move in order to get close to animals and you get very far. The next time you are loud, noisy don’t care about any means of camouflage and you get even closer. I was about to shoot some pictures of a falcon on a nearby tree when a flock of goats passed. The falcon hadn’t noticed me, but those three saw me instantly. When I turned around and shot this picture the falcon went off. I didn’t mind. I had some decent picture of it already.
falcon
No, not the millenium falcon, but a real one. La Palma is the island of falcons. Around barancos around our house we hat quite a few of them, but it was this one that kept me going. Every evening it sat down on a nearby pine. I had a hard time getting close to it and even this time, it saw me first, staring right into the cameras eye. A nice shot anyway.
caught in the act
I am no big fan of dead center compositions but with this shot I had to break my rules. This little fellow was buzzing around the pool and kept constantly chasing off other dragonflies off its territory. It came back day after day and so I just hat to wait for it to appear. Shooting it with a 300mm lens was another stroy. Nailed it!
lizzards everywhere
Whenever you set foot in Karins garden you can hear rustling from different places. Its those little lizzards running away from you. This one was living on our terrace and on second day he lost his shyness and almost fell asleep during the shooting.
tekla
Okay, it is not wearing a bandana and isn’t that cute like in the old kiddie flick Biene Maja, but beautyful in a way. Found it in Karins garden, not far from our veranda.
gloom
We hit the mark with our choice to go rent the Casa Bueanavista apartment. Las Tricias/La Palma is by far the best place to stay. This is the sundown captured right from our terrace. Every evening when the sun was about to vanish, the mighty clouds dropped down the hills and came in very low, rendering jawdropping views like this. Enjoy!
