you-wee because' picture & postcard platform

Doggy(-)style??? --> Doggy chic, doggy beachwear!!!

2012-01-31T21:50:00.002+01:00

No worries - everything (mostly) clean and g-rated in this post! ;-))

OK, let's turn our trendy beach mutt to the left...

...how do you like his furred overcoat???

Malicious gossip has it that it's a cat fur... ;-))

*** *** *** *** ***

OK, what about this beefy beauty???

These eyes cannot lie!

*** *** *** *** ***

Where's my driver??? I hate sandy paws!!!

Sun & rain interplay

2012-01-29T22:19:00.002+01:00

Although the first month of year 2012 is already up, I'm still very often with my thoughts at the German North Sea coast where I spent some leisure time between Christmas and New Year.

The sun was shining much more often at the end of the year 2011 than we expected. But of course one or two rain showers appeared at the horizon occasionally and crossed the sky rapidly.

At the present moment the we had blue sky and some harmless clouds...

...a moment later...

...the wind freshend dramatically...

and we get "a little" wet! ;-)

Splish splash, I was taking a bath...

2012-01-20T21:31:00.001+01:00

...or:

How to get wet on a sunny day at the German North Sea coast at the end of year 2011.

Location: Sylt, Hoernum Odde,
the southern tip of the northernmost and most famous of the German North Sea islands.

On the western shore you can find a row of tetrapods, the four-legged concrete breakwaters, formerly put in the sea near the beach as coastal protection measures.

With the wind blowing from the right direction you may have a saltwater shower...

Although it didn't rain during the shooting I had to drain/dry my camera and lens more than one time ... ;-)

Splish splash, ...

...I was taking a bath!

Hooray! First working day 2012! ;-))

2012-01-09T18:32:00.000+01:00

"Flying Russians" (cosmonaut training???) in the middle of the Palace Square
in front of the Winter Palace at Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T01:41:00.000+01:00

New Year's Eve fireworks in the fog!!!
;-)

A happy and prosperous New Year!

Weihnachtsbaden Westerland

2011-12-28T00:33:00.003+01:00

I hope you enjoyed your Christmas party as well!

Christmas illumination - Saint Petersburg style

2011-12-22T16:57:00.000+01:00

Saint Petersburg, Russia, is widely known for its "white nights",
a period from mid-May to mid-July when twilight may last all night and the sun shines up to nearly 19 hours in mid-June.

I visited "Peter" mid-December. And "enjoyed" the long black nights and dull-grey days... ;-))

I took this photo of the Winter Palace, seen from the Palace Square, in the evening time. But I could have taken exactly this scene at 11 a.m. in the morning as well, because the sun started rising at 11:15 a.m. earliest in mid-December...

Good luck it rained all evening long during my sight seeing trip, because without the rain on the square I wouldn't had such a nice reflection of the palace's front on the ground... ;-)

OK, let's continue the photo tour through Petersburg city center...

That was definitely my favourite photo motif during my night-time photo stalk: the Griboyedov Canal with the
Church of the Savior on Blood at its end.

Try to capture the same scene (I did!) during (dull-grey) winter day light and without illumination: agonizingly boring!

What's next? --> Nevski Prospect, the main street of the city of Saint Petersburg.

Getting out of the identically-named metro station and heading west-northwest you see the tower buildung of the former State Duma, illuminated with its beautiful Christmas decoration.

On Nevsky Prospect (= Avenue) and in other parts of the city center you find this elegant type of winter decoration, while most of the Christmas trees are decorated a bit too colourfully (in my humble opinion).

Of course I had to block the traffic for approx. 10 min. for this time exposure shot... ;-)

Blocking the traffic on the main streets too often was not the very best idea I had this evening, so the next photo I took again from the pedestrian area right of the street.

Saint Isaac's Cathedral - an island / bastion of calm within the urban traffic.

Saint Petersburg urban racing car, with the logo of the local football club: FC Zenit (Saint Petersburg).

(Not) literally translated: we are the best, strongest and most beautifully... ;-)

Last (but not least): Russian (?) lady's desire and (most) Russian gentleman's ruin:

White sable fur coat - or a new, well-equipped Volkswagen???

Make your choice!

;-))

half time!?

2011-12-07T22:57:00.000+01:00

Any comments???

;-))

Royal Christmas market Hohenzollern Castle 2011

2011-12-02T23:41:00.001+01:00

Severe sunshine, blue sky, felt 25°C - not really the weather for a German Christmas market at the end of November 2011, but not truly a reason to worry about.

The royal Christmas market on Hohenzollern castle is known as one of the most beautiful Christmas markets in Germany. The prime reason is surely the spectacular castle complex and siting of Hohenzollern castle.

One half of the booths were outside on the castle grounds, the other half inside the historical rooms of the caslte

The Hohenzollern Christmas tree with a height of approx 5 meters

Monument of

Kaiser Wilhelm I. - König von Preussen

A wee bit of Christmas decoration

2011-11-26T17:40:00.001+01:00

No, that's not the Christmas decoration in our living space,
I took the photos one week ago at the "Sommerhaus", Bad Mergentheim, our favourite home interior shop.

"Sommerhaus" garden in November 2011
The building is protected as a historic monument

I wish all of you a pleasant Advent season!

Euch allen eine schöne und besinnliche Adventszeit!

Beethoven's letters

2011-11-18T14:11:00.001+01:00

Beethoven is known globally for his unique music and compositions.

Born in Bonn 1770, Beethoven moved to Vienna in his early 20s, studying with Joseph Haydn and quickly gaining a reputation as a virtuoso pianist.

But not many people know Beethoven for the hunderds of letters he wrote in his lifetime.

Beethoven's personal life was troubled by his encroaching deafness and irritability brought on by chronic abdominal pain (beginning in his twenties) which led him to contemplate suicide. Beethoven was often irascible and may have suffered from bipolar disorder.

Nevertheless, he had a close and devoted circle of friends all his life, thought to have been attracted by his strength of personality. Toward the end of his life, Beethoven's friends competed in their efforts to help him cope with his incapacities.

A lot about Beethoven's life and character you can read out his letters he wrote to friends and people he admired. These letters fortunately survived until today and were published by several publishing houses.

Michael Schwarz-Weber (reader) and Michael Blümel (graphic artist and painter) organized and performed a special reading on Wednesday, 16, 2011 at the Kulturforum Bad Mergentheim.

While Michael Schwarz-Weber read two dozen of Beethoven's letters, Michael Blümel did simultaneously a "live painting" and created nine paintings inspired by the letter's contents.

November deer and roses

2011-11-14T00:15:00.000+01:00

This year's autumn in Germany is really unusually: yet no storms, no strong winds at all, no rain showers, no temperatures below 0°C - just calm and misty weather, sometimes with periods of great and warm sunshine. So many of the deciduous trees still have their withered leaves on their branches.

And most of the roses are not frozebitten.

So I was able to take some autumnal photos during my weekend stroll without having the disadvantages of normal German autumn weather...

The deer (fallow deer as far as I know) I found inside an enclosure of a small manison / country house.

They are really greedy, so it was no problem at all to entice many of them with some bread.

"police-car-cow-matched" traffic sign

2011-11-04T23:49:00.000+01:00

Endangered species: The German road sign "Cattle crossing"

as well as the type of cattle, the Belted Galloway,

also known as police car cow or panda cow.

cow or car?

Slightly modified / matched German traffic sign "Viehtrieb" / cattle crossing;

here's the original: Verkehrsschild Viehtrieb

Belted Galloways at regular occupation... ;-)

November beach kites

2011-11-01T23:48:00.001+01:00

Colourful eyecatcher in front of a gray November sky.

EMO 2011 impressions II

2011-10-25T22:37:00.001+02:00

SCHUNK

automated palletizing system

on the basis of the

quick chance palletizing system VERO-S

with the new robot interface NSR

exhibited the first time on the EMO 2011 exhibition show

at Hannover, Germany

with integrated workpiece gripper

in interaction with

a 7-axis MOTOMAN jointed-arm robot

for loading and unloding of machining centers

in a localized manner

EMO 2011 impressions

2011-10-09T17:24:00.003+02:00

EMO 2011 exhibition at Hannover
19 - 24 September 2011

The flagship fair for the international metalworking industry.

Have a look at some of my photos I took on the exhibition stand of SCHUNK - the company I work for.

411 sqm full of latest work- & toolholding technology, gripping systems, laser welding technology - full of "blue efficency".

This is what I call delighted customers... ;-))

7-axis jointed-arm robot with the new high-performance robot interface based on VERO-S zero point clamping system

VERO-S mini - miniature zero point clamping system

ROTA NCL - new sealed power chuck with a chuck body out of CFRP - carbon fibre reinforced plastic

Fantomas is alive - Fantomas lebt!

2011-10-04T22:11:00.004+02:00

;-))

Erntedankfest - Harvest Festival

2011-10-03T17:30:00.001+02:00

The Harvest Festival is an annual celebration which occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region - mainly in the Western world.

In the southwest of Germany where I live it's a popular tradition to decorate churches with autumnal fruits and flowers.

This photo I took today in the evangelic municipal church of Creglingen, a small town in the very northeast of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany.

Bad Mergentheim's "stairway to heaven"

2011-09-15T06:19:00.000+02:00

Last Sunday we had "Tag des offenen Denkmals" - the day of the open (to the public) monuments.

So I had the chance to get some insights and outlooks one normally does not get in normal life.

First of all I had the opportunity to climb the scaffold of our cemetry chapel Michaelis.
There I had a very unique angle of view (I never had before and never will have in future) into direction of Bad Mergentheim's town center.

The castle of Mergentheim - you see the castle tower on the right side behind the red building, the left tower is the steeple of our parish church - was the residence of the Grand Masters and Deutschmeister of the German Teutonic Order from 1525-1809.

The unique Berwart staircase - a spiral staircase located between the west and north wing of the Deutschordensschloss (Teutonic Knights castle), constructed in 1574 and still famous today.

To watch to sun on the top of the stairway (to heaven?) you have to go inside the hollow core of the construction.

Or: you have to climb the staircase to its top - what is normally forbidden.

But not during our special guided day-of-the-open-monuments tour.

On your way to heaven - or at least on your way towards the sun you'll find a lot of different "Steinmetzzeichen" - stonemason's marks. Immortalized inside several of the staircase's stones.

Finally: on top of the castle tower - we had to climb more than another 100 dusty steps - you'll have a phantastic panorama view on Bad Mergentheim's town center.

This time the steeple of the parish church is right of the photo's center.
The cemetry chapel (with scaffold around) is in the green tree-covered area on the left section of the photo.

Have you ever been to Bad Mergentheim and to the stairway to heaven???

The gnomes of Weikersheim castle

2011-09-08T12:56:00.001+02:00

Weikersheim castle, seen from the park side, well-known by tens of thousands of visitors per year.

It is located in the valley of the Tauber, in the very north of Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

What is unique in the castle grounds is the gallery of gnomes, known as the "Zwergengalerie"

The dwarf or gnome gallery is a serial of 16 statues, showing the counts household in the time of baroque as a caricature. The characters, smaller than life-sized, were created by the sculptors family Sommer from Künzelsau in the early 18th century.

I took the photos on a pleasant summer evening in late August when the castle grounds where already devoid of visitors.

But of course the light short prior 10 p.m. was already a little "poor" - so I had to raise the light sensitivity of my camera to ISO 3200 to hold the shots out of hand.

Flower bouquet weekend - Fürstliche Gartentage Langenburg

2011-09-04T21:10:00.000+02:00

This weekend was just like a colourful bouquet of flowers - a feast for the eyes.

Fürstliche Gartentage auf Schloss Langenburg

"Royal Garden Days at Langenburg castle"

Come along with me and enjoy some of the impressions I captured on Saturday...

summer impressions II

2011-09-01T21:03:00.000+02:00

Sylt summer of '69???

--> My attempt to coat this photo from this year's summer with a little patina !!!

And: No - this is NOT a photo taken with a "pixel catching device" like an iPhone...

...this scene is captured with a "real" camera... ;-))

*** *** *** *** ***

The beach near Kampen, Sylt at the same day:

Kampen cliff and smooth beach life...

...the same photo in two different steps of editing.

As far as I know: Atlantic jackknife clam (Amerikanische Scheidenmuschel),

arranged in the sandy dunes.

Shells of the common whelk (Wellhornschnecke) hanging around...

Easy beach life.

Flying Buddha

2011-08-27T08:37:00.038+02:00

Or: I don't wish I could fly, because I know I really CAN do it.

body control...

...and temper...

...paired with...

...self-confidence...

...results in: the flying budda.

artist / dominator of the airspace: Rosa.
clothes: who cares?!

photographer, as usual: me.

Wet dreams for married men.

2011-08-23T19:18:00.040+02:00

Recent Saturday, while millons of conscientious housewives hung out their laundry, my sweetheart and me went for breakfast at a very special breakfast location...

...at the coffee house of the V8 hotel, next ot the MEILENWERK Stuttgart.

My Red Porsche Killer was in good company on the parking area in front of the V8 hotel.

Anyhow: The drivers of the muscle cars who parked temporarily left of me showed their respect by leaving a little room between my road runner (486.000 km!) and their snookums.

Inside the MEILENWERK you find a spectacular selection of classic cars and replicas in mostly great condition.

"pop eye" - "Glubschauge"- ??? - Ferrari 250 GTO !!! - replica???

Headlight of the latest Ferrari FF - a very "handsome" family car... ;-)

My all-time favorite - Jaguar E Type - just a timeliess beauty.

Photographer in the mirror.

This was really a nice playground we've been...

VW T1 "Samba" Bus - nine seater with all in all 23 window panes

summer impressions I

2011-08-15T18:51:00.019+02:00

Sylt beach life - between the rain showers... ;-)

bloßweghier!

2011-07-28T18:12:00.006+02:00

Die Koffer sind gepackt und bereits in unseren bequemen Wohnwagen eingeräumt.

The bags are packed and already placed in our convenient camper.

Unsere Zugmaschine ist gewaschen, gekämmt, aufgetankt und für die bevorstehende Reise startklar.

Our tractor machine is cleaned, combed, fueled up and ready to go!

Bloßweghier!!!

Quickawayfromhere!!!

;-)))

Meer, Sonne, Sand, Strand - wir kommen!

Sea, sun, sand, beach - coming!

Euch allen eine schöne und erholsame Sommerzeit!

A pleasant and relaxing summertime for all of you!

It happend recently in Rothenburg...

2011-07-22T06:08:00.001+02:00

This is one of the typical views of Rothenburg, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Germany.

In the lower right-hand corner of my photo you can see a part of the river Tauber. At the time of the shot the river Tauber had a very low level of water.

On one of the bigger stones of the river bed I saw her.

BARBIE. Sunbathing. As created by natur. Respectively created by Mattel Inc..

Even a piece of plastic can exalt your imagination, can't it?!

;-))

Let's consult the god of snails what this finding means...

Enjoy your weekend!

transparency and fragility

2011-07-21T06:19:00.006+02:00

Taken yesterday evening in the garden of my parents

I got the summer roses blues...

2011-07-19T18:33:00.044+02:00

Kann halt nicht aus meiner Haut heraus: Bin ein bekennender "Plümschen"-Fotograf...

...die können einfach nicht weglaufen wenn ich komme! ;-)

The leopard can't change its spots - literally: I cannot change / I cannot get out of my skin: I'm an avowing photographer of "florets"...

...they cannot run away if I come! ;-)

*´¨ )

¸.* ¸.*´¨) ¸.•*¨)

(¸.*´ (¸.•´ (¸.•*´¯`*•-> beauty and transience...

What a pity I cannot attach the scent of the roses here on my blog...

Rhinos: Have you ever thought about a career as a...

2011-07-18T06:13:00.032+02:00

...coat hook???

Don't leave this job exclusively to horses, deer or goats!

Just say: "Yes, we can" (as well)!

Some may say it's not the right job for such a mighty animal.

But being flexible according modern job requirements means to look for new opportunities.

Undertake a leading part in households of stylistically (un)confident yuppies and meet new friends!

;-))

Knutschkugel - "snooching ball" - "bubble car"

2011-07-11T20:32:00.001+02:00

BMW Isetta 300

BMW made this Isetta its own. They redesigned the powerplant around a BMW one-cylinder, four-stroke, 247 cc motorcycle engine which generated 10 kW (13 hp). Although the major elements of the Italian design remained intact, BMW re-engineered much of the car, so much so that none of the parts between a BMW Isetta Moto Coupe and an Iso Isetta are interchangeable. The first BMW Isetta appeared in April 1955.

In May 1962, three years after launching the conventionally modern-looking BMW 700, BMW ceased production of Isettas. A total of 161,728 units had been built.

This well-preserved BMW Isetta 300 - also known as "Knutschkugel", literally translated into "snooching ball" - I saw recent weekend in my hometown Bad Mergentheim.

Really a beauty, isn't it!?

Automobile Briar Rose II

2011-07-06T23:17:00.003+02:00

After having found that enchanted FIAT 124 Spider in February 6, 2011 under a huge blackberry bush in the town of Schwäbisch-Hall, recent weekend we discovered again an "automobile Briar Rose".

Not really difficult to see it's an old VW beetle.

This snookums sleeps under a layer of blooming clematis plants of different colours.

The open driver's door invites you to come a little closer and to cast a glance into the interior of this automobile dearie - or what remained of it.

This eye of a headlight has the blues, hasn't it?

;-))

The old beetle shows the city coat of arms of Wolfsburg (= wolf + burg / castle) - the headquarters of the Volkswagen AG - on his front boot lid.

What a dignified final resting place for such a car!

In the middle of a huge gardens, where they cultivate different rose and clematis varieties.

R.I.P.

La mer

2011-06-23T23:31:00.002+02:00

Get some peace - and enjoy.

Charles Trénet - La Mer

Torre Agbar - "El pene de Barcelona"

2011-06-20T05:21:00.062+02:00

Definitely one of Barcelonas most spectacular buildings of the modern period - La Torre Agbar - also popularly known as "el pene de Barcelona " - the penis of Barcelona because of its phallic shape.

The 38-storey tower with a total height of 144.4 m is located between Avinguda Diagonal and Carrer Badajoz, near Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, which marks the gateway to the new technological district of Barcelona.

Unfortunately the building is not publicly accessible, it's owned by the multinational group Agbar which has its corporate headquarters in the building and that takes up most of the floors.

Its design combines a number of different architectural concepts, resulting in a striking structure built with reinforced concrete, covered with a fascade of glass, and over 4,500 window openings cut out of the structural concrete.

A defining feature of the building is its nocturnal illumination. It has 4,500 LED luminous devices that allow generation of luminous images in the façade.

Without my tripod I clamped my camera next to one of the benches of the pedestrian area in the middle of Avinguda Diagonal - to get some acceptable night shots.

By switching the towers environments into black and white with a little help of Photoshop the colours of Torre Agbar shine even brighter within the monochrome surrounding.

Barcelona's roller shutter graffiti

2011-06-14T05:57:00.056+02:00

Most of us know Barcelona from its famous sights: La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona Cathedral, Torre Agbar, Las Ramblas, Park Güell, the hill Montjüic, ...

...but are you aware of the thousands of notable graffiti on the hundreds of thousands of Barcelona's roller shutters???

As a Barcelona shopkeeper you just have one alternative: Either you paint the roller shutter of your store yourself or some graffiti sprayer will do the job for you. But in this case you have no choice regarding the motif... ;-)

Cast a glance on my collection of roller shutter graffiti & paintings I found on the streets and back lanes of Catalonia's capital.

If you don't close your eyes in front of the small things of life when strolling through the streets of Barcelona or of your own home town, you find pretty a lot to discover at every turn!

A house of worship like no other.

2011-06-10T20:58:00.006+02:00

Basilica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família - Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family

??? 1909 ??? --> laying of the foundation stone: March 19th, 1882

Building completion (planned): 2026 - the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death.

No matter if you believe in God or not, irrespectively of what religion you belong to, it's really difficult to remain unimpressed by the basilica La Sagrada Familia, a church like no other on this planet.

Gaudi's original design calls for a total of eighteen spires, representing in ascending order of height the Twelve Apostles, the four Evangelists, the Virgin Mary and, tallest of all (approx. 170 m), Jesus Christ. Eight spires have been built as of 2010, corresponding to four apostles at the Nativity façade and four apostles at the Passion façade.

The Evangelists' spires will be surmounted by sculptures of their traditional symbols: a bull (st Luke), a winged man (St Matthew), an eagle (St John), and a lion (St Mark). The central spire of Jesus Christ is to be surmounted by a giant cross; the spire's total height (170 metres (560 ft)) will be one metre less than that of Montjuïc hill in Barcelona. The lower spires are surmounted by communion hosts with sheaves of wheat and chalices with bunches of grapes, representing the Eucharist.
The completion of the spires will make Sagrada Família the tallest church building in the world as well as the church with the tallest spire in the world.

Nativity Façade

Constructed between 1894 and 1930, the Nativity façade was the first façade to be completed. Dedicated to the birth of Jesus, it is decorated with scenes reminiscent of elements of life. Characteristic of Gaudí's naturalistic style, the sculptures are ornately arranged and decorated with scenes and images from nature, each a symbol in their own manner.

A photo out of the year 1928.

Nativity Façade

In contrast to the highly decorated Nativity Façade, the Passion Façade is austere, plain and simple, with ample bare stone, and is carved with harsh straight lines to resemble a skeleton if it were reduced to only bone. Dedicated to the Passion of Christ, the suffering of Jesus during his crucifixion, the façade was intended to portray the sins of man. Construction began in 1954, following the drawings and instructions left by Gaudí for future architects and sculptors. The towers were completed in 1976, and in 1987 a team of sculptors, headed by Josep Maria Subirachs, began work sculpting the various scenes and details of the façade.

interior impressions - enjoy.

The current eight spires as of June 2011, corresponding to four apostles at the Nativity façade and four apostles at the Passion façade.

Wings of Barcelona

2011-06-06T20:49:00.003+02:00

At the first glance "it" looks like a statue out of wood or metal and nobody seems to take notice of this item on the pedestrian mall "La Rambla" at the heart of Barcelona.

But at a second sight you realize the figure looking like a huge bronze guardian angel.

Flipping a coin into the pot in front of the galactic creature breathes life its static body.

And you are rewarded by a breathy kiss... :-)

Here flipping a coin does no good anymore...

Literatur im Schloss - Archiv verworfener Möglichkeiten

2011-05-26T23:48:00.020+02:00

Literature in Bad Mergentheim's castle - Matthias Brand read from the "archive of scrapped opportunities" from Naomi Schenck and Ulrich Rüdenauer.

*** *** *** *** ***

Heute Abend im Deutschordensmuseum des Mergentheimer Schlosses:

Matthias Brandt liest aus dem „Archiv verworfener Möglichkeiten“ von Naomi Schenck und Ulrich Rüdenauer

Die Fotografien von Naomi Schenck zeigen Szenerien für ungedrehte Filme: Meist menschenleere Räume, aufgelassene Gebäude, mit Zufallsrequisiten befrachtete Orte, die einst von Leben gefüllt waren und irgendwann verlassen wurden. Und die Orte, die einst von Leben gefüllt waren und irgendwann verlassen wurden. Und die doch „von Stoffen voll“ sind, die Geschichten beherbergen. Naomi Schenck und Ulrich Rüdenauer, der Herausgeber des Bandes "Archiv verworfener Möglichkeiten", haben 35 deutschsprachige Autoren, Essayisten und Publizisten gebeten, sich von den Bildmontagen anregen zu lassen. Der Schauspieler Matthias Brandt laß ausgewählte Geschichten aus dem Band vor.

The fabulous (German) artist and actor Matthias Brandt read essays, poems, dialogs and stories from the book "Archiv verworfener Möglichkeiten" / literally translated into: "archive of scrapped opportunities".

Naomi Schenck und Ulrich Rüdenauer beim Vorstellen der Idee hinter ihrem Buchprojekt "Archiv verworfener Möglichkeiten"

*** *** *** *** ***

Photographer Naomi Schenck and publisher Ulrich Rüdenauer introducing into their book project
"archive of scrapped opportunities".

35 German writers and essayists drew inspiration from and wrote stories to the photomontages of Naomi Schenck. Most of these montages show empty rooms, once filled with life and abandoned later.

The photographs of empty rooms were initially photographic storyboards for future shooting locations / filming spots. But all of them were scrapped.

Before buried totally in oblivion, Naomi and Ulrich had the idea to this book project.

Der großartige Matthias Brandt, der einige der Essays und Geschichten
zu Naomi Schencks Fotos lebendig werden ließ.

*** *** *** *** ***

Matthias Brandt breathed the stories, poems and essays into life with his eclectic way of reading.

SCHWARZWEIß zum Schluss, einfach weil ich's viel zu wenig mache...

*** *** *** *** ***

Finally monochrome photography - I do this far too seldom.

artists wanted || Pete Eckert portrait

2011-05-22T09:33:00.002+02:00

Video about the blind photographer Pete Eckert.

Very inspiring, in my humbe opinion.

Even for those who are able to see.

http://www.peteeckert.com/

Somewhen somewhere at Langenburg

2011-05-21T22:22:00.002+02:00

Drinking beer makes you see penguins... ;-)

It was raining cats and hens that day.
Dogs were temporarily not available at that time.

Mercury dwarfs or esoteric buddhas - make your choice.

Florets (but not Mike Floret) and kitsch-as-kitsch-can --> wonderful ;-) !!!

Ommmmm...

Some of my favourite Plümschen / florets...

Focused man at work - unfortunately no time for a charming smile.

All in all it was a magic day.

The visit of ACB0702 in Bäd Mergentheim

2011-05-16T21:04:00.004+02:00

Hi folks! Recent weekend we enjoyed a part of our leisure time at our favourite Espressobar Italia in our hometown Bäd Mergentheim. Unexpectedly we had a special visitor - a teenage window mannequin named ACB0702, that shows already some traces of appropriate, but intensive usage.

Nello sprang for an ice cream cone with a ball of chocolate ice cream and thereafter ACB0702 took place in our midst.

The pink shoes of H. look really gorgeously on ACB0702's feet, don't they?

The strawberry shake obviously hits the spot as well...

...and a smile flashed over ACB0702's face.

Even the back of the head seems to smile... ;-)

Tree personalities on the island of Vilm

2011-05-06T22:52:00.006+02:00

The Baltic Sea island and nature reserve of Vilm lies in the bay south of the much larger island of Rügen, it is one of Germany's most remote and tranquil spots. Covering less than 1 km², Vilm is the remnant of a moraine left as the glaciers retreated about 6000 years ago.

Although it is small, the surprising natural diversity and beauty of the Isle of Vilm has attracted hundreds of landscape painters over the last 2 centuries. Most of it is covered in forest that has been undisturbed for decades, and even centuries, with the result that its oak and beech woods are among the most untouched and impressive in Germany, and the island boasts a rich diversity of birds and small mammals. Part of the island – most of Middle Vilm and all of Little Vilm – is strictly closed to all human presence.

One of the most spectactular and characteristic oaks in the northern part of Vilm - the "double branch oak".

View on the Middle and the Small Vilm with its beautiful, but inaccessible / "forbidden" beach.
Do you see the undulated sandy structures in the bay?

The "lightning strike beech"...

...still sprouting!

Oak and blooming cherry bush living in harmony near the north-eastern beach.

The elephant.

"Blick zur Insel Vilm", / "View to the island of Vilm", Caspar David Friedrich, 1809.

Lost without trace (?) / missed since 1945.

View from the island of Vilm to the "white town" of Putbus, Ruegen, especially to the classicist market at the Circus of Putbus on top of the rise and its harbour Lauterbach on the waterfront.

Bäderstilarchitektur - Baltic Sea style architecture

2011-05-04T20:28:00.002+02:00

Sellin, a seaside resort on the Isle of Rügen, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

The municipality is known for its famous style of Bäderstil / Baltic Sea style architecture.

Especially the main road Wilhelmstrasse is flanked by perfectly refurbished white timber cottages.

In the same style they built up again the Sellin pier.
The Sellin Pier at the Baltic Sea was re-built in 1998 in the shape of its historical pattern from the beginning of the twentieth century which had been destroyed several times. Now it is more beautifully than ever before.

Rügen - Koenigsstuhl

2011-04-28T22:32:00.002+02:00

Koenigsstuhl chalk cliffs - Ruegen's famous steep coast

For the statisticians: The Königsstuhl has a total height of 118 meters above sea level.

Jasmund National Park is situated in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, in the far north-east of Germany. Its most spectacular feature is without doubt the Königsstuhl chalk cliffs, immortalised by the painter Caspar David Friedrich.

struggle for survival - trees versus chalk - the dynamics of the coastal erosion typical for this region

As well as white chalk for writing, observant visitors can spot ice-age sediments and fossils on the beach.

The firestone beach - millions of interesting stones to look for

One of my favourite sports on the firestone beach - stone stacking ;-)

...my masterpiece! ;-))

week(end) escape

2011-04-25T22:22:00.001+02:00

Seebrücke Sellin - Sellin pier

Isle of Ruegen

- - - more coming soon - - -

Robby meets...

2011-04-12T21:19:00.002+02:00

...Buchhandlung (book shop) Moritz & Lux, Bäd Mergentheim.

This is our bookstore. And our temporary postcard scriptorium.

...Espressobar Italia.

That's what we call a real street cafe... ;-))

Best coffee in town. Definitely.

Ciao Nello e Mara.

...Robby.

Hi buddy.

You've got a screw loose.

Variations of Helleborus niger.

2011-03-28T22:54:00.002+02:00

Christrose, Christmas rose or black hellebore

Traced at the first garden exhibition 2011 - the Christmas rose and Easter exhibition at ...

... the castle of Burgellern near Bamberg, Upper Franconia.

Here's a red variant of Helleborus niger.

The spotted purple hybrid is my favourite...

...it looks lovely, but the species is poisonous.

Regardless of its colour.

So it's certainly not the favourite snack for the two castle donkeys.

TGIF ;-))

2011-03-25T23:01:00.002+01:00

Have a great weekend!

spring awakening - Frühlingserwachen - part II

2011-03-20T22:12:00.003+01:00

Enjoy watching today's almond bloom near the village Birkweiler, Palatinate, Germany

spring awakening - Frühlingserwachen - part I

2011-03-19T23:33:00.002+01:00

I guess it's really time for spring awakening of nature now.

Today I found these sprouting leaf buds of an apple tree in the garden of the decoration and furnishing house "Sommerhaus" in our hometown Bäd Mergentheim.

Direcly next to a bundle of catkin twigs decorating an outdoor table in front of the shop.

Beauties in pink

2011-03-12T23:54:00.007+01:00

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Dedicated to the victims and people suffering from the Japanese quake-tsunami disaster 11 Mar 2011

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Crocuses found in the botanic garden of the biological institute of Würzburg university.

Some of them grow in a garden part that is emulated like a mountainous area.

common pasque flower [Pulsatilla vulgaris]

Sunday stroll through Würzburg

2011-03-03T23:21:00.004+01:00

Würzburg, (German pronunciation: [ˈvʏɐ̯tsbʊɐ̯k]), is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. And that's - more or less - right at our doorstep.

And Würzburg with its art treasures is really a gem. Although it was destroyed nearly totally during World War II.

Wikipedia: On 16 March 1945, about 90% of the city full of civilians was destroyed in 17 minutes by 225 British Lancaster bombers during a World War II air raid. All of the city's churches, cathedrals, and other monuments were heavily damaged or destroyed. The city center, which dated from medieval times, was totally destroyed in a firestorm in which 5,000 people perished. Over the next 20 years, the buildings of historical importance were painstakingly and accurately replicated. The citizens who rebuilt the city immediately after the end of the war were mostly women – Trümmerfrauen ("rubble women") – because the men were either dead or taken prisoner of war. In comparison, Würzburg was destroyed more totally than was Dresden in a firebombing the previous month.

View along the old bridge over the river Main (Alte Mainbrücke) with its bridge statuary and the tower of the old town hall (with the clock) as well as the twin steeples from the cathedral.

The world-famous sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider at work direct in front of Wuerzburg Residence, the local palace and World Cultural Heritage.

Mural paining of Wuerzburg' cathedral St. Kilian in an old school that is an arthouse cinema nowadays.

In the crypt of St. Kilian, where you find some really cool gestalts... ;-)

The three apostels of the Franconians - die Frankenapostel - of the collegiate foundation Neumünster

Some impressions of the arthouse cinema / the old school building, where you find the mural painting with the town's landmarks as well.

The photographer at work.

;-)

Me and my service robot

2011-02-25T23:00:00.000+01:00

Some impressions of the exhibition of the 4th international Expert Days on

*** S E R V I C E R O B T I C S ***

February 23 & 24, 2011

organized by S C H U N K

A modular robotics light-weight arm with six degrees of freedom built out of three elements of the wrist module SPB Powerball and two connectors: the movements of two axes are combined in a single module in extremely compact space. On top a light-weight two finger parallel gripper as actuator.

A six-axis light-weight arm as graphic artist.

Robot control for a light-weight arm with integrated light signal collision indicator.

Light-weight arm with one wrist module SPB and dextrous hand SDH.

The multiple-section 3-finger SDH gripping hand enables the
form-fit and force-fit gripping of a wide range of objects and can be
used both in areas of service robotics and in industrial applications.

Loccioni Mo.Di.Bot.:

Mobile Diagnostic Robot

with robotic arm from SCHUNK.

The robot will be interconnected with the production system in order to exchange data useful for controlling process and products, and to achieve the full integration of measurement processes with the rest of the production system.

This diagnostic robot is designed to measure and test front-loaded washing machines.

The R&D-Team seen out of the washing machine drum... ;-)

At eye level with spring snowflakes

2011-02-22T23:08:00.001+01:00

Today at minus two degree centigrade and sunshine during my lunch break.

Leucojum vernum - - - spring snowflake - - - Frühlings-Knotenblume / Märzenbecher

Just fed up with winter...

2011-02-20T00:54:00.000+01:00

...I want sun's warmth, flowers, spring fever!!! ;-)

Not for the first time when we felt a kind of winter depression we went to the greenhouses of the botanical garden of Wuerzburg University.

There you find a inkling of spring with all its pleasant sides.

And some beautiful orchids and other tropical plants.

On top you see what I guess is a Cattleya hybrid. A species with hundreds of different variants and a countless variety of blossom colours.

Much more common on your window sill and better known is this Phalaenopsis hybrid - here a purple species.

No idea what type of plant I capured here - but I like it.

Automobile Briar Rose

2011-02-06T22:34:00.005+01:00

Things always seem to happen when you least expect them.

So it happened this sunny Sunday afternoon, when we just wanted to be sun-seekers on our walk through Schwaebisch Hall after a visit of the Alex Katz exhibition at the Kunsthalle Würth.

In one of the lanes of the old town we found it accidentally: Das automobilistische Dornröschen - the automobile Briar Rose!

It took a short while to find out that it was an old FIAT 124 Spider we discovered in a rundown courtyard under a hugh blackberry bush.

And far and wide there was neither a noble prince nor a competent car mechanic who could rescue our Briar Rose out of her perpetual sleep.

By the look of things there seems to be no rescue for this former automobile beauty any more.

The only "act of deference" I could do for the Fiat 124 was to take these remembrance photos.

Schwaebisch Hall today...

My first prezi.com presentation...

2011-01-30T16:56:00.004+01:00

...about the web conferencing application yuuguu.com

Click here to try out: prezi.com/yuuguu

I recommend to use the "full screen modus" to get the best impression!

Enjoy trying out!

Prisoner of the folding bicycle

2011-01-24T20:47:00.004+01:00

Mainz, capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Saturday, 22 January 2011:

Anxiety propagated among the local stuffed animals.

One of theirs was kidnapped. Freddy, the green zippered mouth stuffed frog.

Kidnapped by Ernie, the eerie orange folding bicycle.

For hours nobody knew where Freddy could be.

Then I found him. Direct in front of the Gutenberg Museum.

Freddy doesn't look very happy, does he?

I detained the orange folding bicycle immidiately with a bike lock and informed the Mainz police.

They sent a "Meenzer" rapide response team and rescued Freddy... ;-)

Häppi Änd.

Rothenburg sight..., err, roofseeing tour!

2011-01-20T23:28:00.004+01:00

It's all a matter of the viewpoint.

left side: Rothenburg.

in the midlle: Rothenburg

right side: Rothenburg

In conjunction with the sky.

A yellow and a red car among a bunch of faceless automobiles.

Antennae dei - antennas of God???

Or just a landing site for pigeons?

The hush of the winter heath

2011-01-18T22:40:00.000+01:00

Hush! - Be quiet!

Thank you... ;-)

Sylt's gloaming houses

2011-01-14T22:42:00.003+01:00

Does anybody know a piece of poetry or just a tale that fits to my photos?

5th January 2011: On a walk from Sylt's famous coffee house "Kupferkanne" (= copper pot) back to our car at the other end of the village. The sun set very fast behind the horizon and the mixture out of overcast sky, blanket of snow and the yellow lights of the street lamps and in the house's windows performed a magic light in the silent streets of Kampen in the January late afternoon.

Unfortunately I did not had a tripod with me. So I had to find "natural tripods" (--> lamp posts, waste bins, ...) to hold the long exposure times. These two pictures are the best two out of a series of 15 images I took.

Dark tourism & Main river flood at Wertheim

2011-01-09T18:59:00.007+01:00

"Es is uf der ganze Erde,

nergends schönner als in Werthe!"

--> Es ist auf der ganzen Erde nirgends schöner als in Wertheim!

--> Nowhere on Earth it's more beautifully than in Wertheim!

But certainly not today and tomorrow.

Today Wertheim was preparing for the flooding of its old town center.

While smaller rivers already crested their maximum water level, Germany's bigger rivers still have an increase of the water line.

That's a view on the river Main at the town of Wertheim on Sunday 9 January 2011. You can see the lampposts which normally stand along the waterfront of the Main.

Here's the driveway and subway for pedestrians to the parking area along the waterfront

House facades along the river Tauber, a tributary of the river Main, which has its mouth into the Main at Wertheim, too.

The THW - das Technische Hilfwerk - the German technical emergency service - supported together with volunteer fire brigades Wertheim's inhabitants with sandbags and flood barrieres.

In the town center they built up special footways so that the pedestrians will be able to walk through the town even when the pedestrian zone is underwater - this was expected for Monday early afternoon.

Sylt's frozen beaches

2011-01-07T07:08:00.005+01:00

A short look back to the end of 2010...

...and to the northern end of Germany with its northernmost island Sylt.

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Not a surprise any more: the very special (= early, snowy) winter season 2010/2011 in Central Europe.

The North Sea island of Sylt, located on the northwestern tip of Germany, is normally known for a very moderate climate during winter time. The "heat reservoir" North Sea makes sure that the temperatures are around or above 0°C during a normal/average winter.

But until 30 December 2010 there had been easterly winds with very low temperatures, so that the thermal storage system North Sea was subcooled to -3°C. As a result the Wadden Sea was frozen over and even the west coast beaches began to freeze.

The first two photos I took on New Year's Eve, at the "Hoernum Odde", at the southern tip of Sylt.
While parts of the Wadden Sea were already free of ice because of the tide, some spectacular icebergs sunbathed on the beach.

As far as I know these feathery little birds are known as dunlins [Calidris alpina] in their winter plumage.

Normally you see them running along the shoreline, but at very low temparatures they are on "energy saver mode" and so they try to hide behind the icebergs. They all stand only one one leg, to keep down the loss of heat as much as possible.

Right after Christmas I took these pictures of the frozen and snow-covered beaches south and north of Sylt's capital Westerland.

A few hours before we visited the beach the first time during our island sojourn, there was a snowshower, so that the whole island was covered with white, fresh snow.

At the end of our first beach day, right after sunset, the sky coloured the snow-covered dunes and the beach with its blue light. The most beautiful time to take (evening) photos: the blue hour...

The end of the New Year's Eve fireworks...

2011-01-03T09:41:00.005+01:00

A happy and prosperous New Year to everybody!

White Christmas - definitely!!!

2010-12-25T17:27:00.009+01:00

Yesterday on Christmas Eve about noon it started snowing.

And it continued snowing...

...and snowing...

and snowing.

For more than 24 hours.

This afternoon the snowfall stopped.

Now we have a snow height of approx. 30 - 40cm in the lowlands.

Merry White Christmas... ;-))

>> Click to enlarge the panorama <<

Winter scenery around my home...

...what do you want for more during the Christmas holidays???

Frohe Weihnacht - Merry Christmas!

2010-12-22T23:17:00.003+01:00

Dear friends and bloggers,

with some of the latest photos of my hometown Bad Mergentheim

I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2011!

On the first two photos you can cast a glance on Bad Mergentheim's market place with the Christmas market, seen from the second floor of the old town hall.

In the background you can see the twin houses in front of the minster Sankt Johannes / Saint John with its steeple, nowadays the Roman Catholic parish church.

Winter scene in the "Sommerhaus" / summer house garden - an enchanting little furnishing house with wonderful and noble bric-à-brac in my hometown.

The Christmas glitter ball tree I found in one of our local department stores...

...the real Christmas tree I captured at the historic Hotel Eisenhut at mediaeval Rothenburg, not far away from Bad Mergentheim.

In the entrance hall of Hotel Eisenhut you presently can find this wonderful horse-drawn sleight full of Christmas gifts.

Have a pleasant and peaceful Christmas festival!

Yùyuán revived memories

2010-12-16T06:35:00.038+01:00

Yu Garden ( 豫園 / Yùyuán ), located at No. 132. Anren Street in the center of the Old City next to the Chenghuangmiao area in Shanghai, China, is considered one of the most lavish and finest Chinese gardens in the region of Shanghai.

I was favoured by fortune to visit this gem of Chinese garden architecture during my trip to China in September this year.

The Kois - ornamental domesticated varieties of the common carp - were really beautifully coloured and trustingly - and they were really eager to be fed.

Fortunately it was a Monday I was able to visit Yu garden. On a Saturday or a Sunday I wouldn't have been able to take some photos of the beautiful ancient houses without any tourists in front of them.

But it still took approx. 10 minutes to capture this scene without any guys in front of it.

So it's much easier to target at the roofs with your lens...

...or you try to take an image of an hidden Chinese beauty... ;-.))

Today's Sunday: mud, fire, glass & and a paltry snowman

2010-12-12T23:17:00.008+01:00

Within a few days most of the snow melted away in our part of planet Earth and the wet muddy weather & ground (we are used to have in this time of the year) turned up.
Because of this reason I chose my mud-brown winter boots to harmonize with the rest of the landscape... ;-)

To light our heart and soul we went to "Gamburg Burgweihnacht", you may translate into "Christmas market on top of the Gamburg castle".
We went to Gamburg castle already this year at the beginning of October...

It was al tiny little, but likable Christmas market in the castle courtyard with regional products and Christmas items.

Our personal highlight of all Christmas stalls was the stand of the glass bead artist Iris.
We met this lady several times on different regional fairs within the recent years and really like her type of glass bead art.

And as a photographer it was my personal challange to take some presentable pictures about her work.

The propane gas flame has a temperature of approximately 1800°C.

So it was a good idea not to get too close to the source of heat with my lens.

The used technique is called "manually wound glass beads": The glass is heated until molten, wound around a specially-coated steel mandrel (colour) layer by (colour) layer - and one can add other elements like noble metals, too.

To cool down after the hot experience I took a photo of a paltry snowman with a yellow squeaky duck on its head.
Downright ridiculous, isn't it? Even for a snowman...

11th anniversary of our favourite restaurant STEFELES

2010-12-05T23:37:00.003+01:00

Stefeles
at Assamstadt, Germany

Yippi-ey-yeah!!!

Happy birthday,
dear STEFELES team!

My anniversary dinner meal of today's evening:

Meat meets fish, vegetables topped the meal off.

The culinary sorcerer at work...

...the guests enjoy the specific Stefeles atmosphere in the meanwhile.

The anniversary crackerbarrel - family, neighbours, friends...

Philosophy on a Sunday evening:

"Never choose your women or your linen by candlelight."