The perfect wave!?

Hoernum Odde - the southern tip of the island of Sylt, where the open sea meets the Wadden Sea. 

Twice a day you have high and low tide - business as usual.

  But when the water from the Wadden Sea runs out into open sea direction and meets the open sea waves in combination with strong westerly winds coming from the reverse direction, you'll see this special scenario.

It's like the North Sea is on the boil...

...and sometimes miraculous waves emerge and forge sweeping shapes for the split of a second.

Top and bottom: Two photographs of the same wave, just a blink of the eye between both pictures.

And these are my favourites of the photo shooting...

[ exposure time 1/8000 sec., aperture 6.3, ISO 800 ] 

to flash-freeze the scene.

At the same time, just in the rear of the wave spectacle:

peace and silence at the Wadden Sea at the harbour of Hoernum shielded by the dunes!

Sun & rain interplay

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...

...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!