Fotoeins Fotografie

Berlin Gleisdreieck: winter vs. summer

Gleisdreieck (“railway triangle”, “triangular junction”) is a U-Bahn train- and junction-station at the western end of the Kreuzberg district in the German capital city of Berlin.

The station has both upper-level and lower-level platforms serving lines U1 and U2, respectively, although both sets of track are raised above ground. At Gleisdreieck, the U1 line runs west-east, whereas the U2 line runs perpendicularly and temporarily “north-south”.
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Karluv most, Charles Bridge, dawn, Prague, Czech Republic, UNESCO World Heritage Site, fotoeins.com

The shape of things to see and spot

Come here early enough, and it’s just a few early risers, dedicated runners, and well, me. There’s plenty of space to move around and change the angle of how I’m seeing things. Sure enough, there’s a bright circular halo surrounding the famous St. John of Nepomuk statue. With the rising sun in the background, the back-lit view has other bridge fixtures, some buildings, and the tall sharp dual spires of the Church of Our Lady Before Týn in silhouette. Image: 1/640s, f/8, ISO100, 18mm focal length (29mm full) with Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II lens.

“Shape” is a noun whose meaning is synonymous with:

form, appearance, configuration, formation, structure; figure, build, physique, body; contours, lines, outline, silhouette, profile.

It is one of the many “pieces” of good photography, and when the separate pieces come together, there’s something beautiful to behold, even perhaps, thought-provoking and inspiring.

I’m not going to pretend my photographs are absolute “championship” quality, but I know and understand my photographs are often worth a good long look. Here is a small selection of shapes I’ve seen from around the world with my trusty Canon EOS450D (XSi) camera (which has since given way to the 6D).

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Nassau, The Bahamas, Caribbean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, North America, fotoeins.com

Nassau, Bahamas: sea-to-sky blues at Junkanoo

The sand is snow white and soft to the touch. The skies are deep blue, and soothing on the eyes. The water is welcoming: its colours shimmer between aquamarine and turquoise, the waves lapping gently against the smooth shoreline.

That’s just my imagination – it’s all in my mind, right?

It should be so easy on the senses, but it seems too much to believe in the convergence at the same time. It seems unreal, best left to dreams from within the confines of a landlocked town.

But I slowly wake, and I open my eyes.

Disorientation gives way slowly to observation.

I feel the warm breeze against my skin, the soft sand between my toes. I breathe deeply to smell the salt in the sea air. I hear small ocean waves roll and dissipate on the beach. I can’t get enough of blues and greens.

I’m committing this to memory.

It’s time. Please hand over that rum for a sip, time for another snooze in this hammock. Perhaps there’ll be time for a short dip in the sea, before I go looking for some conch salad …

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Fotoeins’ 13 Instants from 2013

It’s been an interesting year, as “interesting” came complete with their own highs and lows, across a variety of nations on three continents. Friends would say that’s simply par for the course to describe any length of time on travel. I ended my year-long around-the-world (RTW) trip in January, sought a new path in Sydney, Australia between March and June, and returned to Vancouver, Canada with a short stop in Europe for a writing course at the end of July. The following 13 moments in 2013 arrive courtesy from Berlin, Germany; Sydney, Australia; Vancouver, Canada; and Wellington, New Zealand.

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Berliner Weihnachtsmarkt an der Gedächtniskirche, Berlin, Germany

Christmas markets: Glühwein smarts

Above/featured: Christmas market at Berlin’s memorial church – 6 Dec 2012 (450D).

It’s easy to underestimate how much “punch” is delivered in a single Glühwein drink at a Christmas market. If I’m not careful and drink Glühwein too quickly and without food to soften the blow, I’ll encounter the very repeatable experience of “mind-body separation”.

What is this magically mysterious Christmas concoction called “Glühwein”?

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