Night Photography | Fotoeins Fotografie

Posts from the ‘Night Photography’ category

Weihnachten, Backwaren, Cafe Gundel, Karlsplatz, Hauptstrasse 212, Heidelberg, Germany, fotoeins.com

My Heidelberg: Café Gundel’s Christmas cakes & cookies (Weihnachtsgebäck)

Short sensory list

• Sights of the Weihnachtsmarkt: bright lights; Christmas pyramid; red and yellow stars; unveiling of the Backwaren (backed goods) made especially for the holiday season.

• Sounds of the Christmas market: the klang of full mugs distributed and empty ones collected, shouts of laughter from conversations scattered throughout the area.

• Smells and tastes of the Christmas market: candied almonds, cashews, and peanuts; roasted chestnuts; balls of fried dough with powdered sugar; mugs of hot mulled wine, available in several fruit flavours; grilled bratwurst; fried potato pancakes with apple sauce.

When the Christmas season brings out special baked goods, it’s time to pay attention. In Heidelberg, my favourite café in the university town doesn’t hold back as photos of the “Backwaren” (baked goods) show. There’s something for everybody at Café Gundel.

And on it goes: small lifetimes can be spent, seeing, smelling, and sampling the entire collection.

A short exchange

“Noch einen Wunsch?”

“Something more?“, asks the lady behind the counter when I’ve ordered a few of this and a few more of that.

“Das war’s. Komm ich wieder morgen …”

“That’s all. I’ll come back tomorrow …” I reply, with the sound of hope and promise in my voice. I’m sure she’s heard it all before. And yet, she humours me with a smile and a chuckle.

“Wir sind noch für Sie da …”

“We’ll still be here …”

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Staroměstské náměstí, Old Town Square, Praha, Prague, Czech Republic, fotoeins.com

My Prague: 5 Spots for Night Photos

(last edited: 19 Jul 2019.)

Prague is very attractive by day, but the Czech capital city is also beautiful at night.

By day, visitors are out and about, moving from one attraction to another. At night, sounds from pub crawls and pre-wedding parties seem to fill the air.

A closer look reveals a romantic side to the city with silent streets and half-empty plazas. A yellow glow settles like a warm and welcoming halo, softening the sharp lines of centuries-old architecture, and smoothing over cobbled stones embedded in old neighbourhood streets.

It’s easy to forget a significant part of central Prague is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but the following five locations to view the city at night provide great reminders. Don’t ignore the illuminated city after dark, which is still very safe, and don’t forget to bring your camera when journeying out at night.

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VIVID Sydney lights festival: 2013 highlights

Since 2009, the annual VIVID Sydney festival lights up the city with vibrant colour and imaginative displays. Between 24 May and 10 June, the 2013 version has over 60 light projections on display around Sydney Cove, Walsh Bay, and Darling Harbour.

VIVID Sydney is an important annual wintertime cultural event bringing together light installations, live music, photography, design, creative ideas, and people in one of the largest festivals in the southern hemisphere. With the central display on the sails of the Opera House, the Spinifex Group put their unique spin to “Lighting the Sails.” Also, for the first time, the Sydney Harbour Bridge gets the VIVID treatment.

I’m fortunate to have photographed a variety of installations over six evenings 24, 26, 28, 30 May; and 3 June 2013. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotopress at fotoeins.com as https://wp.me/p1BIdT-3qf.

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Festival of Lights, Berlin, Germany, fotoeins.com

Berlin Festival of Lights: Highlights (2012)

Since 2004, the Festival of Lights have lit up various buildings and attractions throughout Berlin. The 2012 version saw 12 consecutive October evenings of another grand lighting display in the German capital city.

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San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Something about the city breathes colour and magic.

Wide open plazas, yet compact feel for the town.

Cobblestone streets, the narrow sidewalks.

The vibrant colours of the buildings in the style of Mexican baroque.

Art, lots of it – which would fit in Mexico City just as well as New York City.

Cozy bars and restaurants of all kinds : our excellent finds include great spicy Thai at Venus Lounge, breakfast (and an expat centre?) at Juan’s Cafe, Sri Lankan at Dila’s, German and Belgian beer at Berlin Bar & Bistro.

The rich and the poor, the backpacker, and the nouveau riche. Really riche.

The sounds of spoken English heard frequently around town …

What may be unusual is the number of retirees from Canada, USA, Europe, and Mexico City, mixed with and yet separated from local residents. What’s definitely unusual is the real estate for which some places reach seven figures in sticker price. As my friend wisely suggested: rent an apartment in Manhattan, but buy a winter house here in town.

Born in this town, Ignacio Allende helped to shape the independence movement from Spanish colonial rule to create the United States of Mexico. For its historical and architectural significance, the town was declared a UNESCO Heritage Site in 2008.