185 Empty Chairs

Posted by on Feb 26, 2013 in City & Architecture, New Zealand | No Comments
185 Empty Chairs

I am back in New Zealand and start my trip in Christchurch. The city was damaged heavily during my last visit here by the disastrous earthquake on February, 22, 2011. Large parts of the city were destroyed and 185 people lost their lives.

The Deuter-Lowe Combination

Posted by on Feb 16, 2013 in Accessory | No Comments

I will soon be traveling to New Zealand again. While on the last trips I had a rental car only for a couple of days – if at all –, this time I will have one available to me for the whole six weeks. I only plan to do one longer walk, the four-day Milford Track, and maybe another two-day hike. Carrying camera equipment together with everything else you need for four days requires some thought. One-day hikes, however, are not much simpler in that respect. The questions that need to be addressed are just different ones. This post is only about the solution I currently prefer for day hikes.

Tramping with Camera and Backpack

Posted by on Feb 9, 2013 in Accessory | No Comments

When I go tramping (hiking, that is) – as I plan to do throughout the next month on New Zealand’s South Island – I usually carry a daypack for shorter trips or a larger backpack on multi-day tramps with me. Inside the backpack, there is basically all my stuff that I need for that day or couple of days, but also my photo equipment. However, I like to have my camera ready to shoot during most of the day – unless the rain is pouring down or the terrain makes walking rather difficult (I don’t do climbing; that would be a rather different story).

Abandoned Railway Bridge

Posted by on Feb 2, 2013 in Germany, Landscape | No Comments
Abandoned Railway Bridge

The winter is gone, at least for now. On a beautiful day, I again drove my car south just a few kilometers to the village of Tudorf.

And Another New Wide Angle Lens: Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM

Posted by on Jan 31, 2013 in Lens | No Comments
And Another New Wide Angle Lens: Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM

The lens renewal program continues. Here are the first impressions of the Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM.

Snow on Graves

Posted by on Jan 26, 2013 in Germany, Landscape | No Comments
Snow on Graves

We have had some fresh snow. So I drove my car to a small valley some 25km south of Paderborn, the city where I live. There, in the “Valley of Peace”, is a small chapel, the Chapel of St. Meinolf with a small graveyard right next to it where members of the Mallinckrodt family rest.

A New Wide Angle Lens: Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM

Posted by on Jan 19, 2013 in Lens | No Comments
A New Wide Angle Lens: Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM

Two weeks ago, I bought a new lens which I used for the first time last weekend: The Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM.

A Glimpse of the Winter Sun

Posted by on Jan 12, 2013 in City & Architecture, Germany | No Comments
A Glimpse of the Winter Sun

The new year of 2013 started dull and grey with few bright moments. Today, I decided to spend some time inside some of the churches of the city, trying my two new lenses – more on that in another post. Paderborn is quite well-known for its Catholic tradition. One the many churches right in the city centre is the Martkirche (literally Market Church) which is located at the Rathausplatz close to the town hall rather than where the market is located these days.