Autumn is gorgeous. Almost every day I take my camera and go out. What I find is beauty. Autumn is colourful.
My walks have a meditative character. Being present relaxes the mind. The photos capture moments. An hour later the world around me looks differently already.
Munich, Oct 2021
Chairs are locked, the table is put against the wall. Summer is over.
Munich, Oct 2021
There is beauty everywhere….
Munich, October 2021
October 2021
Nature shows it’s most beautiful colours before winter time. Winter is black and white, sometimes grey. Autumn is green and red and brown and yellow. Every day one can discover new forms new colours.
I started a blog in 2006. It’ estimated. In the meantime many social media pages were created. First I joined reluctantly. Quickly I realized that it’s indeed an opportunity to stay in touch with people around globe. Many platforms also have the opportunity to get to know like-minded people.
Every page has another character. I use different social media platforms differently. On Pinterest I collect photos mainly from other artists. On Facebook I connect with friends, I also love the group feature. On twitter I’m rather a reader and a passive member. On flickr I shared my own photo projects. I also have two websites. On every page one needs a profile picture. As a creative person I have many ideas how to present myself. Shall one really be creative when it comes to profile pictures?
When I look at all these different versions of myself, I have the feeling that it’s not the same person that I see. This might be confusing for people who check out my different page. But me, too, I have the feeling with all these different self-portraits, there is no connection anymore between the different pages.
It’s me who hold all these pages together. I’m the smallest common denominator.
Finally I got to the conclusion that it would be best to upload the same picture on all these pages that I joined. It might be boring. Yet it has the advantage that my profile picture has recognition value. It’s not so confusing.
From now on I’m no more a cat on my Instagram account. I’m no more meditating on my yoga blog website. My new profile picture didn’t went through a Photoshop treatment. It’s a simple version of myself.
My two websites are the roof above all these social media pages. My profile picture is the link between all these pages.
Munich, March 2021
Everything is photographed already. The world is discovered.
Can one add something new to all the pictures that are taken already?
A city, a landscape might look the same for ages, yet the one who is viewing it is unique. That’s you. It’s the one who can share her vision.
Lately I found several photographers who created a series of pictures of Japan. Every photographer had a unique view. Is this really the same country one might ask?
Here is his vision of Japan. He took the pictures between 2001 and 2020. This has been for sure a long-term project. When going through the picture one has the feeling that they belong together, they form a unit. It’s easy to describe the style: It’s minimalistic. The focus is on nature. The pictures are black and white.
Liam Wong’s Japan is different. He takes pictures of Tokyo at night. The pictures are colorful and vibrant. Often people are in the picture.
Rinko Karachi shows a modern Japan. She focuses on details. The colors are soft. Her photographs are rather poetic. She shows children, yet also things like a desk with a chair, rails or balloons.
Of course there are many others fantastic photographer of Japan who show their unique view.
We all live somewhere, even our digital nomads.
Be attentive towards your own views. Find out what you think and feel. Find ways to express this. Nobody can cover everything.
One of my favorite cities in Europe is Lisbon. If I had to show my Lisbon I’d focus on the nightlife and Fado. Weltschmerz, this would be the main topic.
Munich, January 2021
It’s time again. I go through all my online pages, apps and social media accounts. Twitter might be the easiest one to make useful decisions and so it was.
My first question was if I use this account at all? I do, but not often. I have nice memories when I discovered a couple of German people who posted funny tweets, mainly puns.
Once I was indecisive if I should go out or not and I tweeted exactly this. Quickly I go the recommendation to go out. I went salsa dancing after this little push and had an entertaining evening. It was much better to go out than staying at home.
I mainly use this account for information. This means that I follow newspapers, magazines, TV channels, politicians, organizations and a lot of other people.
I wondered if it makes sense to follow more than 1.100 people? I know that this is too much, it’s overwhelming. In addition I found out that 80% of the private people that I started following years ago, neglect the twitter account. Last entries were 2011, 2014. I started unfollowing those dead accounts. Several times I went through all those accounts that I started following a decade ago. I deleted accounts of people that don’t follow back. I deleted neglected accounts. Usually I’m connected with yogis on Instagram. It makes no sense to follow the same yogis on each and every account. Some TV channels have several accounts. I don’t need so much information.
My next question was about my stream? Why do I get those tweets? I found three categories of tweets: 1. Of course there were a lot of sponsored tweets. Advertising. People or companies tried to sell their stuff or information or workshops or what ever. 2. I saw the tweets of people that I followed. 3. I also saw the liked tweets of people, who I follow. Some are generous with their likes.
Should I post any tweets at all on an account that is flooded with tweets already?My first idea was to publish every year one tweet to show that my account is not neglected. But why? After two days I deleted the one post that I had shared and the one post that I had posted by myself. I deleted my likes.
There is a story behind my own tweets. I had preset that my posts of my yoga blog were automatically forwarded to twitter. Another human being shared from time to time my posts on twitter. But usually nobody liked them, nobody realized that I had tweeted again. A few years ago during Christmas time I wanted to get rid of all these tweets of mine. I remember very well the moment when I saw my twitter account with all these tweets and only few people cares. . It were above 2000 tweets. I was already in bed and started deleting all this digital clutter. Quickly I found out that this would be a nightmare. I googled how to get rid of all these tweets. A company offered help. It cost something, but not much. After that my account was clear and I was more than happy. To have a journal over decades on all different social media accounts is not my intention.
In the real world it’s not easy to get rid of things.
In the virtual world it can be a challenge as well.
On twitter I’m a passive reader. I don’t want to twitter, or comment or like. I’m a passive part of the party there and I’m happy with it.
This clarity shall help me to focus more on what is important for me: Working on a photo series.
Title: Yearning, Munich, January 2021
Every day I go out with my camera and two lenses. I have a topic in mind, a feeling that I want to capture, yet I try to stay open-minded. Almost every day I walk in a different direction. To be in the fresh air is so uplifting. To move betters every mood. I look down, I look up, I walk without a destination. There is so much to discover within walking distance.
This photo walk alone with myself made my day.
Title: A lonesome man, January 2020
It’s already the second year since we’ve learned about this Covid-19 virus. It influences our lives enormously. The effect on our well-being is probably underrated. We all had to become creative during the last months. What to do when staying at home all the time. What to do when it’s dangerous to meet others. January is the coldest month in Germany. It’s winter time and people stay more often at home than in summer time because of the weather. Yet these days it’s even a recommendation. Being asked not to meet people isolates every single person. Other people are the best entertainment. Something is missing, when we don’t meet our friends. Something is missing when theaters, exhibitions and concert halls are closed. Without music, without play and visual inspirations life feels poorer.
What the future brings is unknown. Nobody ever could predict what the future will bring, but these days it’s so obvious that we don’t know what comes next. Everything can change even fast. Life is an adventure. This can make people insecure. Some might even fear the future.
This is what I want to show in my pictures in January. I show only one person in an unknown (blurry) landscape. Nothing is clear anymore. The world is rather black and white. The grey tones are not visible in winter. Trees show their skeleton. Little stones lie on the paths so that people won’t slip and fall. Yet falling is omnipresent.
The year has just started. It will be a long ride.
Till the 15th of February restaurants and shops are closed. Only grocery shops are open.
Crises are also opportunities. There is time to get to know oneself. It’s possible to start something new. It’s time to reflect. Perhaps this cut was overdue.
Stay curious. Stay warm.
Title: The woman with the fur, January 2021
Sunday morning. It snowed. Temperature has dropped over night. The sky was bright. The houses and streets were covered with snow. I had to go out. A thousand times I was at that park in walking distance. I took pictures there so often that I had the feeling I’ve captured every tiny leave. Today I packed my baby lens in my handbag. I wanted to alter anything. Not again the same routine, I thought The baby lens allowed me to discover the park differently. The snow made the air dizzy. I couldn’t look far. My eyes were half-closed. The baby lens was exactly the right lens to capture this. It produces a blurriness that reflected exactly my view. Half blind and happy I walked in the snow. A few kids with their parents were out. Snow is very special not only for children. The parents pulled the sleds with the kids on it. Life can have comfortable sides. I walked and walked and walked. The snow had changed the city so much that it was as if I landed on a different planet. There is exotic around the corner……one must only learn to see.
Title: Lemon party, January 2021
Title: Traces, 2/52
This morning I woke up and opened LR to see what I had created the day before. I realized at once that there was a hard line that I didn’t like. It showed too obviously that I had combined too images. Yesterday I overlooked it. Shall I correct it, I wondered. Finally I decided to correct it. I learned something about the process:
To create one picture per day is more than enough.
It’s a good idea to sleep and to check the picture the next day, before publishing on a social media platform or on the own website.
My own rules are simple:
Create one picture at a time.
Wait at least one night and then look at the picture with a fresh mind.
Save the pictures with different layers. It makes it easier to change the picture.
Do final corrections and adjustments.
Finish the picture.
Happiness, 1 / 52, January 2021
Two years ago a few photographer joined on Facebook for a project. This year a lady suggested to repeat it. I’m in. The break was good. It’s fun to be in a group with people who share the same passion. The topic is given by the organizer.
Last time I created a book after the year. I plan the same this time. In order to create a series of pictures that belong together, I’ll create a style.
What will change each week is the topic.
But:
I’ll always use the same format.
All pictures will be in color.
I’ll edit the pictures in Photoshop.
If possible and I’ll make it possible a person will be in the picture. Probably it’s me very often.
The first topic was happiness:
Especially during lockdown due to Covid-19, I realize how important and how much joy it is to move freely. It creates the feeling to be lively.
On the road, January 2021
I’m always pleased, when I discover a bird in a photo.
The picture was taken while I was in a car. The world is black and white in winter. ❄️ Light blue might be a color that fits to the color reduced season. It’s very cold outside. It’s a good day to plan the year.
December 2020
Last day of the year:
2020 was a year with a lot of surprises. The red thread was a virus. Invisible and sometimes deadly.
Good-bye 2020.
2021 is waiting already to surprise us.
December 2020: Time to look back, time to plan. Time to think, Time to relax. Time to let go.
I discover my phone. I discover the colors during this season:
Fall is for me green, yellow, red. It comes with water. Sunsets fit so well to this season.
Sunflowers, and red leaves I combine with autumn.
Every day I go out for a walk to admire the nature.
Bright side of life, July 2020
Corona feeling, July 2020
