Thursday, November 26, 2009

Rooftop Picnic

Looking down on a flat rooftop, I was struck by the low-contrast gray-in-gray pattern of the pipes and cables on the gravel. Then I saw the table and benches made of metal grills and just had to take a picture.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Rooftop Picnic"]Rooftop Picnic[/caption]

Monday, November 23, 2009

Constructing Sunrise

Just after sunrise the light was still warm and yellow-orange, but the sky was already blue with just a bit of color haze over the horizon. You can tell it is still cold by the condensation on the side of the building (that is what the patches are).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Constructing Sunrise"]Constructing Sunrise[/caption]

The lines of the cranes and the building make an interesting composition and the warm light goes well with the yellow metal of the cranes which in turn contrast nicely with the desaturated gray of the building.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Oak Tree in Rapeseed Field

Last week we experienced some lovely fall weather. I was driving when the storm clouds parted to let the sun light up a rapeseed field. I stopped the car at the next safe opportunity and ran out with my camera before the light changed again.

It turned out that the weather stayed like this for a few minutes more than I anticipated and it was on the way back that I got the best images of the oak tree with the orange leaves in the bright yellow and green rapeseed field.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Oak Tree in a Rapeseed Field"]Oak Tree in a Rapeseed Field[/caption]

Much to my chagrin, I was only carrying a JPEG-only tiny compact camera. This really shows at larger print sizes, but for online viewing it is a moot point.

Aside from the cliches that there is no substitute for the right light and that the best camera is the one you have at hand, there is another lesson that I draw from this experience:

Wear sturdy boots when you take a walk in the fields or spend an hour cleaning up your dress shoes. (Yes, it I did. ;-))

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Cheesecake with Pink Rose

Lately, we have experienced some trouble with our oven. Overcoming these difficulties (by application of an oven thermometer and dialing in some temperature compensation) my wife has managed to bake one of her wonderful cheesecakes to her satisfaction again. Here is what it looked like in all of its scrumptious goodness before our guests found it:

Cheesecake with Pink Rose
Cheesecake with Pink Rose

I think that Andrew will be most pleased; now that harmony has been restored, my wife can try his delicious cheesecake recipe. :)

In case you are interested, I deliberately underexposed by about -2 EV to get rich, saturated colors. Yes, the browns are now very dark, so the edges look like they may have been baked a bit crispy. If this was for a cookbook (instead of a mood shot), I might use a mask in Photoshop to lighten the edges of the cake. As it stands, I prefer the mysterious, moody richness hinted at in this image.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Surfer riding the Waves

Apparently the Eisbach in München is a hot place to ride the waves on a surfboard. As you can see from the photo below, it is not very wide (only a few meters) and there is quite a crowd queued up on hot summer days waiting their turn. There are many, many more spectators milling about, so if you are a beginner, you might want to choose someplace more private to fall in. :-)

This surfer did quite well, staying on the board for a long time while riding back and forth as the waves took the board:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Surfer riding the waves."]A surfer riding the waves. [/caption]

I like the stark contrast between the foamy white spray, the rich green of the water, and the dark silhouette of the surfer. Look at how the line formed by the torso and head is mirrored in the lines of the waves in the background.

To me this picture shows the dynamic, fluid unity that the surfer needs to achieve with the water in order to stay on the board.