Water Feature

Canon 24 - 105 mm 1:4 L

ISO 200 105 mm  F/13  1/6 sec

ISO 200  105 mm  F/20  1/6 sec

Although I really like the warmth of the colours in the first picture of this water feature I think it looks better in black and white. How about you?

Can You Handle This Much Cute?

Tamron 150 - 600 mm

ISO 800  273 mm  F/10  1/320 sec

ISO 400  450 mm  F/6.3  1/320 sec

These little Mallard ducklings are so flippin' cute 

I wanted to say something about them but I am overwhelmed by cuteness so I will leave them to speak for themselves...

Always Watching...

Tamron 150 - 600mm

ISO 2500  600 mm   F/6.3   1/320 sec

ISO 800   350 mm   F/5.6   1/320 sec

These pictures were shot in Gothenburg in Slottsskogen a fabulous park near the city centre.  There are lots of paths and wooded areas, there's even a small zoo with native animals so plenty to see and we spent several hours wandering round and there were lots of photo opportunities.

Here we have a Fieldfare and a Western Jackdaw.

At first I thought the bird in the first picture was a Song Thrush but I wasn't convinced so did a bit of research and found that it was a Fieldfare although I think it may be a juvenile because it was smaller than Fieldfares I have seen before and the head is less obviously grey.

The second bird was seated on a fence and was staring intently at me. I was somewhat surprised that it allowed me to get quite close before flying away.

Fun Times At Lego House

I'm not posting these pictures for any artistic reasons just as a fun post to show what a fantastically fun place the Lego House is.

We explored every level of this giant playground and had such a great time with laughs round every corner.

Nicely Framed

Canon 24 - 105mm 1:4 L IS USM

ISO 100  28mm  f/14  1/125 sec

ISO 100  45 mm  f/14  1/125 sec

ISO 200  28 mm f/11   1/400 sec

More pictures today from the waterfront in Copenhagen.

These were taken in Amaliehaven or Amalie Garden which sits between the Amalienborg Palace and the river. 

Firstly looking out towards the Opera House, but unlike the other day when the focus was on the Opera House itself today the focus is on the sculpture which is one of four abstract columns created by the Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro who also designed the fountain in the centre of the second image.

As we were enjoying our visit to the garden my son commented that the sculptures had a "Vex like quality" which he explained relates to structures in the game "Destiny" and I am sure anyone who has played the game will be able to see what he means. I really like these structures and the impression that under the flat exterior there is lots going on inside. 

In the second picture you can see the dome of the Amalienborg Palace which is nicely framed by two of the pillars. In this picture I also like the fountain which is almost like a cushion of spray which is nicely illuminated by the evening sun.

Welcome To The Lego House

Canon  EF 17-40mm 1:4 L USM

ISO 100   24mm  f/14   1/160 sec

ISO 100   24mm  f/18   1/160 sec

ISO 100   24 mm  F/18   1/160 sec

ISO 100   17mm  F/14   1/160 sec

ISO 100   19mm   F/16   1/160 sec

So I have already shared a few pictures of elements of the Lego House and its grounds and I have been quite impatient to share these shots with you because I think it is just a magnificent building which on a hot and sunny day (with a few wispy clouds) can be seen at its best.

It doesn't matter which angle you view it from it is absolutely stunning.

I have some more shots from other parts of the building to share and they will show how the building is as much about fun as it is about form, but that is for another day.

Hitting the Right Notes

Canon 24mm - 105mm 1:4L

ISO 100   93 mm  F/14   1/125 sec

ISO 125   105mm   F/18   1/125 sec

One of the things that was always going to be on our radar for the roadtrip was the architecture whether that was old and traditional or new and contemporary and there were plenty of fine examples wherever we went.

One of my favourites on the trip was this building, the Opera House in Copenhagen seen here looking across Kobenshavns Havn from the gardens in front of the Amalienborg Palace.

I really like the straight lines and angles and I love the colours of the stone in the evening sun especially with the reflections from the river.

I am not sure whether the view through the fountain works or not. I like it, and I like the rainbow effect but I think I prefer the first image because it shows the clean lines of the architecture to best effect. 

Free State or Anarchy

Approaching these intricate murals you might think you are being led into a wonderful fairytale land full of fun and creativity, especially as this is in Copenhagen home of Hans Christian Andersen author of many famous fairytales including The Little Mermaid, The Emperor's New Clothes and The Ugly Duckling.

The reality however is very different...

This is Freetown Christiana.

It is a "self proclaimed autonomous anarchist district" in the borough of Christianshavn in the city.  It was originally a military barracks but in 1971 a group of squatters took possession after the military moved out, initially as a playground for their children but eventually it was seen as an opportunity to build up a society from scratch.  

It is a very "progressive society" and has become one of the main tourist attractions in Copenhagen. However as I stood at the entrance taking photographs I was warned by one of the residents that if I was seen taking pictures inside I would be chased out and my camera would be broken. We decided to go in and have a look around although felt on edge much of the time and when we saw the drug dealers with piles of cannabis resin and buds on display we realised why they would not want to be photographed and with my camera in hand I felt the eyes of the dealers and their associates on me everywhere I went so we didn't stay too long.

In spite of this the graffiti/artwork that we saw and that I did manage to photograph was of a really good standard and I was happy to get a few shots. However, there would have been so many opportunities for some great street photography but after the warning at the start I didn't dare risk it.

Stop Motion

Canon 24mm - 105mm 

ISO 100  105mm  F/7.1   1/640 sec

Fountains are, in my opinion fascinating subjects for photography. Not necessarily as a full feature but for abstract images.  Take these three images for example. 

The fountain in question was not a decorative fountain but more of a water feature (in the precinct of the Lego House) which shot a series of powerful jets of water and fit really well with the fun ethos of the building itself.

By using a fast shutter speed and a wide aperture it was possible to freeze the motion to produce some really fascinating abstract shapes. You can look at these pictures any number of times and each time see something different. 

I think they are fabulous, in colour or black and white and I hope you can see why I like them so much.

Building For The Future

Today I was asked what the highlight of my roadtrip was and my first thought was the Lego House in Billund, Denmark.  To be fair there were lots of highlights and I don't really want to pick a favourite but there was something really unusual and unexpected about the Lego House that was totally captivating.

Billund is the home of Lego, and it was a bucket list item for my son to visit since he is and always has been a massive fan of Lego. As we drove into the town we were greeted by the sight of a beautiful white building with lots of clean angles and perfectly straight lines that genuinely took our breath away.

We parked up in a space with an hour limit and went off to look over the building and get a few photos but it was such an amazing building that as we explored I realised that 1 hour would not be enough and so I moved the car and parked up for 2 more hours and went back to play.  Yes, that's right. The building as well as housing a big exhibition of Lego structures inside is also a massive playground on the outside with  hidden levels and activity zones.

I will share some pictures of the overall structure some other time but for today I have selected a few images showing different perspectives of the stairs and giant seating on opposite sides of the building. It is really bold and beautiful, just wait til you see the full building.

Up With The Birds

Tamron 150 - 600mm f/5:6.3 

ISO 250   600mm   f/10   1/320 sec

I had pulled into a lay by for a short break on the drive from Amsterdam to Vejle (Denmark) and I hadn't intended to get my camera out at all, but as I got out of the car to put some rubbish into a bin I spotted a Great Spotted Woodpecker low down on the trunk of a tree. I grabbed my camera and approached as quietly as I could but before I could get a shot he had flown away. Disappointed I turned to go back to the car and saw this beautiful male Peregrine swoop past.  I managed to snap a couple of quick shots before he disappeared and although this isn't the sharpest of images I was pleased to get it. If you look closely you will see that this bird has been ringed.

Although I missed the woodpecker on this occasion I did manage to photograph one in Gothenburg a few days later so I will be sharing that one in a few days time.

Evening On The Shore

I am a little closer to posting road trip photos since I have organised them into categories by day/city but I am not yet totally ready so I have gone back to an evening in early May when I went down to the shore at Meols and took some pictures of the boats at low tide and at sunset. 

I haven't made a note of the settings but I was using my 24 - 105mm lens and with my camera mounted on a tripod I used a fairly long exposure and a small aperture to get this shot. There were a couple of other photographers out and they were using ND filters to get even longer exposures maybe next time I will try that although using my tripod in the mud did make me cringe a bit so I might not rush back.

Standing Tall

Canon 24 - 105mm 

ISO 100   85 mm   F/4.5   1/160 sec

ISO 100   96 mm   F/4.5    1/160 sec

I love the colours in these shots and the soft focused backgrounds with hints of colour that help to highlight the flowers that are the main subjects in each picture.

Buttercups are such simple flowers and this single specimen shot against a background of bluebells is really lovely.

I also love the contrast of pink and white in the second photo with the central flower in sharp focus but the others in the foreground and background providing a soft focused frame.

Black and Blue

Canon 100mm 1:2.8  ISO 100  f/4.5   1/400 sec

So now that I am home from my trip around Europe you might expect me to be sharing some of my pictures right away but as I have so many to sort through it might be a day or two before I get round to that.

Fortunately for me (and for you) I still have lots of pictures from previous outings  that I can share.

Today I have picked this beautiful macro shot of a flower, I love the strong colours from the black tendrils in the centre to the blue bean shaped stamen. I love the way the light catches on the surfaces making them glitter and shine.

Up or Down ?

So today's  pictures were taken this morning at the Chateau du Haut Kœnigsbourg in Bas-Rhin.

The question in the title relates to the first picture more than the second and I wonder can you tell whether I was looking up or down?

It isn't immediately obvious but I was in fact looking 62 metres down an old well, where water was hoisted from a cistern below. I wouldn't have wanted that job.

The second picture you can see shows the exterior of the Chateau taken from one of the towers. The Chateau is a medieval fortress perched on top of a hill 2000 feet above sea level, about 1300 feet above the valley below. In the distance lies the river Rhine and the border with Germany while behind and out of the picture stands the Ballon des Vosges a range of mountains I would love to explore. I was here several years ago and would love to retrace some of that visit and find new wonders in the forests and mountains.

This truly is a beautiful area of France and possibly my favourite part of the trip. Certainly if I could have spent more time in just one of our stops along the way this would be my choice without any hesitation.

Sadly time has run out for us and tomorrow morning we will start on the journey home, a journey of around 700 miles. That's a lot of ground to cover in one day but with the occasional break and refreshments en route we'll be just fine.Out

Like a Fairytale

So here we are, the last stop of our road trip. We're in Turkheim, Alsace. Nestled in the Vosges mountains not far from Colmar and Strasbourg. There has been a settlement here since the 8th century, established by the monks at the nearby  Abbey in Munster. Even then they were producing wine on the slopes around here and the region is famous for its wines and eau de vie.

You can see from these pictures that it really is a beautiful place with wonderful medieval buildings all enhanced by so many colourful flowers. I love it here and I am so glad that we chose this as our last stop. It is a real gem and while everywhere that we have been on this trip has been wonderful there have also been crowds of people but here it is much quieter and more relaxing.

Tomorrow we will be visiting a chateau and then driving through some other picturesque villages, maybe picking up a few last minute gifts for family and friends and no doubt I will have my camera to hand...

Across the Lake

So here we are at the end of our second day in France. We have been staying in Sevrier on the shores of Lac d'Annecy in the Haute Savoie region of France. It really is a beautiful area and like everywhere else we have visited on our roadtrip we simply haven't had the time to explore properly or see everything.

The first picture is a panoramic shot taken during a cruise along the lake this afternoon, it has been quite cloudy here, yesterday we had yet another cracking thunder storm, so the scenery has been quite dramatic.

Thus evening things have brightened up a little and the second shot was taken from the jetty at the local rowing club 2 minutes walk from our apartment. As you can see the sun was obviously setting behind me and  lighting up the mountain top on the far shore of the lake. I like the way the wisps of cloud are blowing across the peak like smoke.

I would quite happily spend a few more days here just relaxing but tomorrow we are heading north to Alsace, with a short detour  through Switzerland. We have just two more full days before our roadtrip ends and then we will be heading home.

Lupins

Just one picture for today and only a brief post.

These lovely lupins were spotted in a floral display on the French side of the Mont Blanc  tunnel.
I have seen lots of lupins during rht course of this roadtrip, mostly along the motorway embankments through Denmark, SeedeS and Germany they're really lovely flowers and they certainly brighten up the motorways.