Travel A few weeks ago I had another business trip to Norway. Unfortunately, the meeting schedule forced me to travel in the afternoon of a public holiday. Drowning in self-pity, I decided to bring my Fujifilm X-E1 along with two lenses (18-55mm & 14mm) to at least have some fun in the evening of that holiday…. Read More
Spring at the Italian Lakes – Lago di Garda
Lago di Garda One of the benefits of living in Munich is the proximity to Italy. That’s why I jumped in the car two weeks ago and ended up at the beautiful Lago di Gard 3.5 hrs later. Lake Garda is located in the northern part of Italy. It is a popular destination for many… Read More
The Canary Islands
Beautiful Canary Islands A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to return to the Canary Islands in Spain. Together with my family and friends, we took a cruise around this beautiful area of Spain including the remote Portuguese island of Madeira. Once again, I left my beloved Nikon D800 at home to save some… Read More
Dubai in a day
Dubai Last weekend I had the pleasure of spending some time in Dubai. Having traveled there a bunch of times before, I felt a bit lazy and did not spend any time sight-seeing. However, that did not mean I would leave my camera back at home. Even a short walk to the next coffee shop… Read More
Google adds Analog Efex Pro to the NIK suite
Analog Efex Pro Enhancing your photographs in post-production does not require a complicated software package such as Photoshop. The small software company NIK has been known to produce one of the finest toolsets for getting the absolut best out of your photos. It’s a collection of different plug-ins that work with either Adobe Lightroom or… Read More
A day in the Austrian Alps
The Austrian Alps Fall has arrived with full force in Europe. We just witnessed its volatile nature on a short trip to Saalbach-Hinterglemm in Austria. It is a famous ski town nestled high up in the Alps. The town itself was pretty much shut down. All bars & restaurants are closed during off-season. But the… Read More
Wedding Photography – Part 2
Wedding Photography – Part 2 Two weeks ago, I blogged about the fun wedding of my friends Hanna and Stefan. This is the second part of the post and it focuses on the official stuff of the wedding: church and formal portraits. As in the prior post, I will share a few ideas and lessons… Read More
Trip report – the Fuji X-E1 in San Francisco
Fuji X-E1 A few weeks ago, I wrote about some initial impressions of the awesome Fujifilm X-E1 camera. It truly is a beautiful piece of equipment. It just begs you to go out and take some photos. The best thing is that the Fuji X-E1 is pretty small and really light. That’s why I brought… Read More
Fun with wedding photography – part 1
Wedding Photography Wedding photography is one of those genres that can be extremely fulfilling yet demanding at the same time. As a photographer it’s fun to feel the excitement and energy of these events. But then there is the anxiety to deliver bad photographs or even worse to miss those important shots. Last but not… Read More
Fun in the Munich Olympic Park
Munich Olympic Park Munich is one of those amazingly beautiful cities. It is a very photogenic place. There is a lot to see and to explore. Think about the famous beer gardens. Think about the Marienplatz with its Glockenspiel. Or think about the Oktoberfest. So much to do. Nevertheless, there is one place that I… Read More
Discovering the Fuji X-E1 in Paris
The Fuji X-E1 A short while ago, I decided to give the Fuji X-E1 a try. Traveling with a full-frame camera and some lenses is a bit difficult sometimes. The Fuji X-E1 quickly appeared as the ideal camera: Fantastic reviews – I have never seen so many positive reviews about a camera before. People are… Read More
My favorite technique for creating great portraits
Great portraits Great portraits don’t need a complex studio setup or a lot of high-tech equipment. A few months ago, I learned an amazing technique from Roberto Valenzuela’s book Picture Perfect Practice: A Self-Training Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Taking World-Class Photographs (I wrote a short review in a prior blog post). It is a… Read More
Best Photography Books – Summer Reading – Fundamental Guides
Best Photography Books Summer time, vacation time. One of the things that I enjoy most is that you have more time to pursue photography. Evenings are long and you it’s easy to try different things rather than worrying about freezing. But summer is also a great time to pick up a few books and develop… Read More
Fun with the Fisheye
The Fish-Eye A few months ago, I reviewed the Walimex/ Samyang fish-eye lens. It’s a great tool and it provides amazing value. The other day, I had some time to really put this lens to use. Below are some of the results. I am still in awe about how well this thing performs on my… Read More
Create your own background
Distracting background Selecting a good background is extremely important in photography. Nothing is worse than a great subject (let’s say your partner or kids) in front of a really busy scene. It’s like trying to listen to a beautiful song when there is a ton of annoying background noise (cars, jackhammers, sirens). Luckily, as photographers,… Read More
The Walimex Fisheye – Review of an excellent lens
Walimex Fisheye Fisheyes are a lot of fun but they belong to the category of lenses that you won’t take out of your camera bag on a daily basis. If overused, the distinct look of the fisheye can easily get on your nerves. It was that paradox that created a bit of an investment problem… Read More