A few days in Tavira

September 20, 2023

Ringo the Flamingo Is that a flamingo? Boy, I was surprised to see a flock of these awesome birds stand in a tide pool close to Faro airport in Portugal as we made our final descent. Quite a fun sight. And that was a nice and surprising way to start to a short vacation close to the town of Tavira. Tavira Tavira might not be the most popular city in Portugal but it is well worth a visit. The town itself is quite nice with a ton of small alleys to explore. But the true highlight of this region is …

Vík in iceland

September 4, 2023

vík í Mýrdal 2023 has been a special Iceland year for me. My wife and I went there in mid February and I ended up returning at the end of July to watch the recent Lili-Hrutur volcano eruption. Vík was high up on our list for both trips. A nice benefit of going there in winter and summer is to see the stark contrast between both seasons. We first visited Vík during a strong winter storm that unleashed not only ferocious winds but which also dumped epic rain on us. The winds were so strong that our hotel was rattling. …

A herculian challenge in A Coruña?

August 23, 2023

A Coruña There is a magnificent gem located in the North West of Spain. It seems to have gone somewhat unnoticed by the millions of tourists that flock to the South every year. The gem is a sparkling city on the Atlantic. It features picturesque alleys, an abundance of amazing restaurants and a number of fantastic sites/ views. I am speaking of the city A Coruña. After traveling there for work on a number of occasions, I finally had the opportunity to spend a full day in this place. Equipped with the trusted Fuji X100V and the GoPro 11, we …

Fire dances – A rendezvous with Litli-Hrutur

August 8, 2023

Volcano: Litli-Hrutur Do you have a bucket list? I certainly do and there was one item all the way up on that directory: to experience a live volcano. The closest I have come to fulfil this dream was to fly over Mt St Helens on a clear day in 2004 during a brief period of activity. But that was like watching a video. It was therefore exciting to see the mesmerising footage from the recent volcano eruptions in Iceland that started in 2021. But Covid prevented me from traveling there. However, on July 10th of 2023 a new fissure appeared …

A photowalk through Passau

July 15, 2023

Intro A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend a wonderful morning roaming the quiet streets of Passau. My trusted Fuji X100V accompanied me per usual. The city of Passau is located in the Eastern part of Bavaria. It is known for each unique geographic feature: three rivers meet at the tip of the old town and merge into one: Inn & Ilz unite into the mighty Danube. Old Town Passau The old town of Passau is a popular spot for tourists. Its cobblestone streets and narrow alleys are quite picturesque. It’s fun to roam around and get …

Look at those beaches!

July 11, 2023

A surprise Some people consider Fuerteventura to be the most boring island in the Canaries. There are certainly some stretches that are somewhat dull. Vast parts of the landscape are covered in greyish lava remnants with little to no vegetation around it. But what the island is lacking in some areas, it is most definitely making up with some of its amazing beaches. The South Earlier this summer, I spent a week exploring the South of Fuerteventura. Equipped with my Fuji X100V, the GoPro 11 and the fabulous DJI Mini Pro, I set out to capture at least five decent …

Cascais: Where Sun, Surf, and Secret Agents Collide!

July 9, 2023

Intro Today, we embark on a thrilling journey to Cascais, a picturesque coastal town in Portugal that has captured my heart and even caught the attention of international spies. With my trusty Fuji X100V & GoPro cameras in hand, I set out to explore the gorgeous town and its beaches while also looking to walk in the footsteps of 007. Cascais – A Slice of Paradise Nestled on the western edge of the stunning Portuguese Riviera, Cascais boasts breathtaking natural beauty and a rich historical heritage. The town exudes a laid-back atmosphere, making it a perfect retreat from the hustle …

Mallorca: Gorgeous views

March 12, 2022

Mallorca still remains one of my favourite destinations for road cycling. The infrastructure is almost perfect: little traffic, well maintained roads and dedicated cycling routes, gorgeous landscapes and a variety of terrain. Up until now, I have had little time to dedicate to photography on this island. This needed to change. Alcudia Over the stretch of a view days, I decided to get up at the crack of dawn to capture the sometimes gorgeous sunrises in the Alcudia area. The weather in early March of 2022 was quite volatile. Every morning was a different experience. It started with early morning …

Star gazing on Mt Teide

June 18, 2018

Mt Teide When is the last time you have taken the time to enjoy the night sky and do some star gazing? Probably not as of lately? If not, you should. And you should also bring your camera. Star gazing and astrophotography are activities that can provide you not only with an awesome experience but also some spectacular photographs. However, it has become somewhat difficult to enjoy a really dark night sky. Light pollution from our urban areas is rampant and most people have probably never seen the milky way as a result of that. But there are a few …

Two amazing days in beautiful Slovenia

July 17, 2016

Gorgeous Slovenia Some things just don’t make sense on paper. But when you actually do them, they seem right. Last weekend, my family and I jumped in the car to head down to Slovenia to meet up with some good friends that we hadn’t seen in a while. It’s usually a 3.5h drive from Munich but summer traffic added a few traffic jams and hours. But boy….it was so worth it. To make it short: we love Slovenia. Lake Bled Our short adventure started in Bled. It’s a small town nestled between gorgeous mountains and a lake. It couldn’t be …

Part 2: A review of the Samyang 8mm f/2.8 fisheye for Fuji X

April 7, 2016

Over three years ago, I posted a review of the Walimex 8mm f/3.5 fisheye for Nikon. Since then I have sold all my Nikon gear and switched to the Fuji X system. Naturally, one of the first lenses I acquired was the Fuji version of the fisheye. Since the original article is still one of the most popular ones on this blog, I thought it might be time to write an update. Impressions: Samyang Fisheye for Fuji The Fuji version of the Samyang fisheye simply put represents an amazing value for the money that you pay. It’s awell-built lens and feels really …

The Fuji X70 – A review

March 28, 2016

Finding a camera that delivers awesome image quality in a small and light package has always been a quest of mine. While there are a ton of great tiny cameras out there, none of them have really clicked for me (no pun intended). That’s why I got excited when the good guys at Fujifilm announced the Fuji X70. It sounded too good to be true: amazing APS-C size sensor in a small & sexy package. I have now had the Fuji X70 for over a month and love it. This post summarizes some of my experiences with it. Technical stuff There are …

The Fuji X70 at a concert

March 19, 2016

A few weeks ago, I acquired one of the new Fujifilm X70. Finding a small enough camera that produces really awesome results has always been one of my quests. Unfortunately, to this date I have not found something that I really love. And that’s when the Fuji X70 entered the scene. It seemed small enough while featuring the amazing Fuji image quality. To make it short, I was not disappointed. As a matter of fact, I love this camera and wrote about using it on a run earlier this week. This post is not intended to be a full review …

A day in Penang

March 8, 2016

Hidden Beauty – Penang Penang is a state & island in Malaysia right by the Strait of Malacca. Its capital George Town is characterized by a wonderful mix of old British colonial style, ethnical flair and modern construction. Walking around the narrow streets is an unrivalled experience. Malays, Chinese, Indians and others ethnical groups live peacefully right next to each other. A block of Chinese stores & homes seamlessly melts into an Indian section followed by gorgeous colonial houses. And then there are a plethora of beautiful temples from all religions. To be honest, it’s not a particularly clean city but it …

Discovering Singapore

January 17, 2016

The Singapore Adventure Singapore is an amazing place for exploring and taking photos. I recently had the opportunity to spend a few days in this beautiful city. As a passionate photographer, I often suffered from visual overload. There are just too many beautiful and interesting sites. Nightime in Singapor The city certainly offers a particular charm after sunset. While many of the motives have been covered by thousands of other photographers, I really enjoyed walking around with my tripod at night. The warm air paired with the feeling of a hustling & bustling place is truly intoxicating. The first photo …

Photographing the Perseid Meteor Shower with the Fuji-X

August 16, 2015

Meteor Showers It’s hard to escape the hype around this year’s spectacular Perseid meteor viewing conditions. Despite a demanding travel schedule and the resulting laziness that sets in during breaks, I ended up driving to a somewhat remote location outside of Munich to photograph the Perseids meteor shower. Along with me was the Fujifilm X-T1, the excellent Fujinon XF 14mm F2.8 and my beloved Samyang 8mm F2.8 Fisheye. The Fuji X-Series in the field One of the things I absolutely love about the Fuji X-Series is the small size of the equipment. In the past, I logged around a huge and heavy bag filled …

Christoph Papenfuss Photography