The Wooden Boat - Lake Bled, Slovenia

Arbeit Macht Frei

The Germans that we encountered in our visit there were polite, friendly and happy. They showed respect to us even when we made mistakes due to ignorance of their laws and customs.So when I walked through the famous "Work will make you free gate" at Dachau, I wondered, as many others have, about the paradox that Germany is. How could the country that gave us Bach and Einstein also give us "The Final Solution?"Because this is a photo blog, I won't attempt an answer other than to say that all countries, including my own, can offer up paradoxes in their history.

Deb and I visited Dachau 30 minutes before it closed on a cool, rainy day. It was eerily devoid of people. And it was almost completely devoid of color.Somehow that seemed appropriate.For those interested in photography, you should know that when I took this photo, I realized that tens of thousands of other photos have probably been taken of this gate. So I was thinking about finding a point of view that might help my photo be a little different. So, after taking a couple shots with my standard lens, I took my 50mm 1.2 lens to capture a very narrow depth of field.Canon 5DII 1/640s f/1.4 ISO640 50mm

It's Not That Different

This is rural Germany, just outside of Rothenburg o.d.T. So why is my first post from our trip to Germany and Slovenia a scene like this? One possibility is that while foreign travel is about seeking and savoring the differences that foreign countries have to offer, there are times when I miss home.

Another possibility is that I liked the cool green and strong blue colors in this scene.

St. Paul Cathedral - Another View

I like the lines and curves and angles in this shot. In fact, if you study my architectural photography, I may seem a little "hung up" on lines, and curves and angles. I guess that's my style?

St. Paul Cathedral

I wasn't planning to photograph the St. Paul Cathedral yesterday morning. Instead, I went off to photograph the capital building in St. Paul, Minnesota. Unfortunately, there was scaffolding all over the dome. So I took photos of the nearby Cathedral.Some of you are wondering if this photo is "real" or whether I put in a fake sky (or a fake cathedral!)? This is real, though it is actually two photos - my camera doesn't have the ability to expose a bright sky and the north side of a building and make it look this this. In photography talk, it doesn't have the "dynamic range" to do this.Thus, I took two photos, exposing one for the sky and the other for the church and then combined them into one picture. This is called HDR photography. It's a neat trick that helps the camera see things closer to how the human eye does. The human eye has an incredible dynamic range.

A Day At the Getty

Real Flowers and Real Dew

A couple years ago I realized that garden flowers look better when they are covered in dew. Since we don't always have dew in SD, I usually carry a spray bottle with me when I visit my wife's garden.But on this day, I was wandering around my aunt's Southern California neighborhood looking for photo opportunities. And I found real flowers coated with real dew.

The Power of Advertising (iPhoneography)

Good photography? You be the judge. All I know is that I walked into a Carl's Jr. hamburger franchise in southern California one morning last week and was greeted by this happy saleswoman.The first thing I thought was, "Is this appropriate for a family restuarant?" The second thing I thought was "I need to take a photo." And today I am sharing my creative efforts with you. Enjoy.(Incidentally, I did not buy what she was selling.)

The Rusty Pelican (iPhoneography)

Lilly Pond

Sometimes an obvious post title jumps out at me. And other times, nothing strikes me. Such is the case today. "Lilly Pond" is pretty boring, isn't it?This photo, incidentally, is a departure from my normal style in that I rarely would photograph flowers in full sun. But waiting for shade wasn't an option. This pond is one of a couple at the Mission at San Juan Capistrano and I was there on a sunny southern California day at high noon. This isn't my favorite time of day to shoot any photo but actually, this brightly lit lilly came out OK. To get the selective focus, I set my camera on aperture priority, set the aperture to widest number (4.0) and then lowered the ISO. I let the camera set the shutter speed. Notice the bokeh in the background?

Labyrinth? (Getty Center, Los Angeles)

Even if the Getty Center, which sits above Los Angeles, California, didn't have great works of art, it would be worth visiting. The setting, the architecture and the landscape make this place a "must see" destination. It is photographically fascinating and I could have spent much more time there.This photo was taken with my iPhone and is heavily doctored by Instagram, but I like it. Perhaps when I have time, I'll post a photo of the same subject that I took with my "real" camera.If you are still reading, I want you to check out some photos I took with an iPhone app called Photosynth. I have posted a couple that I took at the Getty Center:The Van Gogh GalleryThe Big Metal Flower TreesGetty Center Entrance Hall (a true 360 shot)

Morning Joe

When visiting my aunt in California, one of my routines is to visit a nearby Peet's Coffee shop. At 6 am, it is a fairly quiet place and that's why I like it.