tobias m. schiel
All the stone and glass and brass come to my inner eye when I think of Kurhaus, where last Monday’s walk ended. So I see this as a sort of sequel to last week’s contribution to Jo’s Monday Walks: I never quite succeeded in picturing this feeling of transition into a space that feels old and otherworldly in a way (where you would not be surprised to encounter Mr. Dostoevsky). These pictures are getting very close now.
Upon taking a walk, visitors and Wiesbadeners alike will not really get around Kurhaus, the grand building that houses concert halls, a restaurant, and a casino famous for players like Fyodor Dostoevsky – his novel The Gambler is said to be based on the author’s own experience in Wiesbaden. The building seems to be the city’s (romantic?) heart.
If so, the nearby market place may the be the lungs… Which is where we departed for today’s walk, visually sniffing like a happy dog at some of the things along the way. We have had a look at the former palace, walked along the steps of the ‘new’ city hall, and seen a bit of its ornaments (above).
Turning around, we cannot miss Marktirche (‘Market Church’), a spectacular orange brick building that has already been photographed a million times. I think it is considered Wiesbaden’s capital church, and as history has it, it is protestant. We rush along its walls towards the doors one of the city’s finest cinemas, Caligari (bottom) where a beautiful Art Deco interior is still intact. However, we will stay outside today – or we’ll never arrive at Kurhaus!
Turning left and then right again, one of the city’s nicer arcades takes us to Wilhelmstraße, dominated here by the Theatre of the State (Hessisches Staatstheater). We sneak past the back side, taking in the closed faded curtains, and finally find ourselves in front of the Kurhaus’ revolving doors which I reserve for next Monday’s post: It will not be a long walk, but I consider it worth while, so that will be part of Jo’s Monday Walks (hoping that’s fine by our hostess).
Some graffiti I found looking for simple compositions. If you really like great graffiti and mural art, I strongly recommend a visit at Dosenkunst (‘Canned Art’).
“It’s just a jump to the left”: A small step actually made all the difference between the two pictures here. I believe this proves that ‘taking a picture’ can indeed be a complex operation, starting with the question what you want it to show.
A different approach to the the “2/3” theme that currently keeps me occupied: A bit of blur, in line with this week’s photo challenge. (Later I will explain what the series is all about: That post is already in line to go online.)
Ephemeral – a response to this week’s photo challenge, continuing my collection of … what? Simple compositions? Windows and walls? Colours?
Catching up on Paula’s photo challenge I could not resist this one – which is where I found the great quote I am now using as a title. I hope that these pictures really help you letting go of this urge so that you can “focus […] on the act of seeing rather than the intellectual processes of naming and analysing what is being seen.”
As I am uploading pictures from a new series called 2/3 (for no apparent reason), up pops another challenge: Wall. Well.
Look out. Look in. Or look at it.
This is the final part of this month’s project in which you still can participate by posting a photo series inspired by your favourite movie. Details can be found under the 2015 Projects header in the menu bar. This series was inspired by the movie Fallen Angels.
Details can be found on the “2015 Projects” page, and – along with the rest of this series – right here. The whole series was inspired by the movie Fallen Angels.
Part three of this month’s project in which you can participate: Details can be found on the “2015 Projects” page and here, along with a complete presentation of the series – a series inspired by the movie Fallen Angels.
I am also entering this for this week’s photo challenge as the idea was to “find the shadows. You can choose a literal interpretation and shoot an actual shadow, or you can play with the light and dark, and create a moody scene, or capture your subject in a rich and interesting way.”
Ah … and sorry for the belated Santas. I found them so funny I did not have the heart to discard them.
An extra part of this month’s project in which you can participate: Details can be found on the “2015 Projects” page and here, along with a complete presentation of the series. It was inspired by the movie Fallen Angels.
Part two of this month’s project in which you can participate. Details can be found on the “2015 Projects” page. My series was inspired by the movie Fallen Angels.
I was watching Fallen Angels, admiring the photography when I had the idea to make a series of photographs to capture the aesthetics and the atmosphere of the movie: It should be fun to hint at narrative when I usually avoid it, and it might be a possibility to make good use of colour while I usually work in black and white. Going through these ideas I also thought that if these assignments are fun for me, they might be fun for you, too. So I decided to give it a try: While I usually just post pictures, let me now also share the ideas that lead to making the pictures – and see if you would like to work on the same project and come up with your own solution:
1. Think of a movie you consider most appealing visually. Watch it again, if you can.
2. Figure out the photographic style of this movie (as determined by light, colours, picture composition, etc.).
3. Make a series of photos that convey the spirit of the movie you picked.
To participate, come up with an idea that corresponds with the given topic, make your pictures, choose those you’d like to ‘exhibit’, post them and link to that post in the comments section here (ideally, you also weave a link to this challenge into your post).
I will post sequels to this post during January – reminding you the challenge is still on – and in the end link to your responses on the “2015 Projects” page.
A lot of yellow, among other colours…
From a project I intend to share in January, here’s a response to the Weekly Photo Challenge.
Restless Jo takes us to Nottingham Castle on her Monday walk today – enjoy the views! – and I take you to my favourite haunt again. Still misty…
My favourite walk, and a great place to smooth the creases out of my soul, as a German poet (almost) put it: This is an area where I do not feel there is a thing like poor weather; and so this walk in the fog was extremely nice. As for the route, there is none, especially when I bring my camera. I just roam about which much to everybody’s delight leads to bringing home loads of mud on my shoes… Maybe this ‘method’ has to do with what Robert Adams writes about the relation between photographers and dogs:
“My guess […] is that what sustained the artists’ affection for dogs was above all the animals’ enlivening sense of possibility. Artists live by curiosity and enthusiasm, qualities readily evident as inspiration in dogs. Propose a dog a walk and its response is absolutely yes. As a terrier of ours once exclaimed to Kerstin, in a dream of hers, ‘Let’s, Kerstin!’ Those were the only words that anyone had ever heard a dog speak – a wide-open program of unqualified eagerness, delivered from her characteristic posture of readiness to bolt for the kitchen, town, or filed.” (Robert Adams, Why People Photograph, New York: Aperture, 1994. p. 47)
In the end I should not forget to mention Jo’s Monday Walk, because if you like walking as much as I do, that’s a great place to visit and get inspired and participate.
empire of lights 