prints

(This is an old import from Myspace, so not all the links may work)

First off, I just want to wish everyone a very Happy Easter. I know
it’s been a long time since I posted, but since February, I’ve been
running just like I do every year in the first 3-4 months. It’s like
everything gets stored up for those first few months of the year and
almost every weekend has had something planned – from going out and
doing photography (pictures) with the photo group I’m helping organise
to seeing gallery exhibitions, to taking my birthday trip (more
pictures – this time of 3 countries), to having guests visit
(pictures), to taking another couple day trips (pictures).

In between all of this, the weather has warmed up, I’m biking to and from
work again and with the addition of the new “Teltow bypass” road, I’m
out walking the dog along an extended length of sidewalk that runs the
length of the town and all the way up to the Sbahn station (about 3km
or so from my house). It also goes about another 2 km in the other
direction. It’s nice to have when I’m walking / bike riding with the
dog – but the traffic on that street now is HELL. Too many cars, no
stop lights/stop signs and well, I guess them’s the tradeoffs.

The result, in short, is that I have a backlog of almost 1000 pictures that
need processing, am still taking photos (Had a day trip on Friday to
Cottbus, and maybe one Tomorrow if the weather holds) and am buying
more SD cards to keep the new stuff on until I can get the old stuff
processed.

If it tells you how far behind I am, I just
finally got up all the stuff from February – Valentine’s Day! Yep,
that means what – 2 months behind. UGH!!

Let’s start with the Photo set from Tacheles.

Tacheles is a living art colony in the center of Berlin. They’ve taken over a
huge former shopping complex (built around the end of the 1800’s/early
1900’s). It was badly damaged in WW2, but what survives of it is now
used by artists to create artwork – and it’s got a few random
nightclubs. It’s also covered in “moving” art – in that it’s
constantly being covered with graffiti and re-graffitied almost every
week. Crazy I know, but it’s actually encouraged. Here’s a few photos
from Valentine’s day around there:

The Back side of Tacheles

Almost every surface is covered in grafiti….Some is worse (above) than Others (below

Pedro the Cat

Whistful Beanie Girl

Penguin’s VW Van

Among the squatters and other artists at Tacheles – this one was my favorite
to photograph – the guy who welded into sculptures pieces of scrap
metal. Mostly because it was cool to photograph:

Robot TV Alien guy

Metal Wagon Wheel

The Flying (metal) Spaghetti Monster (chair)

From there, we went on to a Flash Mob at Alexanderplatz (photos here)
At 15:00 Sharp, about 3000 people froze in place – for 5 minutes. This
is one of the busiest train stations in Berlin – and people are
constantly walking through here. Getting between 3000 and 5000 people
in the freezing cold wind to pause for 5 minutes (with a beer bottle
sticking to their mouth, holding chalk while coloring on the cement, or
in my case, with a camera on, finger on the trigger facing the “moving
people coming in”) was no easy task. Still, the results were
stunning. I have some video that Scott took (not yet processed) but
here’s a few pictures:

The Panorama of the area – with people milling around before the event.

Some of the variety of people who showed up (some with props like the brilliant hair and bikes); others just being themselves.

The
best, however, was being able to catch some of the expressions – the
girl “chalk drawing” is frozen – check out the kid trying to get her to
move -and the looks of the people going “what the heck” below (even the
dog was confused as to why we were being living statues!)

Wha?

Nervous Laughter

Confused Dog

Like with all my posts, there’s plenty more up on my Flickr Site – and you can click the photos for larger sizes.

Until Next time, Enjoy!

** Remember, all photos on this page are copyright by me, and several do have prints for sale – Thanks!**

Sunlight and Shadows

Recently, a group of people and I who participate on the Berlin Ex-patriot website here (www.toytowngermany.com)
have started making weekly and bi-weekly photo-walks in and around the
city. We’re learning from each other and sharing ideas and best
practices. We’re even going to the extent of visiting famous exhibits
and art when it’s too cold or too wet to go out. (Is there such a
thing for a “true” photographer? Ahh… don’t ask.)

This week’s
trip started out going to a place in the city – where I snapped a few
images of an abandoned building, and a few pieces of random Berlin art
(and graffiti) which were “ok” (you can see them in the photostream on
flickr). but, in my opinion, not really worth posting to the blog.

What
was worth posting, however (the pictures that made it here in the
blog), was that we did a nice little trip down to Priesterweg Sbahn
before attempting the Cemetery in Stahnsdorf.

It
was there that the sky started blue up – and the sun came out for a few
short minutes (about an hour and a half) – as we walked along through
the nature walk and sculpture park.

It
really made the day great – and I got a few photos that I would call
“quality”. So, Berlin’s terrible gray, fog and clouds do still exist
in January – but for a few brief moments – in freezing temperatures –
the sun comes out – joy arrives in my heart – and I have to make a few
abstract memories.