Here is a collection of photographs from our time in Dresden. First below is the newly rebuilt Frauenkirche. The dark sandstone areas are the pieces that were recovered after the city was bombed at the end of WWII. Jason and I got to watch an amazing video while we were there that showed the rebuilding process, but I wasn’t able to find one online for you all to see. Please click here to read a bit about this church, but also make sure you click on the second photograph in the article. That will take you to a collection of seven other great images–just do it!

We also paid €8 each (yes 8, but it was worth it!) to walk up the highest tower of the church. First we took an elevator up a ways, and then we walked through a long corridor that circled up the tower. That was followed by a very tight spiral staircase, which brought us to the top. Jason took the second photo below of our view from way up there. We were in the Altstadt (old city, or historic part) of Dresden, and across the river you can see the Neustadt (new city).

We also visited the Zwinger Palace, which was commissioned by Augustus the Strong, and was used for celebrations. Now it houses multiple museums, including a large porcelain collection.

The next two photographs were taken from the glass-covered courtyard of the Residenzschloß, or Dresden Royal Palace. It served as the government seat of Saxony’s kings and electors, and now houses many art collections.

We spent a bit of time in the Verkehrsmuseum, or transportation museum. My favorite part was this historic bus stop sign–namely the advertisement on the bottom depicting a gentleman walking by proudly with his Herkuleskeule ticket, while the little blue men stare jealously.

And finally here is a shot Jason took after dinner of the Hofkirche. The Altstadt is beautiful at night, with all of the major landmarks brightly lit.

“A good photograph is knowing where to stand.”
~Ansel Adams

I came across this quote today and was struck by its simple truth.  I think I look incredibly silly about 98% of the time I am photographing–laying on the ground, up on my toes, standing on something/anything– because I’m always trying to capture my subject from the spot that is “just right”.  There are so many factors that go into deciding where that perfect spot is, and so little time to stand around and contemplate.  I am constantly striving to figure out the best way to position myself before I click the shutter, because the composition, and ultimately end result, of each shot depends wholly upon where I decide to stand.
The photograph below was in the set of shots I took for my last post.  I love it because this little weed, barely taller than the grass around it, stands so tall because of where I positioned myself and the camera.  Had I taken the shot looking down on it from my normal perspective, it would appear as no more than a small yellow dot in the green grass.

I am in the midst of going through the images from our trip to Dresden last weekend.  I can’t wait to show you more photos, but here is one for now…

It’s finally starting to warm up a bit around here and I am so excited. The past week or so I’ve been noticing little green buds emerging on the trees that have been leafless all winter. Yesterday I decided to walk around a bit to document this magical transformation. At first glance, the landscape still looks a bit grey and winter-ish, but after a closer look it is evident that Spring will soon steal the landscape.

Jason and I are leaving Friday for a three-day trip to Dresden! Stay tuned for photos from the city known as “Florence on the Elbe“.

I know what you’re thinking…and yes, they are SCRUMPTIOUS.  Jason and I enjoy these lovely waffles each and every Saturday morning.  They are called “Frischeiwaffeln”.  I pick a 12-pack of them up during my shopping each week for just 55 euro cents at the wonderful Aldi Süd.  They come as you see them here, and all we do is pop them in the toaster for a minute or two, and then add our favorite toppings–being butter and powdered sugar, jelly, or Nutella.  I don’t often take pictures of the food I eat, but I felt the need to document this since it has become a bit of a tradition for us here.

We went for a bike ride across the bridge to Mainz in the afternoon.  It was a bit chilly, but warmer than it has been in a long time–we reached a high of 14 Grad, which is about 57°F.  The “disappearing train” photo was shot at about 1/4 sec.  On our way back home I made Jason stop so I could take these two shots.  I showed Jason the last photo below in the camera’s screen right after taking it and said, “look babe, it’s hunky bokeh”.  FYI: Hunky is my nickname for him and bokeh is the name for the out-of-focus area in a photograph.  Well…I thought it was funny…

Day three of our trip started out at Notre Dame. The cathedral is amazingly grand and beautiful. However the day was dreary, and that did not allow for much light inside. While we did take a few shots capturing what we could of the expansive interior, none of those images really caught my attention as I went back through them. This photo was my very favorite, and I knew it as soon as I clicked the shutter. Every single part of Notre Dame is so detailed and decorated–even this column that opens up into one of the many small side rooms in the cathedral.

After visiting Notre Dame, we walked along the Siene River for a while. These huge mooring rings are planted all along the wall of the river, and Jason snapped this shot while I was waiting for him to catch up. The second photo below shows a view of Notre Dame (right in the center) from across the river.

Next we headed to the Arc de Triomphe, located at the top of the Champs Élysées. This arch is in the middle of an insane traffic circle that is multiple lanes wide, with no lines or markings. The only right-of-way goes to the biggest, fastest, or perhaps most agile driver. Since it is impossible to cross the traffic circle by foot, they’ve built an underground passage leading to the arch. Below is a shot of the seemingly never-ending spiral staircase we climbed to reach the top of the Arc de Triomphe, and to get back down again. And finally, the last photo was taken at the top of the arch, which provides a beautiful, 360 degree view of Paris.

Welcome to day two! After our delicious Valentine’s meal and a good night’s sleep, we were ready for our second day in Paris. It was a busy day, and we visited many different places. First off is the Palace of Versailles. We got there just as they were opening, so it wasn’t too crowded to start off, but by the time we got inside, it was packed. Jason rocked the camera on that day–he took more than half of the pictures I’ve posted here. See if you can guess which ones!

Our next destination was Napoleon’s Tomb at Les Invalides. For such a small guy, he’s got a pretty spacious resting place.

Next, we went to the Musée du Louvre. We bought a museum pass, which provides access to more than 60 museums and monuments. Because the Louvre is huge we decided to pick a few sections to explore from our little map. Of course, we couldn’t leave before catching a glimpse of the Mona Lisa, and taking a couple quick mug shots in front of it!

These next two were taken at the Musée d’Orsay. The building used to be a train station and is now the home for many works of impressionist art in Paris. The second photo below shows a scale model of Paris built beneath a glass floor.

Here is a shot of the famous Moulin Rouge. Jason and I happened to walk by it after dinner that evening. The final photo below was taken during our boat tour on the Seine, the river that runs through Paris. The tour gave us some great views of the city just as it was getting dark. Stay tuned for photographs from day three!

And the answer is…the Winged Victory of the Musée du Louvre in Paris, France. We had a wonderful time in the “City of Lights” last weekend. If you ever get the chance to go there, do it! It is such a neat place full of history and amazing artwork. We spent three days there and were able to see quite a bit, but there is still so much more to discover. The following three shots were taken very early on the morning of our first day in Paris. We walked through the park in front of the Louvre and came upon the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, the first of Napoleon’s two triumphal arches. Look at the beautiful shot Jason took of the Louvre with its glass pyramid. We realized later in the trip how amazing it was that we were able to capture these shots–completely void of people. Each time we were around this area later on, it was always swarming with visitors.

Just a couple hours later, this is the first view we got of the Eiffel Tower as the sun was coming up.

We walked around the area surrounding the Eiffel Tower. As I was taking this shot I thought, “hmm, the lucky Parisians on this street get to wake up each morning to this lovely view.”

As we were roaming around town, we came upon the Old Opera House. We walked around to the side to practice some statue impersonations and to soak up some sun–I know it looks warm and sunny in these pictures, but it was quite windy and chilly. Later that evening we went out for a special Valentine’s day dinner. Jason’s favorite part was that they served cheese as its very own course between dinner and dessert. Photos from day two are coming soon! Thanks for looking