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Leipzig X-ray Convention
Since 1905 there is an X-ray meeting in Germany. It was the 100th time this year. Nowadays the convention takes place every year.
Besides the scientific news the convention offers the opportunity of caring for personal contacts. It is part of the beautiful things of the convention to meet old acquaintances and to exchange with them.
Leipzig fair is a great environment for this event. An agreeable tiredness affects me at the end of the day after many positive conversations. I left the celebration with relief.
Leipzig fair at sunset © Julian Köpke -
A special color palette
It’s the primary goal of many photographer’s who travel to Heligoland: bird photography. For more than 20 years now the Northern Gannet populates largely the red rocks of the island.
A short walk leads to the rim where these birds are breeding amongst seagulls and guillemots. Birders populate this rock early in the morning or late in the evening close to the rim, where the birds are nesting.
Couple of Northern Gannets at sunset on Heligoland. © Julian Köpke Gannets like to fly like students roam around in their school yard. Very attractive to see. A long and late sunset close to the summer solstice enhanced the experience.
Sunset Heligoland close ton the summer solstice © Julian Köpke The birder population varies largely with the year as the bird population does. This January, empty nests and no birders on Heligoland. This evening we were attracted by a beautiful sunset. After the sunset no further bird photos could be made. What a pity !
No birder, no cry © Julian Köpke After sunset the color palette turned into orange and turquoise. Turner in Venice used these colors in his last watercolors often. A power plant still was working a little bit.
Power plant close to Heligoland in the North Sea. © Julian Köpke -
A rose is a rose is a rose
Recovering from a strenuous afternoon where I was exposed to an increasingly deep dementia I sat in my hotel to have a light meal. Nerve-racking music all over the room. A beautiful sunset with warm colors and flattering light after a grey and rainy day.
A rose is a rose is a rose © Julian Köpke Dementia shows a person deprived of many intellectual capabilities. There is still the capability of a relation left, weak and vulnerable. There is no understanding left for us. Speechlessness counts the most.
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Lake Constance
It’s only a short trip from Lake Lucerne to Lake Constance. Very different light conditions compared to Lucerne in Horn. A little haze, turquoise flares, soft winds. Looking down from our new apartment I saw a sailing boat gently cruising. All turbulences of the last time were settled.
Sailing on Lake Constance © Julian Köpke The famous German painter Otto Dix lived his life here after his booting out of the art academy. He was a famous painter in the 1920s in Dresden.
The new light conditions and the rural life imposed hard days on him as he stated in his letters.
His house was recently reopened as a museum with a sophisticated measurement and air conditioning system to preserve building and art.
Gamut of colors in studio of Otto Dix Museum © Julian Köpke Isle of Mainau: in the castle gardens nicely arranged flowers, fern, trees, avenues. Memories of rainbow press publications about the owner and his life came up. Pleasant day with pleasant light. Lots of photo opportunities.
Cycle route near Isle of Mainau, Lake Constance © Julian Köpke 
Euphorbia in Mainau Castle Gardens (Mediterranean terrace) © Julian Köpke 
Fern forest Isle of Mainau © Julian Köpke -
Goodbye Bürgenstock
Last evening in a special resort. Flowers in every room. A view like on an airplane window seat. Meeting friends from long ago and renewing friendship. Happiness, breathlessness, intense talks, laughter.
Great sunset seen from above Lake Lucerne and Lucerne itself.
Sunset over Lucerne, Lake Lucerne © Julian Köpke Wonderful sunrise in the morning, blue sky and fresh air. Breakfast in the sky. Last conversations. Melancholy of farewell. Final goodbye. The composition resembles a painting of a former family member: Otto Flechtenmacher.
Bürgenstock: snow on mountain tips © Julian Köpke Luxuriant floral decorations everywhere in the lobby. Manual HDR without tripod: works.
Magnificent floral decoration with orchids © Julian Köpke -
Lucerne, Lake Lucerne
A trip to Lucerne to see friends. We were laughing a lot. Dining. Discussing unpleasant professional issues. Looking through lovely photo series.
This morning a distracting time in our hotel with lake view. We enjoyed many reflections on the surface of the water. Salsa festival at midnight. No activity on the lake in the morning. Light weighted tranquillity before sunrise.
Morning at Lucerne © Julian Köpke -
Low water at Lake Constance
This year we suffer from low snowfalls and low rainfalls during winter and spring. Since end of January we had blue sky and one only few clouds. It was nice to see the night sky and many phases of the Moon. But our garden is dry.
A short vacation at Lake Constance showed this drama. The shorelines around the island of Reichenau are becoming more visible than ever. And a boat on the lake shore is no longer a reliable means of traveling.
Low water at Lake Constance © Julian Köpke -
A day on Germany’s summit
Is there poetry in a landscape ? Does an image give the impression of poetry ? These questions came up when looking down from the Zugspitze at the Alpine folding.
It was a cold day with with warm rays from the sun. No winds, except at the border to Austria. We were lucky to spend a few hours up there at about 2960m.
This folding was soft and wild at the same time. Is it a solidified sea ? A petrified curtain ? Only the light creates the feelings.
Poetic Alpine Folding © Julian Köpke -
Sunny Sylt
After a rainy New Years eve and a cloudy 1st January there was a chance to escape to an island in the sun: Sylt.
A walk south along the beach at noon had a phantastic front light. We strolled without sorrows. The horizon wasn’t clear at all.
It’s good to have these days without sorrows.
Strollers sans soucies. Beach Westerland, Sylt. © Julian Köpke Short after 4 pm the sunset happened much earlier than in southern parts of Germany. The winds became more weak. A composit image of horizontal motion blur and a normal shot after the camera movement rendered a little bit of structure.
Sky and North Sea © Julian Köpke Increasingly great reflections occurred the next minutes. Hot waters ?
Reflections at sunset near Westerland at low tide © Julian Köpke The darker it becomes the more fatigant is our way home. Less people are now on the beach. All tend to go home.
People are going home at sunset. Evening glow with clouds at Westerland Beach. © Julian Köpke -
Cape Blanco State Park
Cape Blanco State Park was a windy corner. Fortunately we had much sun and only few clouds. When looking at the Fresnel optics of a lighthouse, one may get the impression of a shiny jewel. The shape is like a virus.
Fresnel optics of second order in Cape Blanco lighthouse (Curry County, Oregon, USA). © Julian Köpke When walking south we found no shiny look at Pyramid Rock with a shape not much different from the optics of the lighthouse.
Pyramid Rock at Cape Blanco State Park lies in direction south. © Julian Köpke
