Brown Coal Mining Inden - Man and Machine

Even at some distance, the sheer monstrosity of the excavators is fascinating, but to quite some degree also terrifying.

A whole territory is being digged up here! A good overview of the open cast mining activities can be found at this web site.

Brown Coal Mining Inden - Digging

Even on a Sunday, the giant excavators are digging through the brown coal open cast mining Inden.

Northeast of Aachen, NRW, Germany, there is a vast brown coal mining area. On the way back from a trip to Aldenhoven, also near to that area, I took the opportunity to shoot some photographs.

Hallig Gröde - Another Year

Back again on “our” islet in the North Frisian Wadden Sea. As always, the variations of landscape, clouds, and light are impressing.

Evening light scene with the sun starting to sink, seen from inside the Knudswarft. From now on, some new images from this year’s trip to Gröde will appear here, sort of interrupting the 2004 series, which wasn’t yet completed. One of major advantages of digital photography is the fast turn-around time and immediate availability of the data for further processing. And I want to take advantage of this for the photolog here, of course. And a major problem of digital photography is evident here as well, blown-out highlight. Despite massive exposure compensation, the strong back light of the sun bumps the sensor to its upper limit. Film has a much softer shoulder in the contrast curve. Anyway, leaving this technical problem aside, I still think this is a characteristic image full of atmosphere.

Tenerife - Tourist Attraction

Not only the landscape, but also some buildings attract tourists.

Somewhat outside the busy center of the capital Santa Cruz, the Auditorio de Tenerife can be found, more a monument than a building, directly at the sea. But once the building enters your field of vision, you won’t look out over the sea. What’s this building, a – most likely English – couple of tourists was asking. Well, it’s a concert hall, but one of a kind! More images can be found in the new album page Auditorio de Tenerife.

Cologne - Rapeseed Field in Buchheim

It’s that time of the year again. ;-) I simply love these bright yellow patches in the landscape.

Last year I was looking in vain for a picturesque rapeseed field in the near surroundings. This year one is just near my daily way to work, so I couldn’t resist. The field in located in Buchheim, near the Herl manor, on the right-hand side of the Rhine (or the wrong side, depending on your local preferences ;-).

Tenerife - Punta del Hildalgo 2

There is only the open Atlantic Ocean north of Tenerife.

So even on a relatively calm day, the waves are very powerful. And here at the base of the Anaga mountain range, this is really an impressing sight.

Tenerife - Punta del Hildalgo 1

Back a few days on the time axis, waves crashing on the shore at Punta del Hildalgo.

Here in the north-east of Tenerife, the wet trade wind is blowing directly into your face.

Tenerife - Pico del Teide 4

And a last view of the Teide from Paradores, some strange clouds are gathering again.

One of the main attractions nearby, Los Roques de Garcia, draws even more tourists, so it was pretty crowed. But just take a few steps off the road, then the dead shrubs and the view of this awe-inspiring mountain, and then you’ll quickly forget the mass of people.

Tenerife - Pico del Teide 3

More luck a few days later, three knolls ;-) along the TF-21 through the Cañadas.

Finding a parking place here near the path up to Montaña Blanca turned out very difficult. Half of the local population seemed to spend this Sunday up in the Cañadas, improvised coasting on the snow covered slopes seemed to be most popular. This photograph was taken below Montaña Blanca, just around the corner of the path.

Tenerife - Pico del Teide 2

Up at the entrance to the Cañadas National Park, Clouds were gathering around the Teide.

Our hopes for good weather above the clouds were in vain. Bad weather was coming up from the south(!) and the road through the Cañadas was closed because of snow and ice. So much for eternal spring on the Canary Islands. ;-)