Zoo Cologne - Elephant Entrance

Speak friend and enter.

During the weekend July 17th/18th a fair was going on in the new elephant park, so we had a chance to visit the enclosure and roam around like the elephants will in September.

Two hours later, the conclusion fireworks display illuminated the central city.

This image of the Kölner Lichter fireworks is an overlay of two separate exposures.

Cologne - Sunset before the Fireworks

Against all odds and a terrible weather forecast, the evening turned out really great with a beautiful sunset.

The silhouette in the foreground is the cloister church of the convent Karmel Maria vom Frieden. I very much enjoyed the view while waiting for the night and the fireworks of the Kölner Lichter.

Eifel - Laacher Lake - Before Sunrise

An early autumn morning at the Laacher Lake, a few minutes before sunrise.

This is one of the moments, for which getting up early is really worth the effort. The wonderful light in the sky was there just for some minutes.

Eifel - Laacher Lake - After Sunrise

Just half an hour later, thick fog came in from the east and covered the landscape.

The Laacher Lake is a water filled chimney of an (not totally) extinct volcano, see (sorry, I didn’t find suitable English ones) this German information page and this one about the history.

Cologne - Fountain

Snapshot in time of the fountain in our garden.

The background is underexposed, yielding a high contrast to the reflections on the “blob”. I like the almost organic looking form of the water “blob”. This image is also posted at photo.net for critique and comments.

Cologne - Severins Bridge and Cathedral

An old photo revisited. Taken from the Deutz side of the Rhine, the pillars of the Severins Bridge create a nice frame for the silhouette of the cathedral.

This picture was taken in the evening with non-optimal light. Since some time I’m planning to redo the shot with more suitable morning light, but also since some time there is ugly scaffolding on the right tower of the cathedral.

Cologne - Rhododendron 3

Another rhododendron, this time a purple one near the game park in Dünnwald.

This image is also posted at photo.net for critique, feel free to add your comments or contribute a rating.

Cologne - Rhododendron 2

Another image of the pink rhododendron.

Cologne - Rhododendron 1

May, blooming rhododendrons everywhere: white, pink, purple. This fine pink one is just around the corner from my home.