#138. Sturm und Drang

Sturm und Drang 1 – Nikon D800e & Leica Elmarit-R 90/2.8

Late 18th century German artists reacted to the diktat of rational enlightment with the Sturm und Drang movement trough which emotion and subjectivity was given center stage.

This morning, the skies treated my neck of Provence to a delightful sunrise on a snowy forecast day. In between testing lenses for my ongoing Nikon D800e review, this provided a welcome opportunity for artistic relief.

Sturm und Drang 2 – Nikon D800e & Leica Elmarit-R 90/2.8

Grabbing a fleece and trainers, I ran out through the ice-covered back-garden and up the hill at the first glimpse of reddish light in the East. The view above was my reward. Holding the camera steady while both shivering and panting was not a given in the low light, but a wobbly fence post provided some help. Squeezing the camera against my nose is both painful and efficient for vibe reduction. One reason Every Camera Should Have a Viewfinder (// a private rant against Sony’s RX-1).

Sturm und Drang 3 – Nikon D800e & Leica Elmarit-R 90/2.8

As often, the light lasted only a few minutes and my limbs were thankful for the jog back.

What I love about the series is that as you move further West (downwards, in this set) the mood changes radically. It starts all vibrant and dynamic, being all about the light and contrast, and progresses to a brooding feeling of doom (too much ? ;))

I processed the set to initially look very abstract and progressively more realistic, with more foreground objects showing in the darker areas.

Which picture do you prefer ? It should tell you what sort of mood you’re in.

As always, please click for much larger and nicer images. Also, try to adjust the colour and constrast of your screen or the pictures, particularly the last, will look like you’re dog’s been ill.