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Two in a row !
As co-author Philippe rightly pointed out in his post on Giverny, it is good to return to our roots : drop the reviews, forget the brand names and write about travel photography.
So here are some photographs from the lovely towns and countryside in the foothills of the German Jura where the press launch of a bird named lens range from a certain household brand was recently held.
Gardener photographer in Schwäbisch Gmünd – Sony A7r & a good lens
Bilder ohne Worte. There isn’t much to tell, really. During workshops or in between trains, I roamed the streets of wherever I was with one camera and my lens, codename Audrey. So, like Mendelssohn too lazy to put words in his songs, let me leave you with pictures without comments, other than location.
It takes more than a few hours of walking to become an expert, so I’ll leave detailed descriptions to others. But Stuttgart is a great place for photography if you only have a short time on your hands in between meetings or trains.
Fruchtkasten. Sony A7rII & Zeiss Distagon 1.4/35 ZM (2 frame stitch)
Kunstmuseum. Sony A7rII & Zeiss Distagon 1.4/35 ZM
Kunstmuseum. Sony A7rII & Zeiss Distagon 1.4/35 ZM
Kunstmuseum. Sony A7rII & Zeiss Distagon 1.4/35 ZM
Those with more time to spare will undoubtedly enjoy photographing the Porsche and Mercedes museums, the Schlossgarten, the views from the aussichtsplattform and the leisurely Weinwanderweg walks through hillside vines.
But you need not feel shortchanged if your travel schedule only leaves you a fraction of that liberty as the pedestrian Königstraße lies only a crossroads away from the central train station and has plenty of variety to offer.
And the station itself, though bordering on the fugly, has plenty on offer for the curious tog.
Aalen, what can I say ?
One of a probably huge number of unknown, bustling little towns with gobs of charm for anyone willing to look around. Unknown to me, at least, and probably to a great many other French geezers, though, given how Napoleon’s incursion into the city brought about events so miserable “that no feather can describe” them, it’s likely the Aalenites share a deep memory of the French. (sorry)
Waking Aalen – Sony A7rII & Zeiss Distagon 1.4/35 ZM
Whether that’s the case or not, they sure were welcoming and the streets of the old city early in the morning are a sight for sore eyes. As the first rays of the sun bounce off one wall to another, and the cleaner army awakes, a leisurely stroll in the narrow alleys and parks elicits what delights me most in travel photography : stress-free photography, the simple act of clicking whenever it feels right to do so. None of the pressure associated to famous icons and the myriads of past photographs of them. Just the pure pleasure of grabbing passing light and building a library of emotional memories.
Stadtgarden, Aalen – Sony A7rII & Zeiss Distagon 1.4/35 ZM
Stadtgarden, Aalen – Sony A7rII & Zeiss Distagon 1.4/35 ZM
Stadtgarden, Aalen – Sony A7rII & Zeiss Distagon 1.4/35 ZM
Stadtgarden, Aalen – Sony A7rII & Zeiss Distagon 1.4/35 ZM
All of this before breakfast and a long day’s work (mine ended at 2:48 AM the following morning when I finished one of the previous articles on this blog).
Smack in between the two and second only to Aalen in size in that area, Schwäbisch Gmünd is another of these hidden jewels that no tourist would probably think of yet is another paradise for us clickaholics.
Villa Hizel, Schwäbisch Gmünd – Sony A7r & Zeiss Distagon 1.4/35 ZM
True, with an abundance of rivers and parks, a town needs to do something cretinous to end-up feeling unpleasant. And Schwäbisch Gmünd has those in spades. But it’s also made the very best of nature’s generosity and the whole place is enchanting.
Though unlikely, if a reader has been or plans to go to this area on the German side of the Jura, please drop us a line and share your photographic impressions.
Stadtgarden, Schwäbisch Gmünd
Oh, Sir Jasper, do not
Oh, Sir Jasper, do
