David?? Is that REALLY you?

While I do try to post newer photographs here, this is a shot taken several months back during a trip to Singapore. It was nice to have had the opportunity to photograph this version of David, after having seen (photographed) the copy standing in the original location of David in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence. I have yet to see the true original at the Galleria del'Accademia in Florence as the lines were just too long to try to get in.

Berliner Dom

Last one for today and... yes, I decided to do another black and white photograph. I really think architecture looks better that way. Anyway, so this is the Berliner Dom (the Berlin Cathedral). Itis a Lutheran cathedral on Museum Island in the Mitte district of the city, built between 1895 and 1905.

During the Second World War, the building was bombed by the Allies and severely damaged (quite tragic how many beautiful buildings were destroyed or severely damaged in the war). A temporary roof was installed to protect what remained of the interior and in 1975 reconstruction started. The restoration of the interior was begun in 1984 and in 1993 the church reopened.

Brandenburg Gate

Here is one of the shots I came away with from our 3-week trip to Germany. I planned, at first, to process this particular photograph in color, but decided to go classic black and white instead. I also decided to create a more dramatic image by enhancing details in the various textures (sky, architecture). I have always loved the timelessness of good black and white photoography and I feel this one is not too shabby, despite having to take it in the brightest part of the say.

St. Coloman's Kirche, Schwangau, Germany

Southern Germany is such a beautiful place. According to a poll I hear from a friend, 75 per cent of Germans want to live in Bavaria. Another then joked that the poll was taken in Bavaria, meaning that 25 per cent want to leave. I believe the former to be true. Bavaria is green and unspoiled, and the Bavarians are fiercely protective of their land and their culture. Here is a photograph I took on our last day in Schwangau of the Baroque St. Coloman's Kirche (Church).

"Just" a Rose

Okay. So it is a bit of a dreary looking day here in Jakarta today, so I decided to post this single beautiful rose. We were at Tiergarten (Zoo) in Berlin, though you cannot tell that from this image. It was raining off and on that day, and I shot this between animal exhibits. I was pretty happy with the shot, considering I did not have my macro (close-up) lens with me. My 9-year old daughter then showed me what she captured with her camera (a canon G9). Wow! What an eye she has. Actually, both of my girls have an amazing eye for photographic composition. To be a child again, unencumbered by limited vision, imagination and wonderment!

Werder, Germany

Spent a wonderful day in Werder, Germany. Great weather for sightseeing. Here is an interior shot of the Heilig Geist Kirche (Holy Ghost Church) in Werder, Germany. Werder, also called Werder (Havel) or Werder upon Havel, is located in the Potsdam-Mittelmark Kreis (district) of Brandenburg, one of Germany's sixteen Bundesländer (federal states), just west of the region's capital city of Potsdam. Werder’s eastern border fronts on the Havel river, a tributary of the Elbe, and Werder’s oldest quarter is located on an island in the river, which is why it is also known as Havel. The name "Werder" means "water surrounded country."

Russian Colony Alexandrowka

So here is the first image I have decided to post from our August 2008 vacation in Italy. We were on our way to Werder, Germany and stopped to look around in the picturesque Russian Colony Alexandrovka (aka Russische Kolonie Alexandrowka). One of Potsdam's UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Frederick William III built the small village of Alexandrovka to house his beloved Russian choir, which was made up of 12 of the more than 1000 Russian soldiers captured in the Napoleonic Wars. Some descendants of the original inhabitants still live in the homes.