Trees lined up on a hill near the “Bucher Stausee” a water reservoir. (”Ostalb”, Southern Germany).

Moss and mushrooms in the woods near Neuler, Southern Germany.

the sun sets over the baltic sea in nida, Lithuania

El Tortuguero (Limón province) is known for its canals and for the turtles that build their nests on the beaches of this fascinating nature reserve.
Actually, the name of the place is derived from Spanish “tortuga” for turtle.
Even when there are no turtles, the beaches are quite beautiful and the boat tours on the canals are fun.

Another case of photogenic “bad” weather. Fortunately, the thunderstorm was a few kilometres away, when we were riding on our bikes through woods and field in Southern Sweden.
This photo was taken near Söderåkra, where we had a nice little holiday cottage.
There are some old windmills in the area, but lots of new ones generating power from wind energy…

Even when the weather is “bad”, it can be highly photogenic in Finland.
Here, a little bit of rain is falling on Puruvesi lake shortly after sunset (Enanlahti near Punkaharju).
Although it never gets really dark at night, it’s already too late in July for real “midnight sun”.

Weeds in the evening light, a moment after the sun set seen in Finland.

An impressive evening sky seen from Playa Tambor on the Pacific side of Costa Rica (actually located on the Nicoya Peninsula).

A Dutch windmill in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

Coral Bay, situated north of Paphos.

For a long time, it was believed that the Colca Canyon was the deepest canyon on earth, but it turned out that the nearby Cotahuasi Canyon is even deeper.
In any case, the Colca Canyon is an attraction and walking there is a unique experience.
It is quite a strenuous effort, however, - after all it is situated at a height of approximately 3500 meters and acclimatisation is essential.
More on the Colca Canyon at Wikipedia.
More pictures from Peru on my main site and in this blog:
http://peru.travelphoto.net/
http://www.travelphoto.net/a-photo-a-day/wordpress/category/photos/peru/

It is a very relaxing experience to walk along a levada through woods and fields.
The levada Nova in the Western part of Madeira is quite an easy walk and very varied.
Local agencies organise the walks, but it is quite easy to do a walk on your own as well: although there are hardly any signposts, the “levada” carrying the water across the island usually clearly identifies the correct way.

More Levada images:
http://www.travelphoto.net/a-photo-a-day/wordpress/2008/01/03/walking-the-levada-nova-madeira/
http://www.travelphoto.net/a-photo-a-day/wordpress/2004/03/22/madeira-levada-wanderung/

The stone circle is about 5000 years old and today consists of 38 stones of varying size.
I’ve seen it in good and bad weather and don’t know which atmosphere to prefer.

more about the Castelrigg circle and more pictures of the stone ring and the sheep:
http://www.travelphoto.net/a-photo-a-day/wordpress/2006/11/12/sheep-at-castlerigg-stone-circle/
http://www.travelphoto.net/a-photo-a-day/wordpress/2005/08/21/castlerigg-stone-circle/

Even more facts at Wikipedia.

In the back, you can see the Atlas mountains…

The Atlas mountains on the way to Ouarzazate.
More photos from Morocco

The photos on this site are copyright by Laurenz Bobke.

A cheap and entertaining way to see Lisbon from another angle is to take the ferry to Cacilhas.
Here I was lucky enough to see quite an impressive sky over the “Ponte 25 de Abril” bridge just before sunset.

A moment after a short but heavy rain, light breaks through the clods in the Troodos mountains. A tiny bit of the sea is visible in the background.

Agios Georgios is not far from Paphos where I spent a fascinating 1 week holiday.
The water is crystal clear and the coast extremely beautiful - although you do not find the perfect white or golden sand beaches of other holiday locations on Cyprus.
More photos from Agios Georgios.

The drive to Ouarzazate is a standard excursion from Marrakesh - and highly recommended.
There are some breathtaking views from the Atlas mountain and beautiful landscapes anywhere.
The tourist buses are comfortable - but if I ever get there gain, I’ll try to find a taxi instead - so that I can make more photo stops and exactly where I want them.

When I visited Clonmacnoise, the weather changed rapidly. Here, I got a shot of the surroundings, just a moment before rain started pouring down.
Fortunately, the AV-show was interesting and the rain had disappeared when we came outside again.

Arles has many sights to offer - a roman amphitheatre, many churches and an ancient and formerly very important cemetery.
A very good way to relax in between is to take a stroll along the Rhône river.

The “valley of the moon” (that’s what “valle de la luna” means) is situated in the Atacama desert, not too far from San Pedro de Atacama.
Indeed, some parts of the valley look as though there was no life on Earth…
Oh, and - of course - there are more “valles de la luna” in other Spanish speaking parts of the world (Bolivia, Argentina…), but this is the most famous one.

Aït-Ben-Haddou maybe is the most famous “Ksar” in Morocco.
This fortified village has been featured in many Hollywood productions although Ksar Ouled Soltane in Tunisia may be even more famous.

View of the sea in Patagonia (Southern Chile).
Although the waether is not exactly inviting, the atmosphere is something unforgettable…

View from Akronauplia mountain.

A small cemetery between fields somewhere on the Isle of Man.
Seeing all the beautiful landscapes on this island it is very hard to believe that it is mainly known for motor races…

A few days ago, I posted a rowing boat in Essaouira now here is a slightly simillar small boat in a completely different setting at Lago Titicaca, Peru.

PICT7238-01, originally uploaded by laurenz.

The “Okano” crater lake at Zao San (Near Yamagata, Japan) lies still and displays its incredibly green colour - for a few seconds before it is again covered by mist.

PICT6001-01, originally uploaded by laurenz.

Much less peaceful: the crater lake of Mount Aso on Kyushu (Japan), also shows an impressive greenish colour.

Mountain Sunset, originally uploaded by laurenz.

I saw this on the way back from the termal springs of Zao Onsen to Yamagata.

Path in the Garden, originally uploaded by laurenz.

a footpath in the beautiful Japanese “Oyakuen” garden, Aizu Wakamatsu, Japan.

The way to Mount Aso, originally uploaded by laurenz.

Mount Aso is one of the largest active volcanoes in the world and the largest one in Japan.
It’s almost 1600 meters high and its caldera has a circumference of 120 km.

Voidokilia Bay is often referred to as “OX Belly Bay”, due to its peculiar Shape.
It is located on the Peloponneses, near the much bigger Bay of Navarino where a famous sea battle took place.

This was taken on a walk from Port St Mary to the “Calf of Man” along the famous Raad Ny Foillan walk.

By the way: I had two cameras with me, the Minolta Dynax 9 loaded with Fujichrome Velvia 50 with which I took the picture above and a small digital Panasonic Lumix FX8.
Hre’s a shot of the same area taken with that camera:

Interesting, how different the colours are, - nothing really objective about photography…

yet another shot of this picturesque highland lake.

Some glimpses of the Chihuly exhibition in Fairchild Garden (Miami, USA).

I found it incredible how well the glass exhibits fit their surroundings and complimented them.
Sometimes, it was hard to tell whether a particular flower was natural or not.

By the way, it seems there is more than one Chihuly exposition going on at the same time:
On another weblog, I found a reference to a Chihuly Exhibition at Missouri Botanical Gardens, as well as quite a few photos with installations ver ysimilar to the ones I saw in Miami.

More on the artist and the glass objects created by him on the official Dale Chihuly Website.

Reflection of a villa in Collins Canal, Miami Beach

There are many volcanoes in the Chilean altiplano, but it is only when you come to the thermal springs that you really get an impression of the volcanic activity that formed these mountains.

The Moreno glacier, one of the most impressive sights in Patagonia

 

Locarno Sunrise, originally uploaded by laurenz.

Sunrise in Locarno on an overcast day.

A great place to see some birdlife - and lots of water after the desert: Cooinda in the Northern Territory.

The “moon valley” in the Chielan Andes - one of the most spectacular lanscapes I’ve come across on my travels.
If you click on the image and look at the lower right, you may see that the small black dot there is in fact a human figure…

Aren’t these nice autumn colours? That’s what the local park is like right now….

Ayers Rock in the evening. It is amazing how the colours change in the course of a day.
This is due to reflecting particles in the rock itself.

many more pictures from Australia at my website:

After my Aswan moon photo I now took a photo in my home town, using the same equipment.

The outcome is totally different(Minolta Dynax 9, Tokina 80-400 mm + 1.7 extender, tripod, cable release)

Fog in the Park II, originally uploaded by laurenz.

also taken in the “Walkmühltal”-Park, Wiesbaden (Germany).

and here a shot from the Lake District: Derwent Water, near Keswick.

Loch Morlich (Scotland) shortly before sunset.

Coastline, Isle of Man, originally uploaded by laurenz.

You can walk all around the island. I didn’t have the time to do so, but tried a walk around the Southern tip and another one from Ballaglass to Ramsey.
This photo was taken near Ramsey.

Yet another sunset over the Nile.
taken from the east bank of the river.

Within a couple of hours, I”ve seen this river in rain, beautiful sunshine and many different lights.
The weather changes rapidly here…

I took this photo only a few minutes ago with my small Lumix - digital photography sure has its advantages.
Still looking forward to the slides from my Minolta SLR though…

And another shot taken on the same occasion as yesterday’s.

Bodhgaya is a pleasant town situated at the shores of the Niranjana river.
There is, however, one thing that sets this place apart from all others: here, under a Bodhi tree, prince Siddharta achieved enlightenment and became “the Buddha”.
So, Bodhgaya is one of the holiest sites for Buddhists and there are monasteries from just about any Buddhist country.
Very interesting to visit, - but exploring rural India is just as rewarding!

Incredible colours…

Seen on a birdwatching trip near Capetown.

I had to get up pretty early to get this shot.

View from Elephantine island at Aswan.

The cricular terraces of Moray are believed to have been an Incaagricultural laboratory.

It is advisable to take the first bus up to Machu Picchu and be there before sunrise.
At this time there is already surprisingly much light and the place is truly magical.

The Titicaca lake seen in the early morning from a boat.

The pond in Hida Folk Village, Takayama, Japan. Already, you can see the first autumn colours.
Hida folk Village is worth a visit anyway as youi can learn a lot about traditional Japanese architecture and see demonstrations of traditional crafts.

A small rowing boat on the salt lake near Douz (Tunisia).

Autumn in a park in Wiesbaden, Germany

This volcano is still active.

The Beach of Koh Samui, Thailand.

Quite close to San José, volcano Poás is still active - and an impressive place.

View from the castle of Rethymnon (Crete, Greece).

The lava fields of Mount Etna, near Catania (Sicily, Italy)

You find pictures from Nepal at my main photo galleries.

Please note that I also have a site with a few thematic photo galleries.
One of them shows different landscape forms:

One of the nicest ways of crossing from Argentina into Chile is the “Paso Hua Hum” a combined bus and boat trip. You then come through the area of the “seven lakes”.
This picture was taken in Panguipulli, a small but pleasant town.

Koh Samui in the morning.

Parque Nacional “Los Glaciares”: Moreno - Glacier.

A fascinating short trek leads to the Torres del Paine, but unfortunately, the weather is unpredictable.
When we arrived there, the famous peaks were barely visible in the fog.
Still it surely was worth the effort: the Torres del Paine National Park has so much to offer, including crystal clear lakes and many wild animals.

High up in the Chilean Andes, at about 4000 meters, there is a famous geyser: El Tatio.
In the early morning, this is a truly magical place with ice, steam and many colours.
However, this spectacle only lasts for a short time, a few hours after sunrise there isn’t really much to see.
This is why many travelers leave San Pedro de Atacama at night and reach the place before sunrise.
It’s worth it. Take some hot beverages and warm clothes - it can be bitterly cold with temperatures well below 0.

Ashino-ko lake is a crater lake and only a few thousand years old.
On it’s shores, there’s a small red Torii which is illuminated at night.

Rice paddies on Bali (Indonesia)

And here is the view you have from the upper town.

Monemvasía has been dubbed the “Gibraltar of Greece” - and there are definite similarities.
Only a small dyke links the Island-rock to the Peloponnese, in earlier times this strategic position was further fortified by a drawing bridge and a castle on top of the rock.
Looking at the town from this side it seems to be almost uninhabited, - only after passing through the city gate one sees the remains of a city that once had 30000 inhabitants.
Today, the lower city has been carefully restaurated and it is possible to stay there in an apartment that is several centuries old. Definitely recommended.
Although today only 400 people live here, there’s a regular bus to the other side. Please beware that on public holidays and sundays you may not be able to catch the earliest long distance bus from there, as the bus may not be running yet and taxis may not be willing to take you either. A good excuse to prolong your stay.
A must: going up the rock to the ruins of the upper city. This is especially beautiful at sunrise. You’ll be back in time for breakfast and the colours are amazing.

Currently, the weather is not at its best here, so how about a nice shot from this fall?

Actually, it is quite easy to take pictures of dramatic silhouettes: you shoot into the sun, metering on a lighter part of the sky. Consequently, the foreground will be dark or even black.
Getting the exposure right is pretty simple with spot metering (if your camera has this option).
Still bracketing (taking pictures with different exposures) is highly recommended, - at least when you are using slide film.
Sometimes, you want to have a nice silhouette in the centre or background, but would like to show the details in the foreground. In this case, it is advisable to use the above technique combined with a fill flash.
Here is an example, the Ggantija Temple on Gozo (Malta). The place is 6000 years old!
Other pictures I took showed much more detail but failed to capture the magic atmosphere.

Other examples: Sunset in Glasgow or sunrise in the Himalayas.

More photo-tips.

Well, actually I wanted to shoot the sunset, but then thought better of it when I looked at the magical glow of the sun on the mountain peaks.
This is a new scan of one of many shots on the occasion.
Another one: http://www.travelphoto.net/photos/english/chile/E7.HTM

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Here are some pictures from Grand Bahama.

The woods on Grand Bahama are very different from European forests or South American jungles, - but also very attractive.

Rand Memorial Nature Center, Grand Bahama.

Everything you can expect from a beach: crystal clear water, fine sand, trees and many sports options (yachting, fishing, diving, water-ski, even archery…)
The “house riff is only a few meters away, so don’t forget to bring your snorkeling gear.

Walking the beach shortly before night falls is a memorable experience.
Only a few minutes later you can see many small crabs in the beam of your flashlight.

Hundreds of photos from China at China.Travelphoto.Net
There are many pictures of Beijing, the Great wall, Xi’An and the famous three gorges.