[ Running To The Light ]

The Promise

2012-02-24T20:24:00.005Z

Schaalsee, Germany.

April 2011.

Rügen, Germany.
September 2010.

If you think of me

If you miss me once in a while

Then I'll return to you

I'll return and fill that space in your heart

I'll find my way back to you

Please say you'll be waiting

(Tracy Chapman - The Promise)

Fellow blogger Jenny Woolf has awarded me the so-called Versatile Blogger Award. Thank you very much Jenny! I really appreciate it. Now, I'm supposed to share seven things about myself...

The reason I love long exposures is that - contrary to split second exposures - they show not only a moment in time, but rather a period of time, e.g. capturing clouds passing across the sky (1st picture), a river's flow, the incoming tide (2nd picture) or the headlights of a car passing by. This being the case, I believe that long exposures have an almost philosophic quality about them. Sometimes when I've got nothing better to do, I think about such things.

I'm a music lover and there's probably a thousand songs I love and hundreds I know the lyrics to, but if I had to narrow it down to ten favourite songs, they would be - in alphabetic order - Don't Stop Believin' (Journey), Nightswimming (R.E.M.), Raglan Road (Luke Kelly), Ripple (Grateful Dead), Stand By Me (Ben E. King), The Crossing (Johnny Clegg), The Fire Inside (Bob Seger), Thunder Road (Bruce Springsteen), Tupelo Honey (Van Morrison), Walking In Memphis (Marc Cohn).

The first girl I have ever loved had freckles and red hair. Ever since, I have favoured redheads. At the moment, however, I've got a huge crush on a beautiful blonde who comes into the coffee shop with a huge smile on her face and orders a lactose-free Vanilla Latte.

My favourite place in London used to be Richmond Hill Terrace. One of my favourite places in Hamburg is a bar called Down Under. It's a lot more cosy than the Irish pubs around here. The food is amazing. Another thing I like about the Down Under is that the bartender and the waitresses recognise me. My other favourite place is a restaurant called Hollywood Canteen. It looks exactly like the diners in old American movies - black and white tiles, chrome chairs with red upholstery, a jukebox, rock and roll music. It's where I'm having lunch with friends on Tuesdays. Their veggie burger with potato wedges and sour cream is the best meal I've ever had, and it tastes perfect every time.

I never run out of quotes from films or songs, and I've got a quote for every occasion.

My favourite authors are Cormac McCarthy and Ernest Hemingway.

Beverages are one of my passions. VB would have to be my favourite beer. My favourite ciders are Bulmers Original, Scrumpy Jack and Woodpecker. Forget all those fancy, multicoloured cocktails - there's nothing better than classic highballs such as Cuba Libre or Mojito.

Have a nice weekend.

- Dom

Bonjour Tristesse

2012-02-22T11:06:00.001Z

I'm going to work the evening shift today, so I'm at home now... there's nothing to do and no reason to go outside. The sky is grey, it must've rained tonight, and I probably won't see the sun at all today. There's enough time to watch a movie, "Bonjour Tristesse" (starring the absolutely gorgeous Jean Seberg and David Niven in his prime). I also went through my photographs from last summer. Below are three previously unreleased pictures taken in a beautiful valley in France's Jura Mountains. If you'd like to see more pictures, click here. Freddy still hasn't sent me a copy of his travel journal, so all I can say is that the pictures were taken somewhere along the way from Besançon to Avignon. It took us eight hours to get there because we avoided the motorways, and it was a lot of fun going up and down narrow rural roads.

France.

September 2011.

Have a nice day!

- Dom

Fast Car

2012-02-21T21:22:00.011Z

You got a fast car

And I want a ticket to go anywhere

Maybe we can make a deal

Maybe together we can get somewhere

Anyplace is better

I remember we were driving, driving in your car

The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk

City lights lay out before us

And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder

And I had a feeling that I belonged

(Tracy Chapman - Fast Car)

Band photo session.

Hamburg, Germany.

Autumn 2011.

I haven't published a lot of portraits last year. If I'm not mistaken, all of them were self-portraits. However, that doesn't mean I'm not taking any portraits no more. I'm still doing photo shoots. Just not as many as I used to back in the days when I wanted to make a living as a photographer. I don't get paid for the photo shoots I do now; I do my friends a favour, and in turn they invite me to their concerts or they give me T-shirts for free (I'm also the photographer for a friend's clothing line).

I'm a lot more happy that way than I used to be three years ago. There's no pressure. No pressure to satisfy clients, no pressure to get enough assignments to earn enough money to make it through the month.

My advice to any other young person with an interest in a creative job would be to keep doing what you love as a hobby, and find yourself a day job that you're passionate about. It certainly worked for me.

I'm going to keep studying until I get my Bachelor of Arts degree because it'll be an accomplishment to be proud of, but now that I'm working in gastronomy again, I've realised that it's what I want to do for a living. I'm going to work my way up - in a couple years I might be the manager of a coffee shop - and someday, I might own a café or bar.

This past weekend, I went to see the film "Intouchables", the second most successful French film of all time. It's a wonderful film indeed - I promise, it's a must-see - and the soundtrack is amazing as well; the music was composed by Ludovico Einaudi, who also contributed a track to the soundtrack of "This Is England".

Goodnight.

- Dom

Sunshine Highway

2012-02-19T10:34:00.004Z

Golden Gate Bridge.

San Francisco, CA.

June 2009.

It seems like the chances are good that this summer will see me returning to the United States for my first visit since 2009. It's far from likely that me and my best friend (one of the guys with whom I drove around France last summer) will visit Norway and Sweden this year. We had a great route planned which would've lead us from Denmark's capital Copenhagen over to Malmö, along the coast to Göteborg, Oslo, Stavanger, Bergen, all the way across Scandinavia to Stockholm, then driving down south to Norrköping and finally Ystad. We're still hoping to be able to go on that trip once Freddy's graduated, which would be 2013.

I don't have a route for my trip yet. The names of the national parks / national monuments I'm going to visit for the first time are Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Death Valley, White Sands, Yosemite, and Zion perhaps - in addition, I want to visit Grand Canyon and Joshua Tree again - aside from the national parks, I'd love to visit Antelope Canyon, El Mirage Lake and Horseshoe Bend - last but not least, far away though they are, Crater Lake and the Teton Range are both high up on the list of temptations I might not be willing to withstand.

These are my favourite links of the past week: The world's largest rope swing; an awesome cover of an awesome song; a beautiful cottage; a smart design for a small apartment; nature paintings and sketches by Cathy Johnson; some great Flickr photostreams (#1 - #2 - #3 - #4); a series of photographs of vans; the five best things about returning to civilisation, according to several adventurers.

Is anybody else employed in gastronomy? Maybe as a professional barista like yours truly? Even if you don't work in gastronomy, you might enjoy watching this video of a professional barista at work.

Blog post title taken from the song by Dropkick Murphys.

Have a nice weekend!

- Dom

Free Fallin'

2012-02-16T00:44:00.009Z

Gonna free fall, out into nothin'

Gonne leave this world for a while

Now I'm free, free fallin'

Yeah I'm free, free fallin'

(Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Free Fallin')

"Maman".

Hamburg, Germany.

February 2012.

I went on a nocturnal tour around the city with my friend Michal, who's just recently found out how much fun taking long exposures is. Fortunately, he brought some beer along. I wasn't really happy with most of the pictures I'd taken, but apart from the great time we had, I finally got to take a photograph I'm happy with when we came across this spider, which is located near central station. It's a sculpture called "Maman", by artist Louise Bourgeois. I instantly recognised the spider because there's another one in front of Tate Modern (my second-favourite museum in London - the British Museum has always been my favourite); there's another famous specimen located outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao (Bilbao and nearby San Sebastián have long been on my list of places I'd like to visit).

Speaking of my travel plans, the current political situation in the Near East, especially the conflict between Iran and Israel, has lead to me making the decision that at the moment it's not safe enough to visit Israel, which, as I had mentioned in a previous blog post, was my alternative in case my best friend would be unable to join me on a road trip to Scandinavia this coming summer. Now I'm inclined to go on another American road trip instead. There's still so much I haven't seen on my previous trips... and there are also two gorgeous ladies waiting for me to come back to Los Angeles.

I'm going to meet my friend Rachel tomorrow... took the day off from work... for some reason, she never visits me in the summer, but the weather's been good lately, so I hope it's going to be a great day.

Goodnight.

- Dom

I'm Shipping Up To Boston

2012-02-06T11:09:00.010Z

Well, I'm not really shipping up to Boston, but I've been there and I like the Dropkick Murphys and three of the four pictures in this blog post have been taken while I was aboard a ship.

Anyway, today is my only day off this week, and since I knew the temperature would be way below zero (it turned out to be -14° centigrade this morning), I also knew that there wouldn't be any clouds in the sky. Wearing two pairs of socks, thermal underwear, my faithful Carhartt sweater (which - usually, but not today - is enough to keep me warm), followed by a North Face vest and a Carhartt ranger jacket, I left around 6 o'clock in the morning, looking - or at least, feeling - like an Eskimo.

It was worth it, though - I reached the Landungsbrücken-area before sunrise. I had planned to take some long exposures while it was still dark, but even with the many layers of clothing I had been wearing, I was still freezing and so I hurried to get into the warmth of a coffee shop for a little while. As soon as the sun started to rise, I went on a bit of a sightseeing trip down the River Elbe aboard one of the harbour ferries.
If you're planning on visiting Hamburg as a tourist, this website offers useful information how to get from one place to another. Also, I would say that reading the Wikipedia article and a good sense of direction are all it takes for you to spend a great long weekend in this city - you need not bother reading pretentious articles like the one recently published by the New York Times, which was so poorly researched that I won't even link to it.

Hamburg, Germany.

February 2012.

Days like this deserve an awesome soundtrack.

Two and a half years ago I took a picture from the same point of view as the first photograph, while aboard a ferry from Sausalito to San Francisco. Here's the link.

The fourth photograph may look familiar... I've taken many pictures of this building over the last three years: #1; #2; #3; #4; #5.

Let me share some inspirational links: Holeshot Design Studio photostream; Sandra Dieckmann's art; Terry Fan's art; Helen Frankenthaler - an abstract expressionist whose work reminded me of Jackson Pollock's; a photo gallery on National Geographic called "Global Fashion"; and - last but not least - an amazing, one-of-a-kind, heavily customised Triumph Bonneville.

Have a great week, drive safely, and talk to you soon!

- Dom

Always In My Heart

2012-02-04T23:30:00.001Z

Hamburg, Germany.

February 2012.

I think of you and I together

I picture you and I as one

When we sit there in

The firelight baby

When we wake to the morning sun

And though you may leave me

We're never apart

You're always in my heart

When you're standing at the window

With the moonlight in your hair

And you turn and smile

My favourite smile

I just have to stop and stare

And babe when you hold me

I go off the chart

You're always in my heart

(Bob Seger - Always In My Heart)

The picture above was taken from my balcony, which is where I sat in the summer and enjoyed my beer. Now, it's a little too cold for that. When I moved into the apartment last July, that was the third or fourth time I relocated since I left England, and I might move once again, into another apartment, this coming summer. My idea of the perfect place to live in is a timber cottage out in the woods, by a lake, with little people around... but that's my vision for the future. As of now, I'm still looking for the perfect apartment to live in with the budget that I have.

Ten days from now, my good friend Rachel will visit me here. We went to school together. All those years ago we didn't always get along, but since then, we've grown rather close and had some great times together. It's been a year since I last saw her, so I can't wait for her to come around.

It's ten degrees below zero in Hamburg tonight... a little too cold for me to head out and take long exposures, and I'm working from 10 to 5 this Sunday. I have Monday off, however - maybe I'll be in the mood to get up before sunrise and take some pictures for you to enjoy.

I hope you all have had a nice weekend so far, and may you enjoy what's left of it, too.

- Dom

The Fire Inside

2012-02-01T00:35:00.001Z

There's a hard moon risin' on the streets tonight

There's a reckless feeling in your heart as you head out tonight

Through the concrete canyons to the midtown light

Where the latest neon promises are burning bright

Then you walk to the window and stare at the moon

Riding high and lonesome through a starlit sky

And it comes to you how it all slips away

Youth and beauty are gone one day

No matter what you dream or feel or say

It ends in dust and disarray

Like wind on the plains, sand through the glass

Waves rolling in with the tide

Dreams die hard and we watch them erode

But we cannot be denied

The fire inside

(Bob Seger - The Fire Inside)

HafenCity ("Harbour City"), Hamburg, Germany.

January 2012.

The HafenCity quarter, located on the Elbe River, is the largest rebuilding project in Europe. Click here to view a model of what the place is supposed to look like upon completion.

While I love modern architecture (one of my favourite architects alive today is Frank Gehry, and I also love a lot of what's been built in Australia at the moment - take a look at this cool house), it's not my goal to be able to afford an apartment in a building such as the ones in the picture. What I would love to call my home is a cabin like those: #1; #2. I live in the city, but I love the great outdoors. There's a blog called Exploring Our World, which captures the spirit of nature perfectly, thanks to hundreds of awesome photographs being posted on there.

One more website I'd like to share is this collection of photographs taken by John Vachon in the 1940's.

Goodnight.

- Dom

Just Like Fire Would

2012-01-31T23:43:00.005Z

Neolithic blade.

Found near Bremen, Germany, in August 2011.

I found this Neolithic blade made of either chert or flint while I was working in field archaeology last summer. It took me a while to take a picture of it and post it on here. I'm not too obsessed with the Neolithic Period - my favourite subjects are the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and certain periods within the first millenium AD - long story short, I don't know much about the Neolithic. A date of something between 4000 and 6000 BC should be fairly accurate though. I found a similar one on this website... that artifact is bigger in size though, and better in quality. I believe that the manufacturer of the blade I found didn't finish his job, maybe because he had to move on to another place.

Anyway, the find I made isn't anything special, but I wanted to share it on here because quite a few people have asked me why I chose to study archaeology. Here's my answer: It has been my childhood dream to become an archaeologist, and while I'd rather keep my part-time job as a bartender and turn that one into a full-time job after graduation, it's been a great three years and I loved almost every minute of it. I certainly loved the work out at several excavation sites across Northern Germany. To find something that has been buried for a few hundred, one thousand years or even a few thousand years, something that hasn't been touched by another human being since that day the artifact was forgotten somewhere or got lost, is quite amazing - even if it's only a blade.

Click here and here to see more pictures of finds I made at excavation sites near Bremen and in Bardowick, respectively.

Blog post title taken from the song by The Saints.

Here I Go Again

2012-01-26T22:06:00.004Z

No I don't know where I'm going

But I sure know where I've been

Hanging on the promises

In songs of yesterday

And I've made up my mind

I ain't wasting no more time

Here I go again

Though I keep searching for an answer

I never seem to find what I'm looking for

Oh Lord, I pray

You give me strength to carry on

'Cause I know what it means

To walk along the lonely street of dreams

And here I go again on my own

Going down the only road I've ever known

Like a drifter I was born to walk alone

(Whitesnake - Here I Go Again)

Essex, California.

Amboy, California.

June 2009.

Of all the places I've been to, the desert of Southern California is one of my favourites. I can't wait to go back...

Click here to view another recent blog post featuring pictures taken in California's Mojave Desert.

Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to visit Yosemite National Park before I needed to be back in Phoenix for my connecting flight to Newark... Thinking back, I would've preferred to spend more time in the South-West rather than spending a week in the New York / New Jersey - area. This amazing timelapse shows exactly why.

The next thing has nothing to do with this blog post about the American West, but it has something to do with photography, so let me share these stunning photographs of the Northern Lights from National Geographic's website.

Goodnight y'all!

- Dom

Ghost Ships

2012-01-25T23:17:00.001Z

Ghost ships are sailing on empty seas

The light that was in the darkness

It does not shine on me

Like an old man I run to find the shore

And the light that was in your eyes

Doesn't shine there anymore

(The Saints - Ghost Ships)

Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA.

July 2007.
Medium format film.

This is the only picture I liked from a roll of medium format film that I had developed recently. I've always loved lighthouses and of course the sea. Sometimes, I don't like the smell of it... most of the time I do. Isn't it funny that I've been living in Hamburg for three and a half years now but I've not yet been to the city's famous fish market?

I made an attempt at taking a self-portrait earlier today before I went to work. I took the last one in September while in France. Wasn't happy with the results... I'll try to do a better job on my next day off. I'll also try to finally get around to posting a picture of that fascinating find I made when I worked in field archaeology last summer...

Anyway, goodnight now!

- Dom

Word Of Mouth

2012-01-23T22:36:00.010Z

Now the world is getting older

there's a few things to be said

Do you believe the things they told you

do you believe the things you've read

There's a rumour on the corner

but it's always been denied

'Cause they don't want you any wiser

you're just toeing the party line

From the west side to the east side

from the north side to the south

You'll never get bad information

if you believe in the word of mouth

(Mike & The Mechanics - Word Of Mouth)

Joshua Tree National Park, California.

June 2009.

"A picture is a poem without words."

(Horace)

Apart from my job at the coffee shop, there's another thing that keeps me busy this week. I'm doing research for an upcoming presentation about the Stadtschloss and Neues Museum in Berlin. The former was demolished on the orders of the government of the German Democratic Republic, the latter was destroyed in World War II. The Museum was partially rebuilt and partially restored, the Schloss is work in progress.

One of the things I always liked about the American west are those old fashioned bulb signs and the slightly more modern neon signs. Here are some great links for those of you who enjoy the good old stuff as much as I do: Click here to see pictures taken in the Vegas neon sign museum bone yard; this link will lead you to a blog from the UK; Urban Remains sells what they call architectural artifacts; there is also a Flickr group; last but not least, click here to see some pictures taken by yours truly.

Here's a collection of stunning black & white long exposures. Click here to view photographs of the beautiful Vermillion Cliffs National Monument.

The blog Small Town Noir has been an enjoyable read while I had breakfast this morning. I love mugshots.

It's no secret that I'm a music lover, since almost all posts on this blog feature at least one link to a song. While I've posted links that lead to covers done by professional artists, I've never posted a link to a cover done by amateurs... most of them are just no good... recently however, I came across covers of two of my favourite songs and they're simply awesome: Free Falling (a Tom Petty song) and Ripple (by the Grateful Dead). In addition, I found this wonderful cover of a song by the Bruce Springsteen, The Last Carnival.

Have a great week!

- Dom

Vanishing Point

2012-01-22T09:42:00.000Z

1st photograph: Sausalito, CA.

2nd photograph: San Francisco, CA.

June 2009.

That guitar theme from "Vanishing Point" is one beautiful tune...

Even though I'm still planning a trip around southern Scandinavia and - in case the friend who wants to come with won't be available - a visit to Israel, I'm already looking ahead to what's coming next.

It's already been two and a half years since my last visit to the United States, and on account of several invitations to stay at people's places, I couldn't help but think about possible routes. Route 66 - the whole length of it, of course! - is tempting. A coast-to-coast trip would be another option.

I've been to 24 States so far, some of them several times: Idaho, Montana, Washington, Wyoming in 2003; Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, D.C., Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia in 2007; Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, North Carolina and again New Jersey and New York in 2009. You see, the whole Mid West is still a blank spot on my personal map.

What has always surprised me is that most Americans that I've spoken to have seen less of their own country than I have.

Anyway, what I'm thinking about is renting a Dodge Charger for ten days and just getting out on the road, into the great wide open, driving all day listening to Bruce Springsteen, the Eagles and the Grateful Dead.

Tell me, doesn't that sound nice?

Solsbury Hill

2012-01-20T19:09:00.004Z

Richmond Hill, Richmond upon Thames, UK.

June 2011.

Climbing up on Solsbury Hill

I could see the city light

Wind was blowing, time stood still

Eagle flew out of the night

He was something to observe

Came in close, I heard a voice

Standing stretching every nerve

Had to listen, had no choice

I did not believe the information

I just had to trust imagination

My heart going boom, boom, boom

"Son", he said, "Grab your things,

I've come to take you home"

(Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill)

This is my 300th blog post since I started "Running To The Light" in the late summer of 2009. I'm not planning to get cheesy now, so let me just say this much: Thank you so much for following my blog and for all the wonderful comments! I really appreciate it.

Back to business as usual now... It's been a busy twelve days since my last blog post, so here's a rather lengthy list of links I like.

Architecture

Tusen Ramundberget restaurant

Bicycles and motorcycles

Deus Triumph Bonneville; Honda CB550 Cafe Racer (this is one of the most beautiful custom motorcycles I've ever seen); Interview with Charley Boorman; Paul Brodie.

Design

"Dutch Tap Water" carafes; Israeli stool designs by David Keller; "Manifold Clock"; "Skog" lamps.

Music

Bruce Springsteen's new single has been released this week!

Outdoor

A funny article about goats.

Photography:

Aernout Overbeeke; Andreas Ohlund; Arthur Elgort; Jason Travis' amazing "Persona" - series; Jennifer Greenburg; Joakim Eskildsen; vintage photos from a Vespa trip around Europe.

New photos coming soon, weather permitting.

Have a nice weekend!

- Dom

Signal To Noise

2012-01-08T21:13:00.002Z

Send out the signals deep and loud

Man, I'm losing sound and sight

Of all those who can tell me wrong from right

When all things beautiful and bright

Sink in the night

Yet there's still something in my heart

That can find a way

To make a start

To turn up the signal

Wipe out the noise

(Peter Gabriel & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan)

Strasbourg, France.

September 2011.

Another picture that didn't make it into the original posts, the ones I published in September and early October. Strasbourg is a beautiful town. Click here to see an old drawing of Strasbourg. I love old drawings and paintings of cities almost as much as I love old maps of countries.

I still need to develop the 35mm film from my underwater camera, which I used when we stayed in the Gorges du Tarn for a couple days.

As I came home from work, my phone had just started ringing. It was Freddy, my classmate from London, who, along with my university buddy Domian, had come along on the trip to France. He'd just visited me in Hamburg in December, but he couldn't wait to further discuss our plans for another trip. We agreed to visit southern Scandinavia - Denmark, Norway, Sweden - this summer. Hopefully, nothing will get in the way of our plans. Like our trip around France, this next road trip will require thorough research to get the most out of our visit.

The song quoted above is one of my favourite songs by Peter Gabriel. I've said before that I loved the music of Genesis with Phil Collins as their lead singer more than their earlier songs with Peter Gabriel as lead vocalist, but as for Collins' and Gabriel's solo albums, Collins can't compare with Gabriel. Khan was first introduced to me by my lovely friend Rachel, when she played this album to me.

Goodnight, and have a great week!

- Dom

Shinin' Brightly

2012-01-07T13:24:00.002Z

Mosque, Hamburg, Germany.

January 2012.

Well, it's shinin' brightly

It's lookin' pretty right

From the early morning

To really really late at night

It's lookin' pretty good today

The dark clouds are rollin' away

Oh and it's shinin' brightly

And I think it's gonna be okay

(Bob Seger)

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field. I will meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about
language, ideas; even the phrase each other
doesn't make any sense.

(Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi)

Have a nice weekend y'all!

- Dom

Against The Wind

2012-01-07T00:07:00.003Z

Alster Lake, Hamburg, Germany.

January 2012.

It seems like yesterday, but it was long ago

Janey was lovely, she was the queen of my nights

There in the darkness with the radio, playin' low

The secrets that we shared, mountains that we moved

Caught like a wildfire out of control

'Til there was nothing left to burn and nothing left to prove

And I remember what she said to me

How she swore that it never would end

I remember how she held me oh so tight

Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then

(Bob Seger - Against The Wind)

Red Hill Mining Town

2012-01-05T00:47:00.009Z

Roussillon, Vaucluse, France.

September 2011.

The village of Roussillon is famous for the rich deposits of ochre found in the clay nearby. Nowadays, mining is prohibited and tourism has replaced the ochre industry.

One of the friends who joined me on the road trip around the south of France, Freddy, came over to Hamburg for a visit during the holidays. Of course, we talked about the trip, and I couldn't help but look through my archive again. I had a hell of a time down there. We all did. But I really needed a break from the monotony of what my life was like at that point just before we embarked on our journey.

Now, I'm really happy with my life and I don't need to go on a trip. However, I do want to go on a trip this coming summer.

Spain and Sweden are possible destinations. I thought about going on a road trip around England - visiting some of my favourite places over there - but as much as I enjoyed my stay in London last summer, I also realised that it's no longer my home. I'm not planning on moving back. I don't think I'll stay in Hamburg for many years to come, but I'll never go back to London. Places change, and so do people. I had only been gone for three years, yet so much had changed already. Restaurants and shops I used to know were gone and replaced by others. Friends have moved away, to Dublin and Newcastle, Oxford and Southampton, to France and Italy, even as far away as Australia and China. It just wouldn't be the same thing. London - and England - have always been a part of me. They played their part in making me what I am. Now, three and a half years after moving away, however, they seem more like a memory to me... and memories fade away, like rain, like sunsets, like tears.

Anyway, why did I pick those two countries as possible destinations for a trip? There's lots of amazing architecture, beautiful landscapes and delicious food down in Spain - Barcelona, Bilbao, and San Sebastian are must-see cities.
Up north in Sweden, there's beautiful girls, beautiful girls, and... beautiful girls. There's also beautiful landscapes, beautiful old towns and beautiful stave churches. I'm also interested in Scandinavian history. Last but not least, I attended a Swedish language course last year after the Hebrew class I had previously attended began to get too boring... and now I can't wait to use some of my language skills.

I haven't forgotten that I'm studying archaeology, so one blog post this month will focus on that topic - I want to show you a picture of something I found at the excavation site I worked at last summer, and I would also like to share some links to articles and photographs.

Apart from the memories, the other reason why I decided to upload an old picture despite the fact that I had yesterday off is the lousy weather in Hamburg... there wouldn't have been any point in leaving the house; it rained too much to take pictures.

Blog post title taken from the song of the same name by U2.

Have a nice day.

- Dom

The Fisherman

2011-12-24T23:34:00.004Z

Hamburg - Speicherstadt.

Hamburg - Övelgönne.

Germany. December 2011.

There he stood on the shore

With the world in his eyes

Then he left his home

And his family behind

And he cast his nets out

On the wide open seas

Where the warm winds cover

The face of the deep

The shadows stretch out

Through the streets of the town

And the dark lonely night

Sets its' snares all around

But the boats sail at dawn

Under confident skies

Where the men of the island

Leave to follow their lives

I remember the night

When the going got rough

How you fought for that sea

You were so worthy of

Though the storm raged and tore

Like a merciless fire

All you ever felt

Was peace of mind

(Runrig - The Fisherman)

According to a beautiful French song, fate promises us everything but gives us nothing in return. As far as I am concerned however, I would be ungrateful if I complained about my life right now. I love my job, and the colleagues and customers love me too.

After all the blondes and brunettes I have met this year, last week I decided to go out with a girl from Namibia - she loves African food, Savannah Dry Cider and music by Brenda Fassie and Johnny Clegg and she has had a crush on me since we first met - I just couldn't resist. I had a wonderful date with her, went to a friend's concert, and there was more to come that night, but then she sent me five messages and several texts within the next day... she was already talking about a relationship... too much pressure... sometimes I wonder why people try so desperately to be with someone. Maybe it is this time of year...

I have not had much time to keep up with the blogs I am a subscribed to, but here is a list of the posts I liked this past week: Kawasaki W650 motorcycle; an anecdote showing why Humphrey Bogart was awesome; Camerabag - a series of short films about photographers; a gallery of photographs taken in the Serengeti.

To all those of you who celebrate Christmas... I hope you enjoy a peaceful weekend in the company of your family.

Last but not least... happy new year!

- Dom

Van Diemen's Land

2011-12-24T22:43:00.000Z

Hold me now, oh hold me now

'til this hour has gone around

And I'm gone on the rising tide

For to face Van Diemen's Land

Now kings will rule and the poor will toil

And tear their hands as they tear the soil

But a day will come in this dawning age

That an honest man sees an honest wage

(U2 - Van Diemen's Land)

Hamburg, Germany.

December 2011.

200 seconds; F/8.0; ISO200.

Raglan Road

2011-12-16T00:03:00.000Z

Elbphilharmonie concert building.

Hamburg, Germany. December 2011.

This is one of the places I keep coming back to - I have uploaded many pictures taken from the same spot. Click here and here if you would like to view more pictures. Just like this place and especially the building in the centre of the image is inspiring, so is the song from which I've taken the title of this blog post and several ones in the past. Raglan Road is one of my favourite songs of all time, and one of the most beautiful folk songs ever written... it doesn't get more poetic than this.

On Grafton Street in November

We tripped lightly along the ledge

Of a deep ravine where can be seen

The worth of passion's pledge

I gave her gifts of the mind

I gave her the secret signs

Known to the artists who have known

The true gods of sound and stone

And word and tint I did not stint

I gave her poems to say

With her own name there

And her long dark hair

Like the clouds over fields of May

(Van Morrison & The Chieftains - Raglan Road)

Goodnight.

- Dom

I Shall Not Walk Alone

2011-12-13T22:49:00.002Z

Battered and torn

Still I can see the light

Tattered and worn

But I must kneel to fight

Hope is alive

While we're apart

Only tears

Speak from my heart

Break the chains

That hold us down

And we shall be

Forever bound

When I'm tired and weary

And a long way from home

I reach for Mother Mary

And I shall not walk alone

(Ben Harper & The Blind Boys Of Alabama)

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Medium format. Cross-processed.

August 2007.

On my last day off, I watched two movies that take place in Louisiana and the New Orleans - area, Sinners & Saints and The Yellow Handkerchief. The first one is an old-fashioned cop film, the second an independent drama movie. Anyway, the movies brought back to my mind memories of my trip from Boston to New Orleans in 2007. I looked through my archives of medium format photographs and found the ones above. Seven months ago, I had already uploaded two pictures taken in the Lower Ninth Ward. Nowhere in New Orleans was the devastation after Hurricane Katrina greater than in this part of the city.

There are some cities in the United States that I've been to several times, such as New York City and Phoenix, but it is New Orleans that has fascinated me more than any other American city. The French Quarter is sexy and sultry, there's dozens of bars and restaurants and lots of music.

I've been working a lot since my last blog post, and there's more coming up in the next two weeks, which are going to be very busy. I did however go to the Australian bar & restaurant, the Down Under, several times after my evening shifts. I don't know when I'll get a chance to take new photos or spend a decent amount of time checking out the latest posts of my fellow bloggers, but I do promise that I will both take and upload new photographs as well as read your posts and write comments before the month is over.

Talk to you soon.

- Dom

Bright Side Of The Road

2011-12-06T21:05:00.004Z

Speicherstadt, Hamburg, Germany.

December 2011.

On a clear day, you would have

seen the Elbphilharmonie and a

high-rise in the distance.

Into this life we're born

Baby sometimes, sometimes we don't know why

And time seems to go by so fast

In the twinkling of an eye

Let's enjoy it while we can

Won't you help me sing my song

From the dark end of the street

To the bright side of the road

(Van Morrison - Bright Side Of The Road)

I've neglected my blog for a while, and I haven't had much time to visit other people's blogs either. I've been busy at work, and I had to finish a paper for university. I've been working at the coffee shop for two weeks now, and it took me just a couple of days to get back into the old rut, the one I'm used to from working in some of the local pubs: Cleaning tables, doing the dishes, but most importantly memorising the names of all the products we offer, the various types of coffee as well as a large number of cookies, muffins, pies, and sandwiches... it feels just right to be standing behind the bar again, instead of spending my money sitting in front of it.

Last night and this morning it snowed for a while... there's nothing left of it, though.

There are still 25 days left in 2011, but I've already made some plans for the next year. First of all, I decided to stay in Hamburg for New Year's Eve. However, I will make at least two trips to Berlin next year: I bought tickets for Bruce Springsteen's concert at the Olympic Stadium on the 30th of May and for Runrig's concert at the Tempodrom on the 29th of November. Click on the links and you'll see why I couldn't resist... both venues are amazing. For January, I've planned a surprise visit to a friend who, in my humble opinion, needs to have a few beers before his exams... and there are more plans being made with friends - I'll talk about them soon.

On account of the weather being so bad for pretty much all of last week, I had a lot of time to browse through some of my favourite architecture and design blogs. Here are two awesome lamps: #1; #2. This website comes along with an online shop that sells some funny products, e.g. the whale tail bookmark and the car side mirror. I love three of the unique products designed by Sebastian Errazuriz: #1; #2; #3. I might buy this salt and pepper shaker set for my kitchen. Let's get to the architecture... I love this building in Copenhagen. The interior design in this home is a great inspiration. Last but not least, let me share some photography links... I truly enjoyed this gallery of photographs taken by Alvaro Sanchez-Montanes. These photostreams on Flickr are worth taking a look at, too (#1; #2; #3).

Have a great week.

- Dom

Wonderful Remark

2011-11-23T02:03:00.004Z

Docklands office building.

Hamburg, Germany.

November 2011.

Click here to view a

photo taken in April 2011.

Radisson Hotel.

Hamburg, Germany.

November 2011.

How can we ever feel the freedom

Or the flame lit by the spark

How can we ever come out even

When reality is stark

Listen, how can you tell us something

Just to keep us hanging on, yeah

Something that just don't mean nothin'

When we see you, you are gone

Clinging to some other rainbow

While we're standing waiting outside in the cold

Telling us the same sad story

Knowing time is growing old

That was a wonderful remark

I had my eyes closed in the dark

(Van Morrison - Wonderful Remark)

The past one or two weeks have been very foggy. I've been busy doing this and that, but tonight I felt like driving around for a while, and I took my camera along.

My application for a job at a coffee shop was successful - the boss and the rest of the team are wonderful people and really easy to get along with.

Speaking of the Boss, Bruce Springsteen will be on tour in 2012... I'm not going to miss the European leg of that tour... a new album will be released, too.

Last but not least, two friends from school, one of whom is now living in Dublin, suggested that three and a half years after leaving school we should gather as many of our classmates as possible and that we should all hook up on New Year's Eve. The city of choice is neither London nor Dublin though, but Berlin. A certain percentage of our international circle of friends (an Argentine, a German, and a Swiss) all moved there. If I do decide to celebrate New Year's Eve with my old friends instead of my new ones, I'm sure we'll live it up, and we'll probably do a few things that we'll never live down. I might just as well stay in Hamburg though, for I would never have thought that I'd make such good friends in another place, and it is here that this only child has found the family he always would've loved to have had. You might say that they're just close friends, but it's as close to a family as it gets.

Goodnight.

- Dom

Fisherman's Dream

2011-11-16T10:00:00.001Z

Hamburg at night.

Germany. November 2011.

What happened to the fisherman's love

Was it nowhere to be found

What happened to the love of the fisherman

When it drove him to the high, high ground

What happened to the love of the fisherman

When they drove that last nail down

What happened to the fisherman's love

When they laid him in the ground

Tell me, did it fade away?

Did it fade on down to the ocean?

Did it fade away?

Did it fade on down to the sea?

To the ocean and the sea

(John Martyn - Fisherman's Dream)

As I roved by the dockside

One evening so rare

To view the still waters

And take the salt air

I heard an old fisherman singing this song

O take me away boys my time is not long

Dress me up in me oilskin and jumper

No more on the docks I'll be seen

Just tell me old shipmates

I'm taking a trip, mates

And I'll see them someday in Fiddler's Green

(The Dubliners - Fiddler's Green)

Take a look at the work of the following artists: Native Vermont; Conrad Roset; Raphael Bourelly. Last but not least there's a blog called Street Art London.

Have a nice day.

- Dom

All Things Must Change

2011-11-14T20:23:00.000Z

Autumn leaves.

Germany.

November 2011.

Now the cars come like rivers

Night comes like madness

Songs come like trains

Headlights flash in the darkness

Memories twist in the rain

And we feel those flickering moments

like silk they're the flags of our days

And the past is only the part of life

we've thrown away

(Runrig - "All Things Must Change")

Goodnight.

- Dom

One Thing

2011-11-14T17:55:00.003Z

Speicherstadt, Hamburg, Germany.

November 2011.

Click here to see another photo

taken in the Speicherstadt-area
which I published in October.

The picture is painted,

the colours are bold

One for each season

of life I suppose

It no longer matters,

the story is told

It's not going to change a thing

(Runrig - "One Thing")

The Speicherstadt-area is one of my favourite parts of Hamburg - the other being Blankenese with its beaches and a couple lighthouses, and the Schanzenviertel, where there's always something going on. If you've never been to Hamburg, you should come over for a visit - you're going to love it.

I'm going to sign out now - there's a box of donuts waiting for me in the kitchen.

The Wild Hunt

2011-11-14T09:10:00.005Z

Stellmoor.

Ahrensburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

November 2011.

Howling beasts

And unearthly cries

One-eyed riders

Stones of skies

Though I was young that night

Never once did I fear

(Steve Von Till - The Wild Hunt)

The Wild Hunt is not only the title of the song quoted in this blog post, but also the name of an ancient folk myth. Click here to find out more.

The planked footpath winds through one of Stellmoor's bogs. It's slippery when wet, but a great place to go for a hike. Stellmoor is located just a few miles north-east of Hamburg.

Have a great week.

- Dom

When The Music's Not Forgotten

2011-11-13T15:23:00.000Z

Pumpjack, near Hamburg, Germany.

November 2011.

In a dream

That I had not long ago

Visions of

A city made of gold

And a sound

That I never heard before

Such a sound

Saturating to the core

Such a sound

One that could not be forgotten

In a time

When the music's not forgotten

(Deadman - When The Music's Not Forgotten)

I just noticed that it's been a long time since I last published a sepia-toned photograph... so here it is. Yesterday, I changed the layout of this blog... let me know if you like it.

I hope it's a lovely day wherever you may be.

- Dom

The Promise

2011-11-11T23:48:00.000Z

Hamburg, Germany.

November 2011.

60 seconds.

Johnny works in a factory and Billy works downtown

Terry works in a rock and roll band

Lookin' for that million-dollar sound

I got a little job down in Darlington

But some nights I don't go

Some nights I go to the drive-in

Or some nights I stay home

I followed that dream just like

those guys do up on the screen

And I drive a Challenger down Route 9

through the dead ends and all the bad scenes

And when the promise was broken,

I cashed in a few of my dreams

(Bruce Springsteen - The Promise)

Here's what I liked this week: A series of photos taken in Iceland, a beautiful short film about motorcycling, a blog with links to unreleased songs by Bruce Springsteen, two photostreams on Flickr (#1; #2), and a designer light bulb.

Today, I handed in my letter of application and CV at a coffee shop in one of the better areas of Hamburg - I've worked as a waiter before, so I'd be happy to get that job. I also had cake and pie at a friend's birthday party. On my way home, I stopped by the power plant to take that photograph. It's the 11th of November 2011, the 315th day of the year (which means that there's exactly 50 days left), and there's a full moon shining above our earth today.

Earth below us

Drifting, falling

Floating weightless

Calling, calling home

Across the stratosphere

A final message: "Give my wife my love"

Then nothing more

(Peter Schilling - Major Tom)

Goodnight, and have a nice weekend!

- Dom

Something In The Night

2011-11-08T20:40:00.000Z

Garage, Lüneburg, Germany.

November 2011.

You're born with nothing,

and better off that way

Soon as you've got something,

they send someone to try and take it away

You can ride this road 'till dawn,

without another human being in sight

Just kids wasted on

something in the night

Nothing is forgotten or forgiven

when it's your last time around

I got stuff running 'round my head

that I just can't live down

(Bruce Springsteen - Something In The Night)

Check out these blogs if you're interested in off-road driving and road trips (#1; #2). I have to admit, I love the planning phase of a trip just as much as the actual trip... spending my time looking through those pictures makes me want to get out on the road... any road, really.

Goodnight.

- Dom

Under Your Spell

2011-11-08T09:42:00.001Z

Hamburg, Germany.

November 2011.

Inspired by Roman Bezjak's photographs of the brutalist architecture of the Soviet Union... with my own photographic style and, contrary to Bezjak's pictures, taken at night.

Blog post title taken from the song by Desire.

Have a great week.

- Dom

Nightcall

2011-11-06T12:50:00.006Z

I haven't posted anything here for a week, so here it goes...

Last Tuesday, a friend and I went to see the amazing short films of this year's European Outdoor Film Tour. The program is made up of ten films. The ones we liked best were "Baffin Babes", which was about a group of four women who spent 80 days in the arctic, "Dark Side Of The Lens" by Irish photographer Mickey Smith, and "Kadoma", the story of an expedition which South African kayaker Hendri Coetzee did not survive.

Also, last week I decided that I'm going to continue studying archaeology, and that is a final decision. I had published a blog post in October which I have since deleted... back then, I said that I'm not planning to work as an archaeologist... instead I'm thinking about starting on-the-job training next year or the one after next to become a mechanic (cars are another passion of mine).

I've given it a lot of thought and even though nothing has changed about my plan to become a mechanic, I now believe that I might regret not getting that Bachelor of Arts degree. I've got an IQ of just under 130 and it'd be a shame if I didn't make something out of it.

So if everything goes well, I'll graduate in the summer of 2012. By then, I'll have spent four years in the Hamburg / Lüneburg - region... I'm planning to stay in Germany... but I might move to another city.

I'm not going to lie though - it took my two best friends to convince me that it'd be a mistake to quit studying. I'm grateful to have such friends that don't encourage me when I'm about to do something stupid but get me back on track.

Lastly, after 10 days as a pizza delivery guy, I decided to quit the job. I was forced to work 11 hours on Friday and 12 hours on Saturday, and as I changed a flat tyre late at night, I wondered if I needed the money that much that I had to work under such conditions... and whether I would want to work 12 hours on Sunday too... and the answer was a "no".

The weather has been miserable this past week, but I hope to be able to upload new photographs soon.

Blog post title taken from the song of the same name by Kavinsky.

Have a nice day.

- Dom

Wings For Wheels

2011-10-31T21:33:00.005Z

Hamburg, Germany.

35mm film (cropped).

December 2009.

Now the season's over and I feel it getting cold

I wish I could take you to some sandy beach

where we'd never grow old

I'm no prince and I can't
lay the stars at your feet

But I got this old car and
she's pretty tough to beat

(Bruce Springsteen - Wings For Wheels)

This evening, I published three blog posts featuring photographs from my archives. There are no more old pictures left that I know of and that I would want to upload, neither from the days when I still lived in England and used medium format film, nor from my trips to the United States, nor from my travels through France and the Netherlands, nor from the three years and four months I've been living in Germany now. All of my future blog posts will feature new photographs, unless I'll stumble across an old photo that has escaped my attention.

Goodnight.

- Dom

The Long Way Home

2011-10-31T21:06:00.000Z

Berlin, Germany.

November 2009 / September 2009.

Blog post title taken from this song by Tom Waits.

No One Knows I'm Gone

2011-10-31T20:17:00.000Z

Beelitz, Germany.

35mm film (cropped).

February 2009.

Hell above and heaven below

All the trees are gone

The rain makes such a lovely sound

To those who're six feet underground

(Tom Waits)

Wind Of Change

2011-10-31T00:33:00.003Z

Engine Shed, Hamburg, Germany.

October 2011.

The abandoned engine shed is one of the places I keep coming back to. I love the way it changes through the seasons. At the moment, the leaves are falling from the trees, and nature is reclaiming the area. Some of the buildings are beginning to fall apart after years of neglect.

Let me share some links... Vespamore has lots of great photographs of vespas, motorcycles and cars... Bikeexif is an awesome motorcycle blog... these animal portraits by Morten Koldby are amazing... last but not least, I enjoyed Raphael Bourelly's photostream on Flickr.

Blog post title taken from this song.

Rock You Like A Hurricane

2011-10-31T00:22:00.005Z

Volvo V40.

The Swedes know how to build great cars.

I'm very sorry I haven't been leaving many comments recently - I'm working really hard as a pizza delivery guy to raise enough money to buy a new car.

That Volvo surely is a great car when you're going on a road trip with friends or taking the dog out for a walk in the woods, but most of the time, it's just too big.

I bought the V40 seven months ago to replace my first car, a dark blue Corsa, which was too small.

Of course, when I say "new car", I'm not talking about a brand-new one, but rather another used vehicle. I decided that a dude like me needs a cool car, so the plan is to buy either a BMW E30 convertible or any Saab coupe for old-school cruising or a pickup truck.

Title taken from one of the best songs of all time, by the best German band of all time, the Scorpions - the best German solo artist being Herbert Grönemeyer (click the following links to listen: #1; #2; #3; #4; #5 - if you understand the lyrics, the last song is one of the saddest songs ever).

Baker Street

2011-10-27T02:00:00.004+01:00

Hamburg, Germany.

October 2011.

Well, another crazy day

You'll drink the night away

And forget about everything

This city desert makes you feel so cold

It's got so many people but it's got no soul

And it's taking you so long

To find out you were wrong

When you thought it had everything

(Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street)

The famous Lido club.

Berlin, Germany.

May 2010.

After many rainy days and nights, tonight was too beautiful to stay home and go to bed early. I drove around town for a few hours, listening to music, stopping here and there to take pictures.

One of my friends will be back in Berlin soon - after half a year in Warsaw. Either he'll spend a weekend in Hamburg or I'll have a reason to visit Berlin again. I haven't been there since May 2010. I love the architecture, the bars, the museums, the restaurants (I've had better apple strudel in Berlin than in Vienna). There's an authentic American Sixties Diner, the Berghain, and the Tacheles. Berlin is full of history and there's always something to do. Last but not least, it's were I've taken some of my favourite long exposures (#1; #2; #3).

Goodnight.

- Dom

Oxygene

2011-10-24T08:15:00.002+01:00

Speicherstadt, Hamburg, Germany.

December 2010.

Somehow, the photograph above ended up unpublished until now.

Blog post title taken from the instrumental by Jean Michel Jarre.

Have a great week!

- Dom

I Can Never Be What You Want Me To Be

2011-10-23T13:31:00.010+01:00

Rye, East Sussex, UK.

June 2011.

You know I love you but I am shaking inside

I know I'm not going to leave here alive

I have sailed this impossible ocean

I have sailed this crazy sea

I can never be what you want,

whatever you want me to be

There is a spirit rising against
what I have become

I have to come out and choose to stay
or make my run

(Johnny Clegg)

I love England. Rye has always been one of my favourite places in the country. We often went there and I have fond memories of walking my dog on Winchelsea Beach.

One of the best things about the European Union is the right to free movement and residence. I'd love to live and work in other European countries (Denmark and Sweden, that is). Canada and Iceland as well as Israel are countries outside the EU that I would love to live in. Ultimately, however, I may end up living somewhere in Cornwall or Devon. It might not happen before I'm retired, but it sure sounds like a nice thing to me.

Anyway, what I'm saying is that England is awesome, and those of you who haven't been there yet should forget about the negative things you've been hearing about in the news or reading about elsewhere, such as the recent riots, the teenage pregnancy rates (do you remember little Alfie and his scrubber girlfriend?), the knife attacks, the chavs, the pikeys, the scousers, and an awful lot more. Instead, visit the country and be free of prejudice, for there is so much beauty to be found everywhere.

Have a great day.

- Dom

Equinoxe

2011-10-21T17:12:00.003+01:00

Rügen, Germany.

35mm film.

August 2010.

Those are the last pictures from the rolls of film I brought to the lab last week that I'm going to publish here. I'll get more film developed next month.

Blog post title taken from the album of the same name by Jean Michel Jarre. Click here and here to listen.

My Dual CS 731 Q record player (bought by my mum in 1980) died a while ago... a friend of mine wanted to sell two turntables... I bought one of them as a replacement... and the first record I played today was Jean Michel Jarre's "Equinoxe".

Have a lovely evening, and a nice weekend.

- Dom

When The System Has Fallen

2011-10-21T01:19:00.003+01:00

Polaroid taken in the churchyard

opposite Petersham Nurseries.

Richmond, UK. 2007.

I know that you are tired and weary

Seen too much to believe any more

But we have to keep moving down that long road

If we want to reach that far shore

We're on our way home to find our freedom

And I'm on my way home to find you my friend

Where we can stand in the light of the people

And breathe life into the land again

(Johnny Clegg - When The System Has Fallen)

I've been interested in politics since my teens, especially when it comes to topics such as conflicts and wars, environmental issues and the problems of third world countries.

I've been following the Arab Uprising since the first day. I'm conservative and I believe in all that we (the western world) stand for - values such as democracy, equal rights and freedom of speech. Freedom is the most important thing... freedom to do and talk about and think just what you please.

Everyone should get a fair chance in life... if they fuck it up, it's their own fault... but if they never get one, that's just not right.

This is the reason why I've been happy to see the people of many Arab countries rise against their regimes. The children of those people who have fought for liberty now have a brighter future ahead of them than their parents did.

On the 20nd of October, 2011, the former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi met his demise after 42 years in charge of the country. Libya, like Egypt and Tunisia, now has a chance at democracy, and I really hope they won't end up like just another banana republic with a military government.

Goodnight.

- Dom

You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet

2011-10-20T09:12:00.003+01:00

Both pictures taken at
Schaalsee, Zarrentin, Germany.

35mm. April 2011.

Click here to see

some digital pictures.

Alster Lake, Hamburg, Germany.

35mm. February 2011.

Barn, Lüneburg District, Germany.

35mm. Winter 2010/2011.

Blog post title taken from the song of the same name by Bachman Turner Overdrive.

I'm really satisfied with the quality of the 35mm photographs published in this blog post and the previous one... I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Have a nice day.

- Dom

Mississippi Queen

2011-10-19T15:42:00.003+01:00

Schaalsee, Zarrentin, Germany.

35mm. April 2011.

Click here to see the

digital pictures.

Motel room near Bremen, Germany.

35mm. July 2011.

Click here to see the

digital picture.

Dark Dog energy drink and a

map on the hood of my Volvo.

Campsite near Sainte-Enimie, France.

35mm. September 2011.

I found these four (#1; #2; #3; #4) time-lapse films on Vimeo earlier today. There's lots of creative short films to be found on that website.

Blog post title taken from the song by Mountain.

Have a great day.

- Dom

One Thing Of Beauty

2011-10-17T16:09:00.001+01:00

Roussillon, France.

September 2011.

Gimme just one thing of beauty

To last me for all of my years

Gimme just one thing of beauty

To wash away all of my tears

Gimme one thing of beauty

Since it all turns to ashes and dust

Gimme one thing of beauty

Yeah, the rest you can do what you must

(Marc Cohn - One Thing Of Beauty)

Have a great week.

- Dom

Quelqun'un m'a dit

2011-10-15T14:45:00.006+01:00

Friars Lane, Richmond, UK.

Medium format. 2007.

I'm told that fate makes fun of us,

that it gives us nothing

and promises everything

When happiness seems to be within our reach,

we reach out and find ourselves like fools.

Yet someone told me...

That you still loved me.

Someone told me

that you still loved me.

Well, could that be possible?

(Carla Bruni - Quelqun'un m'a dit)

Near the Marlborough, Richmond, UK.

Medium format. 2007.

The photographs were taken in England, but the title of this blog post is also the title of a wonderful French song. Last month's trip around Southern France introduced me to some great music.

After beating both England and Wales (in the quarter final and semi final, respectively), the French national team will be facing the All Blacks in the final of this year's Rugby World Cup (23rd of October).

Have a nice weekend.

- Dom

Walking In Memphis

2011-10-12T09:56:00.001+01:00

Golden Gate Bridge

Joshua Tree N.P.

Las Vegas, Nevada

June 2009.

Neither did I take these pictures in Memphis nor anywhere else in the land of the delta blues, but that song by Marc Cohn has been stuck in my head for a couple days now, and indeed it is one heck of an awesome song.

I did however bring some rolls of medium format film to the lab that I used in my Holga camera on a trip from Boston to New Orleans, and I did of course visit Graceland in Memphis and the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.

Anyway, I can pick the film up next week. However, it's impossible to say for sure what the pictures are going to look like - maybe there won't be nothing visible at all. None of those rolls have been stored in a fridge. Now I know that I should've done that. Back then I didn't know. Then they got lost in one of the boxes of developed films and prints - until I found them recently.

Have a nice day.

- Dom

The Worst Day Since Yesterday

2011-10-09T19:43:00.005+01:00

Citroën 2CV.

Sainte-Enimie, France.

September 2011.

Click here to see a series of amazing pictures of aurora borealis. This photograph is one of the most stunning I've seen in a long time. I'm planning to head up north to see the aurora borealis this winter (sometime between December and February). Click here if you love beautiful photographs of beautiful animals. The following sites will introduce to a lot of amazing photography websites (#1; #2; #3).

I'll bring some 35mm film to the lab tomorrow. Recently, I also found a few more rolls of medium format film from a trip from Boston to New Orleans in the summer of 2007. I've posted some photographs from that trip over the last few years, but I always wondered where the other rolls had ended up. When you move a lot, some things get lost. I'm going to have them developed soon.

Also, I won't be able to take any new pictures for a few days. The sensor of the 5D Mark II needs cleaning. I'm going to get this done at a Calumet store.

Autumn has arrived in this part of Germany - it's raining a lot, the leaves are no longer green, and the supermarkets have already started selling chocolate santas and gingerbread. From other regions such as Bavaria, there have been reports of snowfall.

The worse the weather gets, the cosier it feels to sit down in my favourite Irish pub in Hamburg, Finnegan's Wake... it is also where I'll celebrate my birthday next week.

Blog post title taken from the song by Flogging Molly.

Goodnight.

- Dom

Down To The River

2011-10-09T18:42:00.000+01:00

Richmond, London, UK.

June 2011.

One of my favourite

places in my old hometown.

Take me down

Down to the river

Hold my hand

Down to the river

Down to the river, Lord

(Ray LaMontagne - Down To The River)

Death Valley Queen

2011-10-08T20:00:00.001+01:00

Chaos de Montpellier-le-Vieux, France.

September 2011.

Click here to see more pictures.

I remember you well from that town you did dwell

With the face of an angel in a dump hot as hell

So death valley queen, go marry your king

Or an old maid you'll end up for certain

(Flogging Molly)

Have a nice weekend!

- Dom

Shelter

2011-10-08T19:27:00.002+01:00

Colmar, France.

September 2011.

It's been a rainy morning, so I spent a few hours listening to music, drinking tea, and editing more photographs taken in France.

France is far too beautiful to spend even a single day of your holidays on the beach. I've never been the lazy kind of traveller and neither are my friends, so we spent the better part of six days on the road, and the other two days hiking. There's so much to see. Look at the gorgeous half-timber work in this picture. Another thing we liked about the towns and villages along the Route des Vins d'Alsace were the flowers... the French sure know how to decorate their houses.

Blog post title taken from this wonderful song by Ray LaMontagne.

Ripple

2011-10-05T11:48:00.001+01:00

1st picture: Castelbouc.

2nd picture: Sainte-Enimie.

The town of Sainte-Enimie is a popular stop along the road that winds through the Gorges du Tarn. There are no large supermarkets in the entire valley; there's only a tiny corner shop in Sainte-Enimie. In addition, a lot of canoeing and kayaking tours start in Sainte-Enimie.

The settlement of Castelbouc was one of the stops on our way out of the valley. On an epic twelve-hour-journey to Besançon (via Dijon, a town famous for its mustard), we passed through lots of picturesque villages. I was the only driver and we avoided the motorways, so this part of the trip was rather exhausting.

After a good night's sleep, we were back on the road again for the last part of our trip. On the way back up to Hamburg, we passed through wine country and also visited the American Cemetery in Épinal.

Wine country.

Somewhere between

Besançon and Épinal.

Épinal American Cemetery.

I used a Lensbaby 3G

for this picture.

I hope you enjoyed my photographs taken in France.

There is a road,

no simple highway

Between the dawn and

the dark of night

And if you go

no one may follow

That path is for

your steps alone

Ripple in still water

When there is no pebble tossed

Nor wind to blow

(Grateful Dead - Ripple)

"Ripple", by the Grateful Dead, has always been one of my favourite folk songs. They also wrote and recorded one of my favourite songs of all time, "Sugar Magnolia".

Have a great day.

- Dom

Chimes Of Freedom

2011-10-03T16:51:00.001+01:00

Saint-Chély-du-Tarn, France.

September 2011.

Far away from the cities and towns, where the radio crackles as it's trying to pick up a signal, we're spending three nights at a campsite deep down in the Gorges du Tarn.

We decide to go swimming in the Tarn. It's summer time but the water is cool. The sun is going down behind the granite rock of the valley. Her warm light makes our skin look the colour of gold. We're friends and we're exactly where we're supposed to be. There's no need to say anything. We just smile.

We're smiling because we know that for the rest of our lives, these moments will remain in the depths of our memory. We'll grow old, we'll have wives and children, and one by one, we'll leave this world and our friends to catch up with us one day down the road.

For this particular moment in time though, we feel like we're young forever. And that is all that matters, all that used to matter, and all that ever will.

Through the mad mystic's hammering

of the wild ripping hail

The sky cracked its poems

in wonder

That the clinging of the church bells

blew far into the breeze

Leaving only bells of lightning

and its thunder

Striking for the gentle,

striking for the kind

Striking for the guardians

and protectors of the mind

(Bob Dylan - Chimes Of Freedom)

Have a great week!

- Dom

The River Knows Your Name

2011-10-02T17:38:00.000+01:00

Gorges du Tarn, France.

September 2011.

Oh the river knows your name

And your tears falling like the rain

All around you suffering and pain

Oh the river knows your name

And the river hears you cry

As the lightning cracks the open sky

As your momma sings a lullaby

Oh the river she knows why

Let the river wash you down

Beneath the surface with a rushing sound

Like a freight train passing through a town

Let the river wash you down

Let the river take away

All the words you and I could never say

In the silence darling let us pray

Let the river take it all away

(John Hiatt - The River Knows Your Name)

The song above has always been one of my favourite songs. I just love the melancholy, the wonderful guitar, and Hiatt's voice.

Enjoy your evening.

- Dom

Orange Crush

2011-10-02T12:15:00.002+01:00

Viaduc de Millau, Millau, France.

September 2011.

After a refuelling stop in Millau, which we also used to stock up on food at a Super U supermarket (they have some 30 or 40 different but equally delicious pastries and pies!), we were back on the road again... on the road to the Gorges du Tarn.

Blog post title taken from the song by R.E.M.

To The Field

2011-10-02T11:25:00.005+01:00

Chaos de Montpellier-le-Vieux, France.

September 2011.

After spending a night down by the Mediterranean Sea, we drove on to a place called Chaos de Montpellier-le-Vieux. It was late afternoon when we arrived and it started to rain minutes after we had parked the car. The rain made the hiking though, but the clouds look good in the photographs.

Blog post title taken from the song of the same name by Steve Von Till.

Click here to look through the portfolio of my favourite photographer of the week. Click here to admire an amazing building.

Nightswimming

2011-10-01T08:00:00.003+01:00

Nightswimming

Remembering that night

September's coming soon

I'm pining for the moon

And what if there were two

Side by side in orbit

Around the fairest sun?

(R.E.M. - Nightswimming)

The Mediterranean Sea.

Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, France.

September 2011.

The sun's setting behind the white buildings of a town called Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in the Camargue region. The moon's rising above us, it's rising above the Mediterranean. There's hundreds of stars shining above us. Soon we'll drink the beers we brought.

We set up tripods and cameras. We're hoping to see a shooting star. None around. Doesn't matter. We've got some great pictures already. We're tired but there's nothing better than being tired after a long day of driving through one of Europe's most beautiful countries. Right now, we wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Have a nice weekend.

- Dom

Axel F

2011-09-28T18:20:00.000+01:00

Arles, France.

September 2011.

Title taken from the 80's classic by Harold Faltermeyer.

Have a nice evening.

- Dom

Sur Le Pont d'Avignon

2011-09-23T13:36:00.001+01:00

Self-portrait.

Avignon, France.

September 2011.

Title taken from the popular French song.

Have a nice weekend.

- Dom

Badlands

2011-09-23T13:32:00.003+01:00

Avignon, France.

September 2011.

On the third day of our trip, we'd arrived on a campsite close to Avignon, where we stayed that night. The next morning, we explored Avignon before we got back into the car to continue our journey around the Provence region.

Later that same day, we passed by the most dramatic view we'd seen on the trip so far: A village called Gordes.

Gordes, France.

September 2011.

Blog post title taken from the song of the same name by Bruce Springsteen... because today is Boss Day!

Man On The Moon

2011-09-22T18:11:00.002+01:00

Pictures taken near Avignon, France.

September 2011.

R.I.P. R.E.M. - one of my favourite bands decided to call it a day after a magnificent career spanning 30 years. The title of this blog post has been taken from one of their songs.

More new photographs coming soon!

Have a nice weekend!

- Dom

Born To Run

2011-09-18T12:49:00.001+01:00

France.

September 2011.

More photographs taken on the third day of our trip while on the way down south to Avignon... This day would have to be my favourite part of the trip.

My friend from university in Germany, Domian, doesn't have a driving license yet. My friend from school in England, Freddy, didn't want to drive in France - he thinks the French drive like lunatics. I must say that I kinda like the way they're driving - the way they don't care about a scratch or two. After all, a car is just a car, and every scratch or dent tells a story. Long story short, I was the only driver and drove a total of 3615 kilometres in eight days, and I love driving at speeds between 70 and 90 because you see much more of the landscape. It brought back memories from my road trip through the American West.

This part of the route was Bruce Springsteen - country. I just had to put his music on. The blog post title has been taken from one of my favourite songs by the Boss.

I hope you enjoy the updates (five blog posts with new photographs), and I hope you have a nice weekend, too.

- Dom

Run To You

2011-09-18T12:38:00.002+01:00

1st picture: Route des Vins.

2nd picture: Haut-Jura region.

France. September 2011.

One thing we all loved very much about those little villages were the skew churches and houses.

Open Road

2011-09-18T12:28:00.000+01:00

Haut-Jura region, France.

September 2011.

On the third day, we continued our trip down south. We had stayed in Besançon; our destination was a campsite close to Avignon. We wanted to see as much of France as we possibly could, so on our whole trip, we did not drive a single kilometre on a motorway. The rural roads of France wind through forests, hills, up and down passes, and most importantly: beautiful villages. It took us almost ten hours to get to Avignon, but it was well worth it.

Blog post title taken from the song by Bryan Adams.

Take My Heart Away

2011-09-18T12:03:00.002+01:00

Colmar, France.

September 2011.

On the day before the trip, we all met up in Hamburg (my friend from school, Freddy, doesn't live here of course). The day after, we drove from Hamburg to Strasbourg. We'd been caught up in a few traffic jams for a total of three hours and there's a lot of road works on the way down south. When we arrived, we were happy to walk around town for an hour before getting dinner. The pictures taken that day can be seen in my previous blog post. We stayed in a hostel ("auberge de jeunesse") on the edge of town.

After we had breakfast, we soon found ourselves back on the road again. We followed the Route des Vins d'Alsace. For more information, visit this website. Our favourite villages were Barr and Colmar. We loved the colourful houses. At the end of the day, we arrived in Besançon, where we stayed for the night.

Besançon, France.

September 2011.

Fallin' And Flyin'

2011-09-15T16:53:00.004+01:00

Strasbourg, Alsace, France.

September 2011.

Hello! I'm back from my trip to France. It was everything I'd hoped it would be: The weather was awesome (most of the time, that is) - we passed through absolutely gorgeous villages and small towns - the people were very friendly. I've driven exactly 3615 kilometres.

Let me say this much: Dear people of France, I love your country!

This is just a quick update; I'll publish my favourite pictures over the next few weeks with the first major update coming this Sunday - check it out; there's a lot of pictures and stories that I'd like to share - and Sunday is also when I'll take the time to answer all your comments and messages and check out all your blog posts that I've missed these past two weeks. I have to apologise for this delay... we still don't have internet at our flat, so I'm sitting in my car using wireless internet... and as you can imagine, a car isn't exactly the most comfortable place to do this.

Blog post title taken from the song of the same name from the "Crazy Heart" - soundtrack.

Have a nice day.

- Dom

The Crossing

2011-09-02T11:19:00.003+01:00

Through all the days that eat away

at every breath that I take

Through all the nights I've lain alone

in someone else's dream awake

It's only you that remains with me

Clear as the light of day

(Johnny Clegg - The Crossing)

Early tomorrow morning, I'll set out on a trip to France, along with my best friend from school and my best friend from university. I really need a break from everything - university, work, the country I'm living in. I'll also try to recapture the emotions, the feelings, the sensations of past road trips, for they lie at the core of my best and brightest dreams and continue to inspire me to - at some point in the future - travel more often than I do now.

I'll be back in mid-September, and I hope y'all have a good time!

- Dom

Worlds Apart

2011-08-27T13:59:00.004+01:00

Where the distant oceans sing

and rise to the plain

In this dry and troubled country

your beauty remains

May the living let us in

before the dead tear us apart

(Bruce Springsteen - Worlds Apart)

Arche Warder wildlife preserve.

August 2011.

If you'd like to see more pictures,

check out my previous blog post.

Apart from lots of endangered species, there are three houses built in neolithic style. Me and the friend who'll join me on the trip to France built a fireplace... we dug a hole in the ground, covered the bottom with rocks, added several layers of clay... I haven't built anything in a long time, so this was a very satisfying experience.

Have a nice day.

- Dom

Song Of The South

2011-08-26T10:10:00.003+01:00

Arche Warder.

Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

August 2011.

I've had three awesome days at Europe's largest wildlife preserve for endangered species, Arche Warder. Me and three friends worked all day long and had a campfire in the evening. The air was beautifully fresh and the stars were shining above our tent at night. If you're ever in the area, you have to visit Arche Warder. After five hard weeks of digging, those three days have been a welcome change.

We've made progress planning the route for our France trip - we decided to concentrate on the south of the country and leave out Britanny and Normandy. I can't wait to get out on the road.

Title taken from the song of the same name by Alabama.

Have a nice weekend.

- Dom