Swiss Mountain Passes At Daytime, July 2022

Impression from the road trip around the Swiss mountain passes in July 2022. Great scenery, great people, great light! Enjoy!

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‘Great Plains’ @ Albula Pass…

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The highest located light house in the world @ Oberalp Pass…

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Rich pastures, heading down to Andermatt…

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Teufelsbrücke @ Schönenenschlucht, Andermatt…

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Along Susten Pass…

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Looking down Susten Pass…

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Who can spot ‘Tierberglihütte’?…

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Rise of the almost full Moon @ Grimselpass…

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View from Furka Pass towards Grimsel Pass…

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Another way of traveling, maybe an English fellow…

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A long-awaited wish came true – standing above a glacier, Rhone glacier…

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Sunset @ Rhone glacier…

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Life is good @ San Bernadino Pass…

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Sunday’s @ Göscheneralpsee…

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Along Oberaar pass road…

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Benno of Plänggerli Kiosk, talking about cristals and life itself…

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Getting an overview @ Nufenen Pass…

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Splügen Pass, Swiss side…

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Heading back home…

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The Time Is Now

Impressions from yesterday morning, strolling through an area I have not been for a while now. Even if you think the weather is too crabby for photography – give it a try and you might get back with some favorites of yours. All images are shot with the incredible Canon G1X and none of the images are converted into b&w – they are all color images. What I love most about photography? …living in the Now, living in the moment! No thoughts about what was (the past) and about what will be (the future), just living in the present and living each moment to its fullest, loving what you are doing at that exact moment. The improvement on this would be to have this attitude on an ordinary, daily basis, with everything that you do, not only when doing what you love. To me, it feels like a journey inwards, a journey I can´t book, a journey with an open end, a journey I don´t know where it will lead to…On the other hand, I´ve booked a self-guided tour to Iceland from the 8.-22.Dec.2013, maybe I can combine those two journeys into one….

Something to think about at the end of the day (by Max Lucado), which brought tears to my eyes while reading it that very morning: “When you are in the final days of your life, what will you want? Will you hug that college degree in the walnut frame? Will you ask to be carried to the garage so you can sit in your car? Will you find comfort in reading your financial statement? Of course not. What will matter then will be people. If relationships will matter most then, shouldn´t they matter most now?”….there is always a possibility to change your opinion/attitude/whatsoever – if you don´t feel comfortable with the old one – change it – Now.

Hope you enjoy the stills/video and make sure to hit the HD-Button for a higher quality! Music by Loreena McKennitt – The Mummer´s Dance. Cheers!

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A Day At The Allgäu

In September last year, we did a one day journey to the Allgäu, a region in Swabia, which belongs partly to Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg and borders to Austria in the south. It´s a 3-hours drive to the south-west from where I live and some 170 km south-west of Munich. This area is known for it´s beautiful landscapes, vacations and winter skiing and famous for it´s dairy products. You may have heard of the castle of Neuschwanstein, which is located in the eastern part of the Allgäu. We just been cruising around with our trusty Mercedes-Benz – 1988 and were visiting an area called Oberstaufen-Steibis. At the end of the road from Steibis on, we took the cable cars up to the top terminal at 1708 m. From there on it´s been a nice stroll to the top of Hochgrat Mountain at 1833 m. Some pretty nice views from there, overseeing southern Germany and the bordering parts of Austria. On our way back we came across a small mountain stream, which cascaded over and through boulders which almost  looked like concrete. Being between the crowds atop the mountain peak, this leisurely spot we had to ourselves. Driving back home on a sunday afternoon wasn´t the best idea (rushhour-some sort of), but my family and me have “discovered” a place of our home country we haven´t been before. (Maybe a cool place for nightphotography for the times to come;)  Enjoy! 

 

Going up and coming down…

 

Summit cross with Tibetan prayer flags…

 

A jackdaw amidst the prayer flags…

 

“Descent via Brunnenau to Hochgratbahn-Talstation” – “Have a good head for heights”

 

View from Hochgrat towards Rindalp-Horn…

 

Stay on the right track…

 

We are going back…

 

An alpine hut between fir trees…

 

Paragliding is a cool way of coming down – if you dare…

 

View to the south-east towards Austria…

 

A leisurely mountain stream cascading over big boulders…

 

“People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering.”

(Saint Aurelius Augustine, 354-430)

 

 

Art Wolfe at the “WunderWelten”-Festival

What a theme to start a Blog with! Art Wolfe being in Germany for his only visit at the WunderWelten-Festival! Doing a 4 h workshop in the morning and a 90 minute multimedia presentation in the afternoon, it was great to hear this guy talking and even more seeing those outstanding images of him!

But what was really cool about him, is the fact that he is really just like you and me – well, he does the better pictures, but for being one of the best and most popular photographers in the world, he is a very pleasant person!

The 4 h workshop wasn´t just about how to take pictures – it was even more about getting an idea of how everything works together as a whole! It´s not just shooting! It´s about having a sense and feeling for those places you go, the people you meet and animals you see, how you treat and approach them with respect and dignity! In my mind, I see it the same way, but that´s not obvious in this fast living world these days!

So I would say that this workshop was just not for someone who is interested in taking  better photos, but even more for anyone  who want´s to learn something for life itself! Things like being positive, evolve yourself and be open to new possibilities, and in my mind most of all: “capture the spirit”, that lies/is in every single one of us. That may sound a bit of the edge or esoteric to some – but that´s fine to me!

The multimedia presentation “Between heaven and earth” was also stunning! Having a 12 mtr./36 ft. wide screen at  the festival, those images came by so great and sharp and clear that it was just miraculous. Never have I seen such a great presentation before. So if you ever have the opportunity to see this show or going to a workshop – go and get it, it´s more worth than you are paying for!

For me, being pretty new to photography, this really, really made my day! Thank you so much for being here, Art Wolfe, and also a big Bravo for Immanuel and Florian Schulz making this festival possible! If you want to learn more about those guy´s – check this out: www.artwolfe.com     www.wunderwelten.org   www.visionsofthewild.com

Cheers, Werner