A photographic review of 2010

So 2010 is over. And as it is with things past, we tend to forget them through the daily work that occupies us. 2010 was quite a year, though. Many things happened. I’ve learned a lot of stuff. I have so many great and some not so great memories. I can’t do justice to all of them. So, here’s a little photographic review of 2010. One picture for each month — except for April, since I’ve lost all my pictures from April due to a harddisk crash in late 2010. (This is one of the not so great memories …)

January: Emil watching the snow fall through our balcony door. (This picture was featured in Steve Huff’s “Daily Inspiration” column.)

Olympus E-P1 + OM Zuiko 50/1.8

Continue reading A photographic review of 2010

First walk in the new year

"New Year's walk" | Leica M8 + Ultron 28/1.9 @ f/4, 1/1500 sec, ISO 160

Continue reading First walk in the new year

Merry christmas and happy holidays!

Leica M8 + Ultron 28/1.9 @ f/1.9, 1/30 sec, ISO 160

Memory lane: A stroll through my grandparents’ village

As a child, I would go visit my grandparents almost every summer holiday, and sometimes also in spring, autumn or winter. I spent a significant part of my childhood there, and so that little village in the very southwest of Germany became a bit like my second home. I have many fond memories of spending my holidays there that come back with each (nowadays rare) new visit.

This fall, my grandfather would celebrate his 90th birthday, and that was reason for us to head southward for a visit. The day before the actual celebration, we (that is my wife, son and I) went for a stroll through the village of my childhood memories, and it was very touching for me to see my son explore some of the same places that I did in his age and older.

Olympus E-P1 + Lumix 20/1.7 @ f/1.7, 1/500 sec, ISO 200

A single floating leaf in an ocean of water, like a single memory floating through an ocean of thoughts. Continue reading Memory lane: A stroll through my grandparents’ village

Some first pictures with my new lens

Just yesterday I received a small package from a very cool guy from Austria, and that packaged contained … a new lens! Well, not a new lens (he was the second owner himself), but one in as-new condition, and one new to me. The lens in question is a Voigtländer Ultron 28mm f/1.9 Aspherical M39 screw mount lens, a lens that was discontinued a couple of years ago and replaced by the Ultron 28/2 Aspherical in M-mount. It’s only available on the used market, and you need an M39->M adapter to use it on an M-mount camera.

The Ultron 28/1.9 is about the size of a Leica Summicron 28mm, maybe a tad longer, and of course a whole lot cheaper – about 90%. I decided to get it because I wanted something faster than my M-Rokkor 28/2.8, which is really a nice little lens, but of not much use in difficult light. (If you’re interested in that lens — I’m going to sell it, so just drop me a line!)

So after some fiddling and fondling with it, here are some first pictorial results. Nothing spectacular, just the typical family protrait session … 😉

Leica M8 + Ultron 28/1.9 @ f/1.9, 1/45 sec, ISO 1250

In the office, a reflection in the window. Continue reading Some first pictures with my new lens