Real Or Artificial

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I couldn't figure out if this spectacular vase of flowers, exhibited at the Frankfurt Museum of Modern Art, was the real thing or not. I suppose if it's art it has to be artificial by definition. Needless to say, I could not give in to the temptation to touch it. http://www.mmk-frankfurt.de/

Mr. Bassman

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Herr Bassman and Herr Lead-Guitarman were really getting stuck into "Crocodile Rock", with the help of a drum and rhythm machine, on the Konstablerwache, in Frankfurt during my recent photo trip there. They can be found on the web at http://www.twoandabox.de.

Standing On The Job

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The Bratwurst man doing the business outside the railway station on Friedrich Strasse, in Berlin. The item on his back is a tank of gas and it is balanced at the front by the weight of the grill. He sells other types of sausages in buns as well, all for 1 Euro each.

Ancient Access

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A man-hole cover on the footpath in Cathal Brugha St., Dublin. The shapes around the inner circumference are small inlaid glass blocks for light access to the cellar below. I'm surprised that there are only three pieces of chewing gum on it's surface given how long it's been in situ but maybe the gum doesn't stick very well to cast iron. I'd like to know how long this nice urban feature has been in this location. I've only recently realised that Dublin is a treasure trove of interesting old architectural features. I'm planning to do a two day walking tour around the city, before the Summer ends, to capture as many as I can for posterity.

Noble Entrance

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A grand entrance leading into the site of a derelict two roomed cottage in North Kerry.

On The Way Down

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Charing Cross station viewed as the London Eye capsule descends. The Thames appears quite muddy. The blue of the sky is reflected from the perspex.

Over The Top

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I was in London last week and got the opportunity to shoot a few photos with my Lumicron 8Mp. The view through the perspex was only slightly degraded here on the London Eye as we passed over the top.

Free Transport

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The Eco Taxis arrived in Dublin in April and can be hired free of charge. The journey is limited to the central areas of the city, for example out as far as Baggot Street Bridge. The company makes it's money from advertising and they can be found on the web at www.ecocabs.ie. These driver/cyclists were on their lunch break between 2 and 3 P.M. on Friday in O'Connell St.

Lifeless Beauty

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This shot was taken, with flash, through the window of a wig shop in Madrid.

Man Of The Street

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This colourful man was begging in central Madrid. He had no objection to being photographed and was happy to receive a small payment for the pose. The photo itself was spoiled by the fact that I forgot to disable the flash on my "point and shoot" Lumicron and his crowning glory is all washed out. I'd like to meet him again and take a better shot with my Sony A100.

High Jinks

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Street dancers in Madrid. Another great cheap destination from Ryanair.

Carraigafoyle Castle

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The remains of Carraigafoyle castle, on the banks of the Shannon estuary, outside Ballylongford County Kerry. It was bombarded with canon balls in 1580. The Office of Public Works has done a really great job of conservation on both the exterior and interior. There is a stone spiral stairs all the way to the very top where the panoramic view of the Shannon estuary is magnificent.

Wide Angle

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The entrance hall of Frankfurt main railway station, looking down Kaiserstrasse, shot with the 11mm lens. Shooting in raw format is a great idea, even though it uses up tons of space on the Flash Card. The view out the bottom windows was completely overexposed and washed out but, working with the raw file later, I was able to almost fully recover it.

Sofa Entrails

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Another exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in Frankfurt. I'd like to hear someone try to justify this as a work of art, worthy of exhibition at one of the worlds top art galleries.

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I can't think of a caption for this shot.

Manhattan

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Simon surveys Manhattan by helicopter. Grandda had to sit in the back. It was a bitterly cold February day in New York. We were heading up the Hudson river towards the George Washington bridge. Even though there was a good covering of snow in certain places, it's possible to make out Central Park on the right of the photo. Technically, it's not a great shot but I was new to the game then. I am still.

Kerry South

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I think this is a nice study of my colleague Cathy Milner watching the final moments of the last count in Killarney.

Women's Beach

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Aah! Ballybunion in the sun. Nothing like it, but that was back in May. A different story now.

Please Stand Back!

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A nice shiny clean train going through Potsdamer Platz station in Berlin. The platform is also spotless. Iarnrod take note.

Barrels

Because this is a photo blog, I thought that I would publish the metadata for some of the shots from time to time. The Sony A100 has a built -in anti- shake mechanism that gives you 2 to 3 stops of shake protection. This shot was taken at 1/25th sec. but as far as holding the camera steady was concerned, it was the equivalent of 100th sec. This also gives a great advantage when using my 500mm telephoto lens which is only f/6.3


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Another exhibit in the Frankfurt Museum of Modern Art. The items on the back wall are part of this exhibit. I've just realized that now while I am posting this. They have given over one large room to this work. I hadn't time to study it in detail but there is a story behind it, as the barrels are half filled with seemingly worthless American share certificates. There is a lot of empty space in this museum; vast rooms and galleries given over to one or two small exhibits.

7 Seater

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Waiting for a fare on the Pariserplatz in Berlin. This day was unusually fine. I have been there four times in the last 6 months and it was raining on the other three. Ryanair has been very good to me since I retired. I scan the fares on the Internet and when a destination shows up for less than €50 return, all taxes and charges included, I book. I think that this tricycle is a bit of a gimmick, rather than a practical mode of transport (all 6 passengers are obliged to pedal). However it's just one of the many things to see and do in this fabulous city. A great place to walk around but you have to cover a lot of ground, and it's best to refuel with copious imbibations of good Weissbier, like Schoefferhofer.

Cyclos

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These tricycle taxis are all over Frankfurt. Somebody told me that they have been spotted in Dublin. Frankfurt, of course, has a network of proper bicycle lanes, unlike Dublin. With the Green Party in Government, you'd never know what changes, for the better, might take place. I was introduced to this great city transport idea in Viet Nam, a few years back. There, they are called cyclos (pronounced see clos). One U.S. Dollar gets you from one end of Saigon to the other, in double quick time, through the chaotic traffic. Which reminds me to say that I am going on a mega photo shoot to that part of the world (Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand) in December. Anyone who wants to join me is welcome to contact me.

Cambodia

This cyclo driver is taking it easy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Cyclos are not as popular here as they are in Viet Nam.