Nature

A bridge between the years

Andre, Black And White Photography, Photography

We’re standing right in front of a jump: 2018 will be 2019, soon.

Here in Germany, some people call the days between Christmas and New Years day the “days between the years” or short “between the years”.

Don’t get confused, the year starts on January 1st and ends at December 31st. But, many businesses (primarily smaller ones) close their doors these days for a short vacation to recuperate from the very stressful Advent time (the 4 weeks before Christmas). Also, big businesses encourage their employees to take these days off.

In this context, you can understand these days as being a bridge between the years.

Another custom here is, making resolutions for the new year: stop smoking, stop drinking alcohol, more sports, living a more active life, finding a new job and so on. I guess, you got the idea. Also, you make a wish for your neighbors, friend and colleagues. These wishes usually include health and personal success (without going into detail).

So, I wish you a Happy New Year, and I thank you for your support!

More of my images can be seen at my own blog.

Christmas rose

Andre, Black And White Photography, Photography

Christmas time means winter and thus we have cold weather, snow, ice-covered lakes and rivers. Temperature are far below 0°C (32°F).

But, this tiny plants are blooming in this uncomfortable time of the year. It’s called Christmas or snow rose (Helleborus niger), because of the blooming time. 

This year’s summer was extremely hot and dry. Over summer, many plants died because of the lack of water. Also the Christmas rose. All leaves were laying flat on the ground. There was no hope of seeing any blossoms this year or even see the Christmas rose surviving this hard time. The image above is from last winter.

But, surprisingly, the leaves are standing upwards again and many white blossoms are currently blooming 😳 What a surprise!

More of my images can be seen at my own blog.

Early spring at the river Ruhr

Andre, Black And White Photography, Photography

Although this image has a slight IR look, it isn’t. The leaves of the willow are fresh and still bright, especially when the sun shines on them.

Above the river, with a fantastic view over the Ruhr valley, the Earl of Mark built a medieval castle on a hill. It was built in the 13th century and was one of four castles to govern his property.

During the 16th and 17th century this castle decayed slowly, but was reconstructed at the end of the 18th century. Since 1909 the ruin is conserved as a historical monument. you can visit the castle and even climb up the tower to enjoy the view. In the atrium you can now find a restaurant.

More of my images can be seen at my own blog.