DafImpressions

Wild crocuses are pretty common in our area. They pop up all of a sudden in March and form beautiful flowery carpets all over the place.
This photo was taken as an entry for our internal monthly competion among the members of the Fotoclub Fürstenwalde.
The full-sized image (10 MB) can be downloaded here.

Trees often provide opportunities for interesting photos. In this case, the tree looked as if a dryad lived in it. This photo was taken with a smartphone that also stores raw files. Therefore, the photo could easily be post-processed to achieve the somewhat fairytale-like image effect.
This photo was taken as an entry for our internal monthly competion among the members of the Fotoclub Fürstenwalde.
The full-sized image (6 MB) can be downloaded here.

Detail of an old blowtorch (that still works). The dark effect of the image was done with a darkened room and an LED flashlight for illumination. The name "Barthel" indicates the manufacturer Gustav Barthel, a producer of blowtorches, lamps and cookers. The company was located in Dresden, Germany.
This photo was taken as an entry for our internal monthly competion among the members of the Fotoclub Fürstenwalde.
The full-sized image (5 MB) can be downloaded here.

Taken on a short walk near home on a crisp and sunny autumn day. Crunchy as well.
The full-sized image (5,6 MB) can be downloaded here.

This photo (Church Sankt Peter and Paul on the island of Reichenau on Lake Constance) was taken after the photo of the deer on Norderney - two years later and one smart phone later. This time I made sure that the smart phone had a decent camera (it even shoots RAW in DNG format).
This is not a spectacular photo (it is uploaded as it came from the camera), but it shows the difference in technology. For souvenir photos you do not really need anything else, the consumer camera stays home. Yes, that one has more options and an optical zoom, but for landscapes and most other sceneries taken on holidays is does not make a difference and - that is the crucial point - you can not share your photos as easily as with a smart phone.
The consumer camera is indeed dead (check this link, it is really worthwhile). I still have two of these cameras, but (and I know, it is really sad) they just collect dust in a drawer.
The full-sized image (6 MB) can be downloaded here.

Walking along the North Sea coast is always a rewarding experience. The salty air, sand under your feet, clear water (unless walking the Wadden area), and a sunny sky. Well, sunny sky is often a maybe, but then, as they say, at the North Sea there is no such thing as bad weather, just wrong clothing.
For the photographer, the coast is always rewarding. At least, if you are into nature, wildlife, structures and patterns. That day a lot of blue, almost violet, jellyfish were washed ashore resembling blue eyes looking into the sun. The full-sized image (25 MB) can be downloaded here.

I still remember that moment. We were walking the dunes of Norderney, an island at the German North Sea coast. And there they were, totally unexpected, a stag with three hinds, standing perfectly still for an eternity (well, probably just for two minutes, still...), silouetted against the setting sun, a Disney moment, kitschy beyond description, a perfect moment - and no camera. Just the snapshot function of my mobile phone. I had bought the mobile phone for its phone features and not for its camera and that day I had left my camera at our rented place. I would have given anything for a decent camera, no, any camery with an optical zoom. Anyway, you take what's available, a snapshot with a terrible quality. Then, you just stay, watch and enjoy the moment. All of a sudden, they vanished to re-appear shortly afterwards just 5 meters behind us running away (that's when we noticed that there were three hinds).
The full-sized image (800 Kb for what it's worth) can be downloaded here.

A striped field mouse, an early guest in our garden, enjoying the early warm and sunny wheather. Well hidden, at least when it was not moving. We humans were obviously too big to be noticed. Unfortunately (for the mouse), our garden is also a most popular playground for the neighbourhood cats.
The full-sized image (20 MB) can be downloaded here.

I am not sure, but I think this photo was also taken at lake Scharmützelsee almost a year ago. And I do remember that day. A cold, clear and crisp day. I was at the lake, and everything - gras, trees, ice, and reed - was crystal clear and full of contrast modelled by the low sun. The photo: a disappointment. The colours just don't get across what it was like being at the lake at that time of the year (and why I took that photo). But then, black and white does the job. Not perfectly, but reasonably well. The full-sized black and white image (21 MB) can be downloaded here.

Lake Scharmützel (next to Bad Saarow east of Berlin) is the second biggest lake of the federal state of Brandenburg. It is approx. 10 Km long, 1,5 Km wide and is up to 29 Meters deep. From time to time, the lake does freeze over in winter and is used for all kinds of leisure activities, from skating to ice-fishing to warming yourself at the Gluehwein stands on the lake. Mind you, a frozen Scharmützel lake is a rare event, especially as the winters tend to get warmer every year. Not surprisingly, this photo was taken in 2006.
The full-sized image (1,5 MB) can be downloaded here.