what are you looking at?

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

All pictures taken with my Olympus Pen E-PL3 and my Panasonic Lumix 20mm f/1.7 ASPH.

The other day a friend and me tried to go to the photography playground run by Olympus here in Berlin. There was such a long queue though that we decided not to wait after all. It probably would have taken an hour to get in there. Instead we walked around Mitte and finally went to a café near Oranienburger Straße.

I actually wanted to post these pictures yesterday after going to the grocery store at night, but I ended up being too rattled by the outcome of my trip to the store. Apparently the shop was closed because there was a murder there in the late afternoon yesterday! An old man was stabbed to death in front of the meat counter with a knife that you can buy in the shop. How crazy is that?! I knew that this is a rough neighbourhood, but I certainly wasn’t expecting that when I headed out to get cheese. The store was shut off with police tape, two police officers were standing guard and refused to give me any information. Since it was quite late none of the other shops in the area were still open. I just headed home and looked up online what happened. So far they don’t know whether there was a motive or whether the stabber was just crazy. So far it looks more like the latter. What a disturbing thought that I live in a neighbourhood where such things happen. And if it was just a random attack, where does that leave me and my peace of mind? I guess I can be grateful that I normally avoid prime shopping time. However, I think I should really move to a better neighbourhood – although obviously not even that is a guarantee for anything.

raw

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

All pictures taken with my Olympus Pen E-PL3 and my Panasonic Lumix 20mm f/1.7 ASPH.

Yesterday it was the first proper sunny and hot day here in Berlin. Or at least the first one I was able to use properly. I took the opportunity to go outside and sit in the sun at the Bode museum. Like every year on the first sunny day recklessness and lack of sunblock combined to a bad sunburn. And if you think I learned my lesson, well, wrong! Every year I make the same mistake around this time. I learn it for this current year and then forget the lesson again over the long and dark winters.

Since I hadn’t been out of the house with my camera in a while I was really eager to take pictures. I really took a lot of pictures. Well, at least this means that I ended up with a number of good ones. Somehow they were all taken in the subway. It’s still my favourite place to take pictures.

the usual kind of boredom

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Well, boredom is running errands with your mom when you could be at home running wild if only they left you alone.

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

What’s the most obvious indicator that we live in a working class area? All the fancy cars obviously!

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Another common sight around here.

All pictures taken with my Canon EOS 450D and my Canon EF 35mm f/2.0.

These pictures were taken when I was doing the grocery shopping a while back. Again yesterday I preferred to stay home, recover and spend my time watching a series. I ate well, tried to ignore the pain (of the excruciating kind) and went to bed relatively early to read the novel to the Star Trek movie The Wrath of Khan. Nicely written, interesting story, one of my favourite movies. I wished I could have gone out, but frankly, I really wasn’t in the shape for it. It’s nothing bad, just the logical result of my surgery.

By the way, today I heard back from one of my art school applications – it was the one in Düsseldorf. I didn’t get in, which was to be expected, but I’m still happy with the result. I expected the plain old worst grade since they seem to give that to most people applying there, but instead I got a better one! It means that they saw at least some potential in my work and that I’m on the right path. I bet the reply from UdK Berlin will turn out much less favourable, but it won’t matter since with this reply from Düsseldorf I already got more than I expected.

are we done yet?

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

This dog was waiting patiently until the guys were finished looking at the books. This was taken at a great art book store near Hackescher Markt. They always have reduced prices for really great books.

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Ah dogs … always so eager! They both seem to say: “Playing fetch? My favourite thing!”

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

The shadows of the shop front of a clothes store at Weinmeisterstraße. And no, I don’t actually know which shop it is.

All pictures taken with my Canon EOS 450D and my Canon EF 35mm f/2.0.

These days I just feel cooped up inside. Yesterday the highlight of the evening was going to the grocery store to stock up on food for the weekend. Not exactly exciting. I couldn’t even take my camera, because I was already carrying too much. Being continuously at home drives me mad anyway and it prevents me from doing anything sensible. Since I feel like I should be outside taking pictures I can’t really concentrate on anything else. Oh well, I guess I just have to be a little bit more patient.

come on, let’s go

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

The autofocus of my Canon has the tendency to focus on the background rather than the people in the front.

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Nuclear energy, no thanks. This goes out to Dave from ShootTokyo. He always takes pictures of such roadside mirrors.

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

I better ignore the obvious comment on this one.

All pictures taken with my Canon EOS 450D and my Canon EF 35mm f/2.0.

I guess it’s obvious from the wintery Canon pictures that I took these a while ago. I’m posting in order when I don’t go outside the previous day, so this is why I post pictures of people in coats when it’s 27°C out there. I had the window open most of the day and still, I stayed inside. And just as I thought, well, maybe I can go to the shop, I hear squealing kids and the sound of rain. In the end I went to the shop to stock up on food, but since I’m not allowed to carry heavy I thought I’d better leave the camera at home. And yes, this only makes sense if I was already planning to buy so many things that it would be already too much. I didn’t even buy everything I needed and it still seemed too heavy for me. I guess I have to go again tomorrow, since there is a bank holiday on Monday.

The best thing about going outside today? It smelled of spring. The worst thing about that? Well, spring smells only for the first couple of days until the hay fever hits me. At least my eyes don’t seem to itch yet. We’ll see how bad it’s going to get this year. I’m really hoping that my new diet sort of changed some of that. I’m also eating local honey because it’s supposed to help with allergies. Wish me luck.

I’ll wait for you here

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Just down the road from my house there is a home for elderly people.

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

The guy certainly has the crazy eyes.

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

This little girl was holding on to that flower the whole time they were in the shop. Very cute.

All pictures taken with my Canon EOS 450D and my Canon EF 35mm f/2.0.

I have been having a couple of rough days. It was to be expected after the surgery, but boy does it get on my nerves! There is nice weather here in Berlin and all I seem to be able to do is to sit at home and take it easy. Way to go, health! Oh well, it’s going to get better with time.

rascals

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

The focus is a bit off, but somehow it still works.

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

This guy was utterly weird. He was actually walking around with a boombox. Public urination with the boombox blaring? Well, what else is there to say?

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Taken at Bahnhof Potsdamer Platz.

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Potsdamer Platz sure has a photogenic station, doesn’t it? The light really is cool there.

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

This yogurt shop is close to Friedrichstraße. Obviously I haven’t tried it – would probably kill me -, but it sure looks nice from the outside.

All pictures taken with my Olympus Pen E-PL3 and my Panasonic Lumix 20mm f/1.7.

Yesterday I went to see the new Star Trek movie with a friend. If you haven’t seen it yet, go watch it, it’s awesome! Granted the trailer looks like it’s an entirely stupid action movie, but it’s really enjoyable actually. The action stuff is really nice in 3D, it has some great emotions in it and best of all: I loved Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan. I went into the movie without knowing anything about the plot and was really pleasantly surprised when it became clear that Mister Villain was actually Khan. I have always liked that character.

I also took quite a number of pictures yesterday. Somehow I kept having focus problems though. Only much later did I realise that I actually changed the focus point by accident. So annoying! Somehow I still managed to get some decent shots though, even if the focus is off in most of them. The problem is that checking the focus is almost impossible on the screen. That’s why I only noticed so late. Next time I should check the focus settings earlier.

tickle wars

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Apparently tickle wars on the street amuse kids to no end.

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Why that guy was standing there with his dog was a complete mystery to me. It’s a strange place to have a dog do his business, so that’s out. Well, I can’t figure it out.

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

I’m not quite sure whether square format would be better for this one. What do you think?

All pictures taken with my Canon EOS 450D and my Canon EF 35mm f/2.0.

As you might have noticed, I hardly ever take a day off. I post pictures every day, edit pictures every day and normally do all sorts of other stuff as well. In any case, yesterday I actually did take most of the day off. I still edited pictures and posted some as well, but the rest of the day I spent watching Big Bang Theory with my feet up on the coffee table. I wasn’t feeling too well, so I deserved to have a bit of a rest.

the delay

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Normally the subway in Berlin can’t really disappoint much. It comes every 4 minutes and delays are hardly ever noticeable. Sometimes they happen though, like in this instance where there was a medical emergency on the train.

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Kebab to warm the fingers. This was taken when it was still cold outside.

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

OK, not the sharpest picture in the world. In my defence: This was taken at a really dark station. In any case, striped leggings and leopard skin fluffy coat? Well, that sure is a bold fashion statement.

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

I like this picture mostly for the old car on the right. Don’t you agree that cars nowadays just look horrific? Can’t they go back to how cars looked like in the 50s?

All pictures taken with my Canon EOS 450D and my Canon EF 35mm f/2.0.

Yesterday was sabotaged by rain. Just when I finally decided to go out it started to rain again. In the end I just stayed home and had a relaxed evening with a nice dinner watching the Big Bang Theory. They say laughing is the best medicine, so I guess I just wanted to give it a try. As always I also edited some pictures in the morning and wrote a little post on how to use the Olympus Pen E-PL3 for street photography. Finally I also continued reading a book that I started in hospital. Not exactly the best book I’ve ever come about, but somehow I dislike leaving it unfinished. Do you know that feeling? I have quite a number of those unfinished books lying around my apartment and can’t bring myself to just remove the bookmark. Well, those slow rainy days can at least be useful for getting those out of the way.

?!

?!

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

The boy was carrying a bunch of flowers by the way.

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

We followed the music and found this.

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Whenever I get confused about Berlin I use an iPod app to find my way. It looks far less touristy than this approach!

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

Such a beautiful dog!

Berlin | © Verena Fischer 2013

The light was great. They were coming out of the subway and the sunlight was hitting them while in the background there was only this artificial light that makes people look harsh. I really like how it turned out! In colour it wouldn’t work at all, because of the differently coloured light.

All pictures taken with my Olympus Pen E-PL3 and my Panasonic Lumix 20mm f/1.7 ASPH.

Yesterday we went to Mitte to walk around for a bit. It’s not that beautiful, because there are hardly any trees, but well, it’s urban and there are things to see. We first drifted past Fenster 61, which is a little shop front window in which photographers can present their work. To be honest I found it rather anticlimactic. The rather cool long exposures of Frank Machalowski didn’t quite work with the reflection of the sky. I guess it might work better at night with proper illumination. It’s still nice that this space exists though. This part of Mitte is rather boring and empty, because it borders other areas, so we slowly walked towards the more populated areas. Finally we reached Hackesche Höfe, followed the sound of some music and ended up in a rather artsy backyard with lots of street art, cafés and exhibitions. Coming around a corner we then saw a huge creepy moving robotic thing. Apparently there was an exhibition of similarly creepy amusement park robotic creatures in one of the basements and so we just went and had a look. It was called Monsterkabinett and it was actually quite entertaining. The geek in me obviously got the better of me and during the show I was at times pondering how exactly these things work. I refrained from starting geeky conversations though, since my mum probably wouldn’t have been interested in any of the details.

As you can see, in Berlin you can just drift and you might find something cool around the corner. I quite enjoy this aspect of living in the city, although I don’t take advantage of it often enough.