It’s been a while, don’t you think? Well, don’t worry, I think I’m finally getting back into the swing of things after having a well-deserved break, so you should see more posts soon. The last couple of days I ordered some film to replace my almost depleted stash, got my development equipment in shape and now I’m just about ready to start on that massive daunting job that I was avoiding for several months now: More than 100 rolls of undeveloped rolls from several trips are waiting for me and most of it is colour. As you might know, I’m not a big fan of colour development. It stinks, literally, and it’s a hassle as well. That’s why I’ve been putting it off. I’m curious to see the pictures though, which means that I will have to get over it.

What happened while I was gone? Actually, quite a number of things! One of my pictures from my Progress through Demolition project was exhibited at the Kranzberg Arts Center in St. Louis in a group show of the Film Shooters Collective in August. A selection of my more recent street photography was then shown at the beginning of September in a video installation during the Platzhirsch Festival in Duisburg.  And just a few days later I received the last edition of the German analog photography magazine PhotoKlassik 04-2016 which contains a German translation of my article on slide film that was previously published in English on the website of the Film Shooters Collective. All pretty exciting!

I obviously also shot some rolls here and there. However, the town was especially crowded this summer which I always find somewhat off-putting. When every picture looks like a crowd, I get insanely bored. All of August I was shooting only my Rollei as a challenge to spice things up a little, but I frankly found it a little too limiting for myself. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a wonderful camera, I really love my Rollei! However it’s a bit more bulky and less spontaneous than my Leica. It needs much more of a conscious effort, which wasn’t playing nicely with my bored-with-the-crowds attitude. Besides, adding more and more rolls to my development backlog was holding me back a little as well. So, to keep busy without adding more to my stash of undeveloped rolls I actually taught myself enough French to read novels and watch series, something I have been meaning to do for a while. By now I’ve read all of Harry Potter in French translation and I’m starting on some crime fiction now.

The only exception to my somewhat sporadic shooting this summer was a nice trip to Madrid, which idiotically happened during an unseasonal heatwave. Believe me, shooting street in 40°C weather isn’t very easy. Same goes for breathing. I did my best with both though and obviously survived … (Btw, remind me never to visit Madrid in summer again!)

Today I’m going to show you something completely different though: The pictures you will see today were taken during another trip last winter. I’m obviously not only behind on my development. Grab a nice warm cup of tea and enjoy.

All pictures taken with: Leica M6, Zeiss C-Biogon 35mm f/2.8 and Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.1; Rolleicord V, Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 75mm f/3.5.

Starting with: M6 / Biogon / Delta 400 @800 / HC-110.

Twins?

Our usual accommodation. A little cold in winter, but a lovely place nonetheless.

Good for self-portraits.

f/2.8 at ISO 800. Didn’t have my Nokton on me that night.

Obligatory dogs on public transport shot.

That’s the right attitude.

Odd …

Heavy equipment.

Some sneaky pictures.

Life sized doll house furniture

I may have taken this picture every single time we stayed at that place.

M6 / Nokton f/1.1.

So, one evening I wanted to see whether I could catch some night shots with my Nokton. Everything was pretty much deserted though. Stopping motion at night, that’s what the Nokton can do!

Creepy hat shop mannequin.

Also creepy, but different creepy.

Nope, the Nokton is not a perfect lens, just look at the corners. It still rocks though!

Why is this lens great? This is why!

Rollei / HP5+ / HC-110.

As I said, our usual holiday flat is very photogenic.

M6 / Biogon / Delta 400 @800 / HC110.

Stereocamera in the window of a second hand book shop.

Inside.

Picturesque, but not really very successful in the book department.

Just around the corner we found a quite lovely little bar.

My husband obviously liked it too.

Stylish.

Rollei / HP5+ / HC-110.

A few years ago I took a similar picture on my old digital. I have been meaning to repeat that shot with a bit more style. I can’t wait to print this one in the darkroom!

M6 / Biogon / Delta 400 @800.

I still can’t quite decide whether this was a success or a failure. In any case I find it confusingly interesting.

Super narrow.

Humans do strange things.

I guess I liked the lines.

Rollei / HP5+ / HC-110.

Glow.

M6 / Biogon / Delta 400 @800 / HC-110.

Cheeky tree!

I can rarely walk past such shots.

Exploring new places.

The light was lovely that day.

Rollei / HP5+ / HC-110.

Precisely the kind of shot that my Rollei likes best.

M6 / Biogon / Delta 400 @800 / HC-110.

Perfectly functional stairs to nowhere.

Right next to the bikes going nowhere.

And another self-portrait.

I guess this counts too.

Clever, eh?

Light was going, but I still caught the dog.

Excuse the phone zombies. I guess for once I couldn’t resist.

Cane.

Cone poetry.

Last one!