08/25/2019
After a long time I finally got to photograph insect macros again. The whole thing was a bit short-decided but in good weather the chances around the Botanical Garden in Bielefeld are quite good. And then I found what I was looking for. I have photographed with the Sony Alpha 7III and the lens SEL 2.8 / 90 mm Marco G OSS hand-held without a tripod. A fill-in flash provided the right light.
Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
Painted lady (Cynthia cardui)
Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
Darter (Sympetrum)
08/12/2019
On the 9th and 10th of August 2019 the German motor-paced cycling Championship ('Deutsche Meisterschaft der Steher 2019') took place at the cycling track ('Radrennbahn') in Bielefeld. The German Championship was hosted by the racing club RC Zugvogel. Motor-paced cycling races were very popular in former times, today it is rather a marginal sport. Nevertheless, the sport is very interesting. Motor-paced cycling (also known as motor-paced racing) is held in cycle tracks.
Cyclists reach high speeds because they ride in the slipstream of a motorcycle ahead. Top speeds of 100 km/h are quite possible. The cyclist tries to stay as close behind the pacers bike as possible during the race to take advantage of the aerodynamic advantage. The final run was held over a period of 60 minutes. Important besides a high speed is also the race tactics. Pacer and cyclists must therefore be a well-rehearsed team. In Bielefeld there is a long tradition of motor-paced racing and on the historic cycle track. Today the interest of the spectators is unfortunately not very big anymore. A few decades ago this was quite different. In any case, it is worthwhile to watch such a race.
German motor-paced cycling Championship 2019
07/28/2019
Right next to the office building where I work, there is a flower meadow since this year. A few months ago, the area was an unused field until wild flowers were sawn out. A good idea! Now it looks really nice, especially in the early morning. And the bees that live on the roof of our office should also be happy about it.
The first photo was taken around 5:30 in the morning. I used the ZEISS Batis Distagon 2.8 / 18 mm to give the picture depth and to include the building and the sky in the background. The close-up was taken a little later, when the sun had already risen. The lens used here was a ZEISS Batis Distagon 2 / 40 mm CF. Thanks to the short minimum focusing distance, the lens is also quite suitable for such photos.
Flower meadow
White and yellow flower
Meadow of flowers - Panorama
> Nature
07/06/2019
This year the 'Bürgerpark' in Bielefeld has turned 100 years old. The park is located in the west of the city in the immediate vicinity of the 'Rudolf-Oetker-Halle'. When the park was created, Bielefeld was much smaller than it is today and the area was more on the outskirts of the city. Originally - i.e. until 1919 - a clay pit was located here, which was then redesigned into today's park after its closure.
On the occasion of the anniversary, the Bielefeld Philharmonic Orchestra together with the Thilo Wolf Jazz Quartet and the singer Joan Faulkner gave a wonderful concert in the 'Bürgerpark' on 5 July 2019. At the end of the concert there was a big fireworks display, which was created by the Bielefeld company Flash Art. Around 7000 visitors attended the event.
vielHarmonie #1
vielHarmonie #2
vielHarmonie #3
vielHarmonie #4
vielHarmonie #5
07/05/2019
Summer in Bielefeld. Last weekend I was on the road with the Leica CL. In the 'Bürgerpark', right next to the 'Rudolf-Oetker-Halle' and on the way back with the tram in front of the town hall. Late in the evening I took a photo of the new Chamber of Crafts ('Campus Handwerk'). All photos were taken with the Leica Super-Vario-Elmar-TL 3.5-4.5/ 11-23 mm ASPH.
Rudolf-Oetker-Halle
Summer evening - Bürgerpark
Tram stop at Town Hall
Campus Handwerk
06/30/2019
The new campus of the University of Applied Sciences Bielefeld very early in the morning shortly after sunrise. The building is only a few years old. I think it has succeeded quite well.
The photo was taken during a walk with the Leica CL and the Leica Super-Vario-Elmar-TL 3.5-4.5 / 11-23 mm ASPH lens.
University of Applied Sciences at sunrise
> Urban & Cityscapes
06/25/2019
It's hard to believe, but Bielefeld has a Japanese garden! It is a bit hidden in the Gadderbaum district. The garden is a show garden, which you are allowed to look at but not enter.
The Japanese Garden was created in 2003 by the German-Japanese Society Bielefeld. A really beautiful and in East Westphalia unique place, which is worth to visit in any case.
Japanese Garden (Bielefeld-Gadderbaum)
06/23/2019
Brackwede is a district of Bielefeld. In contrast to the city centre, Brackwede lies south of the Teutoburg Forest. Until the mid-1970s, today's district was an independent municipality.
Brackwede also has its own small railway station, which was a bit run down over the years. Now modernisation work has begun and a temporary bridge was built over the railway embankment to provide access to the tracks.
Brackwede railway station
Temporary bridge
Passing trains (Brackwede railway station)
06/08/2019
The 'Leinewebermarkt' also includes a small fair with various rides. Here is a small selection.
Ferris wheel in the clouds
Hangover
In the sky with Hangover
Ferris wheel
06/07/2019
Since 1974, the 'Leinewebermarkt' has taken place regularly every year in the old town of Bielefeld and is one of the largest folk festivals in East Westphalia. In 2019 about 400,000 people visited the 'Leinewebermarkt'. The term 'Leinewebermarkt' (linen weaver's market) has its origin in the long tradition of linen processing in Bielefeld. In the 'Ravensburger Land', to which the town of Bielefeld belongs, the cultivation of flax and its processing into linen was an important agricultural activity for centuries. Today, linen no longer plays an economic role. However, the tradition has given rise to many companies in the textile industry, some of which still exist today.
The photographs were taken at some of the most important places in the city centre of Bielefeld.
Rathausplatz (Town Hall Square)
Altstädter Kirchplatz (Old Town Church Square)
Oberstraße
Alter Markt (Old Market)
Leineweberdenkmal (Linen Weaver Monument)
