Austria

On the top of the glacier Dachstein, I visited an ice-tunnel exhibition. Some artists have made ice-sculptures with chainsaws, hammer, and chisel. The ice gets illuminated from different angles, with changing lights and intensity. Walking through this tunnel brings you into a dream world of ice and winter temperatures. For the sports enthusiasts, there are many ski lifts on the mountain.

Post processed with: Aurora, Photoshop

• Camera: ILCE-7RM2
• Aperture: ƒ/1.4
• Shutter speed: 1/40s
• Focal length: 35mm
• ISO: 100

The Schafberg in Upper Austria, standing on a mountaintop with a 360-degree view of valleys, lakes and the Alps gives you the feeling of being free. For exploring the mountain chain, my wife and I walked through a mountain pine forest, with men-high plants and arrived at a steep slope of hundreds of meters height.  Looking down gives you the feel of tingle under the skin, better to hold a respectful distance. My position was perfect for taking a photo of the abstract rocks. As the background, the horizon of the deeper valleys appear.

Post processed with: Photoshop

• Camera: X-T1
• Aperture: ƒ/6.4
• Shutter speed: 1/500s
• Focal length: 30.8999996185mm
• ISO: 200

During an evening walk between the corn fields, I stopped for taking photos of the landscape. My brother and his girlfriend were patient and polite, they always waited for me, so I had enough time for my photos. On the way home, we went into a wine bar for some food and let the evening end in a quiet atmosphere.

Post processed with: Aurora, Photoshop

• Camera: DSC-RX1R
• Aperture: ƒ/2
• Shutter speed: 1/50s
• Focal length: 35mm
• ISO: 800

We were a group of four when visiting the pumpkin celebrity in the wine-village Retz in northern Lower Austria. The whole village is decorated, dozens of market stands are lined on the streets, and a music band is playing. The typical wine taverns invite for a short break; they are called “Heuriger” in Austria. You get simple food, mostly bread with cheese or salty ham, pickles, and horseradish. The wine is mainly from the surrounding area, often in biological quality.

Post processed with: Aurora, Photoshop

• Camera: Pixel 2 XL
• Aperture: ƒ/1.8
• Shutter speed: 1/354s
• Focal length: 4.459mm
• ISO: 50

One of my last photos I shot from the observation tower Pyramidenkogel in Carinthia. Fog patches were hovering between the mountains; the sun was glowing in the background, the latest signs before the blue hour was over.

Post processed with: Aurora, Photoshop

• Camera: ILCE-7S
• Aperture: ƒ/4
• Shutter speed: 1/60s
• Focal length: 70mm
• ISO: 100

I decided with my wife Karin to walk down the Schafberg mountain near St. Wolfgang. From 1783 meters down to the valley, we chose a way directly on the railroad line. Soon we got into dangerous terrain, because the line got so small, that there was nearly no escape from up-and down-coming trains. As you can see in the photo, we hid between to rocks. The walk got more and more risky on the narrow tracks, then we took a turn left and walked down between cow pastures.

Post processed with: Aurora, Photoshop

• Camera: X-T1
• Aperture: ƒ/6.4
• Shutter speed: 1/250s
• Focal length: 27.8999996185mm
• ISO: 200

Some friends, my brother and his girlfriend, my wife Karin and I visited the Castle Grafenegg in Lower Austria. For most of them, it was a typical Sunday afternoon trip. For a photographer it’s a journey, to take photos, find the best compositions and try to catch some pictures, which you can add to your photo collection. Most of the time, you are a bit behind the group, they don’t have the patience for waiting until you have taken your shots. 🙂 

Post processed with: Aurora 2019, Photoshop 2019

• Camera: ILCE-6000
• Aperture: ƒ/4
• Shutter speed: 1/4000s
• Focal length: 10mm
• ISO: 200

The Hohe Wand (“High Wall”) is a mountain chain with a height of about 1,132 meters. It’s a one hour drive from Vienna, therefore a popular destination. Many hang-gliders and para-sailers use it as a starting-ramp for their flights. Photographer’s get beautiful landscape shots. Be careful with the shooting in the range of the steep face; there is no fence or security-advice, it goes straight down hundreds of meters. 

Post processed with: Aurora, Photoshop

• Camera: SLT-A77V
• Aperture: ƒ/13
• Shutter speed: 1/125s
• Focal length: 85mm
• ISO: 100

The scenery of a typical Sunday afternoon autumn walk, yellow and orange leaves, some swans on a lake and a cloudy sky. First, my wife Karin, my daughter Cara and I took a pick-up train to the Laxenburg Lake. Then we walked around and had to take the ferry, to cross the lake. It was only about 30 meters distance; thus the price was only 60 cent per person. Funny, I have never seen such a little ferry with such a short distance to overcome.

Post processed with: Aurora, Photoshop

• Camera: DSC-RX1R
• Aperture: ƒ/4.5
• Shutter speed: 1/80s
• Focal length: 35mm
• ISO: 160

I arrived on top of mountain Schafsberg with the cogwheel railway. This area is well-known for heavy raining and dust, even in the summer months.  I was happy and surprised that the weather was beautiful this day. Nothing could stop me from my photo-adventure on the mountain-tops. My wife Karin dared to climb a steeper wall, only with sneakers on. I stayed at the bottom of the steeper part because my photo-equipment was hanging down and my heavier body-weight. However, I was high enough for shooting mountain-photos with raptors.

Post processed with: Aurora 2019, Photoshop 2019

• Camera: X-T1
• Aperture: ƒ/6.4
• Shutter speed: 1/500s
• Focal length: 23.299999237mm
• ISO: 200