Wooden staircase, Cistersian Abbey in Krzeszów

1/1o s F/5,6 ISO 1000 EF-S 17-55 at 17mm, handheld

I coud not resist the temptation to visit Krzeszów on my recent bussiness trip to Kamienna Góra. The place looks so different now, off season, covered in fresh snow. I was able to go into basilica minor thanks to restoration work still being carried on inside. I never noticed this beautiful spiral staircase before.

Lesiu sleeping

1/5o s F/1.8 ISO 3200 EF 50 1.8 , handheld

First Frost

1/4o s F/8 ISO 400 EF-S 17-55 IS at 55mm, handheld

Taken this morning in our park. Shortly after sunrise, that is on my way to work :)

All Saints'

1/125 s F/5 ISO 100 EF 50 f/1.8 , handheld

A new monument was opened this year in place of the now nonexistent crematory in Park Grabiszyński, to commemorate those all past citizens of Breslau. It features huge vertical granite slabs with inserts of various gravestones from the city's old cemetaries that yielded to new housing developments, parks and shopping centres...

1/50 s F/8 ISO 400 EF 50 f/1.8 , handheld

A stone throw from the above monument, Italian Soldiers cemetary, from the WW I, most of hem in their 20s. One name that caught my eye was Ferrari. I never thought of Ferrari as a family name...

Corse, Fautea Nature Protection Area

1/25 s F/13 ISO 400 EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS at 17mm, handheld, 17:45

Tonight I've printed this image for my mother. Having spent her education years at the coast and now living far far inland she misses the sea with its countless moods.
This image was taken as we were driving back from a hike in the central part of the island, Bavela. We arrived at Fautea just in time for a short brake between showers. The wind was quite strong. As I was so lazy to leave the tripod in the car, the settings used were a compromise between DOF, noise and handholdability aided by IS. Had I taken the tripod I'd be free to experiment with longer exposure times...
Happy birthday Mom.

Corse, Nonza beach

1/6o s F/14 ISO 100 EF-S 17-55 at 17mm, handheld

Nonza is a tiny town, built upon a high clif on the west coast of Cap Corse, the norther tip of the island. As Cap Corse is, unlike the rest of the island, built of slate, the roofs here blend nicely with the landscape. But the most striking feature is the artificial beach, created as a by product of asbestos production. Tons of dark green stone were deposited here for thirty years until in 1965 the factory was closed. The beach stretches for c. 2km. The nice thing about this beach was that although it wasn't very warm on that day, the dark shade of the stones made them pleasantly warm.

1/1600 s F/4.0 ISO 100 EF 70-200L at 200mm, handheld

Corse, Bay of Porto

1/20o s F/8 ISO 100 EF 70-200 at 200mm, handheld

8 s F/8 ISO 100 EF-S 17-55 at 23mm, tripod mounted

Both images show tower of Thurgju at Capu Rosso near the bay of Porto. First was taken from Calanches - a labirynth of fantasticly eroded rocks. We hiked to a viewpoint high above the bay to watch the rocks in evening light. The second one was made from the road to the beach of Arone, past Capo Rosso. It shows the spectacular location of the watch tower - one of the 87 that warned the inhabitants of the coming pirates. We climbed to the top of the tower the following day.

1/5 s F/8 ISO 100 EF-S 17-55 at 23mm, handheld

This one shows how deeply we were moved by the scenery ;) the farthest peninsula is the nature reserve of Scandola.

Corse, Rondinara, Cork Oak at sunset

1/135 s F/8 ISO 100 EF-S 17-55 at 17mm, polarizer, tripod mouted

1/5o s F/8 ISO 100 EF-S 17-55 at 17mm, polarizer, tripod mounted

This is the first post showing images from our holiday trip to the beautiful, 'scented island'.
We were passing through such lanscape on our way to Rondinara Camping: Pinkish granite boulders, shrubs - the maquis, and cork oak trees. Most of them charcoal black. Cork oaks are very resistant to fires because of its inch-thick bark, yes, the cork in wine bottles is made of it. The bark is stripped off the trunks every nine years and then the tree is allowed to heal.
Aparently these were not healed fully when the fire came.

συμμετρία

1/400o s F/2,8 ISO 400 EF-S 17-55 at 55mm 17:03

1/6o s F/16 ISO 100 EF-S 17-55 at 23mm 17:41

I won't pretend that I waited for the tree shadow to coincide with the line of symmetry. Just happened to be there at the right moment. This is a medieval church in Piotrkowiczki

It's a hard work fighting fire...

1/40o s F/2.8 ISO 400 EF-S 17-55 at 55mm, handheld

Someone forgot to wash his hands before dinner.
The soft lite is coming from a sun shade hung to protect the dining table. That same table shades the hands drawing attention to the face. Light reflected from the floor under the table brings out the letters... I'd never set it up myself like that :)

Silberberg revisited

1/2o s F/5.0 ISO 400 EF-S 17-55 at 24mm, polarizer, handheld

This Sunday we went to Srebrna Góra to cycle around the fortress. It was raining nearly all the time but the light for details was good ;). Part of the trail led us along xVII c. mining railway. At one spot a landslide exposed the rock strata

1/8 s F/5.0 ISO 400 EF-S 17-55 at 24mm, polarizer, handheld


1/25 s F/5.0 ISO 400 EF-S 17-55 at 35mm, polarizer, handheld

This was a mountainbiking trip so a tripod was out of question - must come back another time with one. IS does great work but it surely has limits...

Hills and Villages

1/1250 s F/6.3 ISO 200 EF-S 17-55 at 55mm, polarizer, handheld

Another one from Kalenica, looking south

Mom, read me a book

1/15 s F/7.1 ISO 800 EF50 1.8 available light

Taken at our terrace while boys were listening to mom's reading

Kalenica Bukowa

1/8o s F/4.5 ISO 200 EF-S 17-55 at 20mm, polarizer, handheld

Last Sunday we went for an afternoon trip to Góry Sowie, to Kalenica Bukowa. This mark caught my eye as a follow up to a series of borderstones between Szrenica and przełęcz Karkonoska. You can see them here

Moon over Burbon Street

1/60 F4.0 ISO 400 EF70-200mm f/4L USM 200,0 mm

1/60 F4.0 ISO 400 EF70-200mm f/4L USM 200,0 mm

Yesterday was the the night of lunar eclipse but the clouds cover was 100%. This one is from the previous evening