Berlin

[Gromit]

We've long been into taking city breaks within Europe, but having been to many of the great (and not so great) capitals within this continent, we keep on going back to Berlin as it such a fascinating place. Rich in history, much of which is within the last 100 years and shaped what Europe is today. The place is clean, inexpensive, the underground system is brilliant (and safe at all times).

A few photos from last week's visit...

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3678/9529420876_611d68846c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9529420876/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5336/9529422252_3e5dd33af6_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9529422252/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5472/9526639787_c4130b6bf1_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9526639787/)

Bellevue S-Bahn station...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7357/9529405772_0c6b629373_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9529405772/)

Potsdamer Platz station...

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3740/9529407776_559ee2597b_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9529407776/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5543/9529411008_e8c3c6cd16_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9529411008/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3800/9526627571_76390c2518_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9526627571/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5521/9529415632_69b309169c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9529415632/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3772/9529391434_6a9b9f7070_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9529391434/)

The ever-friendly sparrows around Berlin Zoo...

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2816/9529393192_0fa328f247_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9529393192/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7339/9529395246_3014c14a4d_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9529395246/)

Berliner Dom/Unter den Linden from the Fernsehturm (TV tower)...

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5526/9529380728_ca627635af_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9529380728/)

Our eldest - her first trip outside the UK. Being a tourist takes it out of you!!

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5524/9526597117_cd353b12aa_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9526597117/)

Hauptbahnhof rail station...

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3790/9526599383_437a8b9c0d_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9526599383/)

Kathe Kollwitz's 'Mother with dying son'. A memorial in the old Guardhouse in Unter den Linden. A sculpture which never fails to move me.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2880/9524097533_6936a12b71_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9524097533/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3676/9526890286_7ee1ab1c4c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9526890286/)

[Reffc]

Absolutely stunning shots Richard. Lovely and sharp too. You have a great eye for composition. What camera did you use?

[The Grand Wazoo]

Great photos Richard - makes me want to jump on a jet right now!

[Gromit]

Thanks for the kind comments guys. :)

I took about 260 photos in total, these are a relatively small selection.

Paul - camera is my trusty EOS 40D, lenses are:

From the top - photos 1 & 2: Canon 17-40L
Sigma 10-20mm f4/5.6 until the sparrow/3 birds/Berliner Dom which are Tamron SP 70-300
Our Molly asleep is 17-40L again, then Sigma 10-20 for the Hauptbahnhof & Kollwitz sculpture.
Finishing with the Tamron 70-300 for the Ampelmann deckchairs.

I'm giving consideration to moving the 17-40L on as out of all the photos I took last week, it was used for only a tiny proportion of the time. The Sigma 10-20 is a gem (was recommended to me by a professional photographer friend in fact) and the Tamron 70-300 is a joy to use.

For anyone considering a few days' city break, I can very much recommend Berlin especially if, like me, you have a major interest in WW2/Cold War history.

[MartinT]

Ruth and I greatly enjoyed our trip to Berlin last year. The history, as you say, is fantastic and the people really very friendly.

We did agree, however, that it's truly one of the ugliest cities we know, taken as a whole.

[Gromit]

A couple more...

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5345/9526880296_2b76314e3c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9526880296/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2838/9526591615_385da1016d_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9526591615/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5482/9531846666_ffe5b3bfbd_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9531846666/)

[Gromit]

We did agree, however, that it's truly one of the ugliest cities we know, taken as a whole.

Taken as a whole, I'd tend to agree Martin. Of course there are some wonderful bits such as Museum Island, and around the 'Gate'/Tiergarten/June 17th it's a mightily impressive place. At the moment though there is a lot of building work taking place (yes, even more than normal - Berlin has been a building site since WW2!) and as a result there will have been some disappointed tourists this summer. Unter den Linden is being dug up to build a new Underground line, for example.

Still, the feel of the city is - for me - like no other. The more I learn about the place, the more I realise I've only started to scratch its surface. Matt Frei (of the BBC) did a superb 3-episode series all about Berlin, and if anyone hasn't watched it I can highly recommend it.

[Markiii]

We went in may, I really like the place

[Spectral Morn]

Really nice photos Richard :cool:


Regards Neil

[Reffc]

Wonderful additional shots Richard...you could almost reach out and touch that Lioness!

I use the EOS 40D too and a real relaiable workhorse it's been. That 17-40L is a wonderful lens. I can't justify one at present but get by ok with the F2.8 Tamron 17-50VC lens which is almost (but not quite) a match for the L series optically.

[Gromit]

Hi Paul - I do hear great things about the Tamron 17-50, in fact it was you who originally got me 'onto' this lens some time ago. As a result of that - and doing some reading around - I did some lengthy investigating on the other lenses in their SP range, ending up with the 70-300. Sure it doesn't have that lovely feel of the L-Series glass (and whilst good, it's build quality isn't as substantial) but optically the Tamron was a match for a Canon 70-200 F4L IS when I put the lenses back-to-back in the shop. The VC system is brilliant too - I couldn't have a long lens without it now.

I bought the 17-40L back in April this year - more on a whim than anything. It's a great bit of kit, and nice to have a lens which, on a cropped sensor, works great wide open. I have got close to going full-frame but I cannot justify it to be honest (and the Sigma 10-20 would be redundant then) and I have also heard the 17-40 doesn't shine as brightly on FF as it does on a crop. Sadly, much as I appreciate its strengths, I just don't use it that much. Also, putting it up against a friend's Tokina AF193 (19-35mm) once the Tokina is stopped down beyond f5.6 the differences really are surprisingly minimal.

[wiicrackpot]

Hi Richard,

Those pics are truly exceptional, you really have an good eye for creative pictures, the best on here so far and on par with PFM's gallery,
there was a chap called MarkLJ who used to post on Crossovernetwork that was awesome as well and you're up there with him. :cool:

Keep them coming.

[Gromit]

Thanks Andy - you're very kind. :)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3806/9534494590_18199609b5_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9534494590/)


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7323/9531715247_a36674bcd0_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/93875151@N07/9531715247/)

EOS 40D/Sigma 10-20mm

[Thing Fish]

Great pictures Richard. I particularly like the black and white ones. Very atmospheric...:cool:

[MartinT]

Yes, so do I. There's a feeling that B&W imparts to a photo, a sense of moodiness that colour loses.

[Clive]

The work they've done on Berlin in quite extensive. It's an interesting place to visit though I musy say I wish they'd kept a whole lot more of the wall. It's at though they've obliterated history, it may have felt as the right this to do at the time but history needs to be remembered. When East Berlin was opened up it was very grey, even colour photos would come out B&W! There used to be big pipes carry gas around the streets, these would loop over factory entrances - the pipes are now long gone as are the Trabants. We move on, the Trabants had to go but the wall.....not IMO.

The Tamron 17-50 lens, I have one and love it. Being an F2.8 lens is really useful. I deliberately bought one of the last non-VC ones. VC isn't always a panacea, it's wonderful on a long lens but a fast zoom that's mostly wide-angle? I remain to be convinced.

Great pics Mr Gromit!

[Gromit]

The work they've done on Berlin in quite extensive. It's an interesting place to visit though I musy say I wish they'd kept a whole lot more of the wall. It's at though they've obliterated history, it may have felt as the right this to do at the time but history needs to be remembered.

It's a good point, and one worth making certainly. Chatting to a friend (who's presently doing a PhD on German History at Berlin University) about this very matter, it's been very interesting to get the Berliners' slant on it. Overall, where in many other countries the history is tried to be buried - or at least brushed aside - the 'Berlin Way' is to have memories of their history, even stuff which is extremely painful, on show in prime places. Darren (said friend above) states that in so many ways Berlin isn't just a capital city, it's a collection of memorials.

One good example is the Holocaust Memorial - arguments raged over its siting for a long time, but it was decided that it would be positioned on one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in the city (ie 200m or so from the B'burg Gate). In so doing it would always remain in the Berlin psyche, and not just become a visitors' centre outside the city. It's also above the spot were Goebbels had his WW2 bunker which I feel is very significant.