“Location, location, location!” It’s something we hear all the time, in the movies, television, news, it’s an old saying that seems to be everywhere around us. In photography, the saying should be “Light, light, light!” Our medium requires light to work. However, like most things, just having light isn’t enough.
We’re going to talk about light in another post, which is why I led off with the location quote. Today, we’re talking about an excellent location for photographers! Hohenfels seems to be perfectly located for quick access to so many places. Bayreuth is no exception. Guess where we’re going.
Bayreuth is a city in Bavaria and is located north of Hohenfels and Amberg. It takes about 2 hours by train to get there. That includes a stop in Nuremberg. The city is home to quite a few historic sites and buildings, which provides an incredible array of photographic choices. Let’s mention a few and some of the challenges and nice things about shooting there.
First stop, the Opera House. It was built between 1744 and 1748 for Margravine Wilhelmine, sister of Frederick the Great. She composed music and created much of what is the beauty of Bayreuth. The details are incredible, the splendor and glory here just blow the mind! For the photographer to work here, an off camera flash or two, high ISOs, and wide apertures are very important. Shooting with one remotely triggered flash and an ISO of 1600 resulted in this image.
The Margravine's Opera Box
1/60 f/3.5 ISO 1600
Bayreuth is famous for its association with Wagner, the great German composer. They host a Wagner festival annually. His house is a lovely place for some photos, with great blocks, gardens, tomb, and ivy covered walls nearby! A great place for some truly nice outdoor shots at lower ISOs, and with some light cloud cover, you have a natural soft box to make for some pretty light!
The last place on this visit is the New Palace. Although the inside is incredible, photography isn’t allowed in the actual palace. The entry museums allow photography, though. The best shots here are to be had in the Palace Garden. With a lake through the middle, and rows of tree-covered paths, this is a place to recharge, and practice your shooting skills. The trees can make for challenging light, but knowing your settings and visualizing your shots can make for something great.
Placing the island just a touch higher than the middle of the frame, and allowing the lake shore to converge created a nice composition and created some depth. Turning my circular polarizer to allow the sky to reflect in the lake added a bit of light and balance.
1/60 f/8 ISO 400
There are more great places in Bayreuth. The king of them all is the Hermitage, but with all the photographic opportunities there, that’ll have wait for another post.
Bayreuth, definitely a place for the photographer in all of us! Give it a visit and you’ll be back for more!
Don't forget to leave a comment. Post your questions to our Hohenfels Volks Photo Club Facebook page.
Wishing you a great evening!
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