Around Hohenfels- Kelheim

Hello, Volks! Welcome to Hohenfels Volks and to our latest Around Hohenfels.

Today we’re taking a drive to Kelheim. Located at the junction of the Altmuhl and Donau rivers, this lovely little city has a long history. The area, populated since about 500 BC, and later, conquered by the Romans, eventually became what it is today.

One of the first thing visitors to Kelheim notice is the Befreiungshalle, or Hall of Liberation.


The Befreiungshalle

Built by Ludwig to commemorate the victory over Napoleon, this massive structure on a large hill overlooking the city is visible for quite some distance. It also provides breathtaking views. Inside are huge statues representing victories during the war. Between each pair of victories is a giant round shield made from melted cannons captured from Napoleon’s forces. The giant doors are also clad in melted down cannons.


The Victories, these statues are incredible!

Another great feature of the city is the river, not only is it quite a magnificent little scene, but the river cruises that run from the city make for a great way to spend your day. Taking a trip on one of the cruises to the Weltenburg monastery provides some amazing scenery and some opportunity for relaxing on the river. The monastery, a Benedictine abbey, has a magnificent church that is a wonderful example of Baroque art. Once at the monastery, it’s time to eat. They have a wonderful restaurant and brewery. Something not to miss! Make sure your camera batteries are charged and you can visualize and compose on the fly.

While at the Befreiungshalle, you can take a hike along an archaeology trail, part of Altmuhltal archeological park, and see working sites, or you can take a nice little nature hike. There is a restaurant for the hungry and a large grassy area for a picnic in nice weather. It takes some effort to get to the top of the hall, but it is worth the climbing, twisting, and tight spots for the incredible view and sense of majesty that come along with it.


The path to the Befreiungshalle from the visitor's center.

In town again, you can find the archaeological museum and see some wonderful exhibits, or check out the Franciscan church, which has a beautiful organ that has been re-worked to sound incredible.

The city was chosen by the dukes of Bavaria in the 12th century to be their seat, so given the wonderful history and beauty that greet every visitor, it’s no wonder that a return trip will definitely be part of your future!

Here’s hoping we run into each there someday! Enjoy the weekend and remember to share your pics and post your questions at the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page, and or by commenting here!

Tools of the Trade- Filters

Hello, Volks! Welcome to Hohenfels and to our newest post. In today’s Tools of the Trade, we’re going to talk about filters.

Filters are glass that goes on the end of your lens. There are many types of filters, some for artistic purposes, some are for technical purposes, and some are to protect your lens.

The 2 basic set-ups are the square filter, which uses a holder that fits onto your lens, and the screw-in.

Most people use the screw-in filter. When selecting a screw-in filter, you must ensure that the filter’s diameter matches that of your lens. A 58mm lens requires a 58mm filter. The threads are universal, so moving from lens to another of the same diameter is not a problem. They come in many types, and are usually more widely available.

Square filters use an adapter ring that screws into your lens just like a screw-in filter. The ring remains in place when you switch your filters to another lens. Having one adapter for each lens allows you to move your filters easily from lens to lens, and back. Cokin makes the most common square filters, and they have several types and varieties. The basic and most common ones for our needs are the P series. With square filters, you have the extra advantage of staking several together without vignetting on your image.

The first filter you either did, or should, purchase is a UV. This is a cheap filter to place over the end of your lens. It limits UV radiation, but the main reason for having it is that it will protect the glass in your lens. Breaking a filter costs just a small amount to replace, whereas breaking a lens costs considerably more.

The next in the line of types is the circular polarizer, or CP. You can replace your UV with a CP and prevent vignetting caused by stacking your filters. It increases contrast and darkens blue skies. It can do a lot more than that, including improving the color contrasts. The main feature beyond that is that when properly turned, it can remove reflections from glass, water, plastic, and most sources, except metal and mirrors. This effect is strongest when your light is approximately 90 degrees to your left or right with the lens facing forward. You use this lens by turning the filter’s twist ring until you obtain the desired results. Look for one that has good coating and no impact on your color balance.

Next up is the neutral density filter. These little gems can help reduce the light to your sensor, allowing for slower shutter speeds and nice effects in fog, or when shooting running water. They are great landscape tools, and properly placed in a shot can darken the sky, while allowing the landscape portion to be shot at a decent shutter speed. They come in numbers like 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. When numbered this way, the numbers refer to stops of light. 1 being a 1-stop reduction in light, and so on. The other system used to rate them in their density, in .3 increments. Each .3 increments equates to one stop. ND filters do not change the colors, as they pass light of all colors equally. When used on extremely bright objects, they increase contrast and improve image detail. There is also a graduated ND, which is an ND filter with reduction only about halfway down the length of the filter. This allows for darkening a sky while allowing the remaining portion of the image to remain unaffected.

Black and white photographers use colored filters to change to light hitting the film or sensor. Red filters pass red light and darken green and blue. Green filters pass green light and darken red. There are a whole series of color filters for both black and white and color photography. Most are labeled by their Wratten numbers, for instance 81A is a light warming filter. The Wratten system is available online and filters using this designation can be purchased online.

There are filters to soften the contrast, and other special effects, including adding starbursts, grids, and to increase the magnification of a lens. By knowing something about filters, you can get the right kind, and the best one for you and your photography.

There are shops in the local area, including Amberg and Regensburg that carry the different types of filters, and you can any of them online. Try to get a decent one, as low-end filters can add colorcasts and vignetting that will leave you wishing you hadn’t used a filter.

Enjoy the rest of your week! Surrounding the Hohenfels area are towns and sites worth shooting and adding a filter can make your art that much better.

Remember to get out and shoot with your filter and share your pics and questions by posting at the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page, and or by commenting here!

Baker's Man

Hello, Volks! I’m glad you all could make it to today’s post! Time to talk to Hohenfels about our favorite subject, photography.

Have you been into a bakery lately? Have you seen some of those incredible wedding and birthday cakes out there? You know, the ones that are 3 feet tall! Have you ever wondered how they do it? How do those masters of baking create such a delight, a feast for both the mouth and the eyes?

They do it in layers. A 3-foot cake would be difficult to make, and probably fall in on itself, otherwise. I’m sure you’re wondering where I’m going with this, maybe into Photoshop? Worse, maybe I’m just a sugar hungry fool?

No, I’m introducing the concept of creating your image in “layers.” After you’ve visualized the image you desire, after you’ve put some thought into the composition, the light, and the subject, you have to work on creating your vision. One of the simplest ways is in “layers.” Examine your background; make it match your vision. Move on to your middle ground, then the foreground. At each step, make it match your vision. Check the elements, one “layer” at a time, and build your next “layer” upon your last. End your “layers” at the subject you are trying to feature, your center of interest. Along the way, make sure to check your lighting and exposure throughout the entire range, and in each “layer.” Here’s an example how you can use “layers” in your work.


Here you can the following layers; the sky, the statue, the pedestal, the bridge running behind the statue and pedestal, and the trees. By moving around until I got the scene I visualized, and looking at each element as a layer I was able to get something nice.
ISO 200, f/8, 1/100

Your “layers” can be something other than foreground, background, and middle ground. You can set up your “layers” to match your vision. Maybe for you, it’s the top third, middle third, and bottom third. Start seeing you’re visualization, and you composition, in “layers,” and you’ll start seeing a whole new world of creative opportunities open up. Just like the master baker, building those masterpiece cakes, you’ll build some masterpieces of you own. Trust me, yours can be every bit as impressive as that baker’s can.

Hohenfels, and our little part of the world, have enough layers to build a cake and ice it, too. Just keep your eyes open and building your photographic “cake.” Don't forget to share your pics and questions by posting at the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page, or by commenting here!

Grilling...?

Hello, Volks! It was an incredibly cold morning here in Hohenfels. Dark, dank, and COLD! Of course, the sun managed to burn off the first bit of fog after a slow start, and once it got going, there was no stopping! After the burn off, it was blue skies and lovely breezes to fill the afternoon. Of course, with winter around the corner in Hohenfels and our surrounds, there were plenty of signs of Volks getting ready.

I barbecued some of my ribs this morning. I got off to a slow start, much like the sunshine, due to a lack of starter fluid. Once the coals were glowing, it was cooking time. Ribs getting smoke, the breezes through the falling leaves, and the magnificent aroma of meat on the grill made for a wonderful morning.

Of course, by now you’re asking what this has to do with photography. What does it have to do with making my pictures better and improving my art? How can talking about smoking ribs possibly relate to this blog? I’m sure some of you are saying, never mind that, what’s this crazy guy doing making barbecue in October, when it’s freezing?

Here’s your answer- it’s quite simple.

There is no time like now. When you think that doing something like photography or barbecue are limited to certain seasons, you limit yourself and your art. An adventurous attitude can lead to more than just great times, it can make magic in your photography.

During autumn, there is so much color. The trees change, the world gets ready for another long cold, and things look different. When you think about it, the sky seems clearer, you notice these things more. This is one of those times that getting out and taking the shot can make more winners than losers! Just remember to visualize your shot, and compose it well. Our part of the world can offer an open pair of eyes a lot to view and a ready camera can capture some majestic shots. See the light and see the color.

See it in your mind before your eyes do, then compose that long sought after shot of the leaves changing on the tress, or the blanket of yellow, red, and orange on the forest path. Take shots of the family playing in the leaves; show the frost and how it looks blue in shade and so white in the light. Put your eyes and mind to work, make your camera do the stuff that it does, and combine it all into a prize-winning pic. Look for fall photo contests and enter them, you might just win big and while you’re trying to win, you’re sharing your vision. Isn’t that part of the reason we got into photography in the first place?

Back to what this has to do with photography. The simple fact is, photography season is year round! Don't let the seasons stop you!

Enjoy your weekend. Don't forget to share your pics and questions by posting at the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page, or by commenting here!

I've Seen the Light!!

Welcome back, Volks! Winter is lurking just around the corner, and Hohenfels is starting to feel its presence! I hope you’re prepared for it!

Hallelujah! I have seen the light! I say that about several things, but in this case, I mean something unexpected. Today we’re going to talk about how to see the light. I plan to keep this somewhat short, so let’s get this train moving.

Seeing the light is something that we photographers need to do to get the most from our art. There is more than one way to skin a cat, and more than one way to see the light.

Light isn’t just white. We learned a little bit about that when we discussed color balance. We need to see the effects that color may have on our subject. Color is just a part of it, but it’s important to look at. You can use your white balance card and camera to see that color. There are times of day that photographers know are generally colors by the atmosphere. About sunrise and sunset are prime examples and called the golden hours, for two reasons. The first is that this is one of the best times to shoot photos outside, and the second is that the light takes on an almost golden tint. Just before sunrise and after sunset, the light becomes bluish, and some call these times the blue hour.

Another part of seeing the light is seeing it’s impact on your subject’s tones and exposure. Remember your triangle here, you’ll need to see the light to offset or maximize its impact.

Lastly, let’s mention seeing the light in the context of seeing the light that’s not there. Examine your shadows. How do they interact with your light? How do they interact with your subject? Do your light, shadow, and subject, all play well together? Sometimes we judge what we have by what we don’t. Seeing the shadows helps to gauge your light.

Visualize the light you want, make that light happen. Easier said than done, even with lots of equipment, but can make for some shots that reward your effort with some wonderful warm feelings. You can’t always create light, but you can visualize the scene in different lighting conditions, and either wait for the right lighting or return at the right time. Not every shot needs taking.

Take some time over the course of your day to see the light. Examine how it falls on someone or something. See how you can change it by moving an object or the light source. See how you can shape the shadows, watch grow, shrink, and distort. Even if you don’t really learn, it’s a fun exercise!

Seeing the light, it’s more than becoming a convert to something or seeing the error of one’s way! It’s an important part of our creativity, of our art, and of our special part of the world, right here in Hohenfels!

Enjoy your week. Here’s hoping you enjoy the autumn and see the light in your own neck of the woods. See it and use it, create those masterpieces within you and share them with us on the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page. Don't forget to leave your comments and questions here and there!