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Downtown Frankfurt
I came home from Iraq last month and decided to spend a couple days in Frankfurt since I was going to be there anyway. I spent both days walking around downtown just taking pictures. I just now got around to finishing them up, so I figured I'd post them. I think this is only my second time posting up any of my images. I'm still learning, so any pointers anybody has will be welcomed! :thumb
1.
2. Probably my favorite. I like the sun coming through the clouds.
3.
4.
5. The Romer
6. Some young girl making bubbles out in front of the Romer. It was pretty entertaining watching all the little kids randomly walking up to her to chase the bubbles.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11. Some girls playing music out in front of the Romer. They were pretty good.
12.
13.
14.
15. Aston Martin that I walked past.
16. I walked past this couple having a picnic beside the river and I just had to take a picture. I've always been nervous about asking people if I can take their photo, and I think this was the first time I've actually done it. Anyway, when I asked, the girl jumped up enthusiastically, thinking I just wanted to shoot her, so I had to explain that I wanted to shoot both of them just the way they were sitting. I think they felt a bit weird about it. Several of the photos they were both smirking and kinda looking at me out of the corner of their eyes. Good times though. :thumb
And a few night shots:
17.
18.
19.
20.
Thanks for looking. :thumb
1.
2. Probably my favorite. I like the sun coming through the clouds.
3.
4.
5. The Romer
6. Some young girl making bubbles out in front of the Romer. It was pretty entertaining watching all the little kids randomly walking up to her to chase the bubbles.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11. Some girls playing music out in front of the Romer. They were pretty good.
12.
13.
14.
15. Aston Martin that I walked past.
16. I walked past this couple having a picnic beside the river and I just had to take a picture. I've always been nervous about asking people if I can take their photo, and I think this was the first time I've actually done it. Anyway, when I asked, the girl jumped up enthusiastically, thinking I just wanted to shoot her, so I had to explain that I wanted to shoot both of them just the way they were sitting. I think they felt a bit weird about it. Several of the photos they were both smirking and kinda looking at me out of the corner of their eyes. Good times though. :thumb
And a few night shots:
17.
18.
19.
20.
Thanks for looking. :thumb
0
Comments
A very nice series. A brief explaination of each shot might improve my comprehension of what I am viewing, if you know what it was.
Dave:D
Alpha 99 & VG, 900x2 & VG; 50mm1.4, CZ135 1.8; CZ16-35 2.8, CZ24-70 2.8, G70-200 2.8, G70-400, Sony TC 1.4, F20, F58, F60.
Yeah, I figured somebody would mention that. I explained pretty much everything that I knew, unfortunately. I was only traveling through on my way home so I didn't really know what a lot of the stuff was that I was looking at. I hadn't really done any research on any of it. Thanks for the comment.
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Thanks, Awais, that means a lot coming from you. I've been lurking here for awhile now, and you're definitely one of the top 3 people whom I'm always looking forward to seeing new images from.
Thanks for what you do.
I might be able to help out with some of the photographs.
The river which flows through Frankfurt and which shows in your pictures is called "Main" (pronounced like "mine"). Frankfurt is a big financial hub and due to the many banks which built their headquarters there, it became the first German city to sport any buildings remotely resembling skyscrapers. It used to look really pitiful compared to cities in the US way back when, and the skyline has improved big time in the last 20 years. But even back then, Frankfurt was nicknamed "Mainhattan", as a somewhat ironic reference to NYC.
The church in picture #1 is called the Dreikoenigskirche (three king's church) and sits on the south bank of the river Main in an older part of town called "Sachsenhausen". Sachsenhausen is really big with tourists for its old buildings and pubs/beer gardens serving a Frankfurt specialty called Aebbelwoi, "meaning apple wine" and it tastes like really good cider, alcoholic kind. Aebbelwoi comes in a clear or cloudy variety, or as "Gespritzter" for the faint hearted. "Gespritzt" means it is mixed with Seltzer.
Pictures #2 & #4 show the river Main's most famous crossing, the "Eiserne Steg". It's an iron pedestrian bridge and one of Frankfurt's landmarks. They used to have a huge outdoor flea market on the south side of the bridge along the river banks every Saturday morning, don't know whether that is still going on. I have no idea, why there's Greek writing on top of it now, but it certainly wasn't there when I visited last about 2 years ago.
Photo #3 shows the Leonardskirche (St. Leonard's Church). It is a Catholic church and quite old by US standards, construction began in 1219: http://altfrankfurt.com/Kirchen/Leonardskirche/ . There are still trams running throughouot the city, but not all tracks are still active. I don't remember whether there's an actuall tram line running here these days, but I think there is.
Photographs #5, 6, 7 & 8, as well as those musician girls are all different views of the "Roemerberg" (Roman Hill) and the "Roemer" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%B6mer_(Frankfurt_am_Main). I'd say it is Frankfurt's most famous landmark and underwent substantial restoration and renovation while preserving all of it's historic authenticity during the 80s.
In photo #7 you can see the "Alte Nikolaikirche" located on the south side of the Roemerberg. It's church tower is famous for it's 40 bells!
Photo #8 depicts the "Frankfurter Dom" as it is most commonly known, and in my opinion one of the most beautiful cathedrals I've seen. Try to find some interior shots by googeling " Kaiserdom St. Bartholomäus", it's official name.
Frankfurt's city center has many old churches and all their bells are tuned to each other. Every Christmas Eve, thousands of people gather on the Roemerberg to listen to the ringing of the bells, 10 churches ring their harmonically tuned bells simultaneously and I can only describe it as an incredibly festive and moving experience. Nowadays I try to listen to it every year via live online radio.
Images #9 & 10 show architectural attempts to integrate modernism with the old parts of town. Frankfurt is a huge jumble of urban planning and design. It was bombed somewhat badly during WW II and the immediate need for housing resulted in an onslaught of very ugly "concrete and more concrete" square and horrendous looking buildings being erected all over the city. The most historically significant buildings were supposed to be restored from the get go but due to financial missteps, most of these projects did not get completed until the early 1980s. During my childhood in the 70s, Frankfurt was one big construction site and not much else. Then in the early 80s, city planners decided to make this town more attractive not only for financial institutions but also for the tourism industry and the "big cleanup" began. Fancy museum were built, new plazas with modernist fountains popped up everywhere, pedestrian zones were designated where traffic mayhem used to reign, and cutting edge artists were commissioned to create sculptures and hold events in the center of town. It did indeed make for a better city but even as a teenager I saw it as nothing more but a face lift on an ugly old lady, just that the wrinkles now were hidden behind the ears... Everything in Frankfurt is either restored, renovated or artificially created. It lacks a vibe of natural evolution, compared to Hamburg, Berlin or Munich. Those buildings in #9 & #10 are a perfect example for what I mean.
As for #14, I am not 100% sure but I think it shows the "Schirn": http://www.schirn-kunsthalle.de/index.php?do=information〈=en . One of the earliest "face lift" creations but actually a rather cool museum and event space which always had some off the beaten path artists on display and cutting edge events going on. I used to work in their cafe during my last year of high school!
I am sorry Tuna, by no means am I attempting to highjack your photo thread. But seeing those pretty cool pics of the place where I grew up, I figured I'd provide some additional information.
Greetings,
Jana
is but a dream within a dream
- Edgar Allan Poe
http://www.saltydogphotography.com
http://saltydogphotography.blogspot.com
No worries! I'm quite glad you stepped in to explain everything, as I had no idea! Your post is greatly appreciated. As I said, I didn't have enough time there to actually learn anything really, so I just spent what little time I did have walking around and taking pictures. Despite only having 2 days, I had a blast there. The food was good, the beer was excellent, and the people were very friendly. I didn't have any of the Aebbelwoi, though I knew Frankfurt was known for it. I remember having it when I visited in '99, and remember that I didn't much care for it then. Maybe I should have tried it again just in case my tastes had changed over the years.
I actually have family in Frankfurt, and family in Munich, though I didn't get to meet up with them because I came through on short notice and they were out of town on holiday. Having said that, I feel a little embarrassed for not knowing more about the city. :cry
Thanks again for an excellent, informative post!
im glad to tag along ..thanks!
is but a dream within a dream
- Edgar Allan Poe
http://www.saltydogphotography.com
http://saltydogphotography.blogspot.com
I don't believe I ever left Lightroom for any of these photos, but I did use recovery and fill light in many of these photos, so maybe that added an aura of light around the buildings
Don
'I was older then, I'm younger than that now' ....
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We learn from each other, thats the only way to grow (besides rediscovering the wheel). you have a good attitude! I still like your shots, i think they are better then many i've seen!