Blue Hour

Setubal Town Hall

Setubal Town Hall | Portugal

This brilliantly colourful building in the centre of Setubal city is not a theatre or an opera house. It is the Town Hall – or

Batalha Monastery; Centro Region; Portugal

Batalha Monastery | Portugal

The Monastery of Batalha (or Monastery of Our Lady of Victory; port. Convento de Santa Maria da Vitória) is a symbol of the late Gothic,

Peniscola with the Castle, during summer holidays in Spain.

Peniscola Castle | Peniscola, Spain

Peniscola is the kind of town that is our favourite to visit. Beautiful with a rich history, but still not so much discovered by travellers and photographers. The Castle was built in the 13th century by Knights Templar. At some point, this Castle also became a house to Pope Benedict III.

Florence Cathedral - Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore in Italy.

Florence Cathedral with Brunelleschi Duomo | Florence, Italy

For many decades after the establishment of Florence Duomo in the 13th Century, the Florence Cathedral was opened, and it took the genius mind of Filippo Brunelleschi to figure out exactly how to build the dome, the first of its kind in the 15th Century. In our day today, it dominates the skyline of the city and makes you marvel at how this structure survived through the ages.

Venice St Mark’s Square with St Mark’s Basilica and St Mark's Campanile – summer in Italy

St Mark’s Square | Venice, Italy

Piazza San Marco, internationally known as St Mark’s Square gained its own nickname “La Piazza” – THE Square, and I think it says a lot about Venice’s importance. There is a legend that Napoleon called it “the drawing room of Europe”. In our day, I would say the “photographing room of Europe”.

Amsterdam Keizersgracht under a bridge during the blue hour, The Netherlands.

Keizersgracht | Amsterdam, Netherlands

Keizersgracht is the name of one of the main canals in the capital of The Netherlands and in my opinion, is one of the most picturesque places to view. The picturesque effect is likely due it being the widest canal, which is in the middle of three main canals crossing Amsterdam centre. Wandering around and observing the lights of the bridge turned on during the blue hour is amazing.

Panorama of Vilnius, Lithuania, with a focus on the Gedimias’ Tower.

Vilnius Castle | Vilnius, Lithuania

Being a symbol not only of the city but also of the state, Gediminas’ Tower is mentioned in traditional Lithuanian poems and songs. It all started with the Grand Duke of Lithuania – Gediminas, who had a dream, hinting that he should start building a city in this place. First, he erected wooden fortifications, which later were turned into construction, made of bricks.

An evening photo of Thessaloniki White Tower and the National Theater of Northern Greece.

White Tower and the National Theater Of Northern Greece | Thessaloniki, Greece

Some images are captured like magic – quickly and without hesitation. However, that was not the case with my photo shooting of the White Tower and the National Theater in Thessaloniki. So, I was walking up and down, trying to capture the perfect composition at the best light, which may have looked funny for an outside eye. Finally, during the blue hour, I took a photo that satisfied me – with the city lights giving this violet shade around Thessaloniki White Tower.

Picture of Kotor Northern Gate, taken just before sunrise.

Kotor Northern Gate before sunrise | Kotor, Montenegro

Built in the 16th century as a memory of Kotor’s victory over the well-known Turkish admiral Hajrudin Barbarosa, it’s impressive that the Northern Gate is still in excellent condition. As typical for medieval times construction, next to the Kotor Northern Gate there is a moat with turquoise water. I chose this spot in the valley under Saint John’s Hill for my photo session because it offers a clear view to Kotor Fortress.

Picture of the Kotor Cathedral, taken just before sunrise.

The Cathedral of Saint Tryphon | Kotor, Montenegro

We visited this Adriatic Sea port right after New Year Eve, which explains the festive lights on the buildings. Consecrated in 1166, the Kotor Cathedral was built in honor of Saint Tryphon, who is considered by the locals as the patron and protector of the city. Before that, in the 10th century, an older church existed there. It has been keeping Saint Tryphon’s remains.

Prince Felipe Museum of Science, which is part of Valencia’s City Of Art And Sciences.

Sunset at Prince Felipe Museum of Science | Valencia, Spain

I took this particular image at the Valencia’s City Of Art And Sciences, while the light was mild and delicate. Surprisingly, this remarkable complex has been built in the former bed of the River Turia. It’s not only the Museum of Science you see on the photo, there are also other buildings, related to science and technology, such as the Planetarium; or to nature – like the Oceanographic park, and also to art – as the Opera house.

The Trakai Island Castle in Lithuania, which is close to the capital Vilnius during a winter evening.

Winter Fairy Tale In The Trakai Castle | Trakai, Lithuania

The Trakai Island Castle is an unusual place from both historical and architectural point of view. It has been built in the 14th century as a construction with strategic importance. Not only Lithuanians but also people from other nationalities, such as the Karaim community, are part of its history.

Basilica–Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza

Postcard from Zaragoza | Spain

Zaragoza turned out to be the positive surprise of our trip to Spain. Many spacious squares, ideal conditions for photography and very interesting architecture. Moreover, the buildings were illuminated throughout all night and long in the morning, while tourists were nowhere to be found at this time. An absolute Dream!

Greenwich University and Canary Wharf Skyline in London, England

University of Greenwich | London, England

You have certainly all heard of Greenwich. Usually in the context of the zero meridian or the time zones. But only few have actually visited Greenwich – it’s not really on the list of things to do on a weekend trip to London.

Prague Castle and Charles Bridge by Night

My favourite Spot | Prague, Czech Republic

This is not the first photo of this point which I will show you. And it certainly won’t be the last. What can I say, I simply love this place in Prague. This unique view of the Castle and the Charles Bridge that leads you to the other side of the Vltava River. And in addition, the quiet zone in the otherwise rough water, that makes all the lights look twice as nice.

Semperoper Opera House in Dresden exterior

Semperoper | Dresden, Germany

The Semperoper is probably the most famous opera house in Germany. The reason however, is quite different as one might expect: The Radeberger Group – Germany’s largest brewery group – uses the Opera House for many years in the background of the advertisements for the Radeberger beer. Even if I try to resist any advertising as much as possible, I must admit that it immediately came to my mind as I stood there.

Berlin City West Kurfürstendamm and KaDeWe

City West | Berlin, Germany

If you amble along the Kurfürstendamm or the Tauentzienstraße you can occasionally get a feel for how Berlin must have looked in its Golden 20s. Be it the ladies at the sides of the street, marvelling at handbags that can cost much more than 1,000 euros. Be it the gourmet who goes to the KaDeWe, the glamorous “Department Store of the West” to purchase an exclusive wine for his collection.

Prague Royal Way with Old Town and Castle

Royal Way | Prague, Czech Republic

The path from the Republic Square up to the St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle is known as the royal way of Prague. For centuries this was the way that had to be taken by the Bohemian kings to be crowned in St. Vitus Cathedral. Since in 1836 the last king was crowned in Bohemia, nowadays the Royal Way is just a tourist attraction – but one well worth seeing!

Dresden Golden Alley in the Old Town

Through the Golden Alleys | Dresden, Germany

On the way back from the Frauenkirche to the opera I had already everything what I wanted captured on memory card and could slow down – until I turned around. Then I saw the dome of the Frauenkirche shine over the golden alleys of Dresden. So just one last photo before running back to the train station…

London Docklands and Skyline in a Night Panorama

London Docklands | England

The London Docklands, once the largest port in the world, are now a vibrant financial center. The skyscrapers of Canary Wharf can be seen from all over the city but the direct view over the Thames you can enjoy from Greenwich. For a long time I wanted to try to make an HDR panorama. Overall, the finished work is composed of 28 individual images, 4 segments each with 7 exposures.

ICC Berlin and Radio Tower

Bye, Bye Berlin!

No, don’t worry, I’m not going to leave this city anytime soon. But the combination of backlights, the ICC and the Radio Tower always reminds me of trips I’ve taken outside of Berlin. Whether by car along the highway or via coach from the central bus station around the corner – often the trip started here on the western end of Berlin.

Dresden Frauenkirche

Frauenkirche | Dresden, Germany

It’s an incredible feeling to see the Dresden Frauenkirche virtually glowing at night. The church that for such long time served as a reminder on the destruction of Dresden in the Second World War. The Frauenkirche was completely destroyed and the dark stones that you see in the wall were taken from its ruins.