Christmas Markets in Germany

[LucisPictor]

Hi!

Surprisingly, I had the chance to go to two different Christmas markets, one in Marburg (a 80.000 citizen University town) and one in Frankfurt/Main (a 650.000 citizen banking metropolis).

I shot my pics with these lenses at my EOS350D:

- Tamron 2.5/24
- Nikkor-O 2.0/35
- Rollei Planar 1.8/50
- Nikkor-S.C 1.2/55

The photos are presently in a batch conversion, but I will post them soon...

Some shots I tool with my Spotmatic and a Mamiya Sekor 1.8/55 and with my Olympus 35RC - but these will have to wait, I need to finish the rolls first.

[LucisPictor]

OK, here is the fist set: Frankfurt (close to the "Paulskirche")

Rollei Planar 1.8/50
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[LucisPictor]

Second set. Still Frankfurt. Tamron 2.5/24. First two wide open!

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All shots were taken between 1.30 pm and 3.00 pm. I had to go there early.

[LucisPictor]

Set Three. This Marburg. Nikkor-S.C 1.2/55. High ISO (400 to 1600).

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[spkennedy3000]

Great series...

Love the lanterns shot and the last especially...

[LucisPictor]

Set 4. Marburg. Nikkor-0 2.0/35.

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And some shop windows of Marburg. Nikkor-S.C 1.2/55
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Finally, some Marburg impressions:
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[Attila]

Seems you had fun Thank you for sharing! I like the last picture with deep blue sky really.

[Bob]

Wow, those are really great.

[poilu]

Hi Carsten they are all very good, I don't know which one to choice. They are all very Christmas, you catch the atmosphere.

[Orio]

Well done, Carsten. It's nice to see the Christmas markets in Germany and compare to what they look like here. I think the Rollei Planar shows it's class in the first set
Hey the lamps in Marburg are almost identical to those sold here I think we copied yours, as this kind of lamps were not so popular here until a few years ago.

[Riku]

Planar #1
Nikkor #11 & #19

Fantastic!

[LucisPictor]

Thanks, mates!

Yes, I like the Planar a lot and it is so well built that it is a pleasure to use!

There are some striking things in the pictures, I think:

-Planar 11- "Friends or pickpocket?"
-Planar 6- "Two storey merry-go-round!"
-Tamron 1- "Love the glow wide open."
-Nikkor 13- "The hottest curry sausage in Marburg, levels: 1.delicios, 2.mild, 3.hot, 4. fiery, 5.extreme and 6.infernal. I have tried level 4 so far, but next Tuesday I will try level 5."

Marburg - Frankfurt: Frankfurt Christmas market is much bigger, but the one in Marburg is nicer and more pleasant.
I also like the shop windows in Marburg. They are not like the typical, sterile display, esp. not at this time of the year.

[LucisPictor]

[patrickh]

Carsten
Thank you for the two-fold treat. Some very fine examples of a lot of different lenses (and you can surely see the planar quality) and I could almost smell the goodies at those markets. There is nothing even remotely similar here in the US - alas.


patrickh

[LucisPictor]

[LucisPictor]

Steve, these candids are great! Some very nice girls.

[Orio]

Yes, very nice candids. Last year for my Christmas Market series I used a lot tele lenses. They allow for captures like these, where you can see well the faces of people without them to notice, so they look natural. However on the other side you lose the environment which gives the photograph it's context. It's a give and take.

Photographically speaking, I find the young lady in #2 the most interesting. She has the kind of face that always attracts me for photographs. Part Jane Birkin, part Francoise Hardy, a tiny bit of Nastassja Kinski thrown in as well. I would model girls like these for hours (I said model, ok?)
She has that mix of beauty and imperfection that I am always searching for, like the majorette I put on February page of my own calendar, the one with the big nose, which I find absolutely beautiful although I know many won't agree.

As for the guys in #4, I would not dispute with them for a parking place!

-

[LucisPictor]

[Richard_D]

Nice shots from both of you. It's the second year running that we've had a German style market in Canterbury. I haven't been brave enough to try candids though...