GORM TEPEREibsee, Bavaria
Posted on May 17, 2017
Its finally getting warm and nice here in Bavaria. The grass is green again and the flowers are blooming. Most people who visit here come in Summer, and most people visit the castles, beer gardens, and perhaps see Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain. One little place thats very near to Zugspitze is Eibsee, a lake at the foot of the mountain, and about 10mins from Garmisch. I’ve been meaning to check it out, so yesterday I finally did!
Eibsee, Bavaria. 5D Mark III | 16-35mm 2.8L II | B+W Polariser
The lake is about the same size as Alpsee near Schwangau, where you will also find Neuschwanstein. Eibsee has got crystal clear water which appears green in the shallows, and number of very cute islands in the middle and great montane forest surrounding it. The backdrop of the lake on two side is towering mountains.
Eibsee, Bavaria. 5D Mark III | 50mm 1.4 Art | X4 Polariser
Eibsee, Bavaria. 5D Mark III | 180mm 2.8 Macro
We arrived early in the morning when the water was completely flat. It was such a reward! We saw perfect reflections of the mountains above on the lake. The weather was completely clear, and I used a polarising filter to enhance the colour in the sky and in the forest.
Eibsee, Bavaria. 5D Mark III | 16-35mm 2.8L II | B+W Polariser
Eibsee, Bavaria. 5D Mark III | 16-35mm 2.8L II | B+W Polariser
Despite the nice colours, black and white conversions have also worked very nicely. Although it is almost a shame to remove the rich colours in scenes like the one below.
Eibsee, Bavaria. 5D Mark III | 16-35mm 2.8L II | B+W Polariser
Eibsee, Bavaria. 5D Mark III | 180mm 2.8 Macro
I also brought along my 180mm 2.8 Macro lens, which I only do on occasion. Eibsee is a great place to get some close up images. The one above is water droplets stuck in a spider’s web at 1:1 magnification (life size). There are also many nice wild flowers to photograph.
Eibsee, Bavaria. 5D Mark III | 180mm 2.8 Macro
Eibsee, Bavaria. 5D Mark III | 70mm 2.8 Macro
Finally, the surreal scenery is also a good place for portrait photography! The ‘beach’ is kind of small stones, and is a nice stage! Here is one with the 135mm f2L lens.
Eibsee, Bavaria. 5D Mark III | 135mm f2L
If you find yourself in the area, its totally worth a visit. We finished up with lunch at a cafe on the lake, very nice!
Location:
Photography Tips:
- Bring a few different focal lengths, its a cool place to be creative.
- You need a polariser!
- In summer bring your swimmers and a waterproof case!
- You can hike up to a look out if you want a view of the whole lake.
- If you want the best images you should bring a tripod.
- You can hire boats which might be good for photography as well!
Gallery
Brighton Beach Australia
Posted on March 5, 2017
Its another cold, sleety Sunday morning in Bavaria. Winter is slowly coming to an end, and its about time, I’ve had enough of 2 degrees and sleet. Starting to look forward to summer, or at least Spring. Actually, I found some un-processed photos from Australia with sun and surf which might have brought about the negativity! So here are a few photos from Brighton Beach in Victoria to help get everyone into the mood for summer!
Brighton Beach VIC, 5D Mark III, 12mm 2.8 Fisheye
Brighton Beach is close to Melbourne, and is famous for its many colourful little beach shacks. There are better beaches in the world, but perhaps none so colourful! I used the Breakthrough X4 polariser, 24mm 1.4 Art and Samyang 12mm 2.8 Fish-eye here. Hope you enjoy!!
Advantages of a Polariser
Posted on August 26, 2016
I went down to the lake the other day. It was a beautiful sunny summer’s day. I took a few snaps, nothing record breaking, but I did find a good example of why a polariser is a must for any photographer.
Most people tell you that a polariser is used to remove reflections and darken skies. That’s true enough, but the reason I use a polariser is for the added colour boost you get.
Here is an example.
This photo is taken with no polariser.
And this photo is taken with a polariser.
Quite a difference huh…. and its no shabby lens, this was with the Canon 135mm 2.0L lens. You can notice much improved colour, and less bokeh highlights.
I use two brands of polariser myself. In the above example I used a B+W XS-Pro KSM C-POL MRC nano filter. I highly recommend the B+W filters. I have two, and they are excellent. I recommend going for the KSM nano coated ones, even if they are a bit more expensive. The other brand I would recommend is the Breakthrough Photography X4 CPL filter. I supported Breakthrough via a Kickstarter campaign, and I was one of the first to get one in Australia. It’s a great filter which also uses Schott glass and has even better saturation than the B+W filters. Both these filters have a slim brass construction. I plan to do a short review of the Breakthrough filter soon.
For more information about the filters I use, see here:
B+W Filter: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1141526-REG/b_w_1081479_82mm_xs_pro_mc_kaesemn.html
Breakthrough Photography X4: http://breakthrough.photography/product/x4-circular-polarizer/
If you are in the market for a polariser, get the best polariser you can afford! You will regret buying a cheapy as soon as you realise it doesn’t do anything except make your images soft.
Happy Shooting!
Landscape Gallery
Posted on March 18, 2016
Nothing like being in a beautiful part of the world, with nice light and a camera! Getting up early and going out with your gear to watch the sunrise is certainly always rewarding.
GORM TEPER 