A third Light & shadow composition of the not guilty building in Zurich Oerlikon (number two is HERE). Again, I like how the shadow hides and the light reveals detail. But there is also a subtle spot of reflected light on the base of the shady face of the pillars that I appreciate.

Another Light & shadow composition of the not guilty building in Zurich Oerlikon.

Light arrows on pillars in Zurich Oerlikon, Switzerland

I have just added the photograph above to my Light and shadow theme. I have pondered a long time  on the development of this photograph, in particular the shadow detail. As you can see, I have decided in favor of completely black shadows (in agreement with my son). Many people (including my wife) probably prefer less contrast and at least some detail in the shady section of the pillars. However, by looking at my light and shadow gallery it is apparent that I really like black shadows. For me, one value of shadows is their capability to hide detail and irrelevant parts of a composition. When I am attracted to a light and shadow scene, I imagine the shadows as silhouettes that blind out distracting parts and create interesting patterns or shapes (like here fore example). Many photographers avoid conditions of direct and bright sunlight BECAUSE of the harsh shadows and the loss of detail in the shades. With my light and shadow photographs I try to take advantage of exactly these properties: bright sunlight and completely black shadows. In contrast to Billy Joel, I do not see only shades of grey, but rather black AND shades of grey (please note, I do not write "black and white"!). I think it is important to have absolutes, such as absolutely black shadows, because they help to concentrate and emphasize what is considered relevant. Interestingly, at least in photography these absolutes (shadows) change during the day and throughout the year!
The photograph above was taken at a building that I visit regularly on my photo walks (or rather bike rides). In my lightroom catalog it is entitled "not guilty building" because it houses a restaurant with this memorable name (along with other businesses and apartments with less catchy names). The exact same building was already shown in an early photograph (depicted here) and I will post more photographs in the future (I have been working on them over the weekend).

Florian.

Evening view from the Queen of the mountains (Rigi, Switzerland). I wish you all a wonderful weekend, hopefully outdoors enjoying nature, sun and life.

Harald Mante is an influential and famous German photographer and artist that I have become to like rather recently. I regularly browse the photography section in a nearby library and on one such occasion I came across the book "Die Fotoserie: Besser fotografieren durch serielles Arbeiten" by Harald Mante (the english title is "Serial Photography: Using Themed Images to Improve Your Photographic Skills" and it is even available in a very economical kindle version). In this book, Harald Mante describes photography in series as an alternative to the quest for the one ultimate photograph. Almost every photographer orders his photographs according to themes, but I think Harald Mante's idea of photo series goes much further insofar as the series adds value to each photograph. It is like an emergent quality - the series is more than the sum of each of its photographs. A very nice example is also the portfolio Weitsichten by Harald Mante and Eva Witter, where 1+1 is more than 2! Not all themes lend added value to each photograph and in many cases more of the same dilutes the value of each photograph rather than increasing it. But Harald Mante made me aware that many photographs gain by being part of a photo series and taking photographs with series in mind can help creating more interesting work.

Photograph © Harald Mante. An example of a Lichtkissen.
 

Harald Mante's photographs are detailed views of the man-made environment that are characterized by color, contrasts, shapes and patterns, which all appeals to me very much. The photograph above is part of a theme entitled "Lichtkissen", which literally translates as "cushions of light." Especially if you live in a city and travel through life consciously, you will discover many such light reflections and projections that decorate walls and the ground on sunny days. Lichtkissen are a wonderful example for the discovery of ephemeral beauty in man-made environments.
I should also point out that Harald Mante taught photography at the University of Applied Sciences and Art in Dortmund and also wrote many books on composition and color design in photography. 

I hope you enjoy and wish you a nice weekend!

Florian.

Sunset in the Wägital in Switzerland. The prominent summit in the center is the Fluebrig.