26.09.2021 | “And we haven’t done enough of this simple kind of stuff…”

Lyrics: “Dan’s Song” ~ Frank Turner, 2009

A few days ago I upgraded my camera kit. I had vaguely thought about it for a while and also had reached a “you need to do something” state of my mind. I’m rather impulsive when I get to this point, because those “do something” projects are also clearly some kind of distraction from whatever gloomy place my mind had went to at that point. Remember the “buying a guitar” last year? Ehm, I really should get back to trying to learn to play that. It’s gathering dust in the corner of my living room.

But anyway, I decided to buy the camera and I also knew I wanted to spend the weekend playing around with it. I decided on a mini break and the chance to try out the new camera outside of my usual setting. I also thought that a change of scenery might help me to unwind a bit more. Not be distracted by Netflix on my TV or any book lying around. But also not get dragged into another cycle of self-loathing in my familiar setting where every corner reminds me of the things I should/could be doing instead of staying on my couch in some sort of lethargy. My mind is a mess sometimes.

Long story short: I booked myself into a 4 stars hotel in Düsseldorf Media harbour. To be able to snap lots of interesting photos around there on the Saturday. And to possibly just have some time to be more introspective with nothing distracting me. No personal clutter and all that. I didn’t do too much introspection, but that’s fine. I was out and about snapping a lot of pictures. I napped. I went to bed early. I had two extensive breakfasts….

I loved it. I should do things like that more often especially as I haven’t really been on a proper relaxing vacation since… long before the pandemic really. I’ve been to the sea for a a week each in September 2020 and in July 2021. But that’s not enough.

Here are some of my photos. I forgot to bring my tripod, so the night photography turned out quite blurry. I need to re-read more about the settings for that and all.

There were quite a few cute Peanuts images at the arches on the riverbank…

Streetart in Düsseldorf
22mm (fixed), f/4.5, 1/250, ISO 100, Auto mode

TV and the famous Gehry Buildings at sunrise on the Saturday.
Sunrise Harbour Düsseldorf
22mm (fixed), f/8, 1/30s, ISO 1600, Av mode

Some closeups of the Gehry Buildings…

Gehry Buildings
24mm, f/4, 1/1250, ISO 100, Av mode
Gehry Buildings TV Tower
18mm, f/8, 1/400, ISO 100, Av mode
Gehry Buildings
48mm, f/5.6, 1/640, ISO 100, Av mode

Here is the end of the day companion piece to the sunrise photo from above….

Blue Hour at the Harbour
24mm, f/11, 2s, ISO 100, Av mode

A view of the the media harbour, the colourful building is the hotel I was booked in.

Colourful Hotel at the Harbour
37mm, f/5, 1/1000, ISO 100, Av mode

Ending it with a blurry one…. But so much potential with better camera settings and a tripod.

Media Harbour at Night
18mm, f/3.5, 1.6s, ISO 800, M mode

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