Photo Gallery: Füssen, Bavaria and Salzburg, Austria

Photography has always been an interest of mine. I don't claim to be an expert photographer, but I do enjoy capturing moments with a camera and lens. I've been interested in photography since I was a child, but I developed my interest further in high school when I took a course on photography. As a junior and senior, I was very lucky to have had access to a darkroom. Since then, I've enjoyed shooting on a variety of cameras both digital and film. I especially love black and white analogue photography. 

There's something magical about taking pictures without the certainty of instant results and being surprised by what you get and something very special about putting in the time and energy into the physically-demanding process of developing the film (developer, fixer, stopbath, etc.). It feels like more of a work of art than a digital photo snapped instantly with an iPhone.

My brother and fellow-blogger, Michael shares this interest for analogue photography. He has shot on a variety of low-fi 35mm and APS cameras, but I like shooting with a 70s era Minolta 35mm SLR I borrowed from my granddad.   

This March, I traveled to Germany and Austria with my parents. I have shared some of my photos and thoughts from this trip previously, but now I decided to share a few digital scans of black and white 35mm negatives from my trip.

Schloss Neuschwanstein, Füssen, Bavaria. March 2016. I have a framed print of this about my desk in my dorm room. Looking at this picture brings back special memories. The day I went to Neuschwanstein with my Mom and Dad was a very cold day in Bavaria. There was snow on the ground and the air was icy. The road up the mountain was closed for cars and busses, so we trekked up the winding, snowy path from the valley floor to reach the castle. After we toured the beautiful castle, with its many ornate and eccentric features, we climbed back down and drank hot chocolate and ate pastries in a cafe.

A view of the valley below Neuschwanstein. Walking up the winding hill to reach the castle, we had many chances to catch glimpses of the beautiful snow-covered valley below. The photo really does not do it justice. (Füssen, March 2016)

       

These two photos were taken later in the week in Salzburg, Austria. This is St. Andrä Church in the center of the city. This was from our last day in Salzburg. The snow had begun to melt, and the sun was coming out. People in Salzburg said this was their first glimpse of spring. Salzburg was beautiful in the late winter, but I'd love to see her again in Summer.

Taking analogue photos is special- it's always a fun surprise seeing how the pictures turn out. One never knows what one will get. It's magical. I also really love the retro-nostalgic effect of the grainy black-and-white prints.

Hope you enjoyed.