My Stories
Photography | Visual stories
I have never been before in this part of Frankfurt called "Römerstadt", another Siedlung planned by Ernst May. There is always anticipation in exploring something new, but carefulness and distance as well, especially in late autumn, when dusk comes early.
Shot with Fujifilm X100F and X-Pro 3 + 14mm f2.8
The last few months of the Corona lock-down have passed me by, at least in photographic terms. I hardly picked up my camera, and if I did, I did not leave the house, instead I just took a few shots around the homeoffice. Fortunately, I was really busy in my real-life job (and I still am), but moreover, I was just not in the mood to document the “new normal” life. On the streets I am still in a crazy, dreamlike mood, putting on my mask before entering a shop, preventing to touch anything, planning my steps carefully to avoid crossing the paths of other people and to keep distances. Back in my car driving home I feel safe again - the golden harvested fields on both sides of the street, the skyline of Frankfurt bathed in the pale blue of the sky, the gentle summer breeze caressing my skin through the open window - it feels so normal, so beautiful, so familiar, so protective…
Hanne could not perceive my mood, when we met some weeks ago. She told me about the Botanical Garden in Frankfurt. Botanical Garden? You mean “Palmengarten”, the famous garden with all those exotic plants and trees? No, she said, the Botanical Garden. It’s a beautiful small place near the Palmengarten, and you should go there and take photos.
Hanne was right, the place is indeed a small oasis of calm, a kind of organized jungle, structured in different habitats according to the plants’ needs, traversed by small trails and paved paths, most of the plants neatly labeled. My mood cleared up.
“Whether you’re looking for wellness, hiking, cycling, good local wines, a health holiday, spa treatments or simply want to explore the magnificent natural landscape of this area, Bad Kreuznach offers it all… Shoppers can find everything here, from food, textiles and shoes, to electrical goods and DIY stores… There is a lot to see and discover in Bad Kreuznach: buildings and churches steeped in history, monuments, museums, works of art, and also the beauty of the landscape…”
The claims of the tourist information webpages of Bad Kreuznach (a small spa town near Frankfurt) seem bright and appealing. And I have seen it all, at least a small part of it :-) the famous old houses on the beautiful bridge over the river Nahe, the natural landscape, the historical walls, the nice cafés, friendly people. Except… What I have felt roaming through the streets was completely different. Maybe you can blame it on the grey, cloudy and cold German wheather, on my desire for shadows and black color, or you can imagine me in doomsday mood - my pictures do neither look like the pictures of the Bad Kreuznach website nor like the photos my friends brought back from the same day.
Sorry… I am sure I have been unfair to Bad Kreuznach…
