Doc Challenge 2012

This past weekend I embarked once more down the path of the Documentary Challenge, this time with a team!  A handful of friends and friends of friends helped me put together and later pull off a short (6.30 minutes) "experimental" documentary with the given theme of "cycles".  It was a lot of fun and I think we were all pretty happy about the results.  Here is a peek behind the scenes:

I will post the video later, once the top 12 have been chosen.

Edit: Here's the link to the video: http://vimeo.com/reelculture/allweknow

SC Freiburg wins!

I went to see my first official European football match today in Freiburg, and they won!  Freiburg is no longer down at 16th place... I believe they've worked their way up to 13th.

This video clip is what I've been told to be typical Fußball behavior - the fan jump.

Take a bow, the night is over...

...this masquerade is getting older.


And now we say good-bye to the Fastnacht season.

Bring on the spring!

Fackelumzug in Elzach

This is the very traditional (and quite popular) "Fackelumzug", or "Torch Parade", which takes place in the town of Elzach every year, the Sunday before Ash Wednesday.  All of the men in town dress as these Narren and parade through the dark streets with torches and pig bladders.  After they reach the end of their parade route, they back track to the town center and proceed to throw their torches into one, large, central bon fire.  The clip that follows is representative of this.

A Very Snowy Schluchsee

Today I traveled just north of here to the Schluchsee.  Due to unforeseen difficulties with the trains, we first foraged to Titisee.  This lake is a huge tourist destination in warmer months, where most come to paddle boat or canoe on the lake (or do some extreme touristy shopping).  During the winter months it's not nearly as bustling, and most people visit to go cross country skiing or take a walk in the snowy woods.  We had just enough time between connections to walk out and gaze at the snow-covered lake, and then head back to the train station.

5 stops or so further up the tracks we arrived at Schluchsee.  It's a massive lake, about 15 miles around, and was completely frozen over.  Some of the ice around the edges had begun to melt, so we weren't expecting to find anyone like these two gents hiking out on the lake to do some ice fishing.

Fastnacht ist hier!

Berliners, parades, confetti... a hint of Spring in the air.  Costumes and candy and chaos... it's that time of year again --> Fastnacht!

Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink Moon

A beautiful sunset over the Elz in Kollnau.

Christmastime

A beautiful, towering tree inside a bank.  Decorations included pine cones, apples, wooden stars, and Lebkuchen.

Beautiful statues behind bars.  I don't know exactly why I like this image so much.  Perhaps it's the contrasting nature of the holiness shared within the church that also appears to be secluded and just out of reach...

Through the mist

Cascades of light through the fog.

The Quaintness of Colmar