Welcome to the second installment of random frames taken on my recent trip to Berlin. Like in the first part, I’ll add short stories, background information, or musings to each photograph. Enjoy the ride!

As usual, click on an image to view it larger and in an almost distraction free light box.

Reichstag Side Entrance

This photograph appears quite ordinary, but it was quite challenging to capture accurately as a black and white image. The reason for this is that the eagle inside the building was initially at the same brightness level as the rest of the room’s interior. Consequently, it barely stood out. To make this photo work, I meticulously selected the bird and then adjusted the brightness levels to create a separation between the bird and its surroundings without making it appear unnatural. I must admit that the process took a considerable amount of time.

Shopping Center Roof

I took the next photo while waiting for a drink at a bar. I almost didn’t take it at all because this roof has already been photographed countless times, usually with this particular composition. However, I decided to take the picture anyway because I liked the way the roof was lit, and I hadn’t seen it like this before… which doesn’t mean it hasn’t been done before. So, here’s the photograph.

Casual Conversations

The Reichstag building in Berlin is an awe-inspiring sight. Despite being the heart of German parliamentarism, it’s remarkably transparent and open to tourists. Visitors can even sit in the plenary room and, if they’re lucky, witness a debate happening in the hall below. Unfortunately, during my visit, I wasn’t fortunate enough to catch a debate. However, this didn’t dampen my spirits. Instead, it gave me ample opportunity to explore the building and capture some memorable photo opportunities. One such opportunity came when I looked up at the magnificent glass dome that serves as the plenary hall’s roof. There, I spotted two people engaged in a casual conversation, and I couldn’t resist the urge to snap a picture.

Reichstag Dome #8

Speaking about the dome, well, of course, this is another subject I’ve photographed before. In fact, I’ve technically taken better photographs than the one I took on this trip. But then, I still like this one because the stark contrast and the black sky create a brooding and foreboding atmosphere that unfortunately fits very well to the insecure times we live in these days.

Reichstag Dome #9

The dome itself is open for visitors, too. You can spiral your way up to its very top, getting an all around view of Berlin and almost all of its famous buildings on the way. I had different things in mind and was in an abstract mood which means that I was looking for lines, curves, and shapes as my subject. Here’s what I found.

Reichstag Dome Detail

Sometimes, I feel compelled to take a photo, even though I know it’s not visually interesting. I take it anyway, sometimes because I find it interesting or to document something. This is one of those shots. I’ve never noticed these details of the dome’s construction or the construction of its spiraling way before. It’s funny how often I’ve overlooked them, even though they were right in front of me..

Code of Life

Next, I present a series that I never intended to capture. I took these shots at a museum called the Futurium, which explores various future-related topics. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to fully immerse ourselves in the exhibition. Nevertheless, I managed to capture a few random snapshots that I thought were insignificant at the time. However, upon revisiting them on my computer later, I noticed a striking connection between them. Was it mere coincidence, or was it my subconscious mind at work? I may never know the answer. Regardless, here are the photos.

Things happening while waiting

If found the last three shots of this post while waiting for the next item in our itinerary to begin. They are random snaps in their truest form.

The first one is another concession to my love of forms and shapes. I just couldn’t resist these circles in the concrete. I was fully aware that I would never hang this picture on a wall, nor would anybody find this photo interesting. I took it anyway because I knew I would regret it later if I hadn’t done it. I just had to get it out of my system.

The next two frame were taken at the station while waiting for our train back home. There were remarkably few people at the station, so I hadn’t wait too long for a chance to do what I like most to do in places that are usually very crowded, and that is to take photos without any people in them. It’s the “empty stage after the play” scenario again that I mentioned in my previous post.

But when a person arrived, I couldn’t resist taking another shot. I usually don’t photograph strangers, especially secretly, because I’m quite afraid of getting caught, and my escape reflexes aren’t very good. However, I was shooting from above, and I know from experience that people usually don’t suspect anyone watching them from above. Here’s the final shot of this post. If you have any thoughts on any of these photographs, please let me know in the comments.