Berlin - People and Places

Before we leave Berlin, here is a final selection of images that caught my eye. 

Raft Race

I have had some internet problems, but I am now back online and trying to catch up. Two weeks ago, I went to Bedford to see the River Festival. There was a lot going on and I didn't have a great deal of time, but I watched a little of the raft race, which was a colourful and chaotic affair. 

 

Speed Bumps

Armed with a day off and nothing better to do, I chose to watch the penultimate day of this year's May Bumps. Because I like a challenge, I decided to try shooting nothing but panning shots. This was easier said than done. It was a very bright sunny day, so getting a slow enough shutter speed was the first challenge. Using my lowest ISO (64) and smallest aperture (f22), I managed to squeeze the shutter speed down to a workable 40th of a second. Second challenge was that I hadn't tried panning in years, so my technique was rusty to say the least. I ended up taking a very large number of shots to get a few I liked, but that is what large memory cards are for.

 

Henry Moore at Kew

Currently, there is an exhibition of Henry Moore sculptures at Kew Gardens.

Milan: The Beautiful People

My final stop in Italy was a single night in Milan. After checking-in to my hotel I headed for Milan Cathedral, Duomo di Milano, as this seemed as good a start point as any. By accident, rather than design, I had arrived on the Saturday of Milan Fashion Week. The large and very crowded square in front of the cathedral, was also hosting several fashion shoots, in and amongst the tourists. There were two big shoots, one for bridal wear and one more general (lots of little black dresses), plus a couple of individual shoots with social media influencer types. There was also a woman who didn't seem part of any formal shoot, but she was in a stunning dress and was delighted to pose for anyone who pointed a camera at her.