A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to go on a class trip to Berlin with some of my students. We were invited by a member of parliament to visit (among other things) the Reichstag and have a discussion with her about all sorts of political topics. Of course, I took many photos on the side. In this post, I’d like to show you a collection of random frames that I took while walking from A to B or waiting for the next part of our itinerary to begin. In many of these situations, I didn’t have much time to consider the composition, optimize the viewing angle, or wait for better light. They are spontaneous travel snapshots, slightly enhanced in post on the computer at home.

Power House

After an almost 5-hour train ride to Berlin and checking in at the hotel, we were eager to take a walk and maybe find a nice place to have dinner. We knew there were plenty of opportunities near the River Spree, so that’s where we were headed. The first interesting subject we passed by was the CDU party headquarters. While waiting for a traffic light to turn green, I took this quick snapshot. CDU, for those who don’t know, is the name of the strongest political party in Germany. The future chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, is a member of this party… hence the title of the image.

Sunset on the Stairs

After passing by the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building, we reached the River Spree. The beautiful staircase next to one of the official buildings of the parliament was beautifully lit by the setting sun. Quite a few people seized the moment and sat down for a relaxed chat and maybe a coffee. And I seized the moment and took this photograph.

Fernsehturm

Next, we crossed the river and headed further east because we knew that there were a couple of nice restaurants with outside seating right next to the river. Before we reached the restaurant, however, I saw this frame and took a quick snap. The tower in the frame is the renowned Fernsehturm, which was set up in East Berlin during the Cold War as a sign of the superiority of communism. Well, we all know how that turned out.

Berliner Ensemble

The weather was pretty cold, but they had set up some cozy mushroom heaters, so the cold was no problem. After dinner, we kept exploring. I just had to take a photo of the Berliner Ensemble, a theater created by the renowned German author Bertold Brecht. Not that I knew anything about that when I took the photo. But fortunately, I was accompanied by a knowledgeable colleague.

T

It was already dark, and we were looking for a bar to have a drink when I stumbled upon this futuristic building. Obviously, being some Telekom office, it was lit in beautiful magenta light, which is a trademark of this company. The camera captured the magenta tones so beautifully that I was almost tempted to make this my first color photograph in nine years. But I resisted and instead tried to emphasize the shapes of this beautifully designed building.

Deliberately Confusing

We finally found a bar at Potsdamer Platz. This place is roofed by a spectacular construction. While sitting there and waiting for my drink, I had the whacky idea to combine various elements of both, the roof and some parasols, without revealing any of them completely. The idea was to create a slightly confusing semi-abstract photograph of graphic forms and shapes.

Neue Nationalgalerie

It was dark and it was cold, and we were heading back to the hotel when we passed by the Neue Nationalgalerie. The lighting and the slogan of the exhibition on display were reason enough for me to quickly take a picture.

Brave New World #3

On the next day, one part of our program was to visit a museum called Futurium which holds an interesting exhibition on various issues of our future. I saw this security camera on the wall and decided to take another photo for my ongoing series “Brave New World.”

It’s funny, though, that privacy and security were a topic in the exhibition, too.

Humboldt Forum

While listening to a less than enthusiastic guide telling us something about Berlin’s rich history, I looked around and thought this close-up frame of the Humboldt Forum in Berlin. You can read all about this building’s history here in Wikipedia. For this blog post, the photo must suffice.

Freedom, Truth, Justice…

While the less than enthusiastic tour guide was doing her thing, I just had to photograph the words on Germany’s Justice Department. The texts say,

“Freedoms have to be won again and again”

and

“When it comes to truth and justice, there is no distinction between small and big problems.”

I have got nothing to add…

… except maybe that these quotes, while coming from the past, serve as a constant reminder that freedom, justice, and truth are precious goods worth fighting for. Who would have thought that the people who need to hear this most dearly live in the USA these days.

Deutscher Dom

I had hoped to take a photo of this building for quite a while, but they had turned this whole place into a gigantic construction site. So, the only way to get a decent photo here was to focus on the beautiful dome and exclude all the rest. Here’s the result.

Next, we entered the building to visit an exhibition about the history of German parliamentarism. From the top of the building, you have a clear view of the city. I quickly took a few photos.

Urban Concentration

On our last day, I used the break on an extensive city sightseeing tour to take a couple of pictures which nicely fit into my ongoing Urban Concentration series. That’s what I like about long-term projects like this. They help you see photos when you’re out and about in the field.

Once again, all these random frames were taken on the side while I was engrossed in other activities. They are spontaneous snapshots, not the result of careful deliberation and consideration of photographic principles and best practices. While a deliberate approach undoubtedly offers its advantages, I believe it is equally crucial to trust your instincts and embrace creativity without overthinking the process. In my opinion, that’s where true creativity flourishes.