Photography Abroad
Living in Europe has always been something I’ve dreamed about. I’ve always been attracted to being full immersed in other cultures since I was a child. I grew up playing soccer in the U.S., which as you could imagine wasn’t smiled upon by many of my friends. But I played with a diverse team; Bosnians, Sudanese, Somalians, Iraqis, Jamaicans, Trinidadians, everyone! I learned a lot about other countries from the teammates I had and as I grew up, I’ve always been interested in learning more. So, when the opportunity came for me to move to Germany, I jumped on it! It was between that and living in Colorado…but you can visit Colorado whenever you want.
There were so many reasons I wanted to live in Europe; the food, the travel, the possibility to inadvertently learn a new language, shopping opportunities. But the one thing I was most excited for was the photography. Traveling throughout the U.S. and visiting national parks is one thing, but the history surrounding some of the locations was something I had to experience firsthand. It’s one thing to see something on Instagram or Facebook and admire it through a phone screen, to gaze upon a picture in a museum and imagine what it would be like to smell the air, to feel the atmosphere surrounding that monument. To have that sensation in person is unreal. I’ve dreamed for years to see the Eiffel Tower with my own eyes, to look out onto the Swiss Alps, bask in the sun at Lake Como and above all else, capture those moments, memorializing them forever in a photograph.
Needless to say, with everything else that goes on in my life…things did not go according to plan lol. I landed in Germany and was almost immediately engrossed in the culture. For starters, the airports were very much different. TSA, Customs, everything was a bit of a shock honestly but nothing that I couldn’t get used to. The driving on the other hand was something else. You hear stories about the Autobahn, highways without speed limits. And boy do they take advantage of them! I found myself going 120 mph and moments later someone right behind me flashing their headlights to have me move over. Imagine Mad Max…but a little more civilized. I was so ready to get out and explore but of course Fate had other plans. The main one; Poland. Within the first 3 days in Germany, I was told that I would be working in Poland for 6 months. I knew NOTHING about Poland. But nonetheless, I was still looking forward to it…a little lol. And after about 4 months there I could honestly say Poland is an amazing country. The cost of living is incredible, the food was great and despite my predispositions there are so many scenic areas spread throughout the country. I still have regrets of not being able to visit the Tatra Mountains, but there’s still time.
After my stint in Poland, I returned to Germany in the beginning of the fall. The summer leaves were beginning their transformation to the beautiful amber orange and maroon reds. The weather shifted from the relentless, harsh summer heat to the cool, autumn breeze. Days began to be shorter and the long harvest nights offered more chances for astrophotography. I found myself at peace and excited for the prospects of traveling and doing what I love. Within my first few days back, I decided to take a trip to Wurzburg, a beautiful city nestled in the German state of Bavaria. The city was amazing, with its rolling hills painted with vineyards, speckled statues of Saint, bustling city centers and to my surprise I arrived during a seasonal wine festival. What could have been better than that; wine, walking and snapping a few pictures. It was one of the first times I felt comfortable in a foreign European city.
Up next on my travel bucket list were two destinations a little further away. Königssee Lake and Wagenbrüchsee Lake. I found out about these locations through the most reliable source of information that I have used over the years; Youtube! And boy oh boy, they did not disappoint! Preparation started days before my day trip with prepping my gear, cleaning everything once, twice and a third time just for good measure. Using Google Maps, I scoured the areas looking for landmarks to take pictures of and there were no shortages as expected. Friday night, T-Minus 4 hours, I could hardly sleep and for a good reason. This would be my first dedicated photography trip since my weeklong birthday trip to Colorado. I was excited to be enveloped by the mountains again and to be back surrounded by nature. I set off for my adventure around 3:00 am, my camera bag packed to the brim with every piece of gear I thought I could possibly use on the trip, a full tank of gas, energy drinks, snackies and enough Euro to cover my parking and maybe grab a bite or two at a nice café. The trip to Königssee was about four hours, crossing over briefly into Austria but ultimately landing me back in the beautiful state of Bavaria. I made it to the lake around 6:45 in the morning, waaaay sooner than expected and I had to opportunity to watch the sun rise. But there was one problem; the entire area was covered in fog! Something had to go wrong, right? Smh the first ferry across to the site left at 8:00 so to burn some time, I took a stroll to admire some of the restaurants and tourist info about the lake. 7:58 and there was already a line starting to form for the tickets. I hopped in line to grab mine and to the best of my ability I tried to order my tickets in German. I approached the booth and fumbled through “Eine Fahrkarte nach Salet bitte“ and was met with “7 euro please.“ Great, I embarrassed myself for nothing lol. I grabbed a seat on the ferry and we set sail. As the guide began his presentation in German, I could see the fog slowly begin to lift around the lake, giving way to snowcapped peaks of the mountains, engulfing the narrow passageway of the lake. We took a pause in the middle of the lake and were gifted with the beautiful morning song of a trumpet player. As I heard each note rebound off the walls of the mountains like a lullaby, I couldn’t help but enter a trance of absolute bliss. This was where I was meant to be and what I was meant to do; travel the world and indulge in its beauty. The next stop after that was at Saint Bartholomew’s Church and then my stop, Salet. I exited the ferry and began my hike. I was on a mission, I was going to get a shot of one of the most popular attractions of the lake, a stop most would recognize if shown a picture; the Obersee Boathouse. Along the way, I got a few pictures of the free-range cows, grazing along the foot on the mountains, a beautiful stream running from lake to lake and there it was, the Boathouse.
The scene was absolutely unreal! By this time, the fog turned in the low hanging clouds that snuggled the surface of the lake, conceding to the piercing rays of sunlight that set the most beautiful scene I had laid eyes on. As I crested the hill, I saw the boathouse and I arrived just in time. There were about 5 to 6 other photographers that had the exact same plan in mind as me, tripod set, snapping away as many photos as possible before the Instagram Influencers colonized the area. I jumped in with them, grabbing a few of the generic, head-on shots that most were expected to grab then I looked off, just to the left and started to work my magic. It was just too easy! This place literally could have taken a picture of itself at any angle and it would have been spectacular. After getting about 50 shots within the first 5 minutes I decided to continue along the trial. That feeling of being in nature is one that’s hard to explain. There’s just a certain level of peace that comes along with walking along a path, hearing nothing but the footsteps of fellow travelers, lulled conversations in German and English, the sounds of songbirds entertaining their guests and the soft rustle of the occasional breeze, all while breathing in the crisp, mountain air free of pollution and the taint of city life. Places like this are where I feel free, real and happy. After about 45 minutes, I turned back to head across the pond again and get to my car and wouldn’t you know it, there was a hoard of Influencers and Tik Tokers teeming around the poor boathouse. I felt bad for it…yes, I felt bad for a boathouse lol I don’t know, I saw it as a place meant to be admired and cherished, not to be used as a backdrop for people whose only agenda is meant to make other envious of their perceived success and ability to travel. But that’s just me. Back on the ferry, heading back to the ticket booth, I glanced back at the lake. The sky was clear, the sun was shining the brightest it could, it was the perfect day. I got off the ferry and the small port town was buzzing with the life of travelers enjoying their Schnitzel, Spaetzle and coffees. I got back to my car and set off to my next location…..
