This blog entry is about this year's Fotoparade. Every year Michael from Erkunde die Welt asks all blogger to publish and present their best travel photos. Of course, I'm happy to participate this year again.
Fotoparade 2019
The year is almost over and Michael from Erkunde die Welt asks again all bloggers to participate in this year's Fotoparade. As always, the Fotoparade is about photographs of the last few months.
And as usual, Michael suggests some categories for the Fotoparade.
The categories of this year are:
1. category: „urban image“ or „landscape“
2. category: „animal“ or „plant“
3. category: „mountains“ or „sea“
4. category: „foreign“ or „local“
5. category: „sunrise“ or „sunset“
6. category: „black and white“ or „colorful“
I have to admit, I was not sure if I should participate this year. Firstly, traveling was not my priority this year. And secondly, I did not develop my photography skills in the last few months. I did not feel very creative. However, as I had some wonderful animal encounters, at the end I decided to participate. The Fotoparade is also a great way to see what places other bloggers have visited this year.
This year's Fotoparade is the ninth edition. For me it is the third time. I also participated in the seventh and eighth Fotoparade with my best photographs.
1. category: urban image or landscape
Although I haven't traveled a long distance this year, I discovered some beautiful places for myself in Germany. For example, the beech forests on Rügen in North Germany. On a hike through a beech forest along the high banks close to the Königsstuhl on Rügen, I took the following photograph of some trees. As I feel more home in nature and as cities are not very inspiring for me at the moment, I decided for a landscape photograph.
2. category: animal or plant
As this blog is about wildlife, I choose a photograph of an animal. At the beginning of this year I had some very special animal encounters on Helgoland. I saw some grey seals and harbor seals. I was so thrilled about these animal encounters on Helgoland. So far I have seen this place only in winter, but I'm very interested to visit Helgoland again in spring, summer or autumn. Especially for birders Helgoland is a very interesting place. Nevertheless, it was difficult for me to choose a photograph of a grey seal as I like so many of them. At the end I decided to take the following photograph of a grey seal which was dozing on the beach but waking up again and again.
3. category: mountains or sea
In general I'm not able to decide either for mountains or the sea. As I grew up close to the mountains, I could get to know mountains at an early age. But the sea? I had to wait for the sea until I could see it for the first time. Now I saw the sea at several places and I love the sea. The sea was always very mysterious for me. As I haven't been in the mountains this year, I "decide" for a seascape photograph. I took this photograph on a hike along the high banks on Rügen in Germany.
4. category: foreign or local
In general, I'm always with itchy feet and I love to visit new places. However, as I was not traveling long distances this year, I haven chosen something local. I had one very special animal encounter this year just around the corner of my current home. And this animal encounter was with a common nightingale. Every year I'm looking forward to listen to the beautiful songs of common nightingales in the parks of Berlin. It is not difficult to hear a common nightingale, but observing one of these birds? This is a challenge as these birds are rather inconspicuous and elusive. On one day in summer I spotted a common nightingale and I tried to be as quiet as possible. At the end I got one photograph and I was very happy about this as it was so special.
5. category: sunrise or sunset
Sunrise or sunset? Mmh... To be honest, I don't know what to answer to this question. I like both sunrises and sunsets. Of course, I saw both this year. However, I haven't taken any photograph. Therefore, I show here in this category a photograph of a cloudy evening. I took this photograph on a harbor porpoise watching tour in the Flensburg Fjord in North Germany. It was a cloudy day, but I was hoping for a warm and beautiful sunset in vain (but it was still a very good and informative harbor porpoise watching tour!).
6. category: black and white or colorful
Usually I take colorful photographs as I haven't devoted much time so far to black and white photography. But still I have decided to show here a photograph with little color. I took this photograph close to Groß Mohrdorf in North Germany. At this place you can find the Kranorama which is perfect to observe cranes (but it is still difficult to take photographs of these birds...).
Best photograph
I think my best photograph of this year is the one with a grey seal mother and her new born baby. A staff member of a local nature protection organization told me that this grey seal baby was only few days old. These grey seal babies were the reason for me why I traveled to Helgoland. Each year beginning in November grey seals give birth to their offspring on the close-by dune of Helgoland. This spectacle of nature attracts each year some nature observers like me. Soon you can read more about this here on this blog.
At this point a big thank you to Michael from Erkunde die Welt. Each year he puts a lot of effort into the Fotoparade. I'm sure, next year I will join again.
If you want to read my last contributions to the Fotoparade, you will find them under the following links:
Fotoparade - My best travel photos of the second half-year of 2018
Fotoparade - My best travel photos of the first half year of 2018
Have you participated in the Fotoparade? If yes, let me know in the comments. As the Fotoparde is so big now, it takes some time for me to get through all articles...
