camera question

being a bit absent here - so much work! i have a wee little question for you though: still thinking about that DSLR i'm going to buy. i'm tending towards nikon. the usual forums feature very different opinions on whether to go for a new model D3000 or D5000 or rather go for a used but new-ish D80 or even D200. i've read a bit about the technical differences but still can't make up my mind. what would you say? (personal experience, gut feeling, what you've heard - i'm taking all votes... ;)) many thanks!

saturday inspiration

1. Untitled, 2. Untitled, 3. Diana mini, 4. Handful, 5. Untitled, 6. in from outside, 7. Lomo, 8. baking, 9. Untitled

i am so spoilt. the boyfriend here once a week although he lives several hundred kilometres from here, and my sister and her family visiting this weekend. having a wonderful time with them, in particular my nieces (2 and 4 yrs old), who make me laugh a lot. plus lots of inspiring work. counting my blessings.

hope these images by gifted flickr photographers and bloggers inspire you as much as they inspire me. click on the captions to take you to their flickr streams.

p.s.: i haven't forgotten. there's the prints for my giveaway winners to be sent out next week. and the post about my five obsessions. and that idea about a swap. will do as soon as i can!

p.p.s.: a huge thank you for all your comments on my 'one hundred' post. you're just too kind. it means a lot. oh, next week my photo classes (b/w photography and dark room work) are starting!

corner view: water

when i was a child our family lived near a big river. we used to go for walks there, and my father loved to take his folding boat and go for little day trips. the river could be quite busy, with big ships sailing, so he used to go with a friend or by himself - for us kids it would have been to dangerous. every now and again though, he'd take the boat to a smaller river nearby and take some of us with him. here it's me and my youngest brother, 9 years my junior. (my father had been going to israel a lot back then, that's why he's sporting that fabulous yellow el al sun hat.)

these days, my favourite bit of water is the wannsee - a huge lake in berlin. going for walks there somehow really calms me when i'm tired or upset or just need to get out of the rat race for a little while. i haven't been going a lot recently. but i miss it and will go as soon as i can!

for more corner views, go to dana's while jane is away.

p.s.: as a postscriptum to last week's corner view "love", here's a sweet song i discovered via handmade love.

and the winner is

thank you all for bearing with me - i didn't have time for a post yesterday, even though i promised the winners of my giveaway would be drawn on monday. so here they finally are - 

ulrika, máni and kristina (not myself, obviously, but kristina from sweden!). 

congratulations, you've each won two prints of your choice from my blog. please just send me an email (see right in my profile section) with your postal address and the photos you'd like and i will snail-mail them to you as soon as i can!

today's photos show scenes from a 1920s dinner party / poker night here in berlin - a surprise party for a friend of mine, organised by some of his super creative friends last sunday. we all had to dress up accordingly. so much fun! pictures are quite grainy, since i don't like using flash and have somehow become a dedicated follower of "availabe light photography". (if you'd like to see more of it, head on over to my flickr.)

happy tuesday.

you can still enter

took these pictures a few weeks ago on a walk on a very windy day. spectacular skies. we walked along the river spree for a bit and had coffee at the house of world cultures. i really love that little pavilion tucked away behind the main building. the tiling is so cool.

oh, and before i forget: just a quick reminder that you can still enter for my giveaway on the occasion of my onehundreth blog post. three winners will be drawn at random on monday.

otherwise: have a wonderful weekend! what are you up to? snuggling up with woolly socks and a book on the sofa? or out for a autumn walk? making pumpkin soup? baking an spiced apple sauce cake? whatever it is: enjoy!

p.s.: i've been thinking about organising a little swap here. i'd put up some goodies i'm happy to swap - and who knows, maybe something catches your eye. what do you think?

corner view: dream

1. 071, 2. curtain, 3. 056, 4. Berlin 1971, 5. 2005 Dacha 226 - Blueberries and Brusnika, 6. Dacha, 7. Am Schrebergarten, 8. IMG_3046, 9. Allotment produce

i've got tons of dreams. well, who doesn't. not all of them are publishable though. so after browsing through my big, huge, ornate dream chest, i'm picking this one:

a garden. maybe an allotment. a dacha. that's a big dream. and has been for years. a place where i can grow my own fruit and vegetables. get my hands dirty with soil. sit in a cabin that won't quite heat up although i've fired the small oven. where i'm waiting for spring and the first signs of green. listen to the birds. read lots of books. have friends over for summer dinner with quiche made from my own fresh spinach. with a bottle of wine (or two). pick berries. and apples. where i smell autumn's coming. where i come occasionally in winter to check all is ok. and dream of spring making an appearance, all of a sudden, unexpectedly.

i know it will happen, one day.

(these pictures are not mine, but wonderful flickr finds. clicking on the links underneath the mosaic will take you there.)

see more corner views by visiting dana. usually, corner view is hosted by lovely jane, but she's off to philadelphia for a little break. wishing her a fabulous time!

inspiration tuesday

1. Untitled, 2. care for a tipple?, 3. Herbstzweig, 4. r o l l e r, 5. No.348, 6. Untitled, 7. Untitled, 8. Untitled, 9. Untitled

time for some flickr faves. these are not strictly autumn, but for me convey stillness, the watchful eye, seeing beauty in the small things. qualities i admire. these are wonderful photographers - go and stop by their flickr streams. so worth it.

have an inspirational day.

p.s.: the very first picture i discovered via forty-six at grace. such an amazing blog. full of love for food and light and beauty. and texts that are pure poetry. read the text on travel by train. and check out that fig jam. oh my.