bernd margotte photography


Title Picture

Ilulissat Village
Ilulissat Village

What is new

Ilulissat

Anyone who comes to Ilulissat primarily wants to see the many impressive icebergs. This is the best starting point for tours into the UNESCO World Heritage Ilulissat Icefjord. When we spent a week there at the beginning of June we also had time to explore the village a little. At this time of the year, the village with its almost 5,000 inhabitants has still not escaped the winter and many residents have not yet launched their boats. At almost 70 degrees north and without the Gulf Stream like in Norway, summer comes a little later: Ilulissat village.

Aurora Borealis over Southern Sweden

Time and again, auroras can also be sighted in somewhat more southerly latitudes below the Arctic Circle. With large and long-lasting solar flares, even several sightings are possible at intervals of about 27 days. After missing the big event at the end of February, we were able to observe great auroras in southern Sweden 27 days later in March. Especially photographically, the lights are very impressive. Visually, we could only just see the green of the very brightest lights, but the movements were clearly visible. The whole experience requires a very dark observation site: Aurora over sothern Sweden

Fixed focal length or zoom lenses?

I have been shooting exclusively with fixed focal lengths for several years now. My standard equipment consists of a 50mm normal lens, a 35mm wide-angle lens and a 100mm macro-telephoto lens, i.e. three widely used fixed focal lengths. On multi-day hikes, however, you want to reduce the weight as much as possible, as you also have all the equipment such as a tent, stove and clothing with you. Couldn't you go back to a zoom lens and reduce the number of lenses? It would also save you having to constantly change focal lengths, which is a bit of a challenge, especially in bad weather conditions, if you want to avoid rainwater or dirt in the bayonet. Is the image quality of fixed focal lengths really so superior to zoom lenses? I subjected my small collection of lenses to a practical field test and came up with some astonishing results. But see for yourself: Fixed focal length or zoom lenses?

Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands, an enchanting archipelago in the North Atlantic, offer landscape photographers a paradise of dramatic natural beauty. With rugged cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and lush green valleys, this remote destination boasts a diverse range of awe-inspiring scenery. The islands' ever-changing weather creates an atmospheric ambiance, with mist-shrouded mountains and fleeting sunbursts. From the iconic viewpoint of Gàsadalur to the untamed wilderness of Kalsoy and the pitoresque village of B&oslah;ur, the Faroes provide endless opportunities for capturing breathtaking seascapes, birdlife, and enchanting Nordic villages. For photographers seeking unspoiled, wild landscapes, the Faroe Islands offer a truly unique and captivating backdrop: Faroe Islands.

Norrbotten

Norrbotten Län in northern Sweden offers a diverse and fascinating landscape that provides endless opportunities for photography enthusiasts. The picturesque landscape includes vast river landscapes, dense forests and a breathtaking coastline along the Gulf of Bothnia. The special mix of Arctic and sub-Arctic landscapes offers impressive photo opportunities, from the fascinating play of light and shadow in the pristine national parks of Laponia to the tranquil lakes reflecting the surrounding wilderness. Norrbotten Län is a dream destination for photographers who love the raw and untouched beauty of the northern Swedish wilderness: Norrbotten Län.

travel tripod

I have translated an article I have originally written in German about the travel tripod.

hdr photography

I have translated an article I have written some years ago in German about hdr photography. There is a lot of information in it which is still valid and useful; I hope also for you!

Epson 3800/3880 maintenance

Even the best inkjet printer is not free from signs of wear and tear. If black ink stains suddenly appear and ruin the printout, maintenance is required. On the Epson 3800, the cause of the ink stains is a switch that toggles between the two black cartridges. Even if you rarely change the inks (or is it precisely because you use the switch too little?), the switch will eventually leak and create the unwanted residue on the printout. But the problem can be solved by repairing it. This article describes exactly how to do this: Epson 3800/3880 maintenance.

timelapse

The video quality and playback on the timelapse page has been optimized and the layout adapted. The two videos "aurora borealis, northern lights in the artctic" and "bellwald winter scapes" are now available in improved quality.

inkjet printing

The inkjet technique has given us a great printing technique where you can achieve amazing results. But the possible settings are very varied and you will often be overwhelmed by which parameters you should set and how exactly. Print with 240dpi or with 300? Does that really make a difference? Or rather with the setting high quality. And what about the color management; printer driver or Photshop? This article gives information and clear recommendations so that you don't have to test everything yourself.

aperture

The aperture, along with shutter speed and sensitivity, is the most important setting parameter for exposure. Most people know that a small f-stop numbers also means less depth of field and vice versa, but how exactly do you define depth of field? What is a circle of confusion and what is the effect of a high number of aperture lamels? And what does Bokeh mean? The article "aperture" describes all this and much more!

technical articles

During the last years I have published many various articles about photography, photo editing and printing. It was time now to clean up and give the technical page a little lift up. Have a look at the new overview over my technical articles !

sensor sizes

In this article I describe the influences of the sensor size on the focal lenth and also on the aperture and the picture quality. The subject is very interesting and with the help of this article you will learn about the effects the sensor size will have on your photography; have a look on sensor size !

Bretagne, Part 2

The 2nd part of my gallery of pictures about the Bretagne covers the northern part around the small village of Tréguier between Lannion and Saint Brieuc. From here the phantastic coast limnes around Plougrescant and the beatiful island Ile de Bréhat are easy reachable. But its also not so far to travel to the beatiful cities of Dinan and Saint-malon and from there to toursit hot spot Mont Saint-Michel is just around the corner: Bretagne, Part 2.

Bretagne, Part 1

The Bretagne is a big county in the northwest of France with a wild coastline and a incredible tide of up to 14m. This first part shows pictures of the southern region around the village of Penmarch: Bretagne, Part 1.

Äkäslompolo

Äkäslompolo is one of the bigger ski resorts in northern Finnland. It has changed a lot since we visited the first time 15 years ago. We were very lucky this year and were able to see the Aurora multiple times with great displays. The weather was also great and we could enjoy the grand landscape from the cross country tracks: Äkäslompolo.