A Drone Experience

... or The Things You Can Learn From Your Older Cooler Brothers

Both of my brothers are technical geeks, of course. Because who's brothers actually aren't. Every time I come around to visit the one or another - there's new things to see, to learn, to touch and then be jealous about. This time my big bro' introduced me to his precious new toy - the drone DJI PHANTOM 3 Advanced. As an out-dated humanist I have never actually seen nor - moreover - tried out navigating a drone of that kind. It's this little light weight, four propeller thing with a flexibly attached camera; it can fly and be navigated for up to 2 km of a distance away from its controller. A 12 megapixel camera with HD video recording capacity - all there. And - when you attach your mini tablet or smartphone on the controller, you can follow the drones route from birds eye perspective while still keeping your feet firmly on the ground. How damn cool is that!

And so we packed the drone bag to drive towards the next calm corner in the busy city of Vilnius. My brother insisted on me overtaking the controller and daring to get the drone up to the sky. Amazing how easy with just four different finger movements you can come up with something amazing like that within minutes; I got thinking about how many more possibilities open up for creative people and artist, how many fantastic unseen images can be captured or even staged. Just to start with - look at this Lithuanian photographer Karolis Janulis who was obviously having lots of fun experimenting with his drone pet.

But as it isn't quite of a bargain that you spontaneously purchase out of boredom at night on Amazon, here's my top five reasons to start saving on one:

• it opens a rare perspective from a birds eye on demand, something that was not possible to be seen on a casual every day basis
• it reaches things, buildings, nature landscapes which are hard to be reached by foot or machine and makes an additional point of view possible
• it's practical for different kind of documentation like events, real estate, landscapes
• what ever you do photographically - it will bring you to the next level
• and let's face it - it's a great toy in general! like when back in childhood the kids who got those tiny remotely controlled helicopters for Christmas and from then on everyone wanted to be friends with them.. but that's a totally different kind of story.

Good to know: get at least one extra battery at purchase, otherwise you can pack up the propellers after just 20 minutes of great but short fun.

A few snaps from up above:

Look at that - the most symbolical building of Vilnius, the Gediminas' Tower, the reason why the whole city was build around that hill. I was navigating the drone up above it and around.

It was a rather special visit of my brother and Vilnius this time. To be honest, even though it's only the cream part I've been spending time at - like the old town, newly reopened parks with their musical fountains in bright sunshine, those busy but somewhat charming summer city corners amazed me. We were cruising on longboards in a big green park at dusk together with many other people cruising on other things while some DJs were changing one chilly vinyl after another, just because it's summer, just because it's good weather; we tested some of the new Vilnius talking statues between beers on a warm summer night to rediscovered some of the forgotten Lithuanian history pages while the streets were full of celebrating beautiful summerly dressed people; my bro' showed me a place to try out virtual reality glasses which was a whole lotta different experience all together. It was a quality visit for sure. And I'm happy to have a big brother there, too.

Focus!

There are so many things that I wanted to create and share on this blog since ages. So many - I don't even know where to start. I have a very impulsive mind and I rather suffer from the many ideas that come into my head than make and actual profit of it. All of them, the ideas, really want my attention and to get materialised one day, or rather just right now, and if they don't - some of them start nagging me till I cry, can you imagine? And then they get angry and pretty cruel! I tell them to stand in line and wait for their turn, and what most of them do is just roll their eyes, start taking long loud breaths to show how 'patient' they are, one starts tapping its foot to the ground, eventually start moaning. I get soft and when I turn to the most impatient one somewhere in the middle of the queue, kindly giving her a warm hug and offering to go to the front of the crowd, despite all the other ideas that are there in front  of her already. And I kindly ask what can I do to make her existence come true, but what she does is getting all bitchy, stops talking to me at all and turns her eyes away.. Apparently, I've been neglecting her for so long and she's so heart broken now, it's too hard for her to talk to me anymore. Our relationship is ruined forever. With lots of patience I have to start guessing, offering her a cup of tea and somehow trick her into sharing her life-changing existential goal with me. Maybe she'll still give me her blessing and I can create something beautiful out of it.

And that's everyday. Multitasking, managing, dealing, staying patient yet vivid with all the ideas that pop into my mind and scream for attention. And I better recognise the best ones fast, and I better get on doing what they say, 'cause no matter how genius they are - they won't be standing there for ages waiting for their turn in line. They are very undisciplined, you know! They are like little babies, little untamed kiddos. But that's why they are amazing at the very same time. A creative idea, just like a kid full of phantasy, won't be sitting there, killing off all its energy, just to be able to play 'on its given time'. Ideas, like kids, grow if you give them the time and space to grow into something amazing. They might become your inspiration well, your best friends, an amazing part of your identity. Now, I don't know how this turned into some essay about how a child becomes your identity, but that's what it's all about right now. What I want to say is - be careful with ideas that pop into your head. Take a good first scan and decide on just a few which will stand in the queue to become realised. As shiny and sparkly some of them might look - they will have to be sent away in order for you to built just a few bigger stronger projects at a time. Some might eventually come back again, maybe even more developed and advanced by the time.

So stay focused.

The photo shoot is from July last year on a beach on Helgoland, one of the photo experiments which my friend Indre Winterrain helped me to work on. Born out of another idea which was luckily standing in line with a little bit of patience. Luckily, I didn't let her stand there in the never ending queue for too long.

Walk - Eat - Sleep - Get Up before Dawn - Repeat

The recent weeks of my life up in the clouds of the Polopos village has been full of little pleasures. I've been out on morning hikes around the village, found a group of hikers who meet up for a days hike around the Sierra Nevada every week (age average: 65 years - can't stop admiring their motivation for the outdoors and movement), (successfully) dragged my english dad Alex to join the hikes, too, went on a spontaneous Easter road trip around Andalusia, was even photographing and working creatively on an assignment, was learning Spanish, attended even two village wine fiestas, met many new lovely people and convinced Alex to let me drive his new car (and started looking for a future dream car (current status: Citroen c15d - because it's a simple, practical van and you can sleep in it! #vanlife!)). And in between the list of events time is filled with thoughts. Sometimes a few of the negative ones. Even thought I'm having a blessed relaxing time of my life at the moment, worry about future and it's caused mood swings don't give me a break. I start questioning too much, open rooms in my head which should not be opened. Thats nothing new to me nor anyone - we all have it. But the good news is that with years you learn strategies how to overcome your biggest enemy at times - yourself.

As I feel like standing on a thick fog crossroad with the unexplainable urge to quickly choose one out of a dosen ways, first time I simply don't know which way to go. 'Following my heart' or 'going with the gut' doesn't give me the right impulse just right now. Being very afraid to fail, one amongst many reasons. For sure some might say - this girl is an ultimately spoiled Generation Y child. But it's not necessarily a bad thing!

So, instead of crying around I'm doing one thing - getting a bus ride throughout Spain from the very South to the very North, to the city of Oviedo and starting the Camino Primitivo, one of the St. James Way trails that leads to Santiago de Compostela. Length -  approx. 300 km. It's one way to go - straight on to the West, always following the yellow arrows. Walk, eat, sleep, get up before dawn, repeat. And that for a couple of weeks, hopefully with least possible crossroads ahead.

You gotta break the circle of your own habits and routine, through a stone in a vacuum full of thoughts, to roil the water and bring in some good vibration. By walking. This keeps my mind clean. And I'm looking forward to discover and report.

Here's a little collection of life recently in and around the life in the cloud.

A few things I came across during the last few weeks:

new old music even better in a concert

great new blog to follow along

a podcast for my preparation for the Camino - will be following this one for sure

Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart - a very personal and inspiring book I'm on right now

And just before you close this tab - my Instagram - will be documenting my trail over over there, if I don't decide to disconnect completelly

Family Values

On my 30th birthday last year Benni and his family of five came along to celebrate with me. As I was living in Helgoland on an island far far away in the North Sea, Benni packed their tents, stoves, sleeping bags, games and camped on my island for a week. The kids, when they first came and put their tiny feet on the beach watching the seals from far away asked him: can we stay here for a long long time daddy? The holiday was just beginning. I know Benni and Christina, now his wife, since their first flirts and their first attic studio apartment. Many things happened since - their first pregnancy test, moving to their second, third, fourth, fifth apartment, second baby boy arriving, then their third baby girl. I was the one trusted to look after the two older babes when the third was in the hospital on its way to see the daylight for the first time. And then in the morning in the hospital - I was invited to be introduced to their new baby on her very birthday.

It's the closest and most intense connection I have had to a family apart from my own. And the most intense connection I've had to growing humans - knowing someone from his first foetus cells up to when his cells have multiplied so many times that a conversations about 'where do babies come from' with him eight years later is possible. And then you tell him about the foetus he's once been, telling something about starting out in mamas belly.. I can't believe how time passes - best way to see it is to watch a little person grow.

All this experience makes me realise how thankful I am to each one of Bennis family. How much more prepared, shaped and better educated I feel when approaching any other little (or big) human being on this world just because Benni let me be so close to him.

As that close friend I know what Benni and Christina had been through in their relationship. Warm and cold, sometimes ice cold times. But following their story, or rather being trusted with their story, I could learn much about human relations, husband and wife relations and whats the glue keeping people together for the lasting.

And that is only because Benni has let me so close to him, talking openly about his joys and worried concerning his family; and at times maybe taking my opinion, my experience as an advice or just some words or a piece of music I'd show to him. Only through honesty and complete openness we could bound this strong trustful friendship, and most of all - learn to be a better humans from each other. We exchange, therefore we grow ourselves and grow values between us.

Now he is like my third brother, with whom I occasionally share Christmas, Easter or even Thanksgiving festivities (as of his American mother). And if it's needed - he'll be the one bringing me to the hospital on a Christmas Eve with a tonsillitis - true story, really happened.

And so here's a few days of our week together - with summer sun, beach, campsite and burger brunches.

Shot with Nikon D7000 + Sigma Art 35mm f1,4

Hint me a message for a family portrait sessions - legere, playful, natural, pure. I'm currently in Spain, but will be travelling to Germany and Lithuania this summer.

Water Colour Powder Cloud

Happy belated International Woman's Day all ladies reading this blog. Let me just start by saying THIS IS ONE OF THE VERY BEST FUN PHOTO SHOOTS I'VE EVER DONE! Indre, once again that same multi-talent Indre Winterrain who knits all my hats, scarfs and headbands, helped me out with some photo games when I was still living in my little North Sea island Helgoland. She's helped me in cold winter days or cold summer evenings by supplying all her body and willingness just to get those shots. Wonderful woman with wonderful power ♥

I ordered some holi festival color powder last minute online and off we went. Sunset twilight at the Helgoland beach back in July 2015 and Indre in the cold carried by the sea. I overall love the result and am so looking forward for more of that kind! but my favourites are not with the powder in the air in funny split-of-a-second-shapes but rather the 'left overs' on my models skin, the mixture of different colour 'stains' all over her body and face. Joy oh joy!

A rather short text post this time! Some of the smoke bomb shoots still in preparation and to come soon.