Time for a POTN German Mini-Meet ... anybody in Cologne, Germany?

Hi folks,

after having seen a few posts from members in and around the nice city of Cologne recently, why not have something like a German mini-meet in that area sometimes?

At the moment, I only spend my working weeks there (Monday-Friday) there, so I won't be able to attend a meet at a weekend, but let's see some suggestions ...

Anybody know if some colourful events (like the carnival season that has just passed) are coming up soon that would be fun to photograph?
I'm not really a local, so I'm not too familiar with that...

Of course, if you have some alternative suggestions in the area (e.g. the mediaeval town of Ratingen), let's hear them...

BTW, if there are some users in other cities in Germany, post something in this thread as well

Best regards,
Andy

Hey Andy,

sounds like a good idea to me! I was surprised to see that quite a few people are from nearby.

But you should let me some time to get into photography since I'm still a bloody beginner-and I really couldn't bring in any "great tips of my own" on photography. What I could offer is local knowledge though

I just got myself a book on exposure and picked up that EOS 10 that was sitting on the shelf (well, in a protective case in the closet that is for quite some time. I plan on learning with the EOS 10 and then invest in either a 400D or 40D in the summer... that should at least give me some time to save up for that substantial investment...

But then again, maybe you guys could give me some tips on getting started...

Hi,

Sounds a good idea, no one has to be an expert, we can just turn up and chat those with questions can ask, and those with tips can share them.

I'm just getting back into SLR photography since buying an EOS 400d, not that I was any good beforehand with my old EOS, so am trying to improve now.

I have lived here for 8 yrs so have a bit of an idea of the area, depends what peolpe like to photograph.

I have planned to go on a guided photo tour of the altstadt of Cologne next month.

I guess the first meeting would be good in Cologne itself?
I live to the west outside Cologne, but getting there is not much of a problem for me. Whereabouts is everyone else from?

Here's an unusual view of the Rail bridge in Cologne (Taken with my point and shoot, so bear that in mind)

http://www.flickr.com …s/32124497@N00/​360600770/

Regards
Neil

Hi Neil,

that's a very nice shot of the railway bridge as well

That Altstadt Tour sounds like a very nice idea as well ... are there specific dates for that?

I think it would be fun if we all signed up for that... hope it's not on the weekend!
I still live in Stuttgart with my family ... have a new job in Leverkusen, will be moving there in August on a permanent basis, but at the moment I am only there during the week.

BTW, how did you guys find the forum?

Best regards,
Andy

Thanks, qaulity is not brilliant and the lighting was dificult but I liked the motive.

My wife found the Photo Walk here:
http://www.elocon-foto.de/
It's on the first of may, so it depends if you are here for that or in Stuttgart for the bank holiday?
Anyone can feel free to register for it though.
They have other walks/courses etc.

I was shown the website by another English guy who lives in Germany.

As and aside, I had a Red Kite (The bird) flying outside my office window this morning, amazing to see as though we are outside the city we are still not quite in the Eifel here, but didn't get a good pic of it yet. It keeps checking the nest of a Magpie, hopefully it will come back tomorrow!

Regards
Neil

neilg wrote in post #2869811
It's on the first of may, so it depends if you are here for that or in Stuttgart for the bank holiday?

That's really too bad, but the bank holiday is already reserved by my family
Looks like most of the seminars are on the weekends (which makes sense, just is not good for me )

However, the site looks very nice. Good find.

But wait ... found one ... there's a 'Fotowalk' on Thursday, the 17th of May ... no wait, that's another bank holiday..

I think there are more sites like that. If I am not mistaken in Essen there are sometimes photo seminars taking place in the abandoned coal mines. I really have to look into that...

Edit: OK cool ... found some more!

http://www.michael-gnade.de/fotoseminare.​htm

http://www.grenzgang.d​e …trubrik=14&unte​rrubrik=24

http://www.ikf-fotoseminare.de/ikf/in​stitut/institut.htm

Best regards,
Andreas

I'm located just outside Stuttgart and would be up for a mini-meet.

It would be nice to meet up with some other photographers in the area.

I'm going to be in Cologne with my wife for a couple of days, later in March after visiting some friends in Hamburg. In researching what to check out there, I came across this site http://goeurope.about.​com/od/koln/ss/cologne​_pics.htm , which hopefully may give some of you some ideas of where and what to shoot.

DatsEvolution wrote in post #2871467
I'm located just outside Stuttgart and would be up for a mini-meet.

It would be nice to meet up with some other photographers in the area.

Hi DatsEvolution,

welcome to the forum
Great to see that the number of German guys here is obviously increasing!
How did you find the forum?

Best regards,
Andy

I wish! I to lived in Frankfurt many years ago and I went to Bremen last year for back surgery. I love German foods, drinks, people, landscape, etc.

Joe,

you forgot about the cars and the motorways

Glad to hear you liked it...

Best regards,
Andy

Hi Andy,

I'm not sure that I qualify as a German but I do have permanent residence here and have lived in Germany with my family for the last few years (I'm originally from the caribbean).

Thanks for the welcome to the site. I found POTN via google search shortly after purchasing my 350D last year. I'm still learning photography but am having a blast doing so. This forum is a really great resource.

My wife travels to Köln for business on average once a month and she has always said that I should make the effort to get up there and take some photos. So a mini meet in the area would be just the excuse to do so. Naturally I'm also up to meeting with others in the Stuttgart area as well.

Regards,

Dan

Oops ... should have been more precise ... guys from Germany.

I am not German, either
And as I am currently also living close to Stuttgart, we might definitely also look at that

Best regards,
Andy

This thread is really interesting! So what's everybody's nationality? I'm German.

Austrian (so not much different, but still a bit), but practically living/working in Germany / with Germany companies since 1994... 1994 to 1997 actually based in Barcelona and Kuala Lumpur (which was very nice ), but firmly in Germany since 1997.

There are a few longtime POTN users in Germany (e.g. Myth337), quite a few of them with US/English/Canadian background and on military assignment. I am really very surprised that there are so few members in Germany, as this site is just about the best Canon digital photography site in the known universe. There are a few German sites, but the tone there is not really what you would consider friendly (IMO)

So I continue to spread the gospel...

Best regards,
Andy