join me on a long photowalk around berlin for historical sites, gritty scenes, and more random views. all shot on fantastic ilford hp5 medium format film.
I feel like there is so much I could write about Berlin and its history, but then again I have decided that for this post I will let the photographs do the talking. To say there were a lot of tourists in Berlin is an understatement, and I can see why. It is a fascinating city and ideal for a weekend trip, whether you are into history, museums, nightlife, or so many other things that only Berlin has to offer. However, with that in mind, and on this photowalk in particular, I hit up a lot of the well known places and even here I found it challenging to find a new perspective on the scene that wasn’t taken 100 times before.
All photos shot with my Hasselblad 501c camera on Ilford HP5 medium format film.
Photos of the Berlin fall (East side gallery) followed by those taken by my Father on a trip when the wall was still standing. What impressed me the most is that what is left over of the Wall runs along a main street and has modern apartment blocks being built right next to it.
Oberbaum bridge and some gritty graffiti shots.
Checkpoint Charlie. I found it hard to take any decent shots here as it must be one of the most photographed scenes in all of Berlin and I spent more time thinking about the significance of this place than taking some photographers. Some good snapshots from my Father’s visit below when it was actually in use.
Various shots in and around Alexanderplatz. I really like how grainy these came out it matches the scene.
Berlin museum walkabout. I walked down past the many museums and ended up at the German parliament, which unfortunately was already booked out for visits to the Dome. Photos below include ‘The Empty Library’, a really moving space commemorating the Nazi book burnings that occurred.
The Jewish memorial.
Brandenburger Tor. Image on the right taken by my Father when the Wall was still up.
Some random shots, including of course more underground stations, I am a sucker for cool architecture.
I stumbled across a protest that was occurring with the centrepiece being a destroyed Russian tank that was taken from Ukraine and put with its gun facing the Russian embassy - talk about a bold move.
Very Berlin.
overall observations
I greatly enjoyed this photowalk and it was interesting to go back and visit some of the areas my Father had been when the city (and Europe) was in a completely different geopolitical place. I am glad I stuck with black & white film as it works well for this city, especially on an overcast day in February.
Thanks for stopping by!
Neil
