Photo-Blog Hans-Josef Jeanrond

Summer - white heat, and notes on excursions to be repeated

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:30:00 +0200

If you wonder why there are hardly ever any "summer pictures" on this blog, take a look at the photograph and imagine the heat that goes with the haze in the hills.

Of course, I could have reported on a trip to the newly opened Centre Pompidou in Metz at the end of May, but it was cold and raining then (!), and the light was not right for the pictures I wanted to take. I will be back there soon, I hope.

I could also have reported on an artistic project in my home region of the Saar, where French artist Valérie Hendrich-Kraemer, together with designers Hullmann and Gimmler, works on a topic very close to my heart: Reflections in water. In her case reflections of words taken from poems. Again, the light was not right during my visit, but I will be back there, too.

Spring - Printemps - Frühling 2010

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Sat, 22 May 2010 19:10:00 +0200

Spring at last!

Printemps enfin !

Frühling, endlich!

(Click on the images to enlarge)

This year, it seemed that spring would never come. And perhaps it didn't, since it feels like we have jumped right into summer at this long Pentecost week-end. We moved without transition from opening all curtains in our veranda to get every sun ray heating up the house, to closing them in order to keep out the heat. It seems like yesterday that my hands went numb in an attempt to clean the swimming pool, and yesterday my wife took her first plunge at 22° C.
The last night frost was in the early days of May!

The landscape around us has changed dramatically in a very short time span, as some of these images show. The efforts of the vine are enormous. In about three months, the grapes will already be harvested. The climate in Provence is harsh on plants.

10 days after the image above, on the same spot

Another 18 days later

28 April, and the same spot

on 16 May

Two more images around Cuers, about 20 km from Collobrières.
Despite the short distance, vegetation is already further developed in this valley, open to the southern winds from the sea.

Studio de portraits - portes ouvertes 8-9 mai 2010

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:10:00 +0200

Walk-in Portrait Studio

Portrait Sudio Tag der offenen Tür

A l'occasion du Printemps des Arts de Collobrières, organisé par l'Association des Artistes et Créateurs de Collobrières (AACC), j'installerai mon studio de portrait dans la Salle des Association, à coté de la Mairie.
Venez seul, en famille ou entre amis, pour vous faire photographier, sans engagement et sans obligation d'acheter les photos.
Vous trouvez que vous n'êtes pas photogénique ? Réfléchissez à cette définition : "On est photogénique quand on est prêt de donner de soi."

La photo ci-dessus montre une femme de caractère et un original de notre village. Mon hommage à Betsy. (Elisabeth Aguettant ; cliquer sur l'image pour l'agrandir)

Voici un petit échantillon des fruits de mes portes ouvertes.
Voir aussi ici

Olivia, 14 ans, essayant différentes identités :

Exhibition - Exposition - Ausstellung

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:30:00 +0100

Two Exhibitions in One - deux expositions en une :

* Reflets - Réflexions
* Portraits

2 - 26 mai 2010 Salle des Moufus
bvd Carnot, Collobrières

Prolongation d'une semaine - extended by one week

Note the changed venue - attention au changement de lieu

The exhibition "Reflets - Réflexions" carries on my favourite topic with images that have been mostly presented on this blog before, but never in a public exhibition. I have retained some of the popular images of the 2008 exhibition, and added new ones like "Dry Clouds", "Wasserschloss I" from the previous posting, "Kaleidoscope", plus some images of La Défense.

Dans l'exposition "Reflets - Réflexions", je poursuis mon thème favori avec des images qui ont - pour la plupart - été présentées dans ce blog, mais jamais exposées en public. J'ai retenu quelques images de l'exposition en 2008 qui ont rencontré un franc succès, et j'en ai ajouté des nouvelles, telles que "Dry Clouds", "Wasserschloss I" du dernier billet, "Kaléidoscope" et des images de la Défense".

The portrait exhibition shows about 35 portraits of people from Collobrières and visitors of the village.

L'exposition de portraits rassemble environ 35 images de Collobrièrois et de visiteurs du village.

www.atelier-agosta.fr - http://blog.atelier-agosta.fr

"Dry Clouds I" - Centre Pompidou, Paris, 01/06/2009

François Saison, sculpteur à Collobrières

Kaleidoscopic images - images kaléidoscopiques

"Kaléidoscope" Reflets dans l'eau et dans la pierre de la fontaine devant la Cathédrale d'Evry, 25/12/2008

"Boulevard Circulaire", Reflet dans le bâtiment Veritas, La Défense, 01/04/2006

"Jardin recomposé", Reflet dans la Tour AGF- Athena, La Défense, 28/10/2005

Wasserschloss

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 11:35:00 +0100

UKV-Gebäude Saarbrücken (Click on the image to enlarge)

Going back to my native Saarland, my uncle and aunt took me to this "moated castle" in Saarbrücken, knowing about my interest in architecture and reflections.

The building dates from 1998, but since it is fairly well "hidden" away from the city centre, I had never seen it before.

Il semble qu'il n'y ait pas de mot pour "Wasserschloss" en Français, Comme en Anglais, on pourrait dire qu'il s'agit d'un « château entouré de douves », mais quand les douves ont perdu leur fonction de défense on commençait plutôt à parler de "plans d'eau". Leur destination était celle d'un miroir pour l'architecture et des parcs et jardins, augmentant l'impression de l'ensemble sur le spectateur. (Voir par exemple le Château de Courances ici et ici)

The image above is a reflection of the building (and of my uncle and aunt who graciously accepted to be directed to this exact spot) in one of the landscaped water basins. I turned it upside down to make it appear "upright" again. The lower and brighter part of the "stairs" and the cobbled area to the right are the only "real" (non-reflected) parts. And they seem the most unreal, like floating in the air.
The image illustrates very well how reflections and distortions challenge our perception, the main theme of my work on "Reflets - Réflexions". Fortunately, in French there are these two similar words to denote mirror image and reflection.

The building in these images belongs to an insurance company (who else could build castles these days ☺): UKV - Union Krankenversicherung in Saarbrücken, Germany. Founded in 1979, is a German health insurance company and belongs to the 6th largest health insurance group in Germany. (See here for more information)

A whole group of creative people have collaborated to design and build this "moated castle": Architects, landscape architects, sculptors. (See here)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:23:00 +0100

Après le froid de l’hiver et les turbulences économiques, je vous souhaite
une année 2010 chaleureuse pleine de bonheur et de succès dans vos projets

After the cold winter and the rough economic climate, I wish you a
warm, happy and successful year 2010

Nach dem kalten Winter und dem rauen Wirtschaftsklima wünsche ich Ihnen
ein warmes, glückliches und erfolgreiches Jahr 2010

Hans-Josef Jeanrond

Portraits (mise à jour)

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:00:00 +0200

Journée portes ouvertes
atelier de portraits

Walk-in Portrait Studio
Portrait-Studio – Tag der offenen Tür

Deuxième journée : 25 octobre 2009

Salle des Associations à Collobrières
Association des Artistes et Créateurs de Collobrières (AACC)

Pendant la fête de la Châtaigne à Collobrières, nous répétons l'opération « portes ouvertes » dans la Salle des Associations, place de la libération (à coté de la Mairie). L'année passée, bon nombre de personnes, de familles et de groupes d'amis sont venu se faire photographier. Dimanche passé encore, la porte ouverte du studio a été franchie par de nombreuses personnes de tout age, seules et en groupe. (La date était malheureusement annoncée comme 18 novembre au lieu de 18 octobre. Désolé pour tous ceux et toutes celles qui se sont préparés à venir en novembre.)
Ces journées - et des sessions individuelles - permettent de réaliser une collection de portraits de personnes qui ont un lien – parfois étroit, parfois passager – avec Collobrières. N'hésitez donc pas de passer – si possible à toute heure de la journée et non pas en foule juste avant la fin de la journée...

Le portrait photographique est une discipline née en même temps que la photographie. De Julia Margaret Cameron, via August Sander, à Arnold Newman, et Philippe Halsmann, il y a eu beaucoup de photographes qui ont imprimé leur marque à cette discipline.
Avec l'omniprésence d'appareils photos numériques et la profusion de photos plus ou moins personnelles sur Flickr, Picasa, etc., le « portrait formel » a presque disparu. (En studio ou dans l'environnement personnel ou professionnel du sujet, mais toujours avec des lumières et un cadre contrôlés). Mais on observe déjà un « contre-mouvement » : insatisfait par la qualité des « images au hasard », les personnes de tout age acceptent volontiers de poser devant un photographe.

Mes premiers essais de portraits datent de 1974 environ – avec des moyens (très) artisanaux : Des draps comme fond et réflecteurs, une lampe de bureau, un flash indirect, etc.
Après une longue pause, reprise des travaux en 2001, avec des vrais moyens de studio, mais avec une expérience retombée à zéro. Comme en 1974, le portrait était noir & blanc « évidemment ». Tema a été une de mes premières « victimes », très patiente et avec un visage qui ne demandait pas trop d'ingéniosité de l'apprenti portraitiste.

(Cliquez sur les images pour les agrandir.)

Après le passage d'autres collègues et ami(e)s devant mon Nikon argentique et captés sur des pellicules N&B Ilford, arrive (pour moi) en 2006 le temps du numérique – et de la couleur.
Les premières sessions avec des boitiers Nikon D70 prêtés par des amis ont été réalisées en couleur, mais je publiais les résultats en noir & blanc sur mon site Web. (Des portraits en couleur ne me semblaient pas sérieux...)

Peu à peu, je pense avoir apprivoisé la couleur, comme témoignent les « têtes » croquées à Collobrières. Le portrait du sculpteur François Saison, dans son Atelier, me paraît mon meilleur résultat dans cette conquête de la couleur et dans son utilisation très mesurée :

J'ai dû apprendre également le métier : le drôle de mélange entre « dompteur » et observateur, le bon dosage entre complicité et distance qu'il faut pour réussir.

Ce sera un apprentissage sans fin, heureusement !

London - money and art

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:55:00 +0200

London - money and art

Londres - argent et art

London - Geld und Kunst

Extending a business trip left me with some time to visit an old friend in London and to walk around some of the areas that I knew well in the past. So I walked until blisters and an oncoming cold stopped me, catching some images for my reflection series. (And some more "touristy" ones, too)

The above photograph is from Paternoster Square, a huge commercial development, including the new London Stock Exchange, right next to St. Paul's Cathedral. One wonders whether, during the height of the financial crisis, bankers and investors went in procession through what used to be Paternoster Row, like the medieval clergy of St. Paul's, praying for better times...

The next image shows St. Paul's Cathedral reflected in the glass panes of the tourist office nearby. (Plus a little "self portrait" in the left lower corner)

Walking across the Millennium Bridge, I paid my tribute to the Tate Modern. Wonderful to simply walk into a museum without paying, look at a few pictures that particularly interest you at that moment, and walk out again - knowing that you can come back any-time for more - without queuing up and paying again. The light was not particularly good, but I still like the view from the cafeteria on the top floor.

Looking down into the "machine hall", I saw this amusing sign, pointing to a "low future" for Futurism.

The next day, walking across London Bridge, I got yet another glimpse of St. Paul's in this glass front:

A bit further east, is another financial district: Canary Wharf. In front of a building still under construction, I found these very nice "Fleurs d'argent". (In English, the pun gets lost, since the "silver" and "money" are not the same word.)

While taking pictures on Canary Wharf, I got accosted by security men telling me that "they" did not like people taking photographs of buildings. After a few friendly exchanges, I told them that I really did not care much about the views of landlords as long as I took pictures on public ground. I then learned to my astonishment that the whole of Canary Warf is private property. In that case, owners have indeed a say in the publication of any picture taken from/of their property.

I hope they won't mind too much the publication of the next picture: "Passe-muraille & Pont-levis". The draw-bridge is permanently up (because of construction work). One may wonder whether people in the finance industry will remain stuck between the glass walls of their buildings, like the "Passe-muraille" in Marcel Aymé's story. And if they get out, will they be able to leave their "island" ?

(Click on the images to enlarge)

Intérieur - Extérieur / Place de Vosges, Paris

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:30:00 +0200

Interior - Exterior

Innen und Außen

Intérieur - extérieur

Travelling to Paris on 30 August provided the chance to catch the last day of the Cartier-Bresson exhibition at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie. (It is still under "current exhibitions", but it will no doubt be moved from there soon: www.mep-fr.org)

Putting on Ferdinando Scianna ("La Géométrie et la Passion") at the same time, did not do him much good: Even though there were some masterpieces in his show, too (less than a handful), he clearly does not reach the level of Cartier-Bresson. Cartier-Bresson's "géometrie" is more elegant and seems completely effortless.

Coming out of the MEP (with queues even longer than when I went in - Cartier-Bresson still draws large crowds!), I strolled around Place des Vosges. Looking at the Galleries and shops, I was able to take another shot at my favourite theme of the moment: Reflections and "inside-out / outside-in". The bright sunshine projected the Place des Vosges into the Galleries and show cases, where it blended with the exhibited works.

The sun was a bit too strong, such the the reflected images "drowned" the interior. Trying to get another chance, the weather had changed and the light was useless. I will have to try again later.

The best result so far, for me, is the above image of the show case of L'Eclaireur. (www.leclaireur.com; click to enlarge the image). I love the blending of the writing on the wall and the tree. My second favourite are the last two images (the last one being a more extremely cropped version of the same image). Here, the exhibited art works are still recognisable, and we have another dimension added: The posters of exhibitions in other places.

The following images are from the two galleries of Ariel Sibony. (www.arielsibony.com)

La Rentrée

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 22:30:00 +0200

Le week-end du 29 - 30 août est celui de la rentrée : l'école reprend la semaine prochaine.
Ce matin à la gare de Toulon, des familles, des groupes d'enfants de différentes colonies de vacances, des jeunes couples (formés pendant l'été ? les couples d'un été ?) étaient sur le quai de la gare pour "remonter" à Paris.

Cliquez sur les images pour les agrandir.

Paris: Beaubourg - Centre Pompidou

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:40:00 +0200

Outside-in / inside-out

Aussen und innen

Extérieur - intérieur

As promised in the last posting, I come back to the topics of "inside-out / outside-in” and "museum and the city". These topics will probably keep my imagination busy for a while, and I will have to revisit places again and again, in order to refine my images and come closer to what I would like them to be.
Comments and proposals for improvements are very welcome.

And if you haven't looked at Escher's perfect illustration of the topic yet, I encourage you to do so. (Click here) With my declining eyesight, a large format camera would help to better see the images in all their detail (of which there is a lot, despite advice to keep images simpler), but I will have to make do with my Nikons.

The current images are just a first step in approaching these topics, taken on July 30 around the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In some cases, the camera position needs to change for better reflections, in others, I should experiment with different daylight and cloud formations, bigger crowds inside and outside, people placed at different positions, etc.
The image above and the next two below have the Centre Pompidou “penetrate” a neighbouring building. I was attracted by the contrast of the rather tame (even lame) metal construction of the neighbouring building and the flamboyant and daring one of the Centre Pompidou.

Click on the images to enlarge

The next two images treat the subject of “outside-in”: The sloping space in front of the Centre Pompidou reflects in the glass panes of the building. One can see people wakling on the outside being “projected inward”, mingling with people people inside whose image is blurred by the reflections of the outside. The photographer is also projected into the (last) image, despite Erich Kästner's saying:

Merk's dir, du Schaf,
weil's immer gilt:
der Photograph
ist nie auf'm Bild."

Back Again after moving - "Kandinski Fall-out" from Paris

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:05:00 +0200

Moved again - and survived!
Déménagé encore une fois - et survécu !
Wieder umgezogen - und überlebt!

Even if you are "just" moving within a village, it's a gruelling experience. And it is an interminable one: You don't hire a professional removal company, since you only have to transport things over a mile, and in our case, you have nearly 2 months to do it. (redecoration of two houses included).
This blog is not about the hassles of moving, the trouble of finding space for things that have lived in your garages and cellars for many years - in a house that does not have either; about the incompetence of telecoms companies and Internet access providers, about the surprises of electric and water-pipes installations, etc., otherwise this entry might be 100 pages long.
Let us just state that the exercise kept me from writing this blog, and from photography in general.
Well not completely, as these images may prove.

]

There will be no photographs "out of my window" this time, since they would have to show our - private - garden rather than vineyards and other parts of the Provence landscape. Since despite moving, I had to be in Paris on a number of occasions; I was able to visit the monumental Kandinski exhibition in the Centre Pompidou / Beaubourg. It is still on until 10 August, and it is a must for everyone passing through Paris this summer. (Click here for more information)

The photographs are “fall-out”, so to speak, of our visit to the Kandinski exhibition.

The one above is an “inside-out” photograph, muted by the net curtains of the museum. Beaubourg is an intriguing place since its large glass panels invite the city into the museum, something that is avoided in most exhibition places in order to shield the exhibits from the destructive effect of (UV) light, and, I suppose, to keep the viewers concentrated. I rather like the idea of openness, unless, of course, I see the reflection of the city in the glass of frame rather than the framed art work.
Hopefully "the museum and the city" will be the topic of another series of photographs. It will be inspired by M.C. Escher's work (see here)

When we went to see the exhibition, the weather was fine and people were having lunch outside in the restaurant on the top of Beaubourg. A pool of water, not quite evenly covering the surface next to the diners, helped to produce these images of "Dry Clouds".
(Click on the images to enlarge)

Earlier on, I had to be back to la Défense, where the CNIT is undergoing a major renovation, and where I discovered this “Iron Butterfly”. Contrary to most of my Défense images, it is a “straight” photograph, not a reflection.

Let us hope that I will get around to more photography and more postings now the moving is behind us and only the “normal” maintenance work around the house drawing on available energies.

Printemps enfin - Spring at Last - Endlich Frühling

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:20:00 +0100

Six weeks after the mimosas flowering in Bormes les Mimosas, spring is finally arriving in the valleys beyond the coast line. It came about a week later than last year, and the blossoming is not quite as abundant this year.
The image above is of our mirabelle tree. It has lost a few branches in storms and seems to have produced a ton of fruit last year in order to ensure procreation. Luckily it survived both storms and over-abundant fruit production (leading to the loss of more branches), but is flowering with a lot more parsimony this year

The peach trees are back in bloom again as well. (cf. posting of last year).

You will probably also recognise the spot near Gonfaron with the vineyards and the Massif des Maures in the fog. (Cf. entry Vineyards and the Massif des Maures at Gonfaron) The same spot has now taken on "un air de printemps":

(Click on the images to enlarge)

Reflets - réflexions : Port d'Hyères

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:45:00 +0100

Spring, evening lights in the water

Printemps, la lumière du soir dans l'eau

Frühling, Abendlicht im Wasser

We are still back at 25 January, the same day we discovered the mimosas in full bloom. (See the posting before this one).
Ending the day with a coffee on the quay of the port of Hyères, I was able to chase a few more reflections in the water. The port of Hyères is rather "modern" and mostly devoid of charme. Nevertheless, the soft evening light and the palm-trees at the edge of the harbour basin made for a few nice images. At least I hope you agree they are nice.

(Click on the image to enlarge)

Here, the people walking along the edge of the water have gotten multiple heads. Of course, the image is rotated by 180°, like the previous one.

The next is a "classic" harbour reflection. (Click to enlarge)

Just in case you think we are spoilt rotten in a climate where spring starts at the end of January, take a look at the next image. In the very night after this marvelous spring day, the deluge set in. It rained so much during the next weeks that the vineyards next to our house in Collobrières were "under water".

This was the view stepping out of my office on 7 February, nearly two weeks after spring at Bormes les Mimosas and Hyères.

Bormes les Mimosas - Printemps !

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:50:00 +0100

Early Spring!

Printemps précoce !

Früher Frühling!

This year I did not want to miss the blossom of the mimosa in the town that took its name from these early bloomers:
Bormes les Mimosas, le Var.
Driving across the Col de Babaou from Collobrières, where no sign of spring could be detected on this Sunday 25 January, we imagined being on a scouting mission in order to determine when the mimosa blossoming could be expected.
Coming close to the town, we were surprised to find cars parked all along the country road. And then we saw it: A lot of the trees were already in full bloom, and the cars were from visitors of the mimosa festival! Within 25 km we had come from winter into spring.
The weather was just as fine coming back to Collobrières, if a bit colder. We could never have imagined spending the next day under a deluge of rain. Spring seemed to return the day after that, but the deluge has been trying to drown us again since Saturday 31 January.
There should be no shortage of water in Provence this year!
But maybe Spring is still across the hill...

Click on the following images to enlarge

Vineyards and the Massif des Maures at Gonfaron

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 17:10:00 +0100

Fog clearing below the Massif des Maures

Nebel lichtet sich am Fuss des Massif des Maures

Le brouillard se lève au pied du Massif des Maures

31 January marked the end of the season for "season greetings" in France. This extended season gives French people a lot more time than those in most other countries to recover from celebrations before sending their New Year's wishes. It shows we have a different sense of time. (I say "we" since I have adapted a long time ago. Having to be exactly on time has become a strain...)
So it is time, even in France, to follow the greetings-entry of this blog with a new posting.

Even though we have already had a glimpse of spring last Sunday (25 January) seeing the mimosas blossom in Bormes les Mimosas, let us first come back to the spot that figured on the greeting card in the last posting.

Driving across the Col de Gonfaron from Collobrières (on the D39) around 10 am on a Saturday morning, we came across this spot showing the the valley around Gonfaron under a cover of fog.
By the time we had come to the plain, the fog was already clearing up.
(Click on the images to enlarge)
All of these images were taken on the way to another destination, in a bit of a hurry, within just 20 minutes.

So I decided to come back the next day, a bit earlier and with more time, hoping to seize the whole process of the fog clearing up. Being earlier than the day before, I found myself around 9 am in this environment:

Little did I know how much time I would have to spend!
The fog clears up in waves: As soon as the the sun clears up a good patch, humidity starts evaporating from the ground, creating a fresh cloud of dense fog.

Around 10:30 am

In the meantime, the fog had cleared enough (by 9:50) to allow the view of the Massif des Maures that I used for the greeting card in the last posting. (See the first image in this posting)
I wonder, how many people have spotted the figure 2009 painted as a "cloud" in the sky on the greeting card.. (go back to the previous post to have a look.)

During the waves of new fog, I was sitting in the car, listening to one of the typical French Sunday-morning-intellectual-radio programmes that are quite entertaining but which you forget more or less as soon as they end. They allow people to expose their intellectual brilliance more than they dig deep down into any subject matter. Before anyone attacks me for such arrogant statements I hasten to add that some brilliant French intellectuals do go below the surface in their radio programmes. ☺

While listening to the radio, I watched the landscape unfold in the rear mirror of my car, getting out periodically for a series of new photographs.

By about 11:30, the fog had mostly cleared up, so that I could get back home in time for lunch.(Important, we are in France, after all!)

(Click on the images to enlarge)

Bonne année - Happy New Year - Ein glückliches Neues Jahr

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 13:19:00 +0100

Au delà du brouillard, nous vous souhaitons de découvrir
une brillante année 2009, une année de santé, succès, bonheur ...

Beyond the fog, we hope you will discover a brilliant year 2009.
We wish you good health, success, and happiness.

Jenseits des Nebels wünschen wir Ihnen die Entdeckung
eines glänzenden Jahres 2009, eines Jahres voller
Gesundheit, Glück und Erfolg.

It has been a long time since the exhibition in September without any update.
My apologies to all of you who came back regularly to this blog - only to find out that there was no news.
I will try to find the time to share my autumn impressions of the Var-landscapes with you over the next weeks.
Until then, I hope your will be able to start the New Year with a joyous celebration amongst your families and friends.

Best regards

Hans-Josef Jeanrond

Exposition de photos à Collobrières – Atelier de portraits

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:30:00 +0200

Exposition / Exhibition : 6 - 19 septembre 2008, Atelier Agosta

“Reflets – Réflexions”

“Spiegelungen – Reflektionen”

"Mat dansant"

(Cliquez sur l'image pour l'agrandir)

Prenant racine dans notre nouvel environnement, j'ai le plaisir d'organiser une exposition de mes photos dans l'atelier Agosta, Cours Louis Blanc à Collobrières.
Faisant le pont entre mes derniers travaux à la Défense et des reflets dans les ports méditerranéens de St. Tropez et de Toulon, je présenterai des photos du “nord” et du “sud” sous un même thème dans cette exposition.

Growing roots in our new environment, I have the pleasure of organising an exhibition of my photographs at the Atelier Agosta, Cours Louis Blanc in Collobrières.
The exhibition will show photographs of my work at La Défense and others from St. Tropez and Toulon, the subject, “reflex – reflections”, providing the link between these far away places in the “North” and the “South”.

Vous avez déjà eu beaucoup d'occasions de voir les photos de la Défense sur ce blog. Je ne présente donc ici que les nouveaux photos des reflets dans la mer, en espérant qu'elles vous inspirent des réflections sur l'éphémère, comme l'ont pu faire les photos de reflets éphémères de bâtiments à la Défense, construits "pour l'éternité”.

All of the images of from La Défense to be seen in the exhibition have already figured in this blog. So I will only show the new ones from St. Tropez and Toulon here. I hope they trigger your reflection on the ephemeral nature of our existence, just as the ephemeral reflections of buildings “built for eternity” should have done.

De mon coté, l'inspiration pour les photos dans les ports m'est venue après avoir vu l'exposition des photos de Venise de Claude Gaspari.

The photographs taken in the harbours were inspired by an exhibition of photographs from Venice by Claude Gaspari.

"Barracuda"
St. Tropez

"Water Colours"
St. Tropez

"Colombe"
St. Tropez

(Click on the image to enlarge)

"Ancré"
St. Tropez
(Click on the image to enlarge)

"Bar St. Tropez"
Reflet dans la vitre d'un camion de livraison
Reflection in the window of a delivery lorry
(Click on the image to enlarge)

"Hommage à Hundertwasser"
Toulon

"Jaune d'Azur"
Toulon

Si vous avez encore vos vacances devant vous et si notre belle région vous tente, je serais heureux de vous voir à l'atelier Agosta.

If you are still looking forward to your holidays, and if you are tempted by our beautiful region, it would be my pleasure to welcome you at the Atelier Agosta.

Atelier portraits – portes ouvertes
Walk-in portrait studio

Pendant l'exposition, j'installerai mon studio de portrait à l'atelier Agosta pendant les jours suivants

Während der Ausstellung schlage ich an folgenden Tagen mein Portrait Studio im Atelier Agosta auf

During the exhibition, I will install my portrait studio at the Atelier Agosta on the following days:

7 Sept. 2008 17h - 19h30
13 / 14 Sept. 10h - 12h and 17h - 19h30
17 Sept. 10h - 12h and 17h - 19h30

Venez donc vous faire photographier – sans engagement.
Que vous soyez des Collobrièrois pur souche, des nouveaux arrivés, ou juste de passage, venez seul(e), en famille, avec vos amis et amies, bien habillés ou déguisés, sérieux ou déjantés.
Avec votre autorisation, vos portraits pourront être inclus dans une exposition future à l'Atelier Agosta.

Drop in for a portait session – without any obligation. Come by yourself, with family or friends, dressed up or in disguise, be serious or exuberant.
With your consent, your portraits may be part of a future exhibition at Atelier Agosta.
Kommen zu einer Portraitsitzung ins Atelier Agosta – ohne jede Verpflichtung.

Kommen Sie alleine, mit Ihrer Familie oder mit Freunden, gut angezogen oder verkleidet, seien Sie ernsthaft oder ausgelassen.
Mit Ihrer Zustimmung können Ihre Portraits Teil einer zukünftigen Ausstellung im Atelier Agosta sein.

Collobrières #3

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:12:00 +0200

Les arbres protecteurs

Protecting trees

Schützende Bäume

December 2007
(Click on the image to enlarge)

Driving, cycling, and hiking through the countryside of the Var, you often see trees planted next to sheds in the fields (and next to houses, of course). Some of these sheds are very small, most of them very old, and one wonders why it should be so important to have big trees so close to them, trees that sometimes seem to crush the sheds.

Since work in vineyards and fields has become mechanised, with farmers and vineyard workers sitting in airconditioned tractor cabins, you hardly see people using the sheds any more.
At 38° C in the shade, our usual temperature these days, you can imagine how wonderful the shade must have been for people who sat down for a break after having laboured for hours in the fields.

Without leaves, the trees and “their“ sheds look very different, and their symbiosis for the benefits of their human owners is less apparent. The evolution of the trees and the vineyards or fields throughout the year ist fascinating.

In this posting, I have put together images of just two tree-shed couples in different seasons.

The plane tree in the vineyard is just outside Collobrières going towards Pierrefeu.

Notice the difference after the vine has been pruned. (It isn't in the picture above)

Enjoy the view when you pass by.

9 March 2008

2 May 2008

24 July 2008

The cherry tree is right in front of our house. You have seen glimpses of it in the previous posting.

5 February 2008

29 March 2008

2 June 2008

29 July 2008

Collobrières #2

Hans-Josef Jeanrond — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:10:00 +0200

Vue de ma fenêtre - droite

Looking out of my window - right

Sicht aus meinem Fenster - rechts

(Click on the image to enlarge)

As promised in the last posting, here are images made looking out of my office window to the right, across the seasons.

You see the orchard and the vegetable fields of our neighbour, the hills of the Massif des Maures with chestnut and oak forests, and the "haunted house" with the permanently closed shutters.
The small image above was taken on 13 October, just three weeks after we moved in.

The next two images date from 2 November, one taken in the morning, one in the evening.

(Click on the images to enlarge)

By the end of November (25th), the trees in the orchard have shed their leaves, the tips of the twigs shimmer in pink. A promise of spring?

16 December: Winter!
Frost in the morning. The image is taken just before noon. The sun touches just barely on the orchard.

Luckily, winter is short. At the end of February, spring imposes itself with forcefully.

5 February and 3 March: Late winter and early spring at the orchard
Apricot and peach trees begin to blosom early.
(Click on the images to enlarge)

2 March: Spring at the orchard
The tree in full bloom to left has showered us with yellow plums during the last weeks. Impossible to collect them fast enough. It is a pity, one cannot take the fruit to a distillery to make Schnaps, as we would do in Saarland. A number of overloaded branches have broken of, unfortunately. We need this tree for shade!

5 March: Winter's last stance
A hail storm at night does not leave a lasting impression. The fruit trees are unscathed and will produce a record harvest by June.

15 March: Spring is really established now

The next two images show the seasonal progress in spring, with different trees blossoming.
(Click on the images to enlarge)

24 March

10 April

23 July: Summer, shades of green
Not the best time for photography. At least, I have not yet found a satisfactory way to photographing summer down here.

PS: Vineyard and reflections

Here is another view out of my window, looking to the left, complementing last week's images, and re-introducing my favourite theme of reflections.
In this case the laurel bush in front of my office and the vineyard to the left are (partially) reflected in the French window of my office.
(Click on the image to enlarge)

Photo-Blog Hans-Josef Jeanrond

Summer - white heat, and notes on excursions to be repeated

Spring - Printemps - Frühling 2010

Spring at last!

Printemps enfin !

Frühling, endlich!

Studio de portraits - portes ouvertes 8-9 mai 2010

Walk-in Portrait Studio

Portrait Sudio Tag der offenen Tür

Exhibition - Exposition - Ausstellung

Two Exhibitions in One - deux expositions en une :

* Reflets - Réflexions * Portraits

2 - 26 mai 2010 Salle des Moufus bvd Carnot, Collobrières

Prolongation d'une semaine - extended by one week

Note the changed venue - attention au changement de lieu

Kaleidoscopic images - images kaléidoscopiques

Wasserschloss

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Portraits (mise à jour)

Journée portes ouvertes atelier de portraits

Walk-in Portrait Studio Portrait-Studio – Tag der offenen Tür

Deuxième journée : 25 octobre 2009

London - money and art

London - money and art

Londres - argent et art

London - Geld und Kunst

Intérieur - Extérieur / Place de Vosges, Paris

Interior - Exterior

Innen und Außen

Intérieur - extérieur

La Rentrée

Paris: Beaubourg - Centre Pompidou

Outside-in / inside-out

Aussen und innen

Extérieur - intérieur

Back Again after moving - "Kandinski Fall-out" from Paris

Moved again - and survived! Déménagé encore une fois - et survécu ! Wieder umgezogen - und überlebt!

Printemps enfin - Spring at Last - Endlich Frühling

Reflets - réflexions : Port d'Hyères

Spring, evening lights in the water

Printemps, la lumière du soir dans l'eau

Frühling, Abendlicht im Wasser

Bormes les Mimosas - Printemps !

Early Spring!

Printemps précoce !

Früher Frühling!

Vineyards and the Massif des Maures at Gonfaron

Fog clearing below the Massif des Maures

Nebel lichtet sich am Fuss des Massif des Maures

Le brouillard se lève au pied du Massif des Maures

Bonne année - Happy New Year - Ein glückliches Neues Jahr

Exposition de photos à Collobrières – Atelier de portraits

Exposition / Exhibition : 6 - 19 septembre 2008, Atelier Agosta

“Reflets – Réflexions”

“Spiegelungen – Reflektionen”

Atelier portraits – portes ouvertes Walk-in portrait studio

Pendant l'exposition, j'installerai mon studio de portrait à l'atelier Agosta pendant les jours suivants

Während der Ausstellung schlage ich an folgenden Tagen mein Portrait Studio im Atelier Agosta auf

During the exhibition, I will install my portrait studio at the Atelier Agosta on the following days:

Collobrières #3

Les arbres protecteurs

Protecting trees

Schützende Bäume

Collobrières #2

Vue de ma fenêtre - droite

Looking out of my window - right

Sicht aus meinem Fenster - rechts

PS: Vineyard and reflections

* Reflets - Réflexions
* Portraits

2 - 26 mai 2010 Salle des Moufus
bvd Carnot, Collobrières

Journée portes ouvertes
atelier de portraits

Walk-in Portrait Studio
Portrait-Studio – Tag der offenen Tür

Moved again - and survived!
Déménagé encore une fois - et survécu !
Wieder umgezogen - und überlebt!

Atelier portraits – portes ouvertes
Walk-in portrait studio