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
Tag - Photos Provence
Monday 9 March 2009
Printemps enfin - Spring at Last - Endlich Frühling
By Hans-Josef Jeanrond on Monday 9 March 2009, 15:20
Monday 16 February 2009
Reflets - réflexions : Port d'Hyères
By Hans-Josef Jeanrond on Monday 16 February 2009, 20:45 - Provence / Var
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.
Friday 6 February 2009
Bormes les Mimosas - Printemps !
By Hans-Josef Jeanrond on Friday 6 February 2009, 16:50 - Provence / Var
Sunday 1 February 2009
Vineyards and the Massif des Maures at Gonfaron
By Hans-Josef Jeanrond on Sunday 1 February 2009, 17:10 - Provence / Var
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.
Thursday 28 August 2008
Exposition de photos à Collobrières – Atelier de portraits
By Hans-Josef Jeanrond on Thursday 28 August 2008, 20:30 - Expositions / Exhibitions
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.
Wednesday 6 August 2008
Collobrières #3
By Hans-Josef Jeanrond on Wednesday 6 August 2008, 21:12 - Provence / Var
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.
Wednesday 23 July 2008
Collobrières #2
By Hans-Josef Jeanrond on Wednesday 23 July 2008, 23:10 - Provence / Var
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.
Monday 14 July 2008
Collobrières dans le Var
By Hans-Josef Jeanrond on Monday 14 July 2008, 18:10 - Provence / Var
Change of scenery
Changement de décor
Neue Umgebung
(click on the image to enlarge)
Moving to Provence is a challenge:
Most French people think that you are retiring. Well I am not, and given the
state of retirement finances in France and in Germany, I will probably never be
able to retire. I hope my customers and prospects don't think I am retired, and
they don't need to call upon me any more!
The people in the south suspect, that if you are not retired, you will not live
here during the whole year. Probably thinking « no need to integrate these
people », they won't be around most of the time.
Worse still: How do you move from a project of rather abstract photography
at La Défense to the postcard-landscapes of Provence, photographed a million
times before you get there? Or how do you write about your experience without
subconsciously plagiarising Marcel Pagnol or Peter Mayle?










