We're just back from a visit to the four Eastern European capitals of Christmas Markets: Vienna and Berlin were nice. Budapest was just getting started. But the best of them, in terms of food, crafts and picturesque setting was Prague. They also have these amazing chimney cakes which you can have dipped in cinnamon, almonds, butter or chocolate. All the basic food groups.
I shot this a more of a second thought with the small Canon S110 as we were browsing the market for Czech crafts and hot mulled wine. ISO 800, f/4.0, a rather slow 1/13 second exposure. Hand held over my head. I'm always amazed how sharp the pictures are hand holding at that speed. The benefits of no mirror bouncing in the little mirrorless camera. In Lightroom, all I did was burn in the well lit towers and lighten up the faces slightly. I had exposed with the Incandescent setting for white balance, but in Lightroom dragged it down more toward the blue to cool off the whole scene just a bit.
For more info about the equipment and software I use, see this page.
You can buy prints of my photos on my Smugmug page.
My husband and I were in Prague last Christmas and LOVED it!! We couldn’t get enough of the Astronomical Clock (my husband is an engineer, so I lure him into traveling by making sure there are “engineering marvels” to be seen ;-))
As of December 26th we will both be retired. I’d love to know the “backstory” of how you decided/implemented your current lifestyle….I’m living vicariously!
Happy Holidays!
Diane, the basic story is that we had a house that was paid for, and two grown children who were self sufficient. So, we sold the house and everything in it and left. That was four years ago. No plans to stop yet.
Christmas markets, a very authentic and old tradition of Central Europe
Christmas markets are one of the most visible tradition of the central European region , created in the Late Middle Ages in the German-speaking part of Central Europe. The Vienna “December market” which dates back to 1294, was one of the earliest recorded examples of such a market.
Most market open up with the beginning of Advent, 4 weeks before Christmas, and usher in the Christmas season.
The focal point of these markets are the traditional Nativity Scene with their depiction of the birth of Jesus in the manger, surrounded by stall that sell things rustic hand made Christmas decorations , dried fruit and mulled wine to cast off the cold.