I Found the Red

First the Good News: I think I managed to capture the pure feeling of a Sunday afternoon in rainy Vienna. For that I am happy and think the photo works well.

The Bad News: (I usually give the bad news first to end on a positive note, but it doesn’t make sense in this case ;)) This is a picture of B., so knowing that kind of lessens the impact for me (no offense, B - you’re a perfect model ;)) I say that because I think if it was a random stranger, I could be letting my photography mind /imagination wander about who this person is and all the things going through this person’s mind...

So that said, I’m a bit mixed on this one. I like the monotone drab coloring in this shot. The peek of orange glow coming from a tunnel on the top left of the frame intrigues me. The nose peeking out of the red car is interesting but more of a distraction...somebody finally found the red crayon in the box. Of course, there’s also the handbag...hmmm.

Either way, it is a good rainy afternoon Vienna shot...enjoy.

-T

Twin Peaks

This shot was taken from the courtyard behind a church at a wedding we were at recently. No, I did not have the big camera out and did not turn it into a Zoom photoshoot, but I did get a few snaps with the "fling" digital elph ;)). Enough snaps to put together a nice book/album for the newlyweds anyway...

I found the colors of the building very interesting in this one. I especially liked how half of the building was out of the sun and I caught the shadows right at the split between the peaks. I like how the white roof line is continued through the frame in the reflection on the dark side's angle/windows. Even more how the side of the building hiding in the shadows seems to be the worn down/tattered side...almost angry to lose the sun first every day.

Happy Friday!

-T

A Long Shift

These soldiers sit perched a top the Monument of The Red Army - a monument at Schwarzenbergplatz in Vienna's 1st District. The monument was gift to Vienna from Russia in 1945. It is a memorial to the Red Army troops who helped to liberate Vienna. The monument is a huge aqueduct-like structure with several columns supporting it.

I will aim to get a proper picture of the full monument up. I tied to shoot the entire monument -- but instead I ended up getting carried away shooting the giant rainbow created by the fountain... I ended up nothing decent of either the fountain or the monument... This is actually taken standing underneath the monument looking up. These blue skies are tough to beat.

-T

Info for Info Lovers: In 1945, the Soviets choose the beginning of the 'Rennweg' (namely Schwarzenbergplatz) to set their 'freedom' monument . The city of Vienna had to commit itself to maintain the monument. Over time, the Viennese have got accustomed to the 20-meter-high guardsman monument, even if it affects the view on the Schwarzenberg-Palace. It also trumps the rider statue of field marshal Karl Philipp Fürst Schwarzenberg, who led the militaries in the battle of the nations against Napoleon in Leipzig in 1813. In 1837 Antonio Gabrielli created the famous “Hochstrahlbrunnen”, a huge fountain that was built on the opening of Vienna’s first water main. In summer the fountain presents itself in beautiful colors due to its multicolored lights. Source: www.wientour.at

A huge memorial to the Red Army troops who helped to liberate Vienna in 1945 stands proudly on Schwarzenbergplatz, [...}. It was, of course, the Russians who insisted on Austria's "permanent neutrality" as the price of the Red Army's withdrawal from Vienna across the cold war frontline into Hungary in 1955. Source: The Guardian

Pretty in Fuschia

We had some nice late afternoon sun this past weekend. We were shooting in the heart of the city at a place called Schwarzenbergplatz - in Vienna's 1st District.

Although the lighting is not perfect, I especially liked how the woman's fuschia jacket played against the typical flat Viennese buildings in the background. Quite an interesting contrast. There is just a hint of afternoon sun on the brim of her hat...it's just about gone.

The sign (sponsored by Kodak) in the back reads "Photo Zentrum" or Photo Center. It's still hard for me to imagine they develop film in a building that looks like that...

-T

Watch Out for Bulls

Well, the tulips are out in Vienna. That's for sure. The tourist areas and monuments are marked with hundreds of them. We'll give Amsterdam a run for their money...

It's perhaps a bit strong, but I like how the flowers play with the Straßenbahn (Viennese street car/cable car) and the red light in the background...all in the same shade of red. I had a red vest on shooting that day and B had some fun getting all the reds to come togehter. Where's Tom?

Hope you like red. Watch out for charging bulls...

-T

History Close Up

I started my blog with posts from the museums in Vienna’s 1st District. They have been among my favorite buildings and places to visit here in Vienna so I made them first. They were all night shots – as I think they are absolutely amazing at night. (Not that they are too bad during the day either ;) See the original night shot on Zoom here.

I thought I’d go back and shoot a few during the day. Here’s a shot of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. (Art History Museum) I’m sure you’ll see some more shots of these Grand Dame museums in the days to come...

KHM official website here.

-T

Another Pretty Face-lift

Ladies and Gentlemen, on the left you see the world famous Vienna State Opera. Straight ahead you'll see the Hotel Sacher, home of the world famous Sacher Torte. Unfortunately the Sacher is currently undergoing a facelift. That facelift is brought to you by Tag Heuer. - Viennese Tour Guide

Ever reliant on tourism as its main export, Vienna does a wonderful job of keeping its prized monuments clean. The reason I have not posted/shot the State Opera House (left of frame) yet, is because the entire front façade of the building is covered in such scaffolding due to its regular cleaning.

I mentioned a few posts back about the variety of creative advertising forms in Vienna. This one is great – for both the advertiser and the city. However I can understand the frustration I hear regularly from many people coming to Vienna from abroad. They come to see the attractions and they are essentially closed…unless you want snaps of Brad Pitt, of course. It’s like trekking to Disney and Space Mountain is closed for maintenance. Ouch.

The advertising is a great, creative way for the state to get paid to do its work. An economically symbiotic relationship...well done. Offsetting costs is an economic must and Vienna has done this admirably. However, I personally would gag if I saw a David Copperfield-like sheet draped over the Statue of Liberty with the McDonald's Golden Arches emblazoned on it. At some point the advertising cheapens the experience and in the long run, the brand...

-T

Info for Info Lovers: Another innovative use where the scaffolding was made to mimic the finished product of the building reconstructed can be seen here (of course, with sponsor Uniqua): Example of another here.

In the Brad Pitt / Tag Heuer Deal: "We welcome the entry of Brad Pitt to the TAG Heuer family. Brad Pitt’s appointment as TAG Heuer’s international brand ambassador will go a long way in strengthening the brand’s association with glamour and lifestyle, in addition to the already established strong association with sports, thereby achieving a perfect blend of glamorous living with a sporting attitude." said Manishi M. Sanwal, Brand Manager for TAG Heuer in India. Source:Tag Heuer

Luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer is launching a £15m ad campaign fronted by actors Brad Pitt and Uma Thurman, Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya and tennis star Maria Sharapova. The activity is believed to be the first time Pitt will appear in a pan-European ad campaign. Source: Brand Republic

ZoomTree

I was asked recently what my criteria for posting to ZoomVienna are. And I think it’s pretty simple, I’ve got sort of a two step "filter":

1) The Tourist Filter: Does this shot help the user understand a bit more about Vienna? Would someone who has never been here get at least a little better understanding of what Vienna offers?

If yes, see Step 2.

2) The Fling Camera Filter: Would an average point-and-shoot user take such a snap? Is this a typical family vacation / throw-another-slide-in-the-carousel shot? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then reload. Shoot again.

So, that being said, today I break both rules and post a random macro of a tree. ;)

I guess there is a corollary to both rules: if I get a general gut feeling about a shot (usually if I think a shot "fills the gap" in what I’ve been posting, or if it breaks up the monotony), I’ll just post it. Even structure has a bit of chaos to it ;)

So...here is...my tree.

[BTW- it’s a shot of a tree in the Volksgarten with the backdrop of a public bathroom in the background. I liked the color similarity of the inner bark of the tree to the wood of the bathroom. The green sign is for Men ;)]

-T

Zoom News:
I was asked a few weeks ago by a magazine in the UK to submit some photos for an article they were writing on Vienna. I obliged and FTP'ed up some shots the reporter requested from the Zoom site. Yesterday Recently I received a package in the mail with 15 copies of the magazine with the Vienna piece in it. Very cool - the story contained exclusively ZoomVienna's photos.

► See the article scan here.

The magazine is Jungle Drums, a niche UK culture and lifestyle magazine for Brazilians living in the UK. Circulation aprox. 80,000/month. The full magazine is not online so I have posted a snap (no scanner) via link above. From the links page I have linked the Jungle Drums website where the partial piece is online.

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Don’t Skate Here

Attention Skateboarders: Do Not Skate Here. (Of course it might add to the allure that you’d be treading federal police turf...)

This building is a federal office for police related matters including the Verkehrsamt - the Austrian equivalent of the Registry of Motor Vehicles. All auto related issues are handled here (car registration, driver's license, etc.)

As with all RMV’s the lines here are long and deli-style number taking systems are in effect. Good news is in Austria, the driver’s license never expires, so the visits are fewer. Bad news, if you go swimming with your license in your pocket, you’ll be right back here, as the Austrian license is a pink piece of paper with a photo from an Amelie photo machine stapled to it. Lamination devices are tough to come by I guess ;)

I was drawn to the lines going on here. They seem to go through the entire frame and take the eye with it. Once the eyes are done with that, they get greeted with a nice chunk of red as a focal point. (Perhaps your eyes started there…) I really like how the red jumps off the page...against more blue skies. :)

Happy Friday!

-T

Zoom News:
I was asked a few weeks ago by a magazine in the UK to submit some photos for an article they were writing on Vienna. I obliged and FTP'ed up some shots the reporter requested from the Zoom site. Yesterday Recently I received a package in the mail with 15 copies of the magazine with the Vienna piece in it. Very cool - the story contained exclusively ZoomVienna's photos.

► See the article scan here.

The magazine is Jungle Drums, a niche UK culture and lifestyle magazine for Brazilians living in the UK. Circulation aprox. 80,000/month. The full magazine is not online so I have posted a snap (no scanner) via link above. From the links page I have linked the Jungle Drums website where the partial piece is online.

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Break Dance

I couldn’t resist. I had to post this. I tried valiantly to move past my Prater Series (Vienna’s amusement park)...but as evidenced by this shot, I could not. Since it claims to be the oldest amusement park in the world, I figure it deserves another post :)

So, without further adieu, I give you...Break Dance. You got your sun glasses on yet?

I wanted to crop this and get just the stars and the disco ball in the middle. Each mirror on the disco ball had a cool reflection in each tiny mirror. (note to self: drag a disco ball around Vienna and capture crazy reflections around the city ;) But I decided I like the framing on this one and the perspective on the whole better than its parts.

For even more fun, click on today’s shot go back to yesterday's shot and come back to today’s. Repeat. ;)

-T

Zoom News:
I was asked a few weeks ago by a magazine in the UK to submit some photos for an article they were writing on Vienna. I obliged and FTP'ed up some shots the reporter requested from the Zoom site. Yesterday I received a package in the mail with 15 copies of the magazine with the Vienna piece in it. Very cool - the story contained exclusively ZoomVienna's photos.

► See the article scan here.

The magazine is Jungle Drums, a niche UK culture and lifestyle magazine for Brazilians living in the UK. Circulation aprox. 80,000/month. The full magazine is not online so I have posted a snap (no scanner) via link above. From the links page I have linked the Jungle Drums website where the partial piece is online.

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Your Ad Here

Outdoor advertising is a great topic to cover here in Vienna - both from a photographic standpoint and a discussion standpoint. Vienna has some interesting forms of outdoor advertising. I'll highlight one of the unique forms here...and save some others for when I can capture them appropriately.

The object in the foreground is called a "Litfaßsäule", or advertising column. These columns are all over the city. Ad space is sold around the perimeter of the column and they are often plastered several layers deep with billboard advertising, not unlike something you'd see on construction sites in New York.

The object being neglected in the background is Vienna's famous Votivkirche, or Votive Church. The neo-Gothic gray limestone Votive Church was built between 1856 and 1879. I'll dedicate a shot in the future to the church where I will discuss it in detail.

A vertical shot today... I like how the Austrian shield Coat of Arms (thanks, Steve) is the focal point in red and how the top of the kiosk plays with the spires of the church in the background. (The staging/scaffolding on the church in the background is from when the church was getting it's regular cleaning. The entire church will be as white as the front side of it upon completion.)

Zoom News:
I was asked a few weeks ago by a magazine in the UK to submit some photos for an article they were writing on Vienna. I obliged and FTP'ed up some shots the reporter requested from the Zoom site. Yesterday I received a package in the mail with 15 copies of the magazine with the Vienna piece in it. Very cool - the story contained exclusively ZoomVienna's photos.

► See the article scan here.

The magazine is Jungle Drums, a niche UK culture and lifestyle magazine for Brazilians living in the UK. Circulation aprox. 80,000/month. The full magazine is not online so I have posted a snap (no scanner) via link above. From the links page I have linked the Jungle Drums website where the partial piece is online.

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Cat's Cradle

Well this about as abstract as a Ferris wheel can get... But hey, I told you I was looking for some different angles. The wheel is photographed so much in this city, I thought’s I’d go abstract on it.

I’m not sure if I like the overall effect, meaning, you lose the sense of the full wheel. But I do very much like the sense of sheer size and strength of the wheel by just showing the spokes.

The thing is pretty amazing… If you think that each of these cabins can easily hold 25 people...you start to get a sense pretty quick what a massive structure this thing is.

Remember Cat’s Cradle? If not, see here ;)

Big Wheel

Vienna's Riesenrad (or Giant Wheel), is a Ferris wheel located in Vienna's world-famous Prater (see yesterday’s description). It is a 61-meter (200-feet) tall Ferris wheel ride constructed in 1897 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee (marking 50 years of reign) of Emperor Franz Josef I. The wheel creates a special point of reference for visitors with its unmistakable silhouette, clearly visible from all over Vienna.

The Ferris wheel has its own website translated in three languages, a gift shop, a tuxedoed wait staff, and high rent – payable by the hour. Anyone coming to the Prater amusement park can ride the Riesenrad for EUR7.50 ($9.68USD). The website lists it's 'Luxury Cabin Hire' at EUR260 ($336USD) per hour.

The wheel's appeal reaches further than just tourists. The Riesenrad is regularly rented for presentations, press conferences, and other corporate events. There have been proposals of marriage, birthday or anniversary celebrations, stag parties and children's parties in its circular domain.

I debated a while whether to post this shot or a more traditional shot of the wheel. I am perhaps too happy with this shot – as I think my POV/framing makes it look like a finished post card (perhaps a good thing, but that point caused me hesitation before posting). I searched for an angle/POV for a long time until going with this one – the wheel is so often photographed that finding a unique like this one was tough. The title at the bottom of the frame is the sign marking the exit to the gift shop.

Info for info lovers:

Some dates in Wheel History:
1897 The Giant Ferris Wheel was erected to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Emperor Franz Josef I.
1944 The Giant Ferris Wheel is burned down.
1947 The Giant Ferris Wheel is taken back into operation.
2002 The Giant Ferris Wheel gets lights and illuminates the night skies of Vienna with gold and silver lights

Sources: Ultimate Roller Coaster, Wiener Riesenrad, Wien.Info

I'm Surprised It's Not Green

Welcome to the Viennese Prater – the oldest amusement park in the world

So begins the front page to the Prater website. I’ve been here in Vienna for a little over two years, but just recently went to Vienna’s amusement park for the first time. That's a photographer's sin. It should be the first place any photographer goes in a new city ;)

The park is in the middle of the city. The Ubahn (subway) runs directly around the park’s borders. The Prater can be seen from all over Vienna, marked by its famous 'Riesenrad', or Ferris Wheel.

The Prater is a wonderful journey for the senses. Combine all the things that we all know and love about an amusement park setting (sights, sounds smells, etc.) and crank it up a notch with a bit of Viennese flair. What flair you ask? Take the typical Viennese attitude (or charm if you will), add to it some Viennese styling, the melting pot of tourists and immigrants Vienna is famous/notorious for, and throw in a 'Schweizerhaus' to boot. You’ve got one heck of a ride for the senses. (more on Schweizerhaus to follow)

Besides the great expressions, I'm happy with the stark yellow up against the Hollywood-bluescreen-in-Vienna blue sky. I'm surprised the composition is not green... ;)

-T

Coming tomorrow: Big Wheel

Amusement for amusement lovers: Since 1766, when Emperor Joseph II opened it to the public, this extensive stretch of parkland and woodland has been the favorite place of relaxation and enjoyment for the Viennese. The Prater is basically a giant, open fairground with its most famous landmark being the giant ferris wheel known as The Riesenrad. Built in 1897, this 220-foot giant was originally designed to be a temporary exhibit, and like the Eiffel Tower, it is still attracting visitors today. The Lilliputian railroad is also located in the park, a 2.6-mile narrow-gauge line that operates in summer using vintage steam locomotives.

Prater was a hunting territory for emperors. For the marriage of Leopold I. to Margaretha Theresia (from Spain) on Dec.5, 1666 Leopold organized a hunting expedition where aristocrats shot hundreds of animals who where caught in Tyrol (west-Austria). It was opened for general public in the year 1766 by Joseph II (married to Maria Thereasia). The Prater also hosted the World's Fair (Weltausstellung) in 1873. (Source: Brochure from Carl Eduard Reinhold, 1826, Historisches Museum) Some great old pictures here.

Sources: The Prater Park, and Official Prater Website (minimal English)

Saturday in the Park

...I think it was the Ninth of April. --as composed by Chicago performed by a Bostonian in Vienna... ;)

I’ve read some threads other places recently about the morality questions of these types of voyeuristic shots. I read recently on Chromasia about a photojournalist’s buffer from reality created by her camera lens. It’s an interesting debate.

I look at my photography – at least as it relates ZoomVienna – more from the journalistic standpoint. Zoom is my interpretation/presentation of Vienna for all to see – take it for what it is. My eyes, my interpretation, my documentation of the city.

The people are part of this documentation. Their clothes, how they look, what they do, etc. No more no less. Perhaps that’s my “buffer” that allows me to take these types of shots. I rarely worry about the ethical side (although I do think about whether the person will want to be photographed, will get annoyed, etc.).

The area becomes a bit grayer when you look at the fact that ZoomVienna is only a photoblog, an unpaid, non-reviewed website. One can question whether this journalism angle is valid. I’d argue it is. That if I am to do Zoom correctly I need to include people shots...

Where is Peter Cetera these days anyway? Perhaps I’ll find him on a park bench somewhere...

-T

Spring Fever

Let me translate this one for you... I think I’ve reached that point in my German career. This one says: "Go home and make love! Now!" Not bad, eh? B, let me know if you need a hand with translation moving forward ;)

I figured I'd shake things up a bit today – although I could post Hundertwasser for the next month and not be bored... Saw this on a photo shoot a few weeks back and decided I better dust it of before it looks really out of place in the middle of the summer. Besides the signage, I love the colors and the graffiti (see, Vienna is not *so* proud that it can go without Graffiti).

Doing a bit of background digging on this campaign, I found out that this signage has drawn attention worldwide. The AP has picked up the story as have the local papers as far as Maine, USA. The campaign is an outdoor art exhibit sponsored by the Kunsthalle – an art gallery in Vienna’s heavily touristed first district. The gallery invited 100 artists from around the world to scrawl messages on signs – all of mundane (or in this case...ahm, simple) tasks urging the reader to carry out the simple instructions. Some signs around the city have been stolen...and then promptly replaced by the gallery.

Happy Friday!

-T

Art for Art Lovers: A broader conception of art: The Kunsthalle Wien is the exhibition institution of the City of Vienna for international contemporary art. It established itself as one of the most vital facilities for contemporary art in Vienna at two locations in the centre of the city (Karlsplatz and the MuseumsQuartier). In the interest of an expanded understanding of art, the Kunsthalle Wien emphasizes cross-genre, cross-border trends in the arts.

Program highlights range from photography, video, film, and installations to new media. Large, subject-specific exhibitions present developments and correlations from Modernism to the present-day art world. Other program elements are dedicated to retrospectives of important contemporary artists and significant contributions in Austrian art after 1945.

Hot Zone: The Kunsthalle Wien considers itself a workshop, a lab, a forum for contemporary aesthetic and social positions and as a hot zone of communicative transfer. And as a bridge between classical modernity and the visions of the future that redefine the strategies, venues, and materials of present-day art.

Sources: Kunsthalle, Portsmith Herald

Corporate Cross Section

I'll leave my Fernwaerme (heating plant) series today with an abstract of the Fernwaerme Wien corporate building that is across the street from the trash facility. The Fernwaerme Wien corporate headquarters is also done by Hundertwasser as part of the whole project and is equally unique, strange, interesting, colorful [insert your adjective of choice here].

The building has different colored metal siding around the outside of it, all which has a series of striations/lines running through it. Coming from the top of the building (a 20-story tower?) are brood red lines/effects from the top of the building to the bottom. The red lines are supposed to resemble the pipes of the heating system running through Vienna (I cannot confirm this, but I’m using the right side of my brain to hypothesize here). The red makes a stark and wonderful contrast against the other lines and colors on the building.

Here is a cross section for you so you can see the detail. The wider “tourist shot” was a bit bland, although it’s definitely a cool building and definitely NOT corporate. Wonder what the suit and ties look like of the execs showing up daily to do deals in this complex...

-T

Leaning Incinerator of Vienna

Just as taking this shot was an impulse...posting this shot is an impulse. I liked it, so it's up. That's why you're here, no? So, a long winded way of saying, I hope I don’t offend anyone with my Disney/tourist-type pic today...but it is original, I promise.

Surprise B!   You’re 10 minutes start........NOW.   B, meet the ZoomVienna readers. Loyal ZoomVienna readers, meet B. (that is, Barbara, a.k.a. flygirl)

After our Fernwaeme Wien shoot (see the last two day's shots) we were looking around for more subjects and we wandered onto a bridge far behind the facility. We stopped about half way across the bridge and I asked B to turn towards the tower and make a kiss. A little homage to my Pisa trip. We’re a good plane ride and some quality pizza away from Pisa, but still. ;) (For those who have never been, there is a gag photo opp in Pisa were you can stand on a fence post and hold your arms/hands just at the right angle so you appear to be supporting the tower.)

It could have been just a freak thing I saw a guy do in Pisa, but I’m guessing not...it’s probably done by a good deal of people who make it to the little Italian town. I can say though that I’ve never seen a Viennese (or anyone for that matter) kiss the Hundertwasser Fernwaerme. Google hasn’t either ;)

It’s not perfect, it’s not perfectly exposed, but it’s original. -T

Orange Crush

A shot from the back side of Hundertwasser's Fernwärme Wien (Heating Plant Vienna). For those who missed yesterday's shot: this is a garbage incinerator/heating facility in Vienna...!?!

This shot shows the city garbage collection trucks in the process of dropping off their loot. I love how the city chose to color coordinate their trucks and chose a bold color to do so - orange. The trucks even match Hundertwasser's pallette - you can see this in the background of the shot...nice.

I chose to keep a good deal of the frame dedicated to the incinerator building so you can see how out of the ordinary the whole thing looks. It is just not normal to have trash/sanitation trucks coming and going from such a facility...

As a bunch of you mentioned yesterday, making trash collection an art form is a great way to clean up a hideous necessity of urban life.

-T

Burn Baby Burn

Here's a shot of Fernwärme Wien (Heating Plant Vienna) designed by renowned Austrian painter and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser. The Fernwärme Wien is a modern trash burning facility. It is a spectacular major landmark on the Vienna skyline.

The facility acts as a 'central boiler' for the city – providing warm water through an intricate network of pipes around Vienna. Amazingly enough many buildings around the city require no furnace for heat because the hot water pumped from these facilities around the city are sufficient for heating.

For the introduction shot to this topic, I tried to find a shot that will convey an idea of the size/scale of the facility – it’s huge. I also wanted to highlight the elements that make it so special – the Hundertwasser touch. I hope I achieved both.

Like the Hundertwasserhaus (featured here and here on ZoomVienna), this building is like something out of a fairytale. Tim Burton should pay a visit.

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Info for info lovers: District Heating Plant, Spittelau, Vienna 1988-1992. During a visit to Vienna several years ago, the mayor of Osaka was so impressed with the technology and design of the incinerator/facility that he changed the existing plans for his planned facility to reflect that of the Vienese structure. For complete Japanese site shots see the Hundertwasser weblog

The plant provides district heating to more than 225,000 residential customers and some 4,800 commercial customers. Vienna has the persistence of its Mayor Helmut Zilk to thank for Hundertwasser’s having taken on the task of redesigning the exterior of the Spittelau district heating plant. Originally Hundertwasser had opposed the idea, upon consulting his friend, the environmentalist Bernd Lötsch, as he had fundamental objections to a garbage-incinerating plant as long as all possibilities for avoiding garbage were not exhausted. But when it was promised that the plant would be equipped with the most modern emission-purification technology, that 60,000 apartments would be heated whose emissions would otherwise be a further source of pollution, thus making Vienna’s air cleaner, and in view of the fact that a metropolis such as Vienna would need a garbage-incinerating plant despite the greatest efforts to avoid garbage, Hundertwasser finally agreed to do the design. Additional sources.

-T

University Bound

Well 2-years plus into my Vienna stint, I finally cracked a book. No, I’m not a student…a good decade plus removed from that buffoonery ;) But this is indeed my first visit to Wirtschafts Universitaet Wien (Vienna Economics University), B’s alma mater.

I was so distracted by the crazy reflections going on all over the place, that I hardly noticed the insides ;) The building is very modern – all built out of cool toned glass. It is comprised of several wings, where on a sunny day the angles of the building are all reflected off each other. I took the opportunity to find a voyeristic angle and drop in on a few study sessions. This one is bounced off a ceiling under a wing...and flipped - if that makes sense.

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Info for info lovers: The WU is over 100 years old. Its predecessor, the Imperial Export Academy, was established on October 1, 1898, with the aim of imparting knowledge to businessmen engaged in foreign trade. Immediately following World War I, the Academy became a public World Trade University (Hochschule für Welthandel), offering a three-year degree program. The University was renamed again in 1975, this time to Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien (Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration).

The WU has now grown to 20,000 students and more than 1,000 full-time and adjunct faculty and staff members who thrive in a buzzing atmosphere of academic research and activity. The WU is consistently ranked among the top institutions out of 120 in Austria, Germany and Switzerland for international business education. The WU has over 175 partner universities throughout the world and acknowledged expertise in a number of fields, including that of East-West business. WU here

Enjoy the rest of the weekend :)

-T

Coming tomorrow: Burn Baby Burn

Manner Mag Man Eben

"If you were to take one or two specific things away from an Austrian you might consider him less of an Austrian or you may feel he was no longer an Austrian at all. He would be de-Austrianised, neutralised, a man of little substance. These specific "Austrianising" things are the essential building blocks of our national identity. They are the real coat of arms of the Austrian Republic(...). And into this category come Manner Wafers."
-- Peter Glaser
"Die wahren Wappen Österreichs" in Neues im Westen

Today it is my (B, Flygirl) turn to bring you the famous Manner Schnitten (Manner Wafers) and their importance couldn't be described better than with Peter Glaser’s words (above).

The product was first introduced in 1898 – making the product over 100 years old - and the recipe hasn't changed since. In the beginning Manner wafers were sold loose and were almost unaffordable for many Viennese. Later they were packed in the signature aluminum foil we still know today. Even though the design has changed a bit over the decades, the packaging is considered a real classic, just like the wafers themselves. They are exported and known worldwide (even Arnold Schwarzenegger ate one in Terminator 3) . Manner Schnitten are as Austrian as the 'Sacher-Torte' and the 'Stefansdom'.

I tried different angles and backgrounds to present them in an original way, that would make you all want to have a piece. I finally decided that this was the most 'yummy' shot of all. If sales jump this weekend I'll know I did a good job...

For more information about Manner Schnitten, go to: Manner or KillerMovies

Don't Look Down

Here’s an architecture shot of probably a bit less significance than some of the other architecture shots I have posted. I say that only because it isn’t of a famous building or statue – hard to accomplish in a city full of significant architecture.

I like the look and feel of it quite a bit. I like the lines and muted colors. Teal and khaki are not typical colors for buildings. They make a nice backdrop - with the crisp blue sky - for the sparkling gold figure.

The gold statue presented is actually the top of a statue dedicated to a past Bürgermeister (Mayor) of Vienna named Johann Andreas Liebenberg. (Google knows about as much about him as I do ;) This gold figure sits atop a giant base that has a huge sleeping lion at the bottom of it. It is located on the Ring (Ringstrasse) where many of the famous buildings/tourist attractions are here.

If I were to pan out with this shot, you would see there is a Subway fast-food chain in the bottom of this building. Don't look down. I’ll let you decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing...

Happy Friday!

-T

Finally

I would not want to be a homewrecker here...I needed to post the female duck or she'd be jealous, right? I'm sure she's wondering what took so long for me to get to it. ;)

So, here's a shot of the female duck. This one gets the lighting from the other side and a different angle/color of Schoenbrunn in the back. The colors of the building match the duck perfectly.

This should also answer the grassy knowl wooden duck theory I think ;)

Got bread?

-T

History Lesson

This reminds me of a Lincoln Memorial shot I remember seeing once of a sharp contrasting figure sitting on the steps in front of the huge columns... This is probably why the image has kept calling at me from my deck of shots...and why it made the cut this morning.

While this shot is not as dramatic – as the temple is no where near as big...I think the effect is still there. Some will say I should have PSed out the graffiti, but the purist in me said leave it. Ah, decisions, decisions. Not as hard as picking a shot this morning's ;)

I like the fact that a young kid is studying on the steps of an old temple – even if it is an homage (it is, isn’t it?) to the Greek temples of old. ZoomVienna readers have seen this temple (Temple of Theseus) before here and know that it is taken in the Volksgarten.

-T

Gabagool

I’ve never taken a nature/animal shot before, so be gentle...

This shot was not taken in the wild, rather in a huge fountain (at Schoenbrunn). There was a husband and wife duck duo swimming in the fountain when we arrived. I was quite pleased to get so close to this guy (of course, B’s endless supply of bread helped). The shot was not planned, but B was quick on the draw and bought a few rolls from a vendor... (yes, B answers all her fan mail ;)

I'm not sure I’ve seen too many animal shots with such a background...which added to my determination to get it. I tried to make it appear as if the viewer was in the water as well. In reality my bottom hand and part of the camera housing were in the water... I went after the macro shot putting my LCD swivel to good use :)

I’m a bit disappointed, only because I think the shot could have been a lot better had I gotten the light from the other side. Most of the duck is in the shadow and the lit side of the duck is not seen... I went for the tradeoff of getting the yellow palace walls as a backdrop in the depth of the shot...but it's a bit dark. I don’t know if we had enough bread to get the duck to turn around and perform anyway ;)

B’s going to adopt these ducks like Tony Soprano if we’re not careful...

-T

Freedom

The word "freedom" is written on a fence to an open public park in the city. Freedom is spelled out in yellow vacuum cleaner-type industrial hose of some sort and tied to the fence with plastic tie-wraps.

I’m not sure what the significance of the word in this case is...as I did not correlate its creation with any event. But that is more a case of me being less in tune to these things than I should be... It has been up for a while however.

Interesting contrast with the word freedom written on a jail-like fence structure, used typically to confine/restrict the freedom of the occupants.

-T

It's Not About You

I haven’t posted a black and white shot in some time...especially in a city tailor-made for B&W. So, I’m back on the horse. Here's a crop of a great statue sitting in a fountain on the grounds at the entrance to the Palace Schoenbrunn. This is the same statue that appears on my About page. For those who have not read it, you can find it here. It's about me ;)

I grabbed this shot on a cold winter day and I think it has the feel of that day. I can't imagine this shot would feel the same in summer. The statue is meant to be the focus here and may feel unsharp. That's because it IS unsharp...from years of errosion. It's still quite a structure.

You can see some of my prior B&W shots here, here, and here.

-T

Supersize Me

Judging by the traffic logs I didn't have as much fun with as many of you as I would have liked yesterday... But from the volume of mails I received, I think a bunch of us had some good laughs… For those still head scratching, yes, yesterday was April 1st… Hope the Vienna Tourism Board has a sense of humor as well...

Well, a ZoomVienna blog would not be complete without the compulsory Wurstel stand (sausage stand) shot. These stands are all over Vienna (actually a lot fewer now than in years past I’m told – Supersize Me). They are quite a treat – especially at 3am after a long night of training your barley and hops muscles. ;)

The stands all serve several varieties of sausages, including the ever-healthy Kaiserkrainer. ("Because there wasn’t enough fat in your standard sausage we’ve packed a few ounces of cheese in there for you." They are actually *very* good...)

A typical sausage order comes with a slice of dark bread (you can mostly compare the bread to a Beefsteak-type bread in the US, but denser) which is cut on a deli wheel/slicer. Along side it, at the good stands, you get freshly ground kren (horseradish), excellent European mustard (no French’s here) and some hot peppers. (still with me?) Yes, they won’t be opening any fitness centers along side these anytime soon.

Oh yeah, you stand up along side of the stand and eat on the shelf/counter that is built 360-degress around the perimeter. It all makes for a great experience, and one on my list of things I will miss when I’m gone...

Wurst for wurst lovers: Vienna's most famous Wurstel stand is Wurstelstand am Hoher Markt, which is frequented by people from all walks of life. It stocks a wide selection of sausages and beer, and always seems to be open, only closing between 5am and 7am daily. If you're going to eat one sausage while in town, make sure it's a Kasekrainer, a sausage stuffed with lumps of cheese. It's heavy and filling, and can sometimes be a messy affair, as with each bite you're never too sure if the melted cheese will come spurting out. In their typically morose way, the Viennese have nicknamed a Kasekrainer served with the end of a bread loaf 'Eitrige mit an Buckl', which loosely translates as 'a hunchback full of pus'. How appetising! Source: here

Enjoy the weekend.

-T

Second to None

Vienna, ever reliant on its tourism as a major economic driver, apparently is not satisfied in taking a back seat to Rome in regards to being the architecture tourist hub in Europe.

Over the last several years a remote section of Vienna has been building a "Little Italy" of its own. The district of Vienna - operating under its own authority - has completed construction of a full-scale version of the Coliseum (trees and all). The city sharply raised taxes nine consecutive years and held massive fund raisers throughout all of Vienna to support this massive project. Demonstrations became the norm in the city's inner districts. It was nothing short of a political firestorm.

It remains to be seen if this "me too" approach to tourism can work. The signs posted by protesters from time to time still make the papers (and give me a chuckle). A favorite of mine from a few months back is (roughly translated): "The pizza's not as good, but the building is better." We'll see when the tourism from the south stalls to a trickle...

Isn't there some sort of patent/protection on national monuments? What's next, the Leaning Tower of Sacher? Stay tuned...

-T