Welcome to my weblog and thanks for stopping by! My most recent posts are all on this page, for older ones browse the archives or click the keywords in the sidebar. See Potomac Adventures for posts that I wrote between 2011 and May 2013 and Brobo Photo for those from 2006 to 2011. My weblogs contain hundreds of articles and photographs and are an essential part of my work. They show my never-ending passion for visual storytelling and the interaction of photography and text. For less volatile information about my work, see my Home Page.

Das neue Handbuch der Java-Programmierung

May 30, 2014

Letzten Sommer haben wir ernsthaft angefangen, daran zu arbeiten, jetzt ist es endlich fertig! Die 8. Auflage des Handbuchs der Java-Programmierung ist bei O'Reilly erschienen und wird ab morgen offiziell in den Buchläden und bei den Versandhändlern zu finden sein. Unter dem Titel "Java-Programmierung - Das Handbuch zu Java 8" habe ich zusammen mit Heiko Hansen und der Mannschaft von O'Reilly D... Read the Full Post »

A week in Berlin

May 26, 2014

We're just back from a week in Berlin where we've been looking for a place to stay after relocating back to Germany in July. It turned out to be a bit of a challenge as the condo market in Berlin is "somewhat tense", as the realtors used to say. However, we eventually succeded and found a quiet flat in Mitte, right in the center of Berlin. During the 7 days, I didn't really have time to serious... Read the Full Post »

Crazy weather

May 14, 2014

One thing that we have learned during our stay in the D.C. region is that the weather can get really crazy here. One day, it's freezingly cold, and on the next one, there are temperatures of 95 degrees or more. After a two day heat wave early this week, the evening sky in Potomac looked a bit daunting yesterday: Fortunately, it looked worse than it was, but still an impressive mood, don't you a... Read the Full Post »

In the streets with the Sony RX-10

May 07, 2014

As I wrote in Shrinking Gear, I'm currently looking for a capable travel camera that can accompany me during a longer journey with pretty severy luggage restrictions. Well, the G1XII that I had high hopes for doesn't really seem to make it. I'm currently experimenting with the Sony RX-10, another high-end point-and-shoot. I'll let you know more about my experience in a while. So far, it has been... Read the Full Post »

Urban(a) Transformation

May 06, 2014

Urbana is a small town in Maryland, a few miles South of Frederick. I visited it yesterday in an attempt to photograph an abandoned farm nearby. While driving through Urbana, I noticed a fundamental transformation that apparently has been going on for quite some time. On one side of the road you see the typical suburbs that became so ubiquitous almost everywhere. Purely residential areas with u... Read the Full Post »

Point-And-Shoot #11: Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens

May 04, 2014

"Minimalism was not her preferred style", erklärte uns der Film, den wir zur Einstimmung auf den Besuch des Anwesens von Marjorie Merriweather Post zu sehen bekamen. Wie wahr, denn die Kunstsammlung der "Grand Dame" von Washington, D.C., die 1914 im Alter von 27 Jahren die Geschäfte des verstorbenen Vaters übernahm und dadurch zu einer der reichsten und einflussreichsten Frauen Amerikas wurde, ist... Read the Full Post »