FVDB Photography @effveedeebee - Tumblr Blog

A few weeks ago Dave and I went for a little Sunday drive to the Gotthard Pass. Initially we were headed to the Sanatorio del Gottardo down the other side of the valley, but time constraints kept us on the sane side. Instead we wandered around the Passhöhe, explored some little bunkers, and took a sneak peak of an abandoned hotel further down the road. Since the abandoned hotel is a bit of a different vibe than these rustic landscapes, they will come in a follow-up post. thanks for stopping by, -FVDB

NEW BLOG POST: Scouting the Gotthard Pass

When your friends are biologists, geologists, or any other '-ists'- you come across interesting parts of the world which you otherwise wouldn't notice. Mike was studying beetles in local habitats, and had a little collection of samples. He wanted photos, I wanted to meet the beetles. We did a quick and simple handheld documentation of the group. Thanks for stopping by & sweet dreams! -FVDB

NEW BLOG POST: Macro Photography of The Beetles

The wonderful band Frank Powers playing a gig at Barfussbar in Zurich. I met Dino (singer) and his sister a few years ago in Myanmar. Every once in a while, we bump into each other again. Check out the band on SoundCloud and Facebook. Thanks for stopping by, -FVDB

NEW BLOG POST: Frank Powers Concert

"Do we need a raincoat?" "Nah, I think we'll be back before it hits" ...and that's how this adventure with Mike and Ed (the Adventure Dog) began. It was a breezy morning with an early-ish start. Rain and thunder were on the menu for later in the afternoon, but we weren't expecting to be out at that time. Starting with a good pace we paused after noticing our first big elevation gain. "We've covered quite a bit of distance already" we said, still within view of the valley. To be fair, I had no idea where we were going. Mike- who had been here before -took the lead and Ed checked every smell and sound along the way. Marmots beware, Ed is intrigued. I didn't realize this would be such a long and difficult hike, so every time Mike said something looked familiar I quietly hoped it was the end of the trail. But it was never-ending. Beautiful- but never-ending. We crossed over rocky ridges into the next valley, overlooking the tourquoise lakes in the basin. We watched as thunderous clouds swept over the neighbouring valleys, sprinkling just a bit of water our way. We passed the lakes, climbed the Martian landscape, and reached the top (again) of the final ridge. Down the mountain we went, spotting caves, animals, and incoming weather. As the sky turned dark the droplets turned to drops, changing from sprinkles to sprouts. We arrived at the car drenched and tired, and drove back down through Davos where a flash flood had spiced up the scenery. It was an unexpected adventure, but a good one nonetheless. Thanks for stopping by, -FVDB

NEW BLOG POST: Hiking the Flüelapass

I recently rented a 24mm Tilt-Shift lens for a week of Interior shoots. I've wanted one of these lenses for ages, but the price tag is slightly restricting. But a week's worth of shooting allowed for a bit of extra time for gear testing in Zürich. I took a quick stroll around the ETH campus and here are some results. The selective focus is great to emphasize certain parts of the frame.. I got a bit carried away thinking everything was awesome, and couldn't decide which setup looked best. I'll be doing some more tests soon, and then possible making an incredibly expensive decision. thanks for stopping by! -FVDB

NEW BLOG POST: Tilt Shift Testing

The Sustenpass, on the border of Kanton Uri and Bern, is a pretty spectacular place. It's awesome, in the most literal sense. From the first few turns of the winding alpine road to the enormous boulders laying beneath the various glaciers- this place has a lot in store. Not only did we see a postcard-gallery of diverse sceneries- we climbed up along a glacial stream, into a military shooting range, along a road bombarded by cow poo, and we passed a mobile milking truck (that's a thing, apparently). We also bought fresh cheese and the most glorious caramel I have ever tasted. Then we had to wait for a couple hundred cows to clear the road as we drove home for dinner.

New Blog Post: Hiking on the Sustenpass

Mondays are like Sundays minus the better.