Beyond Here Lies Nothin'

The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, N.J.

2007

Pizza Hut, Cape Cod, MA

2007

Title of this blog post taken from the song of the same name, which is the opening track of the great album "Together Through Life" by Bob Dylan. 

I've dropped off some old photos today; if you'd like to see some new ones check out my blog post from yesterday.

Have a nice weekend!

- Dom

Another Day In Paradise

Picture taken one year ago in Lüneburg. The warmth of the sunlight between 4:30 and 5:30 in the afternoon is one of the things I love most about autumn... 

Blog post title taken from this awesome song by Phil Collins.

Now The Autumn Leaves Are Falling

The silent skies

An innocent heart

Holding the moment away

From time in the dark

All I see

All I know

Is touching the sacred earth

Ahd warming the hallowed ground

(Calum & Rory MacDonald)

Lüneburg, Germany. Late October 2010.

The weather's been good during the second half of the week... I went hiking a couple times... soon the trees will be naked and winter will knock on my door. November is going to be the busiest month of university this semester.

I found a great flat in Hamburg, which I'm going to share with two fellow students of mine. We shall sign the contract next week and move in on the 1st of December. It's a lovely, spacious apartment. Unfortunately, we'll have to paper and paint it ourselves. Some friends are going to come over to help us, so hopefully we'll be finished before I return to the UK for a couple days.

Have a nice weekend.

- Dom

Another Saturday Night

Title taken from one of my favourite Cat Stevens songs.

As I mounted the winter tyres earlier this afternoon, my neighbour came over and told me this winter's supposed to come early, and it's gonna be even colder than the last. I've already planned a few short trips to beautiful places... and I'll take along a different friend on each trip, so it'll be more fun.

Check out these amazing photographs featured on the National Geographic Adventure site. 

Rügen, Germany. August 2010.

Long exposure. 35mm film. 

Goodnight!

- Dom

How Many Moons

Lüneburg, Germany. October 2010.

A vision I want to see
A vision far from the moon

This is the only road I know
This is the only golden river home
Don't let go
The road was long
Our steps were new
The storms of innocence
Strong and fresh they blew

Directions turned
Love changing hands
We stood like gods before
Our maps and plans
But all things must change
So don't look back

Just walk away

(C. & R. MacDonald - How Many Moons)

Open All Night

Somewhere in Tennessee.

August 2007.

Lancaster County, PA.

July 2007.

I haven't taken any Polaroids in ages...

Radio's jammed with gospel stations

Lost souls callin' long distance salvation

(Springsteen - "Open All Night")

Yesterday, the new semester began. Some friends and I went snowboarding in Bispingen (a 40 - minute drive south of Hamburg) after the last lecture of the day. 

On the way home last night, I managed to beat my navigation device's estimated time of arrival by 15 minutes. I love driving on deserted roads at night. There's nothing better than the buzz you get during that one second when you gotta decide whether to leave your foot on the throttle or put it on the brake.

I hope I'll never lose my enthusiasm, my ideals, and my lust for life, which is burning like a fever inside of me. And I hope you won't lose them either.

Have a great week!

- Dom

Where Do The Children Play?

1st photo: Abandoned engine shed south of Hamburg.

2nd photo: Abandoned machinery somewhere on the way from Frankfurt to Hamburg.

Both pictures: 35mm film; taken in Germany in January 2009 and December 2008, respectively.

I bought a Nikon Nikonos IV-A underwater camera on Ebay earlier this evening. I had a bit of a Homer-Simpson-moment... couldn't decide whether or not to buy it, but eventually I did. It's not the legendary Calypso used by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, but still, it's a pretty cool thing. I can't wait until I'll be able to shoot the first roll of 35mm film with that camera next year.

Speaking of 35mm film, check out this fantastic collection of black&white photographs taken in Russia. My favourite is the photo of the man and the geese. 

Red house. Germany. December 2008.

I used 35mm Fujifilm for all three shots.

Tomorrow after university, I'm going indoor snowboarding with some of my friends... looking forward to that.

Have a great week!

- Dom

The Road To Home

The leaves are falling from the trees

And the snow is coming, don't you know?

But I still remember which way to go

I'm on the road, the road to home

(Amy MacDonald - The Road To Home)

I've booked plane tickets and B&Bs for my Scotland trip this winter... I'll be leaving on the 17th of December and returning on the 21st. I'm looking forward to a few days in Edinburgh and one day in Glasgow... the pictures I'm gonna take... the girls, the music, and the whiskey.

Today I woke up early... it rained... however, I didn't feel like staying at home, so I drove along some of the local country lanes, looking for new locations. I came across a nice old railway bridge before stopping by in the town of Lauenburg.

1st picture: Railway bridge near Lauenburg, Germany.

2nd picture: Lauenburg, Germany.

October 2010.

Closing Time

Excavation site. October 2010. 

What you're seeing here is the same part of the site that's been previously depicted in this image (looking in the opposite direction). The site has changed so much since then...

I'm halfway through the 13th week of digging, which is my last this summer. The new semester begins on Monday, so I can't keep on working. It's been a great experience working all summer long and witnessing the development of the site. My supervisor has been great to work with, too, and he has shared a lot of his knowledge and many stories about previous excavations.

Blog post title taken from Tom Waits' brilliant album Closing Time, which features beautiful songs such as "I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You", "Martha", and "Grapefruit Moon". I'm lucky to own the LP - after almost 40 years, it sounds so much better than any CD could ever do. 

Goodnight.

- Dom

A Million Miles Away

I'm a million miles away

I'm a million miles away

I'm sailing like a driftwood

On a windy bay 

(Gallagher)

I was wasting my time

Looking for love
Someone must look at me and

See their sunlit dream

And that's how people grow up

That's how people grow up

(Morrissey)

Lower Saxony, Germany.

2010.

Yesterday, one of my friends suggested to have lunch at a Ghanaian restaurant in Hamburg. We both had a plate full of beans and rice with plantains. Delicious. I'd recommend the restaurant to anybody who enjoys giving foreign cuisine a try.

Tomorrow is my 22nd birthday. I'm gonna bake two apple pies later today and bring them along to the excavation site tomorrow. I'm looking forward to the last week of digging. 

Have a nice day!

- Dom

Shadow Play

35mm film. 

Top: Beelitz Sanatorium. 2009.

Bottom: Abandoned factory. 2008.

I love urban exploration... strolling through ruins of buildings that have long since been abandoned, wondering who the people were who lived or died, played or worked in there so many decades ago.

Blog post title taken from the song "Shadow Play" by Rory Gallagher. 

Tomorrow is Friday, which means that I've got only six days of working at the excavation site left before the new semester begins. My left hand, left shoulder, and both knees hurt after twelve hard weeks, but as far as the motivation goes, I could work on. One of the reasons why I love working at the excavation is that I don't have to think so much. There's always so much on my mind whenever I don't need to focus my energy on physical work.

Have a great evening.

- Dom

No Direction Home

I love the anonymity of motel rooms. The lamps with their yellowish lights. The thin blankets. The A/C which I turn off as soon as I enter the room. Watching HBO after a long day of driving through the American West. And last but not least... rearranging the furniture before I check out - yes, I admit it. 

Motel room, Kingman, Arizona. June 2009.

Goodnight!


- Dom