Fighting the Cobbles - My trip to Belgium in 2018, Part 7 - About taking Photos

This blog continues the previous Part 6,

https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/07/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_27.html

   My 'very own' road movie continued to Brussels. It might be a strange way to walk during holidays when we could move so much faster and see much more. For me travel is an experience and should never be a rush; we should never be controlled by a long list of to-do's but rather follow our own instincts.

Belgians at work... 

   My way to travel is about discoveries and for them you only a little more than you eyes, your nose and ears. I need my legs to move and my fingers to take photos which are, without doubt, an extension of my mind; a result of all the impressions around me. When I came back from this tour i experienced the for the first time that my daughter looked at each and every picture I took with real interest which was easily seen by different expression, sometimes asking questions, sometimes even laughing. For me it was a strange thing but finally she said: "You've changed, I can see it from your photos".

   For this trip I bought a new compact & lightweight 4/3 mirror-less camera with a flip-up screen.

Compact: I could easily store it in my messenger bag with enough place for a shirt or a light jacket on the top to close it.

Lightweight: A joy to handle and even handheld shots in darker surroundings were possible; I barely noticed the few grams around my neck. I could even take my lightweight tripod in my messenger bag and still beat the total weight of camera & lenses & tripod of my old SLR camera.

The Flip-Up Screen let me experiment with different angles shooting photos. This screen let me shoot from the center of my body, low shots and of course selfies which I did seldom before. I even put the camera on the cobbles and could control the photo easily with the flip-up screen. I made this shots to show how uneven the surface is.

   My aim was to record what I see or think what is interesting for me. I took photos of people around me doing all kind of things like sweeping the street, painters of fences, workers on houses etc. The camera was very capable and a great support for everything I wanted to visualize.

   In this regard I had only good experiences except once during the whole three weeks in Belgium. Preparing to take photos of the train station a young man from the Middle East indicated with a gesture and by covering his head with a hoodie that he did not like to be in the photo. I replied with a gesture from my side that I understood and put the cover back on my lens for him to see. 

   I do not stick my camera in people's faces but ask before taking a photo if possible. Entering a museum or private property I also inquire politely if it is possible to take photos. Maybe also because of my 'unprofessional' equipment I have never heard a 'no'. On the contrary, museums like the Hergé (creator of the Tin Tin comics) Museum in Louvain-la-Neuve or the the Chocolate World in Belgium rather encouraged me to take photos.

Man starting his Harley in front of Comic Pictures covering Road Work

   Walking on a boulevard it was impossible to overhear a Harley Davidson riding along the road. Just when I prepared to take a photo of two large comic pictures covering road work the rider stopped and parked his bike exactly on the same sport I focused my camera. I thought this is nice and pressed the button after the rider left the scene. But he returned immediately and discovered me and my camera, made some funny poses and I continued shooting. He sat on his motorcycle and rode away. After he left I continued my way and suddenly the rider appeared in front of me.

   "Did you take photos of me?" He asked. 
   "Yes, I did!" I nodded. 
Some people might think a lot in this awkward moment and even possibly get threatened being approached by a man in a leather jacket with a helmet in his hand but I stayed calm. 

   "Could you send me copies?" he asked me politely.

   "Of course, if you would give me your email?"
   He wrote it on my map and after my return I've send him the photos. This is just one example how easy-going the Belgians are and how photos could serve as an ice breaker between humans.

   I had opposite experiences in Japan. While Japanese travelers can visit castles in Germany freely, most parts of the Kyoto palace are off limits for foreign tourists. Just to see some gardens it is not worthy to spend time and money for the trip. Not only people do not want to be photographed but even taking pictures of temples and temple workers are off limits. 
   Once I set up my tripod in an empty 'famous' temple yard on gravel because the weather was terrible on that day in Kyoto. A female employee came to me explaining that "this is not allowed because I would' hinder other (non-existent!) visitors'. Needless to say I traveled to Japan twice: the 1st and last time!   
   Because I had the time and took it easy in Belgium I can remember each and every photo very clearly; the story behind it which made the trip so much more valuable and enjoyable. Especially I would like to encourage my Taiwanese friends not only to run to famous destinations but take the time and their own God-given senses to experience this beautiful world. This let us not to see destinations like on TV but let us create our own impressions which should be shared and lived out. It is senseless to travel but stay the same after your return.

(to be continued @ 

https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/08/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in.html) 

Disclaimer: I traveled Belgium by myself, I am not sponsored by anyone. Interested subscribers and/or followers in traveling an in this small but beautiful country are more than welcome! If not convenient to subscribe on Blogger.com, I've started my own homepage @ https://gerhardwanninger.wixsite.com/travel