Detail: Wetzlar Old Town

Happy December! Happy December 2009!

The post and beam, half timbered construction of Old Town Wetzlar is always fascinating, especially as it is, for the most part, really well kept up or restored…as though the whole city acts as a museum. And the work is ongoing. I have never been there when several of the Old Town buildings were not under restoration. On this trip there were cranes and scaffolding and house jacks everywhere.

The result is, however, a wonderful display of architectural  detail and a real sense of another time. This house is on a narrow side street just over the bridge (now, as in past, a thriving commercial center with ground floor shops and dwellings above).

Sony DSC H50 at about 55mm equivalent. F3.2 @ 1/60th @ ISO 100. Programmed auto.

One of the lessons of this trip and my Pic of the Day series using the images is how much lower the overall light levels are in Europe. This shot was taken on a cloudy day, but still, f3.2 @ 1/60th? I would expect exposure values at least twice that in a similar shot anywhere in the US.

Very minimal processing in Lightroom. Adjustments to Blackpoint, Clarity, Vibrance, and Sharpening.

This is a shot even closer in.

More Detail: Old Town Wetzlar