© All Rights Reserved - Copyright Information:

All images on this flickr stream and/or originating from this stream are copyrighted "© All Rights Reserved" - no image may be used for any purpose without prior permission given by me. The images are protected by German and international copyright law.

Please ask for permission if you wish to use any of my images.

If you download, blog, use or distribute any of my images in any unauthorised way, be it in a commercial or non-commercial environment without prior permission by me then I will take action to protect my interests and you will be fully liable to fines / liquidated damages.

Note: Under German copyright law the unauthorised use, copying, distributing or attaching a wrong copyright claim is a criminal offense (§§ 106, 107, 108 UrhG) and you will be prosecuted by the German authorities if reported - regardless if you are a German citizen (or company) or from elsewhere.

The fact I do not restrict access to my photos on flickr does not in any way imply consent to any form of use.

Berne Convention reminder:

So, you think you do not care about German copyright law - because you are located in Bhutan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey or the USA? Then this is for you: the Berne Convention requires its signatories to recognise the copyright of works of authors from other signatory countries in the same way as it recognises the copyright of its own nationals. And, very important: the Berne Convention states that the copyright law of the country where copyright is claimed shall be applied.

160 countries in the world are Berne Convention signatories - so there is a 99% chance that your country is within these.

Flickr API-TOS reminder:

For those of you who are using the Flickr API - and want to reply to a complaint by me with the stereotype "You should opt out of the Flickr API.".

That's the wrong reply. Completely wrong. You better re-read the Flickr API TOS, sections a.ii., a.iii. and especially section a.iv., quote: "Remove from your application within 24 hours any Flickr user's photos or other information that the owner of the photo asks you to remove."

Before you contact me to ask for permission, please consider the following: No free photos from me for commercial projects.

And think twice before you start writing your request with something like this:

1. "Sorry, we've just started and don't have money to...": If you don't have money to invest, then don't start new projects. Simply as that. Period.

2. "Our website / project is non-commercial...": Sounds good. But remember: a magazine with ads is commercial; a website with ads is commercial. If there is any form of generating revenues on your website / in your magazine, then it's commercial, even if you use these revenues only to run the website / publish the magazine.

If you are are really working for a charitable organization, please let me know - and provide proof.

3. "We will give you credits / we gladly put your name on the photo": Sure you do. But that's not the "generous offer" you may believe it is. Because: It's your legal obligation if you use other person's material. It's my legal right as the copyright owner that proper attribution is given.

So, please: don't mention something like this as a replacement for fees. And do not forget: omitting proper attribution is a legal offense and breach of licensing contract (you'll be liable to legal and contractual fines) - wrong attribution may even be treated as fraud (and is not an offense anymore - it's a felony).

4. "I'm working on a magazine / book / website / whatever.": Great for you.

For books / magazines: What title, theme, publishing company, release date, ISBN, intended print run etc.? In what size you wish to use the photo? Placement (title/rear or inside)?

For websites: Any link yet? What company / organisation? Splash page or content page?

I can't make you an offer if you do not provide the pertinent usage details.

Featured places - click to see the photo sets:

...so many watches, so little time...

Sneak peek at some of my watches:

Current watch collection (not all with pictures on flickr):

Modern watches:

Fortis B-42 Pilot Pro Chrono GMT

Fortis B-42 Marinemaster

Fortis Flieger 24H

Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Classic I

Seagull 1963

Seagull 0437 Military

Seagull 0430

Seagull 0446

Seagull Moon Phase (Prototype, Pre-Release)

"Ray" Heuer BUND remake

"Ray" Quartz Diver

"Ray" MilSub

Citole 5036M black face

Citole 5043M black face

Vintage watches:

上海 (Shanghai) 7120

上海 (Shanghai) 1120 black face

上海 (Shanghai) 1120 white face

上海手表二厂 (Shanghai No. 2 Watch Factory) Baoshihua

吉林手表厂 (Jilin Watch Factory) "Jixing" steel case

吉林手表厂 (Jilin Watch Factory) "Jixing" gold plated steel case

吉林手表厂 (Jilin Watch Factory) "Hangtian" 32mm

吉林手表厂 (Jilin Watch Factory) "Hangtian" 35mm

Seagull ST5-D

Seagull 1980ties vintage watch, unknown type designation

Tianjin ST5

辽宁手表厂 (Liaoning Watch Factory) Chunlan

Photographic tools and toys:

Bodies:

Nikon Df

Nikon D100 my son uses it mostly now

Nikon F4E

Nikon F3HP

Olympus E-20P - scrapped, 2nd time aperture/shutter failure

Panasonic DMC-LX2 - scrapped, crap on sensor, cleaning too expensive (that one did last long)

Fuji X30

Glass:

Zooms:

Nikon AF-S Zoom NIkkor 18-35/3.5-4.5G ED

Nikon AF-S Zoom Nikkor 24-120/4G ED VR

Nikon AF-D Zoom Nikkor 24-85/2.8-4 went to backup row

Nikon AF-D Zoom Nikkor 70-210/4-5.6

Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300/4.5-5.6G IF-ED

Nikon AF-D VR Zoom Nikkor 80-400/4.5-5.6

Sigma 12-24/4.5-5.6 EX HSM DG

Sigma AF ED 28-70/2.8 scrapped, focusing mechanism became loose, unreliable, repair too expensive

Tokina AT-X 828 AF PRO 80-200/2.8

(Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-55/3.5-5.6G VR for my son on the D100 - this "kit" lens is definitely underrated, amazing little thing)

Prime:

Nikon AF Nikkor 180/2.8

Nikon AF-D Nikkor 85/1.8

Nikon AF-D Micro Nikkor 60/2.8

Nikon AF Nikkor 50/1.8

Nikon AF-D Nikkor 35/2

Nikon AF-D Nikkor 28/2.8

Nikon AF-D Nikkor 24/2.8

Nikon AF-D Nikkor 20/2.8

Samyang 12/2.8 Fisheye

Samyang 14/2.8

Tamron AF 90/2.8 Macro SP Di (272E)

Sigma AF APO 400/5.6 scrapped, outer plastic coating dissolved, entered lens at focus ring

Sigma AF 24/2.8 scrapped, aperture ring plastic began to dissolve, 1 aperture blade stuck

Sigma AF 18/3.5 - scrapped, fungus

Remark - Sigma experience:

Not the best long-term experience above. While some of my Nikon glass now lasts for over 24 years (50/1.8 and 180/2.8), the longest any Sigma lens held together was 18 years (400/5.6 and 24/2.8). The 28-70/2.8 zoom began to fall apart after 10 years - and that was branded as "professional".

Other:

Several flashlights, tripods, monopods, bags, extension tubes and other useful stuff

Some thoughts...

No post processing: Except where otherwise stated, I do not do any photo manipulation, apart from cleaning out sensor dust, cropping or straightening the images, adding some saturation. The exposure is always "straight from the camera".

Old school - I come from slide film: In my opinion it makes more sense getting the shot right while on site, than later spending hours trying to correct (with HDR or whatever) what was basically a faulty exposure from the beginning. That's just lost time, better spent on site for the next shot...

There are actually very very few cases where post processing for a "correct" exposure is really necessary.

Perspective - photography is footwork! There is the word of "wide-angle perspective" and at times I find myself using it... - but actually there is no such thing as a "wide-angle perspective".

One changes the photographic perspective by changing the point of view in relation to the object, moving from one location to the next, but not by turning the zoom ring or changing the lens.

Oh, and thanks for reading all this stuff!