Strawberry tartlet

Mai Quynh on 31. January 2024

A strawberry tartlet. How it tasted? I wish I could remember. But it did look pretty, with that golden paper plate (although not much is left on the picture and we have nothing at all). Very photogenic. That's what we have to admit to the strawberry tartlet, don't we?

On that day, in a city that was quite unfamiliar to me, (in the truest sense of the word) I sweetened my time in a café. I was watching people and maybe they were watching me too. You saw each other, a small smile flitted across your face as you saw each other, and then you turned back to your newspaper or notebook.

Well fortified, I set off again to explore the city. To a place that I like to visit in every city: the Botanical Garden. The S-Bahn took me a few stops further west - until I was ready to get off at station Klein Flottbek.

Camera + lens: Minolta 9000 AF + Minolta AF 50mm f1.4
Film: KODAK 100T-MAX
Development + scan: Charlie Engel Lab 2.0

Summer vineyards | Between pixel and grain

Mai Quynh on 15. January 2024

"It must look megaaaa here in summer!"

That's what we said to ourselves as we stood on the banks of the Rhine in the town of Bingen, about 30 kilometres west of Mainz. There you have a wonderful view of the vineyards opposite. However, on a weekend in January this year, when we decided to explore the area, it was all very dreary. Dreary and icy cold.

On the other side of the Rhine, diagonally from Bingen, lies the town of Rüdesheim. It's probably best known for its instagrammable town corners. We were quite astonished when Rüdesheim was pretty much dead. Many shops are closed from January to March, Rüdesheim seems to have adapted to tourism. At least we had some gastronomic offeres. So we could sit down in a café.

Last summer, I went for a long walk with friends not far away from Bingen and Rüdesheim. That particular January weekend, we travelled past the station by train where we started and ended our long walk last year.

In anticipation of summer - but above all to warm up on my mind - I brought a view of the vineyards from exactly that day. I remember very warm temperatures and sweet white grape juice. I also remember a short nap on the bench. I can hardly wait for the warmer and longer days.

Camera + lens: Minolta Dynax 7000i, Minolta AF 50 mm
Film: Kodak Professional Portra 160
Development + scan: ON FILM LAB

Fotokiosk: Library corner

Mai Quynh on 6. January 2024

An inviting corner in the public library

2022

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Camera + lens: Olympus XA2
Film: Agfaphoto APX 100
Developement: self developped
Scan: Charlie Engel Lab 2.0