Photostream of M. Kniebes.

A pink water lily is blooming in the sunlight. The orange-red stamens glow in the centre of the flower, whilst the background remains almost black.

The exact variety is written on the little sign that was sticking out of the water just a hand's breadth from the rose. Which, once again, I failed to photograph. Next to the greenhouses at the Botanical Gardens is a small pond with the most beautiful water lilies and lotus flowers. That alone makes a trip to the gardens worthwhile. If you go there regularly, you keep running into the same photographers and strike up conversations. It almost feels like a small, informal club with no rules. You…

A silver-washed fritillary is perched on a purple sun-hat with its wings folded. The silvery sheen of the underside of its wings stands out against the dark background. The contrast between the upper and lower surfaces of the wings is quite distinct. The upper surface is a vivid orange with black spots and stripes – the classic fritillary pattern. The underside of the hindwings, by contrast, is greenish with those silvery, washed-out bands to which the species owes its English name: the…

After a short while, I found myself back at the Lottentaler ponds. Young mandarin ducks are swimming through a pond completely covered in duckweed. The green surface looks almost like a lawn, through which the ducklings are making their way. Typical features of mandarin ducks are the light-coloured eye ring with a line extending backwards, and the reddish beak.

A male wall lizard – judging by its vivid green back – is basking on a paving stone in the garden. With lizards, I get the feeling that they’re always keeping a close eye on me with one eye. With eyes positioned on the sides of their heads, monocular vision is the norm; each eye covers its field of view, and the overlapping area required for true stereoscopic vision is narrow. So the lizard is actually looking in my direction with one eye, keeping the large, two-legged photographer in its…

Portrait of a mouflon ram with strongly curled horns by the fence of the Wildlife Reserve in Weitmarer Holz in Bochum. Taken in April this year.

A macro photograph of Tillandsia usneoides, commonly known as Louisiana moss. The thin, corkscrew-like twisted shoots with a silvery-grey sheen are characteristic of this rootless epiphyte. The grey fuzz consists of absorbent scales (trichomes), through which the plant absorbs water and nutrients directly from the air. It has practically no need for roots. The fine hairs are clearly visible on the sharpest shoots.

It’s about time for another photo from Venice. A small boat serving as a market stall. It’s even listed on OpenStreetMap as a fruit and vegetable vendor. I’ve photographed the vendor a few times already. I like this corner of Venice. The Castello district is far enough away from Piazzale Roma that the day trippers have strayed a bit this far. On the right, you can see the wide Via Giuseppe Garibaldi. It’s a really charming shopping street with two small supermarkets, chemists and, of course, a…

A flower of the Himalayan cinquefoil with blood-red petals bearing dark veins and purple stamens, photographed at the Bochum Botanical Garden.

A close-up photograph of a blue iris against a black background. The curved petals, with their yellow and purple-streaked centre, are reminiscent of an otherworldly creature emerging from the darkness.

A moorhen sits on its nest of twigs above the water, arranging the material. Its slate-grey plumage and bright red forehead patch stand out against the greenish reflection on the water’s surface.

A moorhen swims towards its nest with a twig in its beak, carrying fresh nesting material. The nest, made of twigs, floats on the calm, greenish water.

A young moorhen stands in the grass on the bank, its shaggy downy plumage bathed in light from the side. Behind it, the pond is reflected in soft shades of green.

A young moorhen wades through the shallow water at the water’s edge. Its black down still looks a bit ruffled, but its reddish beak and long legs give it away as the bird it will one day become.

A strictly symmetrical black-and-white photograph of the escalator leading to the jetties at Venice Marco Polo Airport. Dark walls draw the eye towards the bright exit leading to the water bus. Unusually, I have retained the 2:3 aspect ratio straight from the camera for this photograph, as the height of the image contributes to the funnel effect.

There is an almost melancholic atmosphere on Giudecca. The overcast sky and muted colours lend the scene a subdued mood that complements the weathered façades well. The three seagulls in the foreground and the people on the bridge bring the scene to life without overshadowing the architecture. On the left-hand side, you can see the dome of the Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore.

A female mandarin duck is perched on a small branch above the pond, which is covered in duckweed. I had another photo of the same duck in which she has her beak wide open. Unfortunately, I took that other photo from a vantage point nearly half a metre higher, which doesn’t look quite as good from a compositional perspective. So I decided to go with this photo. I can’t stress it enough: eye level is key.

A black-and-white macro shot of a white crown campion (Silene coronaria), whose delicate petals and woolly-haired stem stand out against a dark background. I opted for black and white because the photo contained only white and green anyway, and the green was distracting so much from the texture.

A crimson water lily floats on dark water; its yellow stamens glow at the centre, with a curved floating leaf behind it. The flower is reflected on the surface of the water.

A little later, I came across the heron a second time. I'm fairly sure it was the same one, since I didn't notice any others around.

I first spotted the heron perched on a fallen tree. It was more by chance, as it was standing completely still among the branches. The best camouflage is still not to move at all.

A single waterdrop rests on the rib of a green leaf, lit against a near-black background.

As I was leaving the Botanical Gardens via the bridge at the Lottentaler ponds, I just caught sight of a roebuck darting from the field into the nearby woods. It stared right at me. One of the biggest mistakes is to stow your camera away in your rucksack when you’re out and about. If I hadn’t had the camera in my hand, I would never have managed to take this photo.

Eine einzelne blau-violette Blüte eines Wiesen-Storchschnabels als Nahaufnahme. Ich habe bei der Bearbeitung gezielt auf starken Kontrast verzichtet, um dem Foto einen luftigen und leicht verträumten Look zu geben.

Die angestrahlte Rialtobrücke nach Einbruch der Dunkelheit über dem Canal Grande in Venedig. Eigentlich war das ein Schnappschuss auf dem Weg nach Hause.

Eine Glockenblume vor einem riesigen, weichen, grünen Bokehball. Aufgenommen habe ich das Foto neulich im Botanischen Garten an der RUB. Da ich wie immer freihand fotografiert habe und kein Stativ benutzt hatte, liege ich auch ohne Wind beim Fokus manchmal etwas daneben. Ich wollte an sich die Narbe des Blütenstempels im Fokus haben. Aber das ist mir nicht zu 100 Prozent gelungen. Ja, sie liegen mehr oder weniger im Fokus, aber leider nicht so, wie ich es geplant hatte.

Quer im unteren Bilddrittel liegt ein Baumstamm mit etwas Moos auf der Rinde, von einem schmalen Lichtstreif beleuchtet. Ringsum dichtes grünes Hainbuchenlaub, der Hintergrund verliert sich in tiefem Schatten. Dieses Hindernis ist zumindest mit moderatem Aufwand zu überwinden.

Nicht jedes Mal, wenn ich einen Fuß vor die Tür setze, stolpere ich über ein interessantes Motiv. Manchmal ist es eben nur eine Blumenwiese. Mit einer Acker-Witwenblume mitten drin. Die gelben Blüten, die im Bokeh dahinschmelzen, sind übrigens Hahnenfuß.

Der Blick von der Accademiabrücke über den Canal Grande zur blauen Stunde: Die Kuppel von Santa Maria della Salute erhebt sich am Ende des Kanals, links und rechts gesäumt von venezianischen Palazzi. Der Himmel zeigt rosa und violett gefärbte Wolken nach Sonnenuntergang, das ruhige Wasser spiegelt die Uferlichter.

Eine violettfarbene Schwertlilie mit fein geäderten, hell-silbrig schimmernden Blütenblättern vor tiefdunklem, fast schwarzem Hintergrund. Einige sind bereits leicht welk. Es könnte sich um eine Sibirische Schwertlilie (Iris sibirica) handeln. Aber ich muss sagen, die sehen sich alle relativ ähnlich.