
D700 at 200ISO, 16mm f2.8 AF, f5.6, 1/100sec, bias 0EV
“Otter was one of Rodmar’s three sons. When he fished for salmon, he took on the shape of an otter. On one such occasion, the Æsir Loki, Hörnir and Odin happened by on their way to Rodmar’s house where they planned to spend the night. The Æsir thought that an otter skin would be a suitable gift for Rodmar. So, Otter was killed by a stone Loki threw at him.
Later that evening the three Æsir went to Rodmar and showed him their prey. Rodmar became angry, and demanded that the Æsir filled the otter skin with gold as penance for the crime. Loki went to the Anvara river and used his net to catch the rich dwarf Andvari, who had taken on the shape of a pike.
The dwarf purchased his freedom with all his gold he owned, except for one gold ring. But the gold was not enough to fill the otter skin. One more piece of gold was needed. Andvari tried to hide his ring. When Loki ripped the ring from his hand, the dwarf spoke a curse over all who come in contact with the gold, especially the magic gold ring.
Once Rodmar had received the gold, he did not want to share it with his other two sons, Fafnir and Regin. Fafnir became enraged and killed his father to get at the gold. Thereafter, Fafnir took the shape of a snake and brooded on top of the gold in his home, in a place called Gnitaheden.
Regin, the other brother who was a smith, wanted his share of the patrimony and planned to seize the gold through trickery. He brought Sigurd, who had earlier become his foster son, into his plans. He forged a razor-sharp sword, named Gram, for Sigurd.

D700 at 200ISO, 20mm f2.8 AF, f8, 1/160sec, bias 0EV
Urged on by his foster father Reign, Sigurd dug a hole in the ground at Gnitaheden, where Fafnir (in the shape of a snake) used to slither his way to a lake to drink. When Fafnir passed the hole, Sigurd stabbed him through the heart with his sword, Gram. Fafnir died and Sigurd was given the name of Fafnesbane (the slayer of Fafnir).

D700 at 400ISO, 20mm f2.8 AF, f8, 1/125sec, bias 0EV
After the deed, Regin asked Sigurd to roast the heart of Fafnir over an open fire. He wanted to eat the heart so that the soul of Fafnir would not die, because after all he was Regin’s brother.
Sigurd accidently burnt himself and put his finger in his mouth. He got Fafnir’s blood on his tongue. Instantly he could understand the meaning of the birdsong.
The birds warned Sigurd. Regin was planning to kill him, partly to revenge his brother Fafnir, partly to get the treasure for himself. The birds advised Sigurd to kill Regin.
Sigurd sought out Regin and cut off his head so that he would escape his thoughts in the future.
Then, Sigurd travelled to Fafnir’s home, where he found the disputed gold and many other precious objects. He loaded the treasure onto his horse Grani, a direct descendant of Odin’s horse Sleipnir. However, Grani refused to move from his stall before Sigurd himself mounted.”

Drawing source: Wikipedia
This is the Sigurd Fafnesbane history, according to the Vöslunga saga.
We found this peculiar runestone (poetically called Sö 101) close to Rasmund (near Eskiltuna), where it was carved in XII century.
Maybe it isn’t the best Sigurd stone, for the artistic contents, but it’ s probably the most complete description of the Saga.
Large (at least six meters), the stone summarize some anecdotes of the story:
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- sigurdsristningen (XII)
NIKON D700 @ ISO 400 , 1/125 at f8 , focal length 20mm
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- sigurdsristningen (XII)
NIKON D700 @ ISO 200 , 1/125 at f5.6 , focal length 20mm
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- sigurdsristningen (XII)
NIKON D700 @ ISO 200 , 1/125 at f5.6 , focal length 20mm
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- sigurdsristningen (XII)
NIKON D700 @ ISO 200 , 1/100 at f5.6 , focal length 20mm
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- sigurdsristningen (XII)
NIKON D700 @ ISO 400 , 1/125 at f8 , focal length 20mm
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- sigurdsristningen (XII)
NIKON D700 @ ISO 400 , 1/160 at f8 , focal length 20mm
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- sigurdsristningen (XII) - Sigurd Fafnesbane saga
NIKON D700 @ ISO 200 , 1/100 at f5.6 , focal length 16mm
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It’s here:
View Larger Map
Note: The holiday is on line!
In the “trip” category, starting from THIS LINK
In a trip in southern Sweden, one of the charatheristic sights is the Göta Kanal.
Built in the late XIX Century, this 190Km long canal has boon its importance to link the Vättern lake to the Baltic Sea.
We met a pair of the 58 locks, where we could admire the perfection of the engineering works, opposed to the complete inability of the tourists to manage it.
The result was funny…
Undoubtedly, the locks are a good subject for the photos…

D700 at 200ISO, 20mm f2.8 AF, f8, 1/640sec, bias -2/3EV

D700 at 200ISO, 20mm f2.8 AF, f8, 1/800sec, bias -1 2/3EV
A good location to shoot a portrait.

D700 at 200ISO, 20mm f2.8 AF, f8, 1/400sec, bias -1EV
In the gallery, below, the other images.
Note: the two birds in this gallery are taken near the little lake where our B&B was, between Vänern and Vättern lakes.
READ MORE of "Another stage of the Sweden’s journey – The Göta Kanal" post
Note: The photos in this post are replicated in the Trip’s Pages, in “Sweden Summer 2009” section
Let’s start the summer holiday’s trip!
Of course, not in this very moment… but this is the first gallery to describe the trip Francesca and I had last summer.
It began in a outstanding night, the day before last Francesca’s birthday.
From Grenaa’s harbour, by ferry, til Varberg, in Sweden.
One of the brightest summer’s nights.
We waited briefly for the ferry, at eleven o’clock PM:

D700 at 3200ISO, 20mm f2.8 AF, f5.6, 1/60sec, bias -2/3EV
To leave the dock around midnight…

D700 at 3200ISO, 105mm f2 AF, f2.8, 1/125sec, bias 0EV
Ad stay few hours on the boat:

D700 at 1600ISO, 20mm f2.8 AF, f4, 1/100sec, bias 0EV

D700 at 3200ISO, 20mm f2.8 AF, f4, 1/40sec, bias -2/3EV
Not too many, for enjoying the sunrise in Sweden:

D700 at 200ISO, 20mm f2.8 AF, f5.6, 1/3200sec, bias 0EV
And below, a little reportage of the trip in the gallery:
READ MORE of "Summer trip 2009 – Sweden" post
After some very cold days, finally we have reached the meltin point again… gaining a span of snow.
And today a warm, heavy, wet snow grab and hugs everything.

D700 at 3200ISO, 17-35mm f2.8 AFS at 35mm, f4, 1/20sec, bias 1/3EV
Of course, with a nice wheather like this, we went to Randers’ downtown, through the swamp along the Gudenå (the river that lead the sea here in the fjord).
Just out of home, the landscape was so:

D700 at 800ISO, 17-35mm f2.8 AFS at 35mm, f4, 1/100sec, bias 2/3EV

D700 at 800ISO, 17-35mm f2.8 AFS at 35mm, f4, 1/100sec, bias 2/3EV
And the swamp looks like a white Christmas lanscape…

D700 at 800ISO, 17-35mm f2.8 AFS at 24mm, f4, 1/80sec, bias 2/3EV

D700 at 800ISO, 17-35mm f2.8 AFS at 35mm, f4, 1/160sec, bias 2/3EV

D700 at 800ISO, 17-35mm f2.8 AFS at 28mm, f5.6, 1/40sec, bias 2/3EV
The city is nice, and with both the snow and the Christmas decorations is really better.

D700 at 1600ISO, 17-35mm f2.8 AFS at 22mm, f4, 1/40sec, bias 1+1/3EV

D700 at 3200ISO, 17-35mm f2.8 AFS at 28mm, f4, 1/20sec, bias 1/3EV

D700 at 1600ISO, 17-35mm f2.8 AFS at 35mm, f4, 1/20sec, bias 2/3EV
At four thirty, the sun is gone since more than one hour, and is time to come back home.

D700 at 1600ISO, 17-35mm f2.8 AFS at 35mm, f4, 1/13sec, bias -1 1/3EV
Normally, for this kind of photos my favourite equipment is the lighter camera and two or three prime lenses, to use near full aperture.
But today…
Today I’ve chosen of course the most sensible camera, and only one, zoom… and rugged lens.
Coming back home with a full working gear was quite important….
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Following the link, there’s a little selection of some of the circa fifty photos I’ve taken today.
READ MORE of "Snow over Randers" post
Last September, at the beginning of the bad weather weekends (actually, it isn’t finished yet), the only choice to have a walk was going underground.
In the actual sense of the word…
We went to Mønsted (few kilometers east of Viborg), where there’e some old limestone mines, active til thirty years ago.
With about four kilometers’ path under the groundlevel, with many galleries and a pair of little river… mostly without any light.
At the entrance, there’s a completely useless map:

So, I carried my D700, some prime lenses… and I hoped the 6400ISO was enough…
Actually, I have a couple of photos with flash, but the atmoshere we breath is all in the ambient-light shoots.
All BW, of course, to keep the nice contrast we see.
Ok, let’s go in…

D700 at 400ISO, 50mm f1.4 AF, f2.8, 1/500sec, bias -2/3EV
Following the path…
READ MORE of "Mønsted kalkgruber" post
After the Butterflies, the Macro Gallery Page has a new entry since now!
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about the images All the images (almost) included into the Posts and Galleries are thumbnails. Click on the miniatures to see the full size (tipically 900Px).
This is… ...my personal site, created to share my hobby.
All the photos in this container are my own interpretation of the world in front of me.
Until now the results of my work were only for my closer friends, now all the guests have the possibility to see my photos.
I would be very glad to have comments, review and critics, and this new dress for my site is for that.
So, let's start to see MY GALLERIES...
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