Rolling home Photo

Photographer’s Note

The German Navy uses the three-mast barque “Gorch Fock” for training and representative purposes. Here she is returning from the tall ships parade, one of the highlights of the annual sailing event “Kiel-Week”, to port Kiel (her home harbour).
As a consequence of the sea tragedy of 1932 when the barque “Niobe” capsized in the Baltic during a "white squall" with the loss of 69 cadets and crew, this ship was designed to be especially robust and safe. Over 300 tons of steel ballast in the keel gives her a righting moment large enough to bring her back in the upright position even when she heels over to nearly 90°.

The ship's name, Gorch Fock, is taken from the pen name of Johann Kinau who in 1912 published his most famous work, “Seefahrt ist Not” (Seafaring is Necessary), which became a classic in German maritime literature. All his life he was dreaming of going to sea. This dream was realized in 1916 during WW I when he was drafted into the German Navy. Unfortunately, less than two months later, he drowned when his ship was sunk in the Battle of Jutland.
„Seefahrt ist Not“ is the German translation of „Navigare necesse est, vivere non est necesse.“ Therefore I prefer the translation „All but sailing is vain“!
By the way, the cadets call their ship “Fu..ing George”.

riclopes, Atousa, Buin, gracious, JCG, Gerrit, phwall, fanni, carper, maltese, ciakgiak, dip, danos, parbo, gunbud, shevchenko, patdeph, Cretense, Vasa, ktanska, papagolf21, Royaldevon, fulvio52, saxo042, mafegan, skippy007, gildasjan, Bluejeans, Skimjack has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

mauro61 (15154) 2009-02-28 2:17

ciao harriet,
bellissima questa immagine che il cielo grigio rende ancora più affascinante.
L'inquadratura è perfetta, brava
buona giornata
maurizio

riclopes (32951) 2009-02-28 3:30

Olá Harriet, excellent capture in grey conditions, showing that a photographer is like a sailor and doesn't give up, whatever the weather conditions are ;-) What I most like here is the illusion the details on the masts give - or maybe it's not an illusion - with men hanging on the masts everywhere like fragile bodies standing high above steady ground. If they are real men, it's quite impressive.
have a nice weekend,
ricardo

Atousa (3434) 2009-02-28 5:16

Salam Harriet,

Lovely soft colour in this image..the ship is well placed in the frame n the details are clear n worth seeing..tfs
Regards, A

dumbo (4336) 2009-02-28 6:59

Hello Harriet,
What a beautiful old style boat! I like this composition, that grey sky and the many little details of the boat.
Good job!

Regards,
Eino

Buin (37374) 2009-02-28 8:42

Hallo Harriet!
Da kommt man als überzeugte Landratte ja fast ins Schwärmen. Ein herrlicher Anblick! Der wirklich fotografisch schwierige Himmel hier ist großartig abgebildet. Ein majestätischer Anblick... Hut ab!
Vor 25 Jahren lag ich mal am Strand von Nizza und als ich einmal zufällig über die Bucht schaute, lief gerade die Gorch Fock in den dortigen Hafen ein - ein Anblick den ich nie vergessen werde.
Hier etwas als Hintergrund beim Betrachten ;-)
Grüße aus dem tiefen Festland - und ein schönes Wochenende!
Frank

bema (8619) 2009-02-28 9:17

Hallo Harriet,

da ist Dir ber unser großes Flaggschiff vor die Linse gefahren, tolle Aufnahme, abgesehen von den Wetterbedingungen, aber dafür trägst du ja nicht die Verantwortung..
Bei deinem Titel ist mir der große Freddy Quinn in den Sinn und den Gehörgang gekommen, ein unvergessene Melodie..

schönes Wochenende, Gruß Bernd

gracious (20017) 2009-02-28 10:08

Guten Tag Harriet,
Very nice pov for this beautiful Girch Fock well captured against the harbour view and the powerful sky!
very interest to see all the crews up on the masts when the ship rolling into harbour!
thanks for the useful notes as well
warmest regares
Tony

JCG (25137) 2009-02-28 10:50

Hi Harriet,

I will be very unhappy at the top of the mast but the vision of the ocean must be impressive... A beautiful ship you nicely highlighted in this picture. The sky is gray but gives a special atmosphere to the image. An interesting maritime event, thank you Harriet.

With all my friendships and a very good WE,

Jean-Charles

Gerrit (35593) 2009-02-28 11:30

Wow, Harriet,
what a magnificent ship and all those people in the masts.
Fine inclusion of the vilaage on the right.
Regards, Gerrit

phwall (5532) 2009-02-28 13:09

Hello Harriet,
What a sight it must be from up there standing on the yards.
Nice shot of this wonderful ship, nicely positioned. The white hull stands out well against the leaden sky.
Cheers
Peter

fanni (8733) 2009-02-28 14:08

Hi Harriet,
this is certainly a picture with a mood! :)
In my opinion, the POV is excellent, so is the composition! The ship is seen at its best (with the crew members on the masts!) These men look like birds who suddenly appeared out of nowhere and sat down to rest a while, to continue their journey farther to the Unknown...
I read your Note with much intrest ;)
Warm regards,
Elena

ellelloo (4731) 2009-03-01 4:13

Hallo Harriet,
A gorgeous ship and a wonderful photo with a real spirit of sailing! I like the composition, colours and clarity in your photo. The crew up in the mast is a good detail. A good mote too. TFS.
Best regards,
Lasse

bracasha75 (21936) 2009-03-01 5:47

Halo Harriet
Ich sehe du hast immer gute motive fur fotografieren und dieser ist ausgezeichnet .
Ich habe auch dein neues intro bild gesehen und es ist schon auch
Viele schone gruse,Bratislav

carper (64484) 2009-03-01 10:03

I go for this one Harriet.
I have a weakness for the ships and the boats, my family was a skipper family, a fine shot here you made, fantastic details, good composition, fine light, it's perfect I like it a lot, have a good evening.
regard Jaap

maltese (21535) 2009-03-01 12:31

Hello Harriet
une belle réalisation sous cette lumière un peu difficile, il est magnifique ce superbe navire avec tous ces matelots dans les mâts!!
Un très bon coup d'œil pour ce beau moment
Amicalement
hervé

ciakgiak (10482) 2009-03-01 14:42

Hello dear Harriet,
fantastic, really fantastic, I have no words.
I like the great atmosphere in the image with this magnificent ship and all men on the trees.
Well done, great light and sharpness too.
Best Regards
Giorgio

dip (12532) 2009-03-01 21:39

Hallo Harriet,
beeindruckender Blick und trotz schwierigem Wetter und Lichtverhältnissen hervorragend festgehalten!
viele Grüße,
Dimitris.

danyy (68454) 2009-03-01 22:39

Bonjour Hariett,
le ciel n'était pas accueillant, mais magnifique toutefois, il vaut bien une grande place sur cette photo, tu l'as superbement capturé.
Dommage pour la présence de ce bateau jaune derrière, pas des plus esthétiques.
Best regards.
Daniel.

danos (32170) 2009-03-02 0:52

Good morning Harriet,
very nice the sight of Gorch Fock,that returns to its port with the sailors to hang on the masts.In nowadays days these sailing boats are difficult to managed, they want a lot of crew,and are expensive for their service.Well done.

Have a nice day,danos

foozi (4689) 2009-03-02 4:36

Hi Harriet,
really a special capture of the navy hanging everywhere. They looks like swallows on the posts. Very pleasant composition to indicate the size of the ship.
Well shown in lovely colours.

regards,
Foozi

Silvio1953 (41390) 2009-03-02 13:06

Ciao Harriet, great sea view with wonderful ship, very well done, ciao Silvio

parbo (10966) 2009-03-02 14:27

Hello Harriet,

I was just searching about name of three pillars sail that finally found it.

Your capture is perfectly balanced with skillful layout of beautiful “Gorch Fock”. I recognized lately the trainers that are increasing your photo's value fantastically. Splendid ambiance under cloudy sky. Congratulations. Have a nice new week.

Best Regards,

Ertugrul

jmdias (19053) 2009-03-02 16:13

harriet

beautiful framing. I liked the ship, very interesting and beautiful. These colors aren't so special. I would prefer this image in B&W. A powerful zoom could to produce nice views showing the men in the top of the ship, mixed with lines and shapes. Anyway this is a nice image, well done

hugs

jorge

shevchenko (9858) 2009-03-02 18:12

Hi Harriet,
Amazing and lively to show many crews on the ship fixing the sail in a stormy day, informative note to tell the history, thanks for sharing.
Ally

gunbud (27755) 2009-03-02 18:14

Hi Harriet,
Wonderful look at this stunning triple masted beauty with its mast crowded with eager cadets doing a fine job of handling her rigging and sails.
Excellent sharpness and depth to this stunning coastal scene.
Regards, Tom

patdeph (17662) 2009-03-03 2:47

hello Harriet
Wooow!What a beautiful ship!I like its white hull and its golden masts contrasting with the grey sky and water!These colours are wonderful with a great harmony and an incredible softness!I am impressed to see the crew hung everywhere on the masts!Wonderful,I like very much!
Regards
Pascale

Cretense (55620) 2009-03-03 5:54

Hi Harriet!

Fantastic ship, I like very much those masts that seem to be coming from a diferent era! Simple but great composition, excellent light managment and colours! Congratulations!

Hercules

gilou530 (34999) 2009-03-03 5:56

salut harriet
un trés beau vieux gréement dans un ciel d'orage dommage ca ne contraste pas trop avec la mer, mais beau travail
amitiés
gilbert

Vasa (5332) 2009-03-03 13:01

Dear Harriet, friend,

your best pictures from the sea. Even without the sun. Also, I am so happy of your new presentation in Intro. Warms regards, dear friend,

Branko

Waylim (10741) 2009-03-03 13:30

Harriet,
I can feel the wind and the energy of the wave here. Though the weather is not as ideal, but you get a very nice shot out of this. Excellent details, good composition. They are so many people up there. Really wonderful. I enjoyed it much.
Way

AKITA (5230) 2009-03-03 20:30

dear Harriet,
a very smart sailing boat you captured.
this white figure on the gray sea and under the gray sky is graceful.
and yellow masts (back another ship too) look fresh to my eyes.
of course the blue sky and sea must show us its vivid figure, but
I like this fearless appearance in gray surroundings.
thank you,
Akihisa
please refer to it;
http://www.trekearth.com/viewphotos.php?l=7&p=865601

ktanska (16502) 2009-03-03 22:59

Hi Harriet,
This angle is special, and indeed well represents returning home. Beautiful ship, and it's fascinating to see all those men up on the masts. Not the best weather, but clouds have enough details to make it interesting.
(I would have found this earlier, if you marked this under transportation category, you can choose several categories for an upload.)
Kari

papagolf21 (56141) 2009-03-04 0:45

Bonjour, chère amie Harriet,
Imposant, beauté d'antan ! magnifique trois-mâts où les hommes d'équipage ressemblent à de petits insectes s'activant au bon maniement de l'ensemble.
Force est de reconnaître la magnificence de l'ensemble.
Très belle photographie.
Amitiés.
Philippe

delpeoples (5790) 2009-03-04 0:48

Hi Harriet, I really enjoy your maritime theme. This is a particularly good shot of this beautiful old ship. The image is crisp and the colours are beautifully saturated. Great job, Lisa.

Royaldevon (5888) 2009-03-04 3:01

Hello Harriet,

The grey sky, with its accompanying grey sea, helps to set the mood for this shot.
I love your view of the boat, crisp and sharp, and giving fine details of the prow and masts ... and all the seamen aloft!

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

fulvio52 (8314) 2009-03-04 4:06

Good afternoon, Harriet.
The weather conditions, by far none too exciting, do work wonderfully well for this one, as those grey skies add a lot in terms of atmosphere. Excellent framing of this unique vessel and a very informative complementary note, TFS! Have a good day, I'll be seeing you.
Fulvio.

buscape (3555) 2009-03-04 8:17

Hallo Harriet
ein ausgezeichnetes Bild von diesem eindrucksvollen Segelschiff.
Die doch recht schwierigen Lichtverhältnisse hast du hier richtig gut gelöst. Das Schiff ist sehr gut im Bild platziert und die gelbe Farbe der Masten sowie vom hinteren Schiff sind willkommene Farbtupfer. Tolle Bildgestaltung. Gratulation.
Viele Grüsse aus dem Donautal,
Helmut

Flavia (10202) 2009-03-04 8:31

Hi Harriet,

Nice picture with good subject and compo, but I guess a B&w with stronger contrast would make it more dramatic.

Regards,

Flavia

saxo042 (15448) 2009-03-04 8:45

Hi Harriet,
Quite a funny picture with the crew here, just like a lot of insects covering the masts (or whatever these things are called by sailors). The scenery behind the boats is quite well known to us...
Kind regards
Gunnar

mafegan (4107) 2009-03-05 2:18

Hello Harriet
A good photo of a ship returning home on a grey day. Most interesting to see all the sailors lined along the masts - it would be a real bonus to post another photo showing a close-up of the sailors - or perhaps to include such a photo in a workshop. Just a thought and tfs, Marlene

jimkilgallon (0) 2009-03-08 18:32

Hello Harriet
Fine POV with this shot in a overcast day which you have captured so well. Fine detail to this ship with the people up on the sails.
Excellent capture
Jim

skippy007 (6957) 2009-03-10 22:02

Hello Harriet, Fantastic work with this one, a fine capture & equally fine PP work, everything looks great, colour, detail, clarity etc etc. etc. I also found your note interesting, I can see where the cadets get that name from, I also could not help but notice the German word for Seafaring, very similar to an English word.;-))
Thanks
Take care
Santo.

gildasjan (23637) 2009-03-12 13:41

Bonsoir Harriet
Cadrage idéal de ce trois mats.Le ciel est gris mais le bon caractère marin à cette image.
Bonne soirée
Amicalement
gildas

Greg1949 (8507) 2009-03-16 18:30

Harriet, what a great shot you have here, a portal in time, back when a set of values very different than today ruled the world and the waves. The detail is awesome considering the post size here on TE and I got lost in thought instantly see inf the yards manned as they are. Really great capture.

Greg

Bluejeans (31993) 2009-03-26 11:17

Ola Harriet,
Lindo navio , ficou fantástico os marinheiros nos mastros , gostei muito do cé nublado deu bastante dramatismo a foto , belo ponto de visão , parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

sacavem (8219) 2009-03-28 17:25

Olá Harriet,

In Portugal there is a ship very similar to this. Name "Sagres".For the school's official marine.The details are very good, great catch in grey conditions.
Filipe

fritzi007 (2469) 2009-06-05 11:33

Hallo Harriet!
Eine wunderschöne Aufnahme, erinnert mich an ein griechisches Lied (ein Schiff wird kommen),sehenswert!!!
Viele Grüße
Wolfgang