In Full Swing Photo

Photographer’s Note

For a change of scenery, I like to join in with everyone and post some spring time image, too. This is taken near the Hotel Bad Ragaz, a health and recuperation oasis because of it’s natural spring. We didn’t stay there, As Barbara would tell me only those with extra money in the pocket stay there. We are just on our way to see Tamina River Gorge. It in the beginning of Spring, exactly about a year ago when I was there. The pink magnolia is in full bloom and the late afternoon sun peeks out of the thick heavy cloud and the whole world comes alive.

Bad Ragaz is a municipality in the Wahlkreis (constituency) of Sarganserland in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It is the home of a famous natural spring and is a popular spa and health resort destination. One of the largest spa hotels is the Grand Hotel Quellenhof, owned by the Schmidheiny family.

ISO:200
f/8, 1/125s @ 17mm
Polarize filter used
Slightly cropped, saturation 5, slightly sharpen and contrast.

ktanska, Floydian, bakes888, KLB, Wahclellaspirit, pablominto, Klaracolor, BelCan75, gracious, Sistercosmo, ChrisJ, phwall, PixelTerror, fulvio52, Colombiana, shevchenko, trekks, patdeph, yedirenk, danos, Dpbours, lrw1966, litiancai, Urs has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Jeppo (11774) 2009-05-08 0:31

so you were in Switzerland???

My Grandfather worked there as Immigrant in the 50's....and I am often there (yesterday as well)

never been in Bad Ragaz so far but this image is pretty nice. Switzerland is such a little juwel with a magnificent nature....

tfs
silvio

ktanska (16502) 2009-05-08 0:39

Hi Way,
It is indeed very nice place with large parks and great looking mountain background. Your shot shows excellent spring weather. Church tower is well placed as a main focal point.
Kari

Floydian (30970) 2009-05-08 0:57

Hi Way,

Nice to see a Swiss picture from you again. The tree full with blossom is the main attraction here, but also the typical Swiss church is doing well in the composition. Seems a bit soft on the sharpness, but maybe it has to do with the compression.
Clouds work well in here, just as the natural framing by those trees....very nice.

Regards,

Henk

Bartleby (4802) 2009-05-08 1:22 [Comment]

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bakes888 (18055) 2009-05-08 1:38

Hello Way. Not everyone is posting photos of spring, some of us have to wait another six months for that ;-). Great photo, wonderful colours and a nice feeling of warmth. Thanks for sharing.
Have a good weekend, Paul.

KLB (17952) 2009-05-08 1:46

Hello Way

Thanks for joining all the spring-like images with this beautiful composition.
The typical swiss church in the blue sky is a perfect point to catch our attention.
The pink blossom tree is very attractive.
A pleasant picture.

Regards
Karine

Wahclellaspirit (3017) 2009-05-08 1:56

Hello Way,
How well I remember this beautiful part of Switzerland. I opted to get off the train from Innsbruck here and stay the night along the lake in July of 1974. The Alps in the background were as beautiful as they are to be seen in your image, and the beautiful Cathedral still stands magnificently above the township.
The following day I met my friend Dorothee from Basle that was getting on the train from a small village near there, and after 35 years, she and I will be reunited at the end of this month.
Thanks for the image's memories...
Steve

dta (4848) 2009-05-08 2:01

Hello Way ,
A beautiful springtime contribution . The composition is really well balanced . The clouds provide a superb back ground . Simple , but very attractive .
Regards

pablominto (40390) 2009-05-08 5:40

Hello Way,

Something typical Swiss, a lush and fertile valley between the majestic summits!
The classical church architecture grabs my eyes, before they wander on to the attractive cloud formations...
A balanced composition with good depth, vivid colours!

Greetings,
Pablo -

Klaracolor (201) 2009-05-08 9:35

I like the colors of spring and in this one you succeeded in showing them. I see also a very pretty composition.
Greetings,
Klara

rodgerg (23699) 2009-05-08 10:05

Hello WAy,

A superb postcard of Switzerland, an image rich in details well collected and in natural colours. I like too the gfood balalnce in the composition, the cloch-tower of the church well loacted in the image and the flowers in the FG.
Have a good WE,
Roger

sacimar (7357) 2009-05-08 10:38

Hi Way,

beautiful view, It is a wonderful place... Switzerland, spa, mountains, I like the picture, it is a good example of spring time, good colors and light, nice job, TFS

My best regards

Sergio

BelCan75 (2416) 2009-05-08 11:37

Hi Way,

Nice to see some Swiss scenery from you as well. Switzerland is such a beautiful place and I was able to enjoy it for 12 days last summer. This is a great landscape with the little flowers on the grass, the church and then the mountains in the distance. A great spring photo with beautiful colours and light! Well done!

Greetings,
Ann

gracious (20017) 2009-05-08 11:55

Sabaidi Way,
Thank you for sharing the spring in full in your part of the world and it's a treat for us here in downunder which going through deep autumn at the moment!
loved every bit on the colouration here and the pov
warmest regards to you and family
Tony

Sistercosmo (2569) 2009-05-08 13:36

Hi Way,
Spring in Switzerland, captured very well! Wonderful shot. I love Magnolias when they bloom and the flowers in the grass are great too. Then the clouds - everything was working together here.
Take care and have a good weekend!
Linda

angela926 (1882) 2009-05-08 16:21

Hello Way,
Lovely spring landscape,
good sharpness and depth of field,
pretty colors, nice light and good clarity.
TFS
Angela

emka (21179) 2009-05-08 17:06

Hi Way, I forgot that you were also in Switzerland. Nice view of the meadow with flowers and the tower of the church. Beautiful magnolia tree (I also have such one in my garden) and behind it I suppose is araukaria. Pleasant spring photo.

Regards

Malgorzata

ChrisJ (69973) 2009-05-08 18:48

Hi Way

The flowering pink fruit tree, contrasts well, against the blue sky. Excellent colour, sharpness, lighting contrasts, & saturation. Tfs!

zeca (20026) 2009-05-08 23:20

Very nice composition, Way. Beautiful colours! I specially like the flowers on the ground.
Have a nice weekend!
Zeca

phwall (5532) 2009-05-09 0:39

Hello Way,
Beautiful shot, all is as it should be, PERFECT.
Warm wishes
Peter

vincz (19039) 2009-05-09 1:59

Excellent quality shot with very natural colours. I like very much the long clouds in the sky. Everything is so well balanced here.

PixelTerror (86038) 2009-05-09 2:03

Grüezi Way
So you have been to CH... even in canton SG next to where I live, it's nice you help set it on the world map as it is not the most touristed region of CH, nice image where all the flowers contribute to the seasonal atmosphere, as I write and look outside it looks just like on your image right now !
Have a nice day JY

fulvio52 (8314) 2009-05-09 12:53

Hi, Way.
Nice and very refreshing in all its wonderful simplicity. Your presentation is flawless, smooth and soothing, and perfectly depicting one of those early spring days in Switzerland as I remember them. I got no complaints about any small amount of softness in the picture, I really like it as it is. But there again, I personally prefer a kind of smooth & dreamy definition in this type of images. You have a nice weekend, buddy. I'll be seeing you.
Fulvio.

baba_flies (7951) 2009-05-10 0:32

Good morning, Way! Bad Ragaz in spring, it IS a lovely corner and a relaxing atmosphere with the different spas and golf course ... and a little airstrip outside the village. It has a "one day spa" (Tamina Therme) for the public (you normally stay two three hours) which is affordable and I love it in winter when it snows and you swim in the hot pool. I once had a guest from Iowa City and she had never seen anything like this and was also a little shy to walk around in her bikini but in the end she loved it, she would hardly get out anymore. This is a lovely picture, Way, the sweet colors of spring ... how it is right now actually. Same month :))) Have a wonderful Sunday, Barbara.

Colombiana (2542) 2009-05-10 16:33

Hi Way,

Very pleasant scenery with beautiful spring colors. I am sure that is a relaxing place to visit. Regards!

Maryori

mesutilgim (36581) 2009-05-10 22:18

Hello Way,
Nice scenery very well captured.
Good pov; specially pink blossoms in front of the church tower creates a nice effect.
Good and usefull notes as well.
TFS and best regards
MESUT ILGIM

shevchenko (9858) 2009-05-10 22:45

Hello Way,
Attractive pink blossoms in the spring, I like the yellowish flowers on the field too, silent and relaxing environment for spend nice times but spend money too, thanks for sharing trace of journey passing on this beautiful land.
Ally

trekks (14262) 2009-05-11 6:36

hi Way

So you romped Switzerland too in 2008!

A place where spring or winter is all the same liked by many for different reasons.

This is elegant scenery of the mountainous land that is what makes Swiss so much landlocked. Very nice shot of the green and blue.

tfs, bill

patdeph (17662) 2009-05-11 10:32

hello Way
this is a nice and typical landscape of Switzerland,where the pink blossoms are here a beautiful and important element because of the contrat with the green vegetation,and where I like the church just behind these pink flowers!I like the softness of the picture,and the white flowers in the grass makes that this is very nice to look at!
Regards
Pascale

yedirenk (7283) 2009-05-11 17:03

Hi Way,
this is a great postcard with very nice presentation.light,colours and framing are excellent.very impressive building with yellow color.superb nature and very elegant scene..well done.TFS
Greetings

Cevdet

danos (32170) 2009-05-12 4:44

Hello Way,
pritty Spring shot from the countryside of Switzerland.I like the existence of the church in the proper place of the scene as the brilliant light and vivid colours of it.A place that looks peaceful and tranquil.Well done.

Regards,Danos

Dpbours (218) 2009-05-12 7:31

Hello Way,

The bushes in the middle are a bit overly dark. Little detail there in the shaded part, but the overall composition is nice!!

Greetings,
Dennis

Atousa (3434) 2009-05-12 8:54

Salam Way,

A beautiful spring shot in a good frame ..I like your chosen compo with the greenery in the FG to the hidden church n then to the mounts in the BG..refreshing n peaceful..thank you.
Best regards, Atousa

lrw1966 (1630) 2009-05-13 8:35

Way, Hi:

Beautiful spring, refreshing and very colorful with excellent sharpness.

Thanks for the notes.

Larry

foozi (4689) 2009-05-19 5:27

Hi Way,
such a lovely and scenic shot. The blue sky and dramatic puffy clouds are such a treasure.
Thr flowering trees are very captivting nd you presented it so nicely.

Regards,
Foozi

litiancai (1040) 2009-05-21 17:30

Hi Way,

It's been a while, but looking at your gallery I see the standard of your photos still continues to impress! Honestly, if you're not already a pro I think you should consider giving it a try :)

I suppose this scene is the kind of place we would just drive by in Europe without thinking too much about it, but you've framed the shot nicely and balanced the church in the composition against the tree on the far right which works well. The splash of colours from the flowers only add to it all. Beautiful shot

All the best

Lee

Angshu (33533) 2009-05-29 0:33

Sabaidie Way
A real change in scenery, also from the US landscapes front. Like the FG green with flowers and the cherry blossom tree as well leading to the church steeple, rearing its head against the blue sky. Like the way you composed with the trees on either side. Good work!
Best Regards
Angshu

jemaflor (39183) 2009-06-16 11:28

Hi W,
A nice composition, good colors and flowers, good result well taken.

Urs (2696) 2009-07-17 17:26

Dear Way

A picture form my native Switzerland, which I have not seen since 1987, when I definitely left for Asia. Even I have not been to Bad Ragaz, as far as I can remember, I have to click this picture, which i must have overlooked in the past in your gallery. Yes your are right it is a spring picture. It looks very nice with all these flowers and the fresh grass. Its a very well composed shot with all the details to make it a great picture, the color hues and contrasts, the church looks sharp and DOF is fine. Well done.

Best regards
Urs