Photogenic Places – Sellin
August 31, 2014 | Landscape Photography | by Michael Breitung
We might not have the most spectacular coastline in Germany. It’s mostly flat, some dunes here and there, an occasional lighthouse. But the island of Rügen is different.
On Rügen you will not only find the famous chalk cliffs, which will be subject to another article. Today I want to show you another very photogenic place on Rügen’s east coast. I’m talking about the so called sea bridge in Sellin. It might be one of the most photographed places on Rügen. But everytime I visit I also go there to enjoy the beautiful morning hours while taking some long time exposures.
Around sunrise this place is so peaceful. There are nearly no other people. The pier is wonderfully lit and when the sky begins to glow it’s a perfect harmony.
Last summer I visited the second time and had perfect conditions. As the sun appeared above the horizon I used my Lee Big Stopper to extend the exposure times to around 100 seconds. This gave the whole place the dreamy look it deserved.
I also went past the main house to the large diver’s bell at the end of the pier. During day people can dive to the ground of the sea in this bell. Well, the water is not that deep there and I’m not sure what you can expect to see down there. But maybe next time my curiosity wins and I give it a try.
The last photo was taken after sunset. It shows a quite different mood than the photos I took in the morning. While those look very calm the dark and cloudy sky of the evening lent the scene some drama, especially with the glow at the horizon.
The beach chairs, which are typical for german beaches, provided a nice foreground. Other than at most other places along the coast the beach chairs at Rügen were always open when I photographed there. This is an important aspect because closed chairs don’t look very inviting in the foreground of a photo.
I’m not sure when I will have the time to visit Rügen again. Maybe winter would be a nice change. In any case I’m sure to add a few new photos to my Sellin Portfolio then. You just can’t go to Rügen and not visit Sellin.
