Photo walks: industrial culture in focus

The ten photo walks as part of the anniversary of the Industrial Culture Route offer the opportunity to explore extraordinary places and take impressive pictures. The old mines and industrial facilities exude a special atmosphere and offer fascinating motifs in abundance. Regardless of whether you are young or old, whether you are a professional, amateur or smartphone photographer – everyone is welcome to take a shared industrial culture walk with your camera. And to ensure that as many photos as possible are taken, the two photographers Michael Rogosch and Dirk Böttger give valuable tips on how to photographically implement the topic of industrial culture.

Architecture, reportage, landscape, still life – the topic of industrial culture offers numerous facets. The Nachtigall colliery at the “Blue Hour”, panoramas from the roof of the gasometer or details of the steam locomotive P8 (38 2267) in the Bochum Railway Museum are just three examples of the thematic diversity of the photo walks. A total of ten locations on the Industrial Heritage Route offer photo walks from June to October. Many of these locations have an eventful past and tell stories of workers, entrepreneurs and technical progress but also of the change of an entire region.

The photo walks provide numerous practical tips for photographing industrial heritage as part of the respective tour. These start with the basic recording parameters of the cell phone or camera. right up to the end when implementing your own creative image ideas. From the required aperture to the Instagram style or reduced black and white to multiple exposures or panorama stitching - the photographic theme plan is as varied as the respective industrial backdrop. Due to the manageable group size of a maximum of 12 people, participants have the opportunity to ask individual questions and also implement their own image ideas.

The cost of the photo walk, which lasts around three to three and a half hours, is 25 euros.

Overview and booking of all photo walks:

BOOKING PHOTO WALK

Photowalks 25 Years of Industrial Heritage Route

The ten photo walks as part of the anniversary of the Industrial Culture Route offer the opportunity to explore extraordinary places and take impressive pictures.

June 28, 2024

Maxipark Hamm

The Maxipark in Hamm offers a successful combination of nature, art and industrial culture on an area of ​​around 130 hectares. There is a lot to discover photographically: small and large. The Maxipark impresses with its varied landscape with extensive meadows, colorful flowerbeds, idyllic ponds and shady woodland areas. Landscape motifs and motifs from nature and even macro photography are on the agenda. The botanical garden with a variety of plant species and a rose garden with roses in all colors and shapes offer motifs for the photographic discovery tour. Meeting point is at 16:30 p.m.

July 12, 2024 [FULLY BOOKED]

Hansa coking plant

Together with the neighboring Deusenberg, the Hansa coking plant is to become one of the main locations of the International Garden Exhibition IGA 2027. Hansa will reinvent itself again. And that makes for exciting motifs, because the change will become clearly visible in the coming years. Before the major construction work begins, this photo walk offers the opportunity to take stock. Under the guidance of Ruhr area photographer Michael Rogosch, the participants photograph the exciting architecture and scenery of the Hansa coking plant, stage details and document the status quo. It also goes into the buildings - the compressor hall and the laundry room are just two of the spectacular motifs. Meeting point is at 16 p.m.
July 26, 2024

Duisburg inner harbour

This evening tour of the inner harbor starts at the Ludwigsturm in the Garden of Remembrance, designed according to plans by Dani Karavan. From there, the tour continues over the humpback bridge on a discovery tour. From the historic swing bridge, there is a magnificent view of the water and the surrounding industrial monuments. These contrast with the next photo motif, the boats in the marina and the modern architecture of the surrounding buildings. A detour to the building of the NRW State Archives with its striking, over 70-meter-high brick tower or to the neo-Gothic Salvator Church, the landmark of the inner harbor, are of course also on the agenda. In addition to the highlights, there are also a multitude of small things and hidden motifs to discover during the photo walk. The meeting point is at 19 p.m.
August 7, 2024

Ship lift Henrichenburg

An exciting tour of the lower and upper waters of the Henrichenburg boat lift awaits the participants, who accompany this tour with the camera in reportage style. Of course, the functionality of a ship lift will also be demonstrated and documented photographically. There is also a visit to the barge Ostara. And last but not least, the most spectacular structure of the Dortmund-Ems Canal at the time and the first multi-float ship lift in the world will be photographically censored. This photo walk includes tips and tricks on the subject of architecture, landscape and reportage photography. Photographer Dirk Böttger explains what is important when staging industrial culture and which shooting tips and tricks lead to exciting images. Meeting point is at 16 p.m.
August 16, 2024

Gasometer Oberhausen

During this photo walk, the western Ruhr area is literally at the participants' feet, as the photo walk starts on the roof of the 117,5 meter high gasometer in Oberhausen. From there, the participants photograph the panoramic view over the Pott including the blue hour and sunset. We then go along the Rhine-Herne Canal to the artfully illuminated Rehberger Bridge “Slinky Springs to Fame” and back to the gasometer, where we go up to the roof again to photograph the Ruhr area at night. Meeting point is at 17:30 p.m.

August 23, 2024

North Star Park Gelsenkirchen

Many exciting views and perspectives can be staged on the former mine site. For example, on the Nordsternturm, the heart of the former mine and later Federal Garden Show site. The listed tower now has 18 floors and the top one, at a height of around 83 meters, has been converted into a visitor's terrace. Here you have an unobstructed view of the expanse of the park, the city and the region - and the participants get very close to the "Hercules of Gelsenkirchen", a monumental sculpture by the German artist Markus Lüpertz. In addition to the spectacular views, the participants can also look forward to exciting insights, as the buildings around the winding tower remain. The coal mixing plant and the coal bunker are also striking. Tip: Before the photo walk, it is worth visiting the exhibition "Change is always" in the Nordstern Museum. Meeting point is at 18 p.m.

August 24, 2024

Friedrich Heinrich colliery park

The starting point for this photo walk is the training tunnel of the former Friedrich colliery. The former underground training center impressively shows the world of miners and offers exciting photo opportunities. In addition to the camera's recording parameters, photographer Dirk Böttger shows how accents can be set with additional light and how flash can be used effectively. After the “downward” in the training tunnel comes the “upward” to the old mine tower. From a height of 70 meters there is a wonderful panoramic evening view of the old mining settlement and the newly designed mine site. Thematically, wide-angle and panoramic shots are on the program here. Meeting point is at 15 p.m.

September 28, 2024

Railway Museum Bochum

The fascination of railways: Industrial history can be experienced in the Bochum Railway Museum. More than 50 historical locomotives and numerous wagons are spread across the extensive railing and are just waiting to be staged by the participants in this photo walk. Whether in black and white or as HDR – there are hardly any limits to creativity. An ideal place to rediscover your own camera and tell exciting picture stories from days long gone. An eye for details is required. What matters is the image design and how the camera's optimal recording parameters are found and set, explains speaker Dirk Böttger. Meeting point is at 14 p.m.
5 October 2024

Nightingale colliery

On this tour with the camera, participants go on a journey through time. The Ruhr mining industry began more than 300 years ago with the Nachtigall mine. And even today, the special atmosphere of this bygone working world from the pioneering days of mining can be experienced and captured in special photos. After the tour above ground, we go one floor down into the Nachtigall tunnel. An exciting mix of photo motifs awaits underground - a kind of journey through time underground. A mining face and tunnel drive in the Geitling 3 seam show typical working situations in small-scale mining after 1945. The meeting point is at 10 a.m. The photo walk ends around 13 p.m.

June 7, 2024

Ewald colliery and Hoheward dump

This photo walk offers both insights and views over and into the heart of the Ruhr area. The participants gain insights into the Ewald colliery. With a bit of luck, one or two doors that would otherwise remain closed will open - otherwise the outdoor area offers exciting motifs and perspectives. After the discovery tour of the Ewald colliery, we continue on foot to the neighboring Hoheward dump, one of the highest freely accessible dumps in the Ruhr area. Meeting point is at 17:30 p.m.
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