Pfalzgrafenstein Castle

Pfalzgrafenstein Castle on its Rhine island

Pfalzgrafenstein stands out from the water surface with its light facade and dark roof. The steep aerial view shows the pointed shape of the building, the wide view shows its location in the middle of the Rhine. When the gravel is exposed, the layout of the small island becomes visible.

The outline of the island castle

Pfalzgrafenstein is particularly easy to read about the relationship between island and building. The free bank strip makes visible which part of the narrow ground is actually occupied by the castle.

On an island, the distance from the shore determines the message of the photograph. If water is visible all around, its shape can be seen at a glance. If there is a piece of land in the picture, the situation in the larger body of water becomes understandable. Both options complement each other for a photo series. The first glance explains what belongs to the island. The second shows from which direction you approach it and which visible reference points connect the narrow piece of land with its surroundings.

Understand the system through its structure

When looking at a castle, it is worth looking at the roofs and the spaces between them separately. A large roof wing initially attracts attention. In addition, a courtyard or a narrow passage can show much better how the parts of the system are connected. An oblique aerial photo also gives an idea of ​​their altitude. With a narrower section, a piece of outer wall or slope maintains orientation and allows the building to remain visible in the context of its location.

What a water level changes in the picture

When the water level is low, parts of the riverbed are revealed that may be covered at other times. The light gravel surface pushes the visible water edge further away from the solid bank structures. For a comprehensible description of the image, it is helpful to distinguish between the two lines. A quay wall or a building provides the permanent reference point, the gravel bank describes the respective recording state. This makes it possible to show a striking landscape situation without confusing it with a permanent piece of land.

The distribution of blue tones

To switch between two of the 6 aerial photos, shot 3 and shot 6 can be called up directly in the gallery. In the first excerpt, shades of blue play a smaller role. In the second shot, blue areas take up more space. Blue can extend over a large contiguous area or only appear in individual parts. What also counts for the effect is whether these areas extend to the edge of the picture or surround the main subject.

Shot 6 and Shot 1 are among the views from March 31, 2021. According to the camera's time information, there are approximately 2 minutes between the two images. The exposure time was 1/500 second for the first of the images mentioned and 1/320 second for the second.

For a selection of moving images, the gallery contains 5 linked clips. Among them is “Pfalzgrafenstein Castle aerial photos”. Under Aerial Videos the preview leads to the aerial photographer's respective offer at Adobe Stock.

Select the coastal view for a photo series

In a coastal view, water is both a motif and an open space. Whether a large piece of sea remains in the picture depends on the story. When reporting on the shoreline, it holds different landforms together. For a portrait of a coastal town, the development may need more space. An aerial photographer can take this difference into account when choosing the angle of the image. When publishing, it's worth taking a final look at the final format so that a headland or riverside path at the edge isn't accidentally cut off.

Related motifs in the aerial photo archive

Two additional views can be used in the archive for comparison. The first can be found under Burg Pfalzgrafenstein & Kaub. Kaub and Pfalzgrafenstein Castle lie on opposite sides of a narrow stretch of water. The second belongs to the article Burg Stahleck. At Stahleck Castle, the compact group of towers and roofs meets a steep slope above the Rhine.