This last collection of photos were taken in October in the Swabian Alps in southern Germany by photographer Kerstin Maier.

I was happy to find a photographer who was crazy enough to go to any lengths just to get a good shot. I had a gig scheduled in the Zum Nix club in Blaubeuren and Kirsten suggested we try the shots at dawn the next morning from the top of the nearby Blaufels cliff. I don’t remember what time I got up but I do remember we drove to the top of the mountain and then walked 3km in the dark to reach the location. When we finally got there we realised there was still an hour to wait for the sun to come up. It was chilly start but it was exciting to watch the dawn come up. Below, the cliff dropped vertically down to the Blautopf pool and the town.

Blaubeuren is named after the Blautopf or blue pot, an incredible spring of clear blue water. For long it was thought to be bottomless, but we now know that at 21 meters, an underground river feeds into it. The blue colour comes from minute particles of limestone that preferentially scatter the blue light in the spectrum. Incidentally, the club Zum Nix is named after a playful water spirit that lives in the pool. We didn’t see her, but she probably saw us.

We took some more shots by the blue pool, one of the most beautiful places I have seen. So thanks Kerstin.