Three weeks ago mini-me and I spent a week in Madrid. To make it a real vacation I left my computer at home and only took one camera battery and one lens.

It all started with a heartattack, because the airport bus got stuck in traffic behind an accident on one of Berlin's busiest road crossings, and it couldn't turn and neither could we get out to catch a taxi. Mentally I had already said good bye to our trip, but we magically made it to the counter when they were just about to close. Spain welcomed us with blue skys and puffy clouds, temperatures were perfect and our hosts could not have been better.

The week was totally easy going, slow and relaxed. All we did was walk around a whole lot, hung out on playgrounds most of the day making Spanish friends, we bought some non-touristy souvenirs, we went to the public pool, to the park and to the Prado Museum. (And we saw Woody Allen in the underground! See pictures below...)

I can't say that we had a very eventful week, but it was wonderful, because my mind was empty, all work and worries were in Berlin, while we just lived day by day in Madrid. The very best thing about it all was spending time with our favourite person >>Lily<<, who was so kind to make room for us (and dinner every night...) in her charming apartment and her lovely roommate, Sophia.

Possibly one of the best trips in a while. ♥




















































All photos: Carolin Weinkopf via iPhone (except of the portrait of me, that's taken by Lily!)

Istanbul had been on my top travel list for years, but somehow I never made it there. On my way to Macedonia right after finding out I was >>pregnant<< almost two years ago, I actually had a >>10 hour stopover<< there, but hey, I definately had other things in mind that day, and couldn't enjoy the city that much, plus it was only a few hours in a rush.

This year we took Turkish Airlines to and from >>Oman<< and both times had a stopover in Istanbul (plus a really annoying extra stop in Bahrain we didn't know about...). On the way back we made our Istanbul stopover four days long, because it just seemed so damn convenient.

My dear friend and co-photographer Rosie, mini-me and I rented ourselves a beautiful and charming apartment up the hill in Beyoğlu in a little alleyway, with a balcony and life music at night. We ate great food and did quite a bit of sightseeing for my standards (as in Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Spice Market and a ferry ride to the Bosphorus Bridge) - and even though I usually neglect all kinds of classical tourist stuff, Istanbul was just so nice that even the touristy stuff was beautiful and very fun!

The rest of the time I mostly strolled around with mini-me either tied to my back or in the push chair (which is quite a task in Istanbul), exploring the every day life and just breathing after that crazy week in Oman. I was so tired and exhausted that most nights I fell asleep while taking mini-me to bed around 7 or 8pm and didn't wake up until the next morning.

If you happen to come here and are looking for a lovely apartment and some amazing hosts, we can warmly recommend >>Evrim and Aydin<< to you.






















All photos: Carolin Weinkopf

When I first landed in Oman in the middle of the night two years ago, I remember not being able to sleep because the view from my bedroom window was just too exciting. I had never been to the middle east and it was really too bewitching to just sleep.

Muscat is a mix of desert, beautiful, rocky mountains, traditional houses and a futurama-like network of modern superhighways with big, shiny white trucks driving on them. Contrasting scenes of wealthy, organized and clean Omani life and the more rough and lively class of migrant workers from Asia. All observed by beautiful Sultan Quaboos looking down at you from any possible angle in different outfits and gestures and always (!) dipped into the fine smell of Arabian frankincense. It was lovely coming back this time, adding new perspectives from the boat (big and small) and being reminded how damn hot it could possibly get (and, unique to Oman's coastline, it doesn't even cool down at night!).

Unfortunately, there were not so many chances to explore besides working, but Oman, I will be back, and then I'll stay a little longer.

(These pictures are a combination of the ones I took in 2011 and the ones I took recently in 2013.)































All photos: Carolin Weinkopf 2011/2013

[Photography] [Travel] [Middle East] [Oman] [Muscat]

It's cold and rainy and we are back in Berlin after 11 days on the road, more specifically Muscat, Oman for a job and Istanbul, Turkey for a long stopover to explore a bit and for photography, of course.

We had a great time, distressed by all kinds of stomach sicknesses (brought to us from Berlin, apparently), a lot of doctors and hospital visits, which definately is no fun, and even worse when being at the other end of the world, and even worse when your caretaker gets sick aswell. As I had to work and mini-me was feeling terrible, I was absolutely torn and tangled leaving him behind - what do you do if your baby is sick but you just definately have to finish that job?

Fortunately we managed somehow to survive these days, with the great help and devotion of my lovely friend J. (who magically managed to stay on his feet the days I needed him most, THANK YOU so much...) and little sleep and a good amount of tunnel vision.

Istanbul was lovely, relaxed and mostly healthy (Oh no, R.!), and definately needed to walk the stress out of our bones after Oman. I loved it all so much, though now I couldn't be more happy to just be back home again. Travel is my life elixir and always will be, but man, it's hard work these days! I feel so blessed to have these opportunities, but it's just a whole different story now compared to before. I might have to write a book about it, for therapy, you know.

The great thing is I always have a beauiful travel companion, smiling at me in the morning, reminding me to eat and sleep and breathe and who breaks the ice with the locals in a twinkle. Thank you, mini-me, for traveling with me and for being so damn patient most of the time.

Here's a sneak peak of my journey to the East. More to come, very soon.












All photos: Carolin Weinkopf

Earlier this year my dad invited mini-me and I on a little beach adventure at the Müritz, a gigantic lake in Mecklenburg, also called the "little sea". At the time I was so sleep- and breathless that I never came around to post these pictures. I just found them, got tangled in good time memories and thought I'd share a few. I also have a ton of iphone pictures from here, so beware, there's more to come.

















All photos: Carolin Weinkopf

I have been wanting to post this for decades, here's pt. II of our trip to India.

After spending a week in Delhi, we packed up mini-me and our stuff and travelled up North with our dear friend Rosie. After a daytrip by car on a busy and neverending country road and some headspinning curves up into the outskirts of the himalayas, we arrived in the mountain town of Mussoorie and stayed for a few days, which was picturesque - but loud, busy and a whole lot more touristy (at least for Indians, not Westeners) than we had expected. The highlights of the town (like a vintage cable car and the flanery mall) were under construction and therefore pretty much out of order. Besides "shopping" and some hiking, there was actually not much to do and the relaxation wouldn't come, so we decided to move on and went a bit further up the hills into a more quiet area, did a homestay and really loved it up there, walking in the woods, observing wild monkeys and eating really, really good food. Unfortunately time was flying, so soon enough it was time to pack again and say good-bye.

After a short car ride into the next main town, we boarded a 1960's night train back to Delhi. Our luggage was carried by an old Indian guy who put all of our suitcases and bags (three people AND a baby!) on his head all at once and only wanted a few pennys for that. But that's yet another story to be told.


























All photos: Carolin Weinkopf

I love my life in Berlin, as a photographer, as a friend to such amazing people and as a mom of mini-me. Though, in my heart, I am a traveler. 2011 was my year as a traveling photographer, having the amazing opportunities to visit Norway, Nepal, Paris ( 1 2 3 4 5 ), Vienna ( 1 2 3 ), Barcelona ( 1 2 ) and the Costa Brava, Morocco, Oman and Nepal again. One day after I found out I was pregnant in February 2012, I took a flight to Macedonia via Istanbul, a few weeks later I spent some time in Israel and Palestine ( 1 2 3 4 5 ), and just briefly before mini-me's birth I went on my last trip to Spain ( 1 2 ). With the new born baby in tow I went to Oxford in January this year, spent two weeks in Delhi and North India in February and March and went to Oxford once again this Spring. This summer, we took three easy going trips, to Bodensee, Müritz and Catalunya.

If I had the choice, I would tie mini-me on my back, let my boyfriend carry all the luggage and travel the world all year long, photographing for jobs and personal projects, exploring and adventuring. I must admit that it's not as easy as I thought. Traveling with a baby is not as easy. It's stressful, it's demanding, it's nerve-breaking. For me, first of all, it usually means traveling solo with a baby, because N. has a proper office job here in Berlin and can't take off work for every single one of my crazy trips. And being solo with a baby is definately a challenge on it's own. It means carrying at least the double amount of luggage as usual (at least), it means stopping where you usually wouldn't, it means planning ahead instead of being spontanious, it means not being able to take that striking photo, because the camera is in the bag while your baby is sleeping on your arm, or it might mean risking your stroller (and your baby) to roll away while you try to snap that very moment. How many times has the camera bumped into mini-me's head while he was sitting in the carrier, and how many times did he start complaining when it was just the perfect light and setting for the perfect photo? Definately it means spending a lot more money on doing a lot less. Period.

I'm in a serious conflict these days, trying to figure out how my career will proceed with a baby. And plus, didn't I want a second baby, like... soon? How is solo traveling and photographing going to work with one baby on each arm...? Can you tell me? Lucky enough this wasn't a job I was forced into, or something that was based on a career decision, it was more like a calling and it's a must. And I will have to figure it out. I'm not sure if I'm the kind of person who could leave my babies home while I travel (at least not regulary), nor do I see myself traveling with a nanny all the time (the more people, the harder it gets to take good photos, plus - do you think I could afford a nanny plus her or his travel expenses? Eek.). Is this the reason why there aren't that many female documentary photographers who have kids? Or am I wrong? Does it get easier when they get older, or is this an illusion? So far it's definately gotten harder. He is not the tiny, sleepy, super relaxed baby no more. He jiggles and wiggles, he knows what he wants, and he demands it, not giving in or waiting for me to just take a few more shots before I pay him attention.

Is there anyone out there with a solution for me? How should I do this on the long run? This is my business and I love it to death. I cannot give it up.

(I originally started this post to announce that mini-me, a dear friend of mine (he's the unpaid nanny) and I are flying to Oman in October for a great, great job to photograph and that mini-me and I are going to Istanbul for a few days afterwards aswell. Maybe this is the way to go: I have no idea how I am going to do this, but I will. Peace.)



Deep sea fishing in Ålesund. Norway, 2011.


Twin lightning in Katmandu. Nepal 2011.


Boy fishing by Arniko Highway. Nepal 2011.


Girls in the Eastern Terrai. Nepal 2011.


Outside Kathmandu Valley. Nepal 2011.


Enlightment. Paris 2011.


Librairie. Paris 2011.


Archway in Rabat's Oudayas. Morocco 2011.


Camels Crossing. Morocco 2011.


Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Muscat. Oman 2011.


Traffic outside of Kathmandu. Nepal 2011.


The road to Mount Everest. Nepal 2011.


Pigeons. Istanbul 2012.


Transfer to Skopje. Istanbul 2012.


Urban backyards. Skopje 2012.


The Dead Sea near Jericho. Palestine 2012.


Crossways of Jerusalem. Israel 2012.




Streets scenes. Delhi 2013.


Oxford 2013.


In the Catalan mountains. Coforb 2013.

All photos: Carolin Weinkopf

Two days before and two days after the wedding, we spent in Barcelona, sporting some lovely airbnb flats and exploring the city. Definately a lovely place on earth, I must admit, Barcelona is just not for me, even though I've been there soooo many times that it might make a different impression. I love the tiny streets, the balconies, the atmosphere, the food, and, oh yes, the shopping and the beaches, but there's something about it that 's just not for me.

Anyways, we had beautiful cook-outs with our friends also visiting for the wedding, sat by the beach with tapas and beers in the evenings and strolled around, exploring.

If you happen to be in Barcelona with your family or a group, just get in touch. I can give you a wonderful recommendation on a flat to rent, that's reasonably priced, charming, central, and definately feels like a home away from home.








All photos: Carolin Weinkopf

We just returned from Spain, where we attended my friend's classy, laid-back, Skandinavian-style wedding in the lower pyrenees and also had a few days for a bit of proper vacation. After four days in Barcelona, with the wedding in between, we decided to return to the Catalan mountains for fresh air and silence.

A great decision, indeed.
































All photos: Carolin Weinkopf

In late February, we spent almost two weeks in India. It was mini-me's first long distance journey and his first real adventure as well.

After a dream flight with absolutely no crying, quite a bit of room to spread out and lovely co-passengers and stewards caring for us and our baby, we arrived whole and save in Delhi.

The first few days, we spent nice and settled in a good hotel in the heart of New Delhi. I worked for two days while N. took care of mini-me, the rest of the time we explored the old and new city by foot, rickshaw and taxi - enjoying the warm weather and some free time as the three of us, for the first time since months.

Good thing we've lived in Nepal for so long, as for most of our co-travellers had a bit of a culture shock along the way, traffic, pollution and temper couldn't shock us at all.

The really funny thing in India compared to all other destinations I've been to in the world was, that here, people took pictures of us. Actually a really strange feeling, to have a cluster of cell phones around you, snapping photos of your blondness, your blue eyes and your pale skin.

Indians are really kind and they just love babies, so it was easy to get around, and everyone was always willing to help us out. As the reserved Europeans we are, that was sometimes a bit too much, but the warmth of India paired with the cold of the big, big city worked fine for us, I have to say. All together we had some wonderful six days in Delhi, before we headed up north into the mountains.

















All photos: Carolin Weinkopf