Photo of the general supply store in Laer

I always enjoy trying my hand at black-and-white photography. Recently, I shared my photos of St. Bartholomew’s Church. However, there’s another building in Laer that really stands out against the skyline: The tower of the former general supply store in Laer.

The Tower as a Motif

Laer is actually a pretty ordinary village. When viewed from a distance, three things stand out: obviously the church (like in any village), the old mill by the duck pond, and the large tower of the former general supply store. I photographed all of them, but I obviously only want to share the best shots. Until a few years ago, the Niehues general supply store was located right in the center of the village. In the meantime, however, it has moved to the industrial park next to the Netto store, where it has more space and is also in a slightly more prominent location. Back then, it stood almost right next to the duck pond, surrounded by residential buildings. Everything has changed there since then, and now there are only new buildings on the site. The old tower, wasn’t torn down; instead, it was completely renovated and incorporated into a residential building. The view from the top-floor apartment is certainly exclusive. I assume the rent will be very exclusive as well.

I think it’s a nice touch that the old sign with the name of the general supply store is still visible, and it’s certainly good advertising too. The cell phone towers on the roof also add a very special feeling to the scene.

Camera-Settings

From the road by the duck pond (near the mill), I aimed my Canon M50 camera with a 45mm focal length lens at the tower from a distance of just under 50 meters. Thanks to the low ISO 100, the shutter speed of 1/320, and the fairly narrow aperture of f/18, I once again captured the dark sky, though the building itself remained white (at least on the sunny side). It’s nothing special, but I’m still quite happy with the result.