I had a beautiful day today, full of intresting events. In the morning I followed my babygirl to school, and witnessed a very cool scene at the tram station: sparrows flock were foraging some bread crusts. I was borrowing 150mm telephoto with me, and went away with some funny pics (I want to share them later at #FeatheredFriends community).
Dont want to touch my office duties today; lets say: the new project I was delegated today, is 'Moby Dick' by German Melville - precious classics! It would be a great pleasure and honor and nice memories to work on this great book. Who could imagine that one day I will be given such an opportunity?! Not me!!
To be precise, the book is already done, the layout is done, and the illustrations used in this new Russian edition are not something special, but Patrik Benson's classic ones. My job on them will be some editing and pre-press.
And tomorrow we have a planned powercut and the office will be closed till Monday - this looks like a mini-holiday! The Friday seems have started very soon this week :P
And here I come to the subject of my today's blog. We decided to arrange a meeting with a nice Hivean @x-rain and have a photo-walk across the streets of St.Petersburg, the beautiful northern city we happen to share together. Daylight hours in our northern city are pretty short, so I ran away from work early, and we met at 16-30 on Palace Square, near the Winter Palace (aka the Hermitage Museum) - to enjoy some walk under the evening sunlight.
We did not have a concrete plan, we walked where our eyes led us, the winding route took us through the Summer Garden and ended near Kirochnaya Street - quite long. And of course, we talked a lot (everyone had so many news that they wanted to discuss!), But I didn't forget to take pictures when I saw something worthy of attention.
Overall, though, I didn't focus too much on photography. Consider my today's report just as a photo walk, and not a story about interesting places in the city. First of all, it is a walk in the Summer Garden.
Our meeting point, as I've already mentioned, was the Palace square -- a place where tourists and guests of the city are intercepted by special people in fancy suits ... whose unusual appearance simply appeals for a joint selfie with them. I passed two young ladies in beautiful red hussar caftans and fur hats with earflaps (!) who offered me taking a joint selfie (not for free, ofc).
But passing the Invisible Man was beyond my strength. However, I did not take a selfie but instead I portrayed him. Loved the image -- cool outlook, isnt it? Green building on the back is the Hermitage museum.
I took a few shots of iconic monument -- Alexander's Column (believe me or not, I dont have a picture of it in my archive!) - it was counter-light and didnt turn out well.
Machines" (exact address: Konyushennaya Square, 2B). The entrance to the museum marks a slot machine of a typical Soviet appearance. This museum offers a very interesting art installation: it is an interactive exhibition dedicated to the victory of the USSR football team in the first European Cup in 1960.
Three separate "locations" of this installation have characteristic speaking names: "Soviet apartment", "Сourtyard" and "Path to triumph". No, @x-rain and me didn’t entered this museum: we didn’t have such a plan, but we wanted to explore the life at the streets, not the exposition.
But this museum is very interesting, no questions -- I hope that I will still be able to explore it another time. You can get more detailed information about it here: https://euro1960.ru
And I just took a few photos of outdoors huge posters advertising this museum, they look very impressive! I changed my 150mm tele for the fisheye lens to take these photos.
Here @x-rain left his mark in eternity: as you can see, he drove past my camera during me filming.
I forgot to mention that for most of the walk we were accompanied by an @x-rain bike - he was not able to interfere with the conversation, and we did not consider it a happy idea to leave it somewhere in the parking lot and then come back.
In addition to the bicycle, you can see an old Soviet slot machine in the frame. It is made with such high quality that it makes an unconditional impression - such a device will definitely survive the Third World War!
This is the next location - the area between the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood and the Mikhailovsky Garden (you can see the beautiful cast iron lattice of the garden fence made in the Art Nouveau style). For some reason I am sure that if you visit the city of St. Petersburg as a tourist, you will not pass by this place. This is a must. That is why, here every meter of the surface is dotted with souvenir sellers and their stalls. (I captured one of them to show you.)
Then we walked thru Mikhailovsky Garden, safely passing all delicacy temptations like on the photo above.
And here we stumbled upon the swans. If you come here to look at these beautiful birdies, you'd better bring a telescope or spying glass with you, because...
...because it looks like this. Terrific! I expected to see swans in this garden, but I never thought that it would turn out to be such a "prison" meeting, at a distance of 15 meters ... one would be better to watch the BBC video on YouTube instead of this!
Soon we crossed the Fontanka river channel and found ourselves entering next location - The Summer Garden (Letnii sad, named in Russian), the most famous and pretentious and fashionable garden of St.Petersburg. It was founded by order of Peter I in 1704, i.e. at the same time of the city foundation, and originally served as an imperial residence - it was not open to the public.
Over the past centuries, everything has changed many times, the garden has been destroyed and rebuilt... the last very serious reconstruction-modernization took place 10 years ago. Many townspeople spit at what their favorite promenade garden became now.
But still, it is a good place to walk, especially if you dont cherish in your memory the pictures of its former landscapes.
Actually, I dont even remember when it was the last time that I came here. (Shame on me...) Probably, a decade ago or so? Maybe, the year 2011-2012 or so. During that time I changed my job and a lot of things have changed in my life (and I cant say: 'to better').
Alleys, alleys... and more alleys.
Yes, 30 years ago the city had much fewer cars - then it was easier to take a beautiful photo ("nothing excess in the frame") ... now it becomes a tricky job at times. Obviously I didnt want cars to present in this cityscape, but theres nothing I can do about it. "Buy it - or leave it".
Even the street musician has to be up to dated and pure interactive! I see this musician even has a QR-code. He is definitely up-to-date.
I regret a little (a little!) that yesterday I was focused much more on a conversation with my friend than on taking excellent photographs -- and I am not very well at doing two things at the same time, hehe. But I still hope that I got enough images for an interesting story to entertain and educate you.
| location: | St.Petersburg, Russia | September 2021 | natural light |
| camera/lens: | Canon 5D | Sigma 150mm | raw-conv |
| f/2.8 | t 1/125 | ISO 125 | -- |
Thanks for walking with me, see you next time! Надеюсь, вам было приятно прогуляться со мной по улицам Петербурга.
Летний сад - волшебное, незабываемое место. Писал там пару этюдов... подарил кому-то, думаю что зря)
дарите, дарите больше ваших картин! (тех, которые не продались, конечно).
думаю, что мне надо больше снимать парадную часть города, а то все норовлю забраться с камерой в какие-то заброшки и задворки :/ спасибо за фидбэк! и горячая !PIZZA с грибами в подарок.
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These photos really portray that you had a fun day...
The invisible man tho.... Is it real?
ofc it was real, not a 'simulacre.'
Oh oh..
If you say so dear.
wish you well. have a nice day/ night, whatever is appropriate for you! 🙃
😅😅
I'd take the day..
Thanks dear.
Do have a great day/ night too
we have a morning here! and rainy grey skies today, sadly, not the best option for going out.
Seems the rain has started pouring over here but sparingly.
View or trade
BEER.Hey @qwerrie, here is a little bit of
BEERfrom @pixresteemer for you. Enjoy it!Learn how to earn FREE BEER each day by staking your
BEER.City is open with lovely parks to visit making it fun to enjoy, using fish-eye lens added character to what would normally be straight forward, nice choice @qwerrie a fun walk about.
yes, it did, really. it helps to creat 'srt' just at any plain spot, haha! very benefittable addition to anybody's lense arsenal. I became a fan. but, actually, the part 'would normally be straight forward' is incorrect - normally, I would fit just 20-30% of the cityscape into the frame. other way it would be just fragments, no way the whole picture. glad to see you joined my walk. let me treat you with a !PIZZA back -- to refill your energy and fine mood?.. 🤩💪
Great photo walk ^^ I like the ones in the park. They feature such beautiful autumn scenery :)
it was both a great walk, a great evening, a great mini-hive-meeting and conversation... in so many ways! shame on me - I live in one of the most intresting cities in the world but I dont explore it, just live my life in a very routine way. hoorah to the friends, that help us to step sideways from a routine track!!! - and let me treat you with a dark !BEER
View or trade
BEER.Hey @adalger, here is a little bit of
BEERfrom @qwerrie for you. Enjoy it!Do you want to win SOME BEER together with your friends and draw the
BEERKING.A wonderful photo story. After watching the images, I feel pity I didn't shoot but ...otherwise, I couldn't focus well on the talk. Good to have free hands and mind sometimes as well as to get images where I am not a mister photographer again but just a person with a bike. The photos with me are great, I have messaged them to some people on facebook to show them I am still alive and still cool :)
Thank you for the walk, talk, and cake, and the images. :)
exactly my thoughts (I had it multiple times even during the walk itself, not after it).
haha! yes... same as I wasnt able to focus on the pics -- but still came up with something.
sadly, your portraits (the last pictures in the Letsad) arentvery clear -- my 150mm sigma is capricious for lightling. and damn heavy :/ probably taking pics from hands was not supposed at all - just from the tripod, heh. here is a hot !PIZZA for you -- and, next time!
One great portrait is enough for my happiness + blurred motion cyclo superman :) For example, I will have fresh cool images for intro post (if it happens) if you don't mind :)
Thank you :)
146% approve!!
Beautiful pictures and place, looks like this was a fun day. I hope I can visit it someday 🤍
I will hope too! it is really worth it, St.Petersburg is cheaper to visit than,, for example, Stockholm 8-)
wish you well!
:)
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как всегда прекрасная прогулка!
А там девчонки близняшки? ;)
У нас в одном из подземных переходов постоянно можно встретить парнишку с гитарой. Я даже давал ему пару раз денежку, но хотелось скорее уйти от него подальше. Ну так отвратно перепевал песни Цоя... жуть.
А как ты сделал "рыбий глаз" с камеры на 150? Или обработка? 😀
ноу-хау! делюсь: сделал при помощи рюкзака, в котором лежали еще 2 сменных объектива! обработка тут ничего не даст.
думаю, нам в подземном переходе ловить нечего -- свет плохой.
если честно, не заметил, но думаю что скорее нет.
да, прогулка вышла суперская.
классное ноу-хау. :)
А я как-от хотел приобрести рыбий-глаз, а потом передумал. куда его применять? для фото красивых зданий, наверное, пейзажей.
Однажды на экскурсии гид намекнула, что нужен объектив на 10-12мм, чотб вмещать всю красоту с коротких дистанций.
"по работе" полно таких штук может возникать! съемка интерьеров. как иначе показать все что в коммнатке какой нибудь? для видеографов. только при помощь его можно показать пространство какой нить лестничной клетки. в узком средневековом переулке - хрен ты покажешь "все", никакой ширик не справится. только рыбийглаз. на моей памяти были кадры - реставрации памятника, к примеру. вот туда мастер забрался, там пятачок - второму человеку не встать, не говоря уж про третьего... и как прикажете фотографу задокументировать все? только фишай остается. число применений - весьма велико, на самом деле. но конечно, кому что надо.
поскольку ты на никоне, я не буду советовать тебе то чем я пользуюсь. как минимум, чтобвы "поиграться" можно купить соотв. нашлёпку на телефон, ну или насадку посерьезнее типа Raynox, может быть.
а этот советский Зенитар 16мм - просто чудо, гораздо лучше чем белорусский Пеленг, у которого угол обзора шире, но сам он хуже. это просто прекрасная игрушка для фотографа, я очень очень доволен, что купил его. тем более, чена вопроса 5-7к. изучительно. родные никоны такого уровня.. ну ты сам догадываешь, сколько он будет стоить.
а если тебе его некуда применить - ну, тогда другое дело конечно. зачем покупать то что будет валяться. у каждого бесспорно есть свои любимые сюжеты, фокусные, то что ты чаще всего задействуешь и т.п.
но можно купить, попробовать, поиграться, и сбыть с рук - перепродать дальше. тоже отличный вариант!
Спасибо за такую полную информацию!
А вот дискорда нет. может поставлю потом.
ставь-ставь, он тебя точно не укусит, а бонусы к позованию хайвом таки может дать. всегда можно и снести обратно, например. я вот телеграм ставил на один из своих компов, но это меня ни к чему не обязывает - просто не пользуюсь, и всё.
Да, эот понятно. ОК. разберемся.