Riga, Latvia – Parks Galore

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Steven

I thought I would start stepping away from talking about a city’s landmarks.. When you search online for any city, there will be 1000 pages talking about the iconic landmarks and photos taken from every angle. Now don’t get me wrong..I love to see the landmarks..the sites that make a city famous..the churches and parliament buildings..the museums.. and I love to photograph them as well…

But I also look for places the locals hang out.. and in most cities, especially in warmer weather, that means the parks.. the green spaces..

and in Riga, that means along the canal..

Parks like Kronvalda and Bastion Hill … sitting on benches among the flowers and fountains in front of the National Theater

There are stone and wooden pedestrian bridges

Shady lanes and broad sidewalks

and, even, boat tours along the Riga Canal..

Parks and green space in Riga cover more than 30 hectares.. the fall colors were just beginning in September, and I can imagine the beauty of the changing leaves

So take the time to see the “Old Town” center.. experience the bars, restaurants, and all the wonderful and historic sights.. But spend a little time walking through the beautiful parks and shaded lanes too.. You will be glad you did..

Next we’ll take a little trip through the side streets and back alleys of Riga… stay tuned 🙂

Happy Travels!!

Photography as Art Travel with Steve

BK3 – Abandonded Brickyard

Posted on September 14, 2014 by Steven

About 25 km northwest of Kiev, you will find the village of Irpin, Ukraine and for the adventurous, and those willing to hike a bit, you can make your way to an abandoned brick works in the center of town..

It is surrounded by a fence, of course, but there are ways in.. one way is through the glass recycle yard..

Mounds of broken glass, which appeared to be mostly liquor and medical bottles fill an abandoned bridge, where they are separated, ground up and shipped off to places unknown.

The brick works is full of interesting buildings, that are remarkably free of trash..

Possibly because the 2 existing businesses occupying the territory, the glass recycling and a working cement plant, don’t like or encourage “visitors”. Still with no visible “No Entry” signs, we decided to take our chances..

As always, when visiting abandoned places, it is important to remember the Golden Rule –

TAKE NOTHING BUT PICTURES – LEAVE NOTHING BUT FOOTPRINTS

Travel with Steve Photography as Art

Happy Travels!

Kyiv Fortress – Kyiv, Ukraine

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Steven

The Kyiv Fortress is a generic name given to structures located throughout the city of Kyiv.. They used to be a series of of fortifications part of and known as the Western Russian Fortresses in the early to mid 19th century.

Some of the buildings have been converted to a museum known as the Kyiv Fortress complex that includes the military hospital fort and a smaller fort on Bald Mountain from the1872. Other buildings are still in use by the military or commercial industries..

Aside from being a nice historical place to visit, there are also nice views of the stadium and the city beyond from the fort’s perch atop the hill.

Travel with Steve Photography as Art

Fine Art Prints, Postcards, Travel Photos

HAPPY TRAVELS!!

Selection of Black and White

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Steven

You know.. sometimes just like the “weird” photos I shoot, I like to experiment with different formats … lately I have been trying to improve my B&W shots.. I think alleys at night are good for this…