Shot(s) of the Day – Windows

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Contrast in French - Marseille

                                            Contrast in French – Marseille

One of my favorite things to shoot are windows.. contrasting colors, shutters, shapes and sizes, all make for wonderful compositions. I try to shoot in groups of three (or more) but sometimes, even a single windows can stand out..

Flowers on the Ledge

                                             Flowers on the Ledge

Produce - Ivano-Frankovsk

                                      Produce – Ivano-Frankovsk

Get out and explore .. I know that every city has it’s iconic landmarks that are a “must see” ..but every once in a while, you have to wander the side streets..the back alleys..You never know what is waiting around the next corner..

TriColor

                                                           TriColor

And it’s not always just a unique photo you may find.. One of the best cups of tea I had in Istanbul was in a little cafe, we found in an alley in the Galata district after getting lost.. It didn’t even have a name.. just one table against the wall with an ashtray and free wifi.. and an almost perfect cup of tea.. The elderly gentleman that brought the tea (for a mere 1 Lira) sat and talked while we sipped our tea.. Since I don’t speak any Turkish,  I have no idea what he was saying, but his friendliness and smile made me feel like we were old friends..  It was quite a treat, and not really uncommon..  respect, courtesy and a smile go along way when visiting a foreign country..

Take a chance.. pitch the “tourist map” for a day or 2 and just explore..

Happy Travels!

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Shot of the Day – Camel Beauty Contest

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Camel Judging in Al Dhafrah

                                Camel Judging at the                                                                                                                             Al Dhafrah Camel Festival

Ok .. it seemed a little strange to me too, but the Al Dhafrah Camel Festival in Al Gharbia (near Abu Dhabi) has the world’s only Camel Beauty contest.. It is held in December each year to celebrate the “ships of the desert” ..and proves, again, that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder..

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Shot of the Day – Dniper River

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Dniper River

                                                           Dniper River

Standing at the observation point near the “People’s Friendship Arch” in Kyiv, Ukraine, gives you a perfect view of the Podil and the Dniper River below.  The Dniper Is Ukraine’s longest river and flows through the center of the city..

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Shot of the Day – Hedgehog (in the Fog)

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Hedgehog (in the Fog)

                                                   Hedgehog (in the Fog)

Near the center of Kiev, Ukraine, sitting on Reytarska Street, near metro station Zoloti Vorota and the Golden Gates, is a little statue of a hedgehog; carved from wood and adorned with 500 screws as spines..

If you are a fan of the Russian movie, Hedgehog in the Fog, you would recognize the star of that animated film. It is cute, quirky and well worth a visit

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Stockholm Exhibition

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Group Exhibition Stockholm

                                                Group Exhibition Stockholm

Not only involved in a group photography exhibition but it will be my first trip to Stockholm..

You can see more of my work here and here  … I apologize for the blatant self promotion, but, you know, someone has to do it…

HAPPY TRAVELS!

Shot of the Day – Hero Cities (Kyiv)

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Hero City Monument

Hero City Monument

Just west of Shuliavs’ka metro stop on Prospekt Peremohy, you will find the columns naming the Hero Cities of World War II.  Kiev was awarded the title “Hero City” in 1965. Sharing this small plaza is the T-34 Tank monument, erected in 1968 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Kiev by Soviet forces.

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Afternoon in Kyiv, Ukraine – Babi Yar

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Menora Babi Yar

 Menorah in honor of Jews executed at Babi Yar 

Walking on the cobblestone, brick and, sometimes dirt and gravel, paths of this huge sprawling park located adjacent to Dorohozhychi metro stop, you would never guess that you are walking through a memorial to some of the worst atrocities of World War II.

Babi Yar, located in Kiev, Ukraine, was the site of a series of massacres by German forces in their war against the Soviet Union. In total it is estimated that between 100,00 and 150,000 people, of all ethnic groups were murdered here.  The most famous (or infamous) of these purges occured on Sept 29-30, 1941 when 33,771 Jews were executed in the ravine and buried in a mass grave.

Wooden Cross Babi Yar

The Syret’s concentration camp was also located here. The inmates at Syret’s were typically Soviet prisoners of war, Ukrainian nationalist and, of course, Jews.  These prisoners were forced to build funeral pyres to cremate the bodies of those executed at Babi Yar to cover-up what had happened.

Menorah Flowers

 Menorah Flowers

Entrance to Babi Yar

Monument to the Murdered Ones –  Babi Yar

 

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Monument to Romanian Victims at Babi Yar

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Babi Yar National Monument

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Cross to honor Ukrainian Poet : Olena Teliha and 620 Ukrainian                                               Nationalist killed at Babi Yar

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621 Ukrainian Nationalists were murdered at Babi Yar,                This cross was erected in their memory

DSC_9060 DSC_9075_panorama Wooden Cross Babi Yar 2

Jewish Memorial Plaque - Babi Yar

Jewish Memorial Plaque – Babi Yar

 

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Shot of the Day – Bald Mountain (Kiev, Ukraine)

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Bald Mountain

                                                Bald Mountain Meadow

Lysa Hora (Ukrainian: Лиса Гора; Russian: Лысая гора ), commonly called Bald Mountain is a wild forest area located in the southeast corner of Kyiv, Ukraine..

In early mythology, like so many other “Bald Mountains”, it was a gathering place of witches..

In the late 1800’s the Russian army built a small fortress here, that would,later, be used for executions of convicted political prisoners. Other than several culverts, cut through the earthen walls, and underground water tanks, nothing remains. It is now part of a nature reserve and part of the Kiev Fortress museum.

Sunset on Bald Mountain

                                             Sunset on Bald Mountain

It is a wonderfully quiet and pretty place to escape the noise of the city.. easily reached by marshutka or metro and is just a short walk from Vasylkivska station.

Kyiv From Bald Mountain

                                    Kyiv Skyline from Bald Mountain

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Shot of the Day – Metro Station Tetralna (Kyiv)

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Early Morning Tetralna

 

Kyiv, Ukraine has 3 metro lines that cover most of the city.. At 2 UAH per ticket it is a very economical way to get around..and definitely the quickest. Of course, they are also very crowded, unless you want to brave the early morning hours.. This is the Tetralna station at 5:50 in the morning, completely devoid of people. That’s unusual because the metro systems averages 1.5 million people a day.

The Kreshatic stop and the Maidan stop are the only two I have actually been told by police that I couldn’t take pictures.

You can find a metro map here … Arsenalna station is one of the deepest in the world at almost 350 feet (105 meters).

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Shot of the Day – Buda Castle (Budapest)

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Buda Castle Courtyard

Buda Castle sits at the southern tip of Castle Hill and begins what is commonly called the Castle District.. It looks down on the Chain Bridge and some of the best views of Budapest are from the paths that surround it.  It can be reached by walking one of the beautiful paths up the hill.. or the Castle Hill Funicular.. Either way, it is well worth the time to explore..

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