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Eastern Gate to the Charles Bridge - Prague, Czech Republic Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved |
THE WEATHER began to improve as our week came nearer its end, and I was fortunate to get just a peek of the sun this the morning. Later, it would provide some nice morning light on some of the buildings in the main city square.
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Old Town - Prague, Czech Republic Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved |
WALKING TOWARD the center of the Old Town, the narrow, cobblestone streets reminded me of some of the other older cities we have visited in Europe. They work to maintain the old (often gothic) architecture and layouts. Yet you can certainly see the modern touches and even modern building and modern retail establishments.The streets are pedestrian-only in most of the area immediately adjacent to the main square. And, as you can see, the commercial interests have a firm grip on the area as a tourist attraction.
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Old Town - Prague, Czech Republic Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved |
WHEN WE planned our trip, Munich, Bavaria, and Oktoberfest were a central focus. Given the extreme popularity of those things, we naturally assumed that Germany was the world's "beer capital." Well. The Czech Republic (and in particular, Prague) would beg to differ. They firmly believe that Prague is world beer central. And it is home (really the first "home" was in nearby Pilsen) to the famed, Pilsner style of beer. The Germans certainly brew pilsner style beers. But it all started in Czech Republic. So it is fitting that there is a Beer Museum and The Pilsner Urquel Experience, in the Old Town. |
Old Town - Prague, Czech Republic Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved |
BEING OUT early is really a major positive for a photographer, almost no matter where you are. In addition to the twilight, sunrise, and morning golden hour lighting, you often can use man-made items like lights and headlights, as compositional enhancements in your photographs. Equally positive is the fact that there is usually very little distracting activity. We had walked through here the day before and the scene was crowded with people - very different from here.
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Astrological Clock - Old Town City Hall - Prague, Czech Republic Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved |
I EXPERIENCED a certain deja vu as I entered the main square. Much like Munich, the Old Town Hall was a central feature. Churches, governmental, administrative, musueums and retail establishments ring the square and also blend off into the back streets. Also like Munich, the Town Hall sports an astronomical clock that is a major attraction - particularly as a photography backdrop, though unfortunately not so much for photographers like me, but more for two "venues:" Selfie-makers (so called "influencers") and wedding photo shoots. I have no issue with the wedding shooters, other than the fact that they often tend to dominate a venue without consideration for the 100's of other visitors who just want to take a photo or two and move on. I have probably been guilty of this as I "work" a scene sometimes, but I try to be aware of others trying to shoot.
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Astrological Clock - Old Town City Hall - Prague, Czech Republic Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved |
THE "INFLUENCERS" are another thing entirely. I get that they have a right - just like I do - to photograph a scene. But this morning, there was this guy. He had a vlogger's camera set up on a tripod and he just kept going back and forth from the camera to his "pose" in front of the clock. Not just a couple times. I stood there patiently for at least 10 minutes (and thought to myself what I know my wife had thought every time she has been with me for a photo-shoot: "how many shots do you need of that one thing?" 😆). After what seemed like an eternity, I realized there were 2 other folks with cameras who were also waiting for him. I did something I don't often do. I approached him and pointed out that we had all been waiting for 10-15 minutes and all we wanted to do was make our shots and then move on. Not sure he spoke English, but my pointing and gesturing seemed to work and he "yielded" the scene. The shot here, was taken later that morning as I came back. I found the wedding thing more interesting than the "plain" shot I had waited for. Figures.😑
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City Hall - Old Town - Prague, Czech Republic Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved |
I MADE a few shots around the City Hall and the large square that it borders. The previous day - even in the rain - there had been 100's of people in the square. This morning: just a very few milling about - some of them taking pictures just like me. The light got as nice as it had been for our entire trip and I worked around the square.
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Church - Old Town - Prague, Czech Republic Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved
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Staromestke Namesti - Prague, Czech Republic Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved
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Old Town - Prague, Czech Republic Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved |
MARTIN HAD told us that it was possible for a small fee to get up on top of the City Hall building, so I resolved that we would walk back into the square later and try to do just that.
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Historic Kubista Museum - Old Town - Prague, Czech Republic Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved
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I KNEW our meeting place for the previous afternoon's photo excursion was only a block or so further east, and I wanted to make a "record" shot of the Kubista Museum where we had photographed the spiral staircase. I had also passed by a quaint (mostly hand-made) toy store on the same building block that had caught my eye.
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Toy Store - Old Town - Prague, Czech Republic Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved
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I WALKED back toward the Charles bridge, heading back to our Mala Strana Residence, to check in with the rest of our group. The light remained nice as I walked back through the square and as I entered from the narrow side street, it nicely spotlighted the tower of the City Hall building.
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City Hall - Old Town - Prague, Czech Republic Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved
Church of Our Lady before Tyn - Old Town - Prague, Czech Republic Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved |
NEARLY ALL of the images made this morning were shots that are not particularly unique. Any tourist/photographer with an eye toward composition could make them (and 100's have made them). I have tried to make a habit of finding a unique perspective on each new place I go to photograph. I always find it interesting that even in the most urban of environments (even if 1000's of years old), there are always small "green" spaces to be found. The shot below is tucked over in the corner of the main square, in plain, but unassuming, sight. If I turned around from where I made the shot, I would be looking directly at the fountain in the center of the square with the City Hall in the background.
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Staromestke Namesti - Prague, Czech Republic Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved |
BACK ON the bridge, the morning light remained nice, filtered by some light cloud cover, and I was able to make a few images back toward Mala Strana.
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Mala Strana from Charles Bridge - Prague, Czech Republic |
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