stan baranski. the photoblog

miniature touristy paris

2012-01-30T11:10:00.000+01:00

Can you recognize these places? :)

stop ACTA!

2012-01-28T17:02:00.002+01:00

These photos were taken last night at the protest against ACTA in front of the Presidential Palace in downtown Warsaw. It was a peaceful protest, couple of hundred of people. The previous protest in Warsaw gathered around 2000 people, while on Thursday 15 thousand people took to the streets of Krakow.

two guys from paris

2012-01-24T20:27:00.002+01:00

nights in paris

2012-01-22T12:39:00.002+01:00

Some cities are as beautiful at night as they are in daytime. Paris certainly is one of them. From the top: on the steps in front of Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, walking the streets of Marais, and the Carousel on Rue de Rivoli (at St. Paul metro station.)

jesus would kick them out!

2012-01-19T12:02:00.002+01:00

Do you remember this scene from the Bible, when Jesus kicks some merchants out of the temple where they did their business? Well, he would be pretty upset with what's happening in the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. It's became a temple of sales for souvenirs and stuff. Not so many people praying there any more, probably because they're accompanied by camera flashes and the sound of counting coins...

paris bikes

2012-01-16T00:12:00.005+01:00

Paris is full of cycles: motorbikes, mopeds, but especially bicycles. But what better mode of transportation can you find in such a beautiful city?
Missing the warm, sunny days on the bike, while cycling the hell out of winter Warsaw!

paris: space invader and other street art

2012-01-13T02:02:00.006+01:00

It isn't easy to spot a tiny piece by the French street artist Invader in a city that overwhelms you with it's beauty and an incredible amount of things to look at.
Invader himself chooses his locations very precisely. All of his work I came across in Paris was at random, I hadn't looked it up prior to the trip.

lost picture + a request

2012-01-11T18:48:00.007+01:00

A lost picture from the series of voitures de paris. It was taken in Belville, Paris' melting pot. Check out the guy in the left corner!

Also, a request: if you are on facebook, please log onto my facebook page and vote in a poll. I want to make the blog more interesting, let me know what you like!

paris: bibliothèque national

2012-01-11T15:22:00.003+01:00

The construction of the French National Library (by the president François Mitterrand) completely changed the neighborhood and revitalised the space. It still isn't a very livable area, but with the new footbridge over Seine river and world-class (still impressive) architecture, once run down quarter between the river and railroad tracks, now is clean and inviting. Four towers of the library represent open books.

voitures de paris

2012-01-08T18:51:00.003+01:00

Some of the most extravagant vehicles I saw in Paris last year. Too bad none of the above does not represent the famed Parisian parallel parking technique! They're really good at that!

valencia: architecture

2012-01-06T18:49:00.003+01:00

Not much of a description needed: some random buildings from not touristic parts of Valencia.
Stay tuned for Paris!

valencian streetscapes

2012-01-05T00:03:00.002+01:00

I'm opening the New Year with one of the last series of shots from the streets of Valencia, this time, the streets themselves. A little street art smuggled in here too. Next on the line, a little more of Spanish architecture!

valencian streetart

2011-12-22T00:24:00.002+01:00

...or in the case of this one barber shop, just a creative way to advertise. Anyway, art comes out to the streets in Valencia, more than in any other city this sice I've been to. Pretty damn amazing how big the streetart scene is down there!

more valencia rooftops

2011-12-18T12:34:00.002+01:00

I'm back from abroad, back online, and able to post again. Before I go down to the street level, see two more shots from the top of Catedral de Valencia.

valencia

2011-12-09T00:03:00.002+01:00

A plain, single shot of central Valencia skyline opens up a short series of pictures of this beautiful Spanish town. VLC streetart next on the line!

sagrada

2011-12-04T13:00:00.004+01:00

Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudi's lifetime project is by far the most spectacular religious construction in the world. Although so far from completion (planned for late 2020s), it's already more stunning than any other church in the world. It's so recognizable and well known, that I avoided exterior shots, except for an image of the passion facade.

living in barcelona

2011-11-30T23:29:00.004+01:00

Some of the most interesting - in my opinion - residential architecture in Barcelona. Including a detail on the famed Gaudi's Casa Mila. Speaking of Gaudi, next thing I'm going to put up is a set of photographs from Sagrada Familia, the architect's lifetime achievement, so get ready :)

barcelona cityscapes

2011-11-27T12:39:00.004+01:00

Not much of a comment needed here: just a couple of views from places I climbed. I especially recommend a hill in Guell Park!

bcn interiors

2011-11-23T12:48:00.004+01:00

Exploring Barcelona I mostly walked the streets. That's what I usually do. Although I've decided to put together a set of interior shots to give you an idea of how interesting this city can be from the inside. So there it goes: two or three churches, a couple of cafes (including one in Barcelonetta with letters screaming over the bar: "No hablamos Ingles pero hacemos unas bombas cojonudas" - they don't speak English and something I can't really understand), an apartment building we broke into, a museum, the Cream fixed gear bike shop and eventually - the train station on our way out. Obviously I have some interior pictures of Sagrada Familia but I want to devote a whole separate post to that.

La Boqueria

2011-11-17T01:00:00.006+01:00

As promised last week, a few snapshots of the famous La Boqueria, an amazing food market in the heart if the Barrio Gothic in Downtown Barcelona. I was told It's gotten too touristy, but we still loved it!

looking up in bcn

2011-11-07T23:01:00.007+01:00

Walking (my feet off!) in Barcelona gives little opportunity to look up, as there are so many interesting things to look at in every other direction. Although I stopped for a moment a couple of times to explore the tops of tiny courtyards, narrow labyrinth-like streets of the Gothic District, or beautiful architecture of some of the Barcelona's boulevards, like Avinguda Diagonal, about ten-kilometer long artery cutting the city in half.
Also, a little sneak peek of the La Boqueria - the old food market of downtown BCN.

storefronts of barcelona

2011-11-06T18:58:00.006+01:00

A very random selection of Barcelona's storefront shots. Some are closed, some show a little bit of interior, or contrast between what's inside and the shops surrounding. A few very nice art nouveau pharmacies, that still operate in their original shops. Really something to look at.

winter forest

2011-10-17T11:46:00.000+02:00

first snow of the season

2011-10-10T12:48:00.002+02:00

Although it's still a full-time autumn in the city, up in the mountains the winter has already taken over. During my weekend trip to Tatra Mountains, taken from the mountain shelter window at 7 AM.

barcelona at my feet

2011-08-31T12:02:00.004+02:00

Starting off a series of pictures from my trip to Spain and France last February. I went to BCN for the first time and instantly fallen in love! Especially during the winter, when it was relatively warm down there while in Poland it was below freezing! I'm gonna post a few series of a couple of pictures on the same theme, so keep checking the blog out!
This image was taken from the top of one of the Sagrada Familia church towers (eastern facade). More photos of the construction (!) of the church soon.

snozka pass

2011-08-28T21:21:00.004+02:00

With this picture from November 2010, I'm coming back after the summer break. An interesting sculpture oversees a pass in the Gorce mountain range. It was built in 1966 and it's called "the Organs", for its unusual feature (makes organ-like sounds in the wind.)

nyc: esb and times sq.

2011-06-07T20:25:00.002+02:00

Another shot from the "Top of the Rock". Empire State building in the distance (with Downtown Manhattan in the background), and the lights of Times Square on the right side.

nyc: texting from the air

2011-06-05T21:08:00.002+02:00

A guy glued to his cellphone at 260 meters above the street. "Top of the Rock" at the Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan. Check out how incredible this building looked like in 1933 here.

nyc: esb

2011-06-03T14:44:00.001+02:00

Gotta take postcard shots as well, right? Well, maybe not exactly postcard but pictures of touristy places, like the Empire State Building. Taken from the very top of General Electric building at the Reckefeller Center (so called "Top of the Rock".) A few more shots from this roof might be coming up soon.

nyc: hi, beautiful

2011-06-01T19:20:00.001+02:00

I was just passing by this fence at Sixth and West Houston and didn't ask, but apparently it was some sort of performance / an artwork / lover's message / just someone trying to brighten up others' day.

nyc: pearl art supply and jammed canal street

2011-05-31T23:25:00.003+02:00

View of the Pearl Art and Craft Supply shop on Canal street, from the roof on Mercer street in SoHo. Canal is one of the main crosstown traffic corridors, therefore it's nearly gridlocked most hours of day and night. One of the problems of Canal street is trucks coming back to New Jersey from Brooklyn. They come in through a distant Verrazano - Narrows Bridge, but when they're coming back they're facing toll on the bridge westbound. Instead, they travel all the way through Brooklyn, across Manhattan bridge, and eventually Canal street, supposedly, one of Downtown's main shopping strips. The city seriously needs to rethink putting tolls on the East River bridges.

nyc bike polo

2011-05-28T11:08:00.000+02:00

They mostly play on Thursdays in "The Pit" at Chrystie and Broome. Check 'em out at nycbikepolo.com.

nyc: astor place subway

2011-05-26T11:18:00.002+02:00

Different borough, different kind of Subway station.
Astor Place station is relatively insignificant (only "6" local train stops here), plus it's really easy to confuse uptown and downtown entrances at the first time.
Manhattan, NYC.

nyc: coney island

2011-05-24T11:50:00.004+02:00

Coney Island, actually a peninsula in Brooklyn, NY is a neighborhood and a beach with a miles long boardwalk. It's also the last station for a couple of NYC Subway lines. Despite what one might judge from this picture, the station is a state of the art building, fully solar-powered, wheelchair accessible etc.

nyc: hiding from rain

2011-05-21T21:20:00.002+02:00

Rainy night on the West Side of Manhattan, pedestrians seeking shelter under hot-dog vendor's yellow-blue umbrella.
Also, my three hundredth post! Happy anniversary to myself.

nyc: tenth

2011-05-19T13:05:00.001+02:00

Tenth avenue at West 17th street in Manhattan, looking north, taken from the High Line.
Although I didn't bring my tripod, I managed to get a long exposure shot.

nyc: looking west

2011-05-16T14:57:00.003+02:00

New Yorkers tend not to know what's beyond Manhattan, especially in the West (Brooklyn is East, right? :)
They do know there's New Jersey and, eventually, California, though what's between the two is pretty much unknown. Here is my favorite Steinberg's drawing that nicely visualizes how they see beyond Manhattan.
Taken from the High Line on a warm, September evening last year.

nyc: the exhibitionist

2011-05-14T16:50:00.002+02:00

The Standard hotel New York overlooks the High Line park literally (it's standing over the elevated park). Due to it's huge, non reflective glass windows, one can see more than they'd like to walking up or down the High Line. Check out this short article about the issue in the NY Mag.

nyc: across the bridge

2011-05-09T12:54:00.003+02:00

So far I've uploaded pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge, the entrance to the walkway, eventually the walkway itself, at night. They were repainting the Bridge last year so shooting possibilities were limited due to construction fences. But then again, It was an interesting sight and kind of an unusual photo opportunity.
Unfortunately, my camera doesn't take good pictures in low light, I so need to get a new body!

nyc: this way brooklyn bridge

2011-05-08T12:09:00.004+02:00

Neon guiding pedestrians to the Brooklyn Bridge walkway. the entrance is hidden beneath one of the bridge's on-ramp so they've decided to brighten it up a little.

New feature on the blog! You can now "like" each individual post on stanbaranski.info (as long as you have a facebook account)! Just click on the post title to go to the post page and click "like!" below a description.

nyc: sidewalk art

2011-05-07T15:16:00.001+02:00

Continuing a short series of Brooklyn.
~~Street~~ Sidewalk-Art on one of the side streets off Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg.

nyc: chained meter

2011-05-04T23:38:00.000+02:00

Playing with my 50mm lens... Somewhere in Brooklyn Heights.

nyc: the bridge

2011-05-03T14:57:00.002+02:00

The most obvious and obligatory shot of the most famous bridge in New York. As a matter of fact, I did take pretty much the same picture a couple of years ago, and it went online, but I'm too lazy to look it up now :)

nyc: manhattan bridge

2011-04-30T12:00:00.001+02:00

Manhattan Bridge is one of the three bridges that directly connect Manhattan and Long Island. It joins Manhattan Chinatown and Dumbo in Brooklyn.

nyc: bqe

2011-04-29T14:29:00.002+02:00

Brooklyn-Queens Expressway seen from Manhattan Bridge. BQE was an idea of Robert Moses, visionary in his day, accused for destroying many beautiful NYC neighborhoods today. BQE cuts through some historic quarters of Brooklyn and Queens, separating communities and causing pollution and crime. Here in Dumbo, some of the oldest blocks in Brooklyn are divided by this, sometimes, three-level freeway.

nyc: double parked

2011-04-28T11:05:00.002+02:00

It is illegal in New York to park within eight or ten feet within a fire hydrant (can't really remember now). Unless you leave a passenger as a lookout like they did here :)
Somewhere in the West Sixties.

nyc: more of the el

2011-04-26T13:14:00.002+02:00

NYC's elevated subway is incredible and always makes me feel like I'm on a movie set. Again this time in the Bronx.

nyc: uws

2011-04-24T21:19:00.002+02:00

Upper West Side on a warm, September evening. Today was cold, miserable and it's been raining all day, so I missed evenings like that even more.

welcome back nyc

2011-04-22T21:52:00.003+02:00

This shot will initiate my 2010 New York series. Taken at the 231st street "el" station in the Bronx, NYC.

dc: monuments

2011-04-21T21:33:00.004+02:00

Wshington is the city of memorials. Though, unlike many memorials I've seen, for instance in Poland, the ones in DC are really well done. They're not overwhelming, nor kitsch, and do show respect to those they commemorate. Here, a detail of Vietnam Memorial and Washington Monument in the distance. This one is quite big actually, and local zoning laws forbid building higher than the famous obelisk.

banco di sicilia

2011-04-19T22:32:00.003+02:00

That's my third submission to the online exhibition of pictures of New York, "NYC Exposed".
Three of my pictures from September 2009 are there, enriched with an interesting description that I'm posting below.

Here is the original article. You can check out all of my three pictures over there.

SoHo's Historic District boasts myriad beautiful old architectural specimens. On his trip to New York City, photographer Stan Baranski found a gem of a shot on the corner of Broadway and Broome Street. Looming like an ultra-ornate giant in the background, the Banco Di Sicilia headquarters building with its Corinthian columns, and leaf and scroll engravings near the top, is hard to miss. The beautiful old street lamp works to balance the scene and adds a dimension to the overall balance. As seen in the other photos above as well, Stan's photographic eye is brilliant.

The cloudy sky and dark, brooding shading, along with crisp contrast, benefits the picture by encouraging an old-school, historic feel. Stan is not afraid to rotate his camera, as seen, also, in the first photo at the top of this page and seems to have a great sense of how this can add even more mystery to an already interesting composition!

The cast-iron district in SoHo is a feast for the eyes and this photograph makes it a feast fit for a king!

essence of east village

2011-04-18T18:46:00.005+02:00

That's my second submission to the online exhibition of pictures of New York, "NYC Exposed".
Three of my pictures from September 2009 are there, enriched with an interesting description that I'm posting below.

Here is the original article. You can check out all of my three pictures over there.

Yellow Vintage Rag-Top Cadillac Muscle Car Belongs to the East Village...
Stan Baranski knows good artwork when he sees it. In this case, it was not so much the street "art" on the wall and garage door that he saw as a photographic opportunity. Rather, it was the fantastic scene made whole by the vintage yellow convertible parked so appropriately in front of that street art that made it an outstanding photo op!

Stan's composition is perfect. The car (the obvious focal point) follows classic rule-of-thirds convention, having a bit more space in front of its apparent direction than behind it. The car also rests along the lower horizontal "thirds" dividing line - exactly where it should be.

The exposure, color and focus are beautiful. Not too bright; not too dark; not too contrasty; not too overblown on the color saturation. Stan avoided the temptation that so many photographers fall for, in that he did not hype the colors. No need to here! Stan let the melange of colors work on their own and what occurred was that the wall art remains somewhat muted and pastel, giving way and paying homage to that bright yellow car!

Manhattan's East Village is an eclectic mix of new and old. It hosts beauty, art and grunge living in harmony. With its proximity to NYU, it's not surprising that there's a lot to do and see here. There are probably more bars and clubs in the East Village than in any other concentrated area of New York. And to top it off, Stan's picture reveals a striking juxtaposition of grunge and new chic beauty. Just take a look at the gritty street art on the old wall and garage...right next to the exquisite and refined Il Posto Accanto Italian wine bar and restaurant, one of New York City's top eateries!

williamsburg bridge and the hipsters story

2011-04-14T10:46:00.005+02:00

I've got published online at the "NYC Exposed" series of pictures of New York.
Three of my pictures from September 2009 are there, enriched with an interesting description that I'm posting below.

Here is the original article. You can check out all of my three pictures over there or wait until I re-post it on the blog.

Although Stan Baranski calls Poland his home, his photographic eye spotted some "only in New York" opportunities during a recent trip here. While most tourists would be busily pointing their cameras toward the steel beams above them or the cityscape sights beyond the bridge, Stan saw something far more artistic...and interesting!

The bridge itself is yet another iconic aspect of NYC because of street artists' penchant for using the bridge and surrounding areas as a canvas for their creative messages. It wasn't always that way, though.

The bridge opened on a crisp 25 degree morning on December 19, 1903. The overcast skies and scattered showers on that day provided a gloomy backdrop for a monumental engineering achievement. A fine example of structural expressionism, the Williamsburg Bridge would connect the Williamsburg borough of Brooklyn with the lower east side of Manhattan.

Today, the bridge carries more than just traffic. As Stan's picture above illustrates, the bridge has become a way of transporting ideas as well as traffic. In this case, though, Stan captured a message that represents a fairly divisive situation. The painted slogan, "Hispters Move Out", has something to do with the clash between newcomers and the area's long established population, much of which has maintained allegiance to traditional beliefs and ways of living. The Satmars of Hasidic Jewish heritage are on one side of the equation, while the "Hipsters" sit on the other side.

The Hipsters are the more recent artisan émigrés. Hasids vs Hipsters has become a sort of turf war of both words and intentions. Thus, phrase "Hipsters Move Out" is more than just street art. Regardless of how anyone feels about the situation, the picture really does capture an aspect of reality that exists in the City.

From a photographic viewpoint, Stan Baranski's photo is compelling for reasons beyond the interesting message that's stencil-painted on the street. There's really a lot going on in this picture. Stan demonstrates an articulate understanding of perspective. Take a look at the proximity of Stan's lens to the road surface near the bottom part of the picture. Getting close to the pavement along with a very short focal length (wide angle), provided for a distorted skew of the painted words. This distortion gives the eye a reason to linger a bit and then move up toward other elements in the photograph.

The muted reflection in the wet pavement provides a rich source of 'eye candy' and the red part of that reflection brings they eye upward toward the red railings and overhead trusses. Eye movement continues, as the rhythmic patterns of rails and trusses dance about.

As the viewer's eye follows the closing parallels toward a vanishing point, we rest at the lone figure on a bicycle.

This is exemplary photographic artwork and we are thrilled that Stan decided to submit his work to this exhibit!

dc: chinatown

2011-04-12T12:07:00.003+02:00

DC's Chinatown actually is just a couple of blocks in Downtown Washington. It's less of an ethnic enclave, rather just a restaurant strip. I've caught the shot of this deserted eatery during slow hours after lunch and before dinner time.

dc: the gallery

2011-04-09T16:06:00.002+02:00

The National Portrait Gallery is the part of Smithsonian Institution. It's covered courtyard is probably the most beautiful I've ever seen, including British Museum in London.

dc: offices

2011-04-05T23:55:00.002+02:00

One of many postmodern office blocks in Downtown Washington. They have a law in DC that forbids putting up buildings taller than the Washington Memorial. Therefore, many office complexes fill up whole urban blocks and, despite their architectural value, create a kind of unfriendly, empty public spaces.

dc: the metro

2011-04-04T13:13:00.002+02:00

I started my last brief visit to DC in the tunnels of Capitol's Metro. Postmodern, spacious concrete world under District of Columbia make a great impression on someone used to dirty platforms of NYC Subway or narrow corridors of Paris Metro.

nashville: off the row

2011-04-01T17:02:00.002+02:00

One of the side streets of the Honky Tonk Row in Nashville, Tennessee, a place more crowded with bar people than nightlife areas of New York or London.

2011-03-31T16:07:00.001+02:00

"Not this one, this one is dirty!" said the officer when I was taking this picture. By the state capitol in Nashville, Tennessee.

nola: tuesday night fever

2011-03-30T11:18:00.002+02:00

I was unfortunate (or maybe fortunate) not to see New Orleans at Friday or Saturday night. Bourbon Street and most of the French Quarter are buzzing with pedestrian traffic into late hours of every night of a week. Also, the symbol of New Orleans Saints is visible on every corner (literary!)

entering nola

2011-03-24T12:46:00.002+01:00

Back after a short break.
This shot was taken when driving through the Crescent City Connection, the only bridge over Mississippi in New Orleans. Hats stand for the football team of LSU, Louisiana State University, and The Saints NOLA's beloved football team.

nola: downtown

2011-03-02T09:15:00.002+01:00

New Orleans is the city of contrasts, especially after Katrina. Here, the old tenaments and bookstores of the Quarter blending with modern skyscrapers of the Downtown.

nola: the spotted cat

2011-02-25T13:02:00.002+01:00

We started our visit to Cajun Country by visiting a New Orleans institution: the Spotted Cat Music Club on Frenchmen street. Although it was a hot and humid Monday night the venue was crammed with people listening to the jazz band and sipping Abita - a locally made beer. After all, that's what you do in NOLA, no?

ft. lauderdale: myspace

2011-02-05T18:42:00.003+01:00

An American institution, parking meters are somewhat interesting for an European, we're only used to parking machines. This one was spotted outside downtown Fort Lauderdale, part of metropolitan area of Miami.

miami: dead city

2011-02-05T18:40:00.003+01:00

Downtown Miami looks totally deserted on a Saturday afternoon, literally like out of a hollywood disaster film. Plus, there's nothing really to see...

pastel miami beach

2011-02-05T18:36:00.003+01:00

These gas / water / electrical substations of some sort were sitting in the middle of residential part of Miami Beach. Pretty cool colors, I felt like I traveled in time to the '80s!

miami: metro mover

2011-02-05T18:33:00.003+01:00

Metro Mover is a free-of-charge shuttle train service circling downtown Miami. On a Saturday afternoon it's a refuge for homeless trying to get off the humid and hot sidewalks of empty business district in a nice, air conditioned interior of the car.

I'm having my birthday in Paris now so expect some pictures soon!

welcome to vice city

2011-02-05T18:30:00.004+01:00

First afternoon in Miami Beach welcomed us with this spectacular view. Downtown Miami in the distance. The view made me remember all those movies and video games...

Happy Valentine's Day from Valencia, Spain!

bessa: waterfall

2011-02-05T09:57:00.004+01:00

High up in the Polish Tatra mountains. Due to the weather downturn, the picture came out a little underexposed.
Taken with Voigtlander Bessa.

bessa: krakow old town backyards

2011-02-04T20:20:00.005+01:00

If it wasn't for the cars parked in the alleyway, one could think this picture was taken a hundred years ago. This part of town haven't changed much since than.
St. Andrew's roman church and baroque St. Peter and St. Paul's.
Taken with my vintage Voigtlander Bessa.

bessa: ghettocourt

2011-02-04T19:56:00.003+01:00

Actually, "Ghettocourt" stands for Warsaw's Hardcourt Bike Polo Organization, but this literally abandoned school basketball court needed a proper name. Found behind the no. 93 Elementary School in Krakow, taken with my vintage Voigtlander Bessa back during the summer of 2010.

Meanwhile, I am in Barcelona now taking advantage of the warm weather and shooting a lot, it's so beautiful!

london cyclist

2011-02-04T19:50:00.006+01:00

That fellow did have a lot of lights, I must say! I've met him in front of Tesco Metro at Covent Garden very late at night. As you can see, he wasn't very pleased with me taking this picture but eventually agreed.

soho: friday night

2011-02-04T19:45:00.002+01:00

Some play, some work.
A minicab driver (English car service), resting in his car before/after a long night of driving drunk Londoners around.

london: lights of soho

2011-02-02T23:09:00.002+01:00

This actually was the "ceiling" of the frozen yogurt shop on Brewer and Rupert. The colors ware changing repeatedly every few seconds, really cool!
I didn't try the yoghurt.

london open hbpc

2011-01-31T20:51:00.004+01:00

London Open Hardcourt Bike Polo Championships took place in August 2010 and hopefully will become an annual event. Since the Open was one week after the Worlds in Berlin, teams from many countries were able to come and play in London. There are more pictures of the championships on Fixed Gear Krakow, Krakow's bicycle community blog I run, along with a commentary (in Polish.) If you're interested in Hardcourt Bike Polo go to Wikipedia or League of Bike Polo.

london: two from above turbine hall

2011-01-28T23:25:00.001+01:00

Children taking advantage of the Interactive Zone on the top level of Tate Modern, overlooking Turbine Hall, the core of the old power station.

*

2011-01-27T18:47:00.002+01:00

ta.
At tate modern observation deck, looking at St. Paul's and Millenium Bridge.

tate modern: the staircase

2011-01-25T21:28:00.005+01:00

When, after a year of absence, I came back to Tate Modern I wanted to take the stairs again, instead of its crowded and smelly elevators. The staircase at the famed gallery in London is as much interesting as the building itself, formerly Bankside Power Station.
Check out the picture taken there a year before here.

london: covent garden station

2011-01-23T20:29:00.002+01:00

Covent Garden station gets particularly busy in the early evening, when thousands of theater-goers pass through its narrow entrance hall. Here, the street of Long Acre, looking toward the sunset.

london: nights in westminster

2011-01-21T11:36:00.002+01:00

Neons of Soho and the golden "W", symbol of the borough of Westminster, engraved on a lamppost. In August, evenings were becoming quite nippy.
During many nights in Central London.

london: pastel mini

2011-01-19T21:28:00.003+01:00

Thanks to the red construction fence, reflection on the car's pastel paint made this shot look very vintage. Off Brick Lane in London.

london: rain

2011-01-19T00:17:00.003+01:00

Portobello road shoppers seak refuge from a heavy rain shower on a Sunday afternoon. Actually, thanks to uncertain weather London's popular shopping area was not so crowded as it usually is on weekends.

bessa: more slovak tatras

2011-01-16T20:07:00.003+01:00

Before I post more pictures from London, another shot from Slovak part of the Tatra mountains taken with my 1930s Voigtlander Bessa.

london: brothers

2011-01-14T21:01:00.003+01:00

When I came across those guys, brothers was the first word that crossed my mind. You have to admit, there is a very clear connection between both their appearances. They were guarding a cellar vintage clothing store hidden beneath a cafe off Brick lane on a Sunday afternoon.

made you look

2011-01-13T00:20:00.002+01:00

But what on earth were they all looking at! Didn't figure out back then, can't figure out now.
Spotted on a Sunday afternoon on Portobello road.

london: young fighter

2011-01-11T23:25:00.002+01:00

Another scene from the new Covent Garden sunday market in Vauxhall, London. It really struck me, my first thought was that his parents' friends' kids actually carry real guns somewhere in Africa...

london: nine pound babies

2011-01-11T11:01:00.001+01:00

... and plastic headlights, nice combination. Both probably made by Chinese children for ten p each...
Another insight into the new Covent Garden.

london: new covent garden

2011-01-09T19:23:00.002+01:00

Back to London! I spent six weeks there in 2010. One of the first places I visited was the New Covent Garden market in Vauxhall. It's an incredible mix of goods, from food to bicycles, from ten pound Lacoste shoes to a family of friendly vacuum cleaners. We spent hours wandering through innumerable rows of items chewing on grilled corn cobs.
More pictures to follow soon!

wroclaw: serowiec

2011-01-08T13:04:00.003+01:00

During one of my few visits to Wroclaw last year.
Serowiec (a polish name for a cheesecake, though here obviously referring to cheese itself) is the newest addition to the campus of Wroclaw University of Technology. Standing on the Banks of Odra, it's been a controversial neighbor to the landmark, 19th century buildings of Wroclaw Tech.

warsaw: couples

2011-01-07T17:26:00.003+01:00

At the exhibition Ars Homo Erotica in the National Museum in Warsaw.
This artwork was a collection of multiple photographs of homosexual couples in Poland. I managed to catch two museum workers aside it.

bessa: pleso

2011-01-06T01:32:00.003+01:00

bessa: on the trail

2011-01-05T00:40:00.005+01:00

One of the five pictures, I've taken with a vintage '30s Voigtlander Bessa camera. Another one is obviously digital, taken with my primary camera, a Canon DSLR. It's interesting how different and yet similar those two shots are.
This picture was taken in the Slovak part of Tatra mountains (in the vicinity of Popradskie Pleso - the lake). In many mountain regions those hillocks mark trails, although in the Tatras they use paint to show where the path leads. This was probably built for some other reason...

voigtlander bessa

2011-01-04T00:31:00.002+01:00

I've got this amazing piece of German design last summer. As far as I know it's a model from the thirties. It works with 6x9 film, so far I only had a chance to take 6 pictures (one full roll), one of which was underexposed (I switched to digital almost three years ago.) Expect some old fashioned photography soon!

leipzig: after the storm

2010-12-28T00:04:00.001+01:00

The pre-sunset sky over St. Nicholas Church and Zentrum - after a huge rainstorm.

happy holidays!

2010-12-26T00:51:00.002+01:00

Happy Holidays, Marry Christmas to everyone.
I wanted to wish everyone the best in 2011 and thank those who are encouraging my photography, especially Anna!
White Eagle with golden crown is the national emblem in Poland. This vintage, hand-made ornament takes the honorable place on our Christmas tree.

leipzig: []

2010-12-21T22:18:00.003+01:00

One of many examples of top quality modern architecture in Leipzig. Someone told me once that Leipzig is always dotted with construction cranes, unlike in Poland, vast majority of newly built offices are top-notch! This one here is somewhat connected to the University, though I don't know it's function.

leipzig: freiheit at sunset

2010-12-21T22:10:00.005+01:00

Sunset with the "Freiheit" (freedom) mural on the side of Marriott Hotel in Downtown Leipzig.

leipzig: the tower

2010-12-21T21:57:00.004+01:00

This transparent observation tower stands on the south side of Cospudener See lake in Leipzig. Wouldn't recommend climbing it to a person that's scared of heights! Although it gives a nice view of the lake and distant downtown Leipzig.

leipzig: the supreme court

2010-12-21T09:53:00.003+01:00

The building for the Supreme Court in Leipzig is situated on Simsonplatz.

leipzig: fahrrad garage

2010-12-21T09:49:00.002+01:00

That's the before mentioned university bicycle parking garage. I don't know how many bikes it hoses but there always were free parking spots. Now, that's planning ahead. Another thumbs up, Germans!