Topic: Minsk in May

[Ed Wenn]

I went to Belarus in May with a couple of friends and took along a single film camera and a single type of film: a Pentax ME Super & Agfa APX 100. I mainly used a very beaten up, cheapo 28mm lens because (as Paul 'Late Developer' will tell you), I am unable to take a single in focus photograph and the very nice Pentax 50mm lens was just too sharp for me   

Earlier this week I found a spare morning to process the 4 films I shot over the 3 day trip and I'm slowly scanning them and sorting through them. Here are the first three. Not so much art as holiday snaps, but I thought some of you might appreciate photos from me which don't look like an exercise in pointillism (pun intended!). Normally I don't tend to shoot monuments and statues, but in this case one of the reasons for going was to see what's left of the socialist architecture and monuments....hence the subject matter.


Minsk03-upload by Ed Wenn, on Flickr


Minsk01-upload by Ed Wenn, on Flickr


Minsk02 by Ed Wenn, on Flickr

[Rafael Morales]

Awesome photos!

[jojonas~]

this could be interesting! the two last shots are quite good and what you would expect. I hope to see a mix of that and the attitude of the first shot as you continue to upload these here

ok ok ok! the second one is terrific actually! all POW!! dramatic and all that haha. would look great printed big I think

[SLVR]

great looking work ed! I'm quite fond of the composition in shot 2 as well.

[Andrea.]

Crakin.
Do tell us about the place. Please

[Francois]

Should we say Crackin or Crakov ? 
Cheap pun...

But it looks great. I somehow always loved the former soviet iconography and space stuff.

[Late Developer]

Sweet shots, Ed. I always thought "Minsk" was a Womble....   Or was that "Tomsk" 

[Terry]

Ed, have you been to Soborpark outside Budapest?  It's a bizarre and eclectic collection of Soviet statuary that was dug up from a local landfill and dusted off for tourists to see.  There's an engaging kind of ugliness to Soviet architecture.  Like this one....(below)

That said, I like that first one of yours; not blatantly triumphalist and even a bit in keeping with the indigenous architecture.  I can't imagine how anyone could think that this bloated workers' hero figure would inspire anyone in Hungary to join the revolution.  (Of course it may have been meant to frighten them.)

[irv_b]

I just commented that I would liked to have  gone  to Russia in the photobomb thread 

[charles binns]

Ed

The second shot is superb.

[Ed Wenn]

I'll update this thread as I come across decent images during the scanning process. Here's one of my travelling companions standing in front of a huge Dinamo Minsk banner at the wonderfully named, Tractor Stadium, their temporary home while their proper ground undergoes a refurb.


Banner Time by Ed Wenn, on Flickr

Terry: I have heard of Soborpark. It's been years since I was last in Hungary. It might well be time for a return trip. We're planning on Ukraine next, but possibly after that.

[calbisu]

One camera, one film, that´s a brave thing to do! Well done Ed. But WAIT! How do we know is actually Mr. Ed who shot the images? I mean, do you see any pointillism on them? Yes, Mr. Ed mentions that on the beginning, which I take as a clear evidence that he did not shoot them 

I go for the last one 

[Ed Wenn]

OK, this info for Andrea; the first photo was taken at the Afghan war memorial called The Isle of Tears (http://www.inyourpocket.com/belarus/minsk/sightseeing/Places-of-interest/Isle-of-Tears_2466v). The 2nd and 3rd photos were taken at a more recent monument/memorial called Стела which is located on the way out of town on the Praspyekt Pyeramozhtsaw.

[Ed Wenn]

Here's another one. This is the Belarussian National Library in Minsk. I love the building, although it's not for everyone. It looked like it had just landed from a sci-fi film. BTW, the weather was amazing while we were there; hot and sunny. The skies look dark because I was using a deep red filter or an orange one for almost all shots.

http://www.inyourpocket.com/belarus/minsk/sightseeing/Places-of-interest/National-Library_2468v


Minsk09-upload by Ed Wenn, on Flickr

[Paul Mitchell]

Excellent series Ed. I too am a big fan of post soviet brutalist architecture... we need to see more!

That last one reminds me of the Marineville headquarters from Stingray!

Paul

[Urban Hafner]

I'm more a fan of sharp images, but the last one is a cracker!

[Francois]

I think this one was also in the Soviet architecture book that Taschen published a while back.

[Ed Wenn]

I think this one was also in the Soviet architecture book that Taschen published a while back.

The building was designed in the 1980's I believe, but not built for 20 years and only opened in 2006 so I'd say it was a stretch including it in a book of Soviet architecture, but you could be correct.

I'm more a fan of sharp images, but the last one is a cracker!

Urban, I went from 'a bit soft' to sharp and then back out the other side 

[Urban Hafner]

I'm more a fan of sharp images, but the last one is a cracker!

Urban, I went from 'a bit soft' to sharp and then back out the other side 

And what I said isn't even true. I love the images Leon's Coronet Commander produces

[Ed Wenn]

I think you'll find that Leon can make any camera look like it takes great photos. I rarely have the same 'luck' with my own collection. Weird, isn't it?

 

[Urban Hafner]

Actually he sent me that particular camera

[Ezzie]

Soft, sharp? Doesn´t really matter. It´s what works with whatever you are trying to capture and convey. I err on the side of sharpness, but I admire those who are able to make brilliant pictures that are anything but sharp

[Alan]

love those images
love that architecture . . .

looks like something from "thunderbirds" 

[Verian]

The library is my favorite .

[calbisu]

Amazing building...