Re: Nathan's PAW 41 & 42: Poland

Nathan Wajsman showed another of his travelogues. ;-)" Subject: Nathan's PAW 41 & 42: Poland


I took a brief trip to Poland earlier this month, and as it spanned both weeks 41 and 42 (and I took a lot of pictures), I can get some mileage from it by covering two weeks' worth of PAW. All of the images here were made with my newly acquired Canon 1D Mark II. Lenses and speeds are noted as always below the thumbnails table.<<<<

Hi Nathan,
Once again a fine series of pictures, not only are they good, they're enhanced by your dialogue, always makes looking at them more interesting.

Obviously your earlier experince with the 20D and Leica lenses is paying off with the new camera picture capture quality as they very much look better than shooting colour slide film.

ted

WEEK 41

For week 41, I give a selection from Wroclaw, the city where I was born and where my sister lives. My sister lives in the tall 60s-era apartment blocks at the end of this street close to the city center:
http://www.nathanfoto.com/paw/2005/2005_41.jpg

This is Ostrow Tumski, site of the city's cathedral and numerous other church buildings:
http://www.nathanfoto.com/paw/2005/2005_41alt1.jpg

This is the view from my sister's balcony. The open air bazar in the foreground has been there forever; it was there also during Communist times. But soon it must give way to the new Poland, as a big shopping center is being constructed right behind it:
http://www.nathanfoto.com/paw/2005/2005_41alt2.jpg

Just outside the open air market, a vendor who is not able to or does not want to pay the fee for having an official stall, is setting up shop on the sidewalk:
http://www.nathanfoto.com/paw/2005/2005_41alt3.jpg

Another symbol of the new Poland: yet another advertising billboard is being put up:
http://www.nathanfoto.com/paw/2005/2005_41alt4.jpg

Poland had parliamentary and presidential elections during the past couple of months, and the city is full of political billboards. Those parties unwise enough to buy billboards at street level suffered various indignities, since politicians are not held in high esteem in Poland. Here is one for a left-wing populist party. The original text reads "A man with character" but through one simple addition someone has turned it into "A man with the character of a moron":
http://www.nathanfoto.com/paw/2005/2005_41alt5.jpg
And here is somewhat more primitive political commentary:
http://www.nathanfoto.com/paw/2005/2005_41alt6.jpg

Finally, a couple of children looking at the fountain on Wroclaw's beautiful central square, Rynek:
http://www.nathanfoto.com/paw/2005/2005_41alt7.jpg

WEEK 42

My theme for week 42 is the strong influence of the Catholic Church. Poland is easily the most religious country in Europe, comparable to the Deep South in the US, and the Catholic church is probably the strongest social force in the country.

Here is Wroclaw's cathedral as seen at sunset from my sister's balcony:
http://www.nathanfoto.com/paw/2005/2005_42.jpg

Religious symbols are everywhere, such as this cross in front of an apartment building:
http://www.nathanfoto.com/paw/2005/2005_42alt1.jpg

We went for a drive and happened across this procession. They were on their way to a small town called Trzebnica which was celebrating some religious event. The distance they were walking was 20 km:
http://www.nathanfoto.com/paw/2005/2005_42alt2.jpg

We drove on to the town. The Poles may be very religious, but they are also very commercially oriented, so of course there was a market. The late Pope was everywhere:
http://www.nathanfoto.com/paw/2005/2005_42alt3.jpg
http://www.nathanfoto.com/paw/2005/2005_42alt4.jpg

Another shot from the market, traditional Polish bread rolls:
http://www.nathanfoto.com/paw/2005/2005_42alt5.jpg

And to finish off the series, this is the central square of Milicz, another small town near Wroclaw, renowned for its fish ponds:
http://www.nathanfoto.com/paw/2005/2005_42alt6.jpg

The complete PAW index is at:
http://www.nathanfoto.com/indexpaw2005.html
and comments and critique are always welcome and appreciated.

Nathan
--
Nathan Wajsman
Almere, The Netherlands

General photography: http://www.nathanfoto.com
Seville photography: http://www.fotosevilla.com
Stock photography: http://www.alamy.com/search-results.asp?qt=wajsman
http://myloupe.com/home/found_photographer.php?photographer=507
Prints for sale: http://www.photodeluge.com



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