Video about Kiev, Ukraine

When Hans posted this video below, it reminded me of several friends I have back in Kiev… I hope they are okay.

Daily Photo – Kiev before the storm

Here’s a photo I took back in the good-old-days, before the storm passed over Kyiv, Ukraine. I just finished processing this one, and it was sitting in my archives for a few years, still unpublished. I was reminded of this when +Hans Zimmer recently posted a video about all the chaos there… so I decided to dig deep into my Lightroom and find a photo to work on… It was a peaceful night when I was there, and the city was alive and full of life. I hope it is one day again soon.

Kiev before the storm

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2007-01-31 18:06:41
• CameraNIKON D2Xs
• Camera MakeNikon
• Exposure Time1.8
• Aperture5.6
• ISO100
• Focal Length20.0 mm
• FlashNo Flash
• Exposure ProgramProgram AE
• Exposure Bias+1

This is where my best friend Will was “retained” by the military all day because he did not have his passport. He told me a little of his detainment. Part of it was in a bunker where he was allowed to watch a bit of Colombo dubbed in Ukrainian.

I don’t make any of this stuff up.

As for me, I got to go into the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. This was the first security gate of many that I have recently processed. I posted a full story from the Chernobyl Adventure here — there are two parts… they should make for a good Sunday read if you have not seen them before!

I recently had some spare time. Well, not really. But I did insert into my schedule something I’ve been meaning to do for a long time – go back and re-examine some of my Chernobyl shots. I wasn’t ever happy with the way this one turned out, so I went back to give it a fresh pass.

I wrote up a long story about my trip to Chernobyl, which you might enjoy. This photo was taken just a uranium rod’s throw from Chernobyl in the little town that all the workers lived in called “Pripyat”. It was abandoned immediately when the meltdown happened. It was a perfect little Soviet master-planned community from the 80’s. During the emergency evacuation, kids left their schoolbooks on desks, families left clothes unpacked, and cafeteria workers left food unfinished. This particular picture was taken by the playground where creepy toys creaked in the wind.

Why was I walking around at midnight in the middle of a snowfall in Ukraine with my tripod shooting? I just can’t remember. I don’t remember much about the Ukraine and those cold nights. I can’t decide if I repressed them or have selectively forgotten or some delightful combination thereof.

And Ukraine taught me a new level of cold that I thought was reserved somewhere in the nether Dante regions…

This basilica in Kiev has this wonderful black base that really lets the gold and trimmings pop and shine. There is also that little tiny chandalier there, which you may not have noticed!

This is very near the center of town in Kharkov, Ukraine. They use these old trams that are absolutely on the edge of breaking down with every creak and groan.

Here is a block of apartments in Kharkov, Ukraine.

This is the lower floor of the office building in Kharkov, Ukraine. The building holds many companies and Program Ace is on the top floors. Once you are actually into the offices themselves, they are perfectly nice and they have sweet broadband… but the entrance area down below could use a coat of paint or two…

This is the ornate entrance to a huge religious complex in Kiev. The sky was overcast and the same color as the white of the buildings. I happened to catch a little bird up there as you can see.