Vienna

One cannot leave Hungary without passing by Vienna.

Here we are, center of town, around the Stephansdom. Do I need to say these are minimal-light shots in winter? The Russian players are always there (at least every time I have been to Vienna) and play the same tunes. Still, they are part of the evening sounds of Vienna.

The second picture is soft in its message. People do pass by in a nonchalant way, and all seems calm. It was a cold morning and the miniature donkey totally out of place. Taken with a 1949 Canon B-II rangefinder and a Canon Serenar 50mm 1.9, collapsible lens.

The third is what a street photographer hopes for-- a subtle and unexpected scene where people do not seem to be surprised. The impersonator seems to blend perfectly with the crowd and makes time stop. Was Chaplin really there, or the medieval cathedral still has secrets to share?
Taken with a Ukrainian Salyut C medium format camera, which is almost as old as the cathedral and surely as heavy as its stones!

It was a dreary, dark and cold day in Vienna when I took the fourth picture. I could not see any gray-- all
was truly black and white.  I used a Kodak Retina IIIc for this one.

The fifth picture represents a simple moment of daily life with a few surprises. This one in front of the Stephansdom, a gray day in October. Clearly school children were visiting the cathedral that day, as they often do. The surprise is that ghostly man among them. Who was he? Perhaps a street mime? An eccentric guide? Or maybe the ghost of the cathedral who comes out very seldom... I am glad I had my 1955 Zorkii sporting a fast Jupiter-3 50mm 1.5 lens with me that day.

The sixth picture is from Old Town Vienna, a few blocs from the Stephansdom. My favorite restaurants are there, and evening light is delightfully reflected upon the historic building facades and stony streets. This picture of a nanny pushing a stroller made me think how wonderful early childhood years can be.
Taken with a 1971 Nikon F2 and a Nikkor-Q 200mm f4 lens.

©Vahé Kazandjian, 2013