"The Path to Fairy Tales" – Prague, Czech Republic
A city vehicle makes it way across Charles Bridge through the crowds of people as night descends upon Prague. In the distance, the largest castle in the world t...
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A city vehicle makes it way across Charles Bridge through the crowds of people as night descends upon Prague. In the distance, the largest castle in the world turns its lights on – and thousands of tourists and residents all over the city stop and stare at the castle's fairytale like St. Vitus Cathedral.
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May, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken from Old Town Bridge Tower in Prague, looking out over the Vltava River, Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. Charles Bridge was the most important connection between Prague Castle and the city's Old Town prior to this past century. Prague Castle is the largest castle complex in the world and includes the ever-resplendent St. Vitus Cathedral.Time
This is a twilight photo, taken probably 20-30 minutes after sunset. In December. The key is to get to the location early and wait for the best light/weather situation/city lighting. I shot this composition for an hour, and afterwards picked the moment when the city lights best complemented the twilight blues. If you don't stay late enough, the city lights won't be as vibrant. And if you pick a shot from too late in the night, the blues of twilight will be replaced by the black of night.Lighting
I shot an alternate exposure at F/22 aperture to blend into the shot in post-processing. This gives the light from lampposts on the bridge a "starburst" effect.Equipment
Sony RX1, MeFoto Roadtripper Alumninum Tripod F/8 aperture on aperture priority mode. F/22 aperture alternate exposure to blend into the photo in post-processing.Inspiration
I was a history major in college, I like historic architecture, and I am a lover of all things fantasy/science fiction. This location coalesces those elements together to create a fairytale like shot. I also have a dream of photographing all the major castles and cathedrals in Europe - and this spot combines two!Editing
My post-processing methods are a blend of skills learned from Scott Kelby, Elia Locardi, Jimmy McIntyre, Ted Gore, and other tutorials I've found on YouTube. I tell you, the school of YouTube can teach you just about anything you need to know! For this photo, I used three exposures. The base 0 exposure, a -2 exposure just for the extreme highlights and an F/22 exposure for the starburst. I don't like shooting the whole frame at F/22 because of difraction effects. I blended the layers manually in photoshop. I then applied NIK Color Efex pro filters and experimented with different tools in Photoshop. With all grabbag tricks I've learned over the last year, each photo I edit ends up being a mad scientist Frankenstein experimentation session.In my camera bag
During a three-month trip to Europe that included Prague (where this photo was taken), I actually carried just a Sony RX-1 and a MeFoto Roadtripper aluminum tripod. That's it. The Sony RX-1 is a compact camera, yet has a full-frame sensor. It has a fixed 35mm lens of the highest quality. After that trip, I switched my setup. I now carry a Fuji XT-1, the 18-135mm Fujinon kit lens and the Fujinon 10-24mm lens. I also now have a Gitzo Traveller Ser.0 Tripod, which folds down to just 14 inches and weighs only a couple pounds. The point is that I like to stay very light and compact with my equipment. It does mean that I lose out on certain shots (extreme telephoto, super fast bokeh shots, etc.). But the benefits outweigh the negatives. All my stuff fits in a small backpack, isn't very heavy, and can be used on long hikes or city exploring. I can get into places that don't normally allow professional cameras or tripods. And I'm about to backpack through SE Asia, so the less stuff the better.Feedback
Prague is my favorite city I've ever visited. There are just so many beautiful structures to photograph, so many places to photograph them from. My recommendation is scout Viewbug and google to find views you like of your location, but better yet: just go and explore. I know people don't always have the time for this, but what I like to do is just spend a day walking around the city, looking for viewpoints, rooftops, hills, etc. I'm always looking for unique spots. In Prague, most tourists go to old Town Square Tower. But if you look for the other towers (one on either side of Charles Bridge, and Powder Tower) you can get other unique views. In December, I had these towers completely to myself in the evening. It was magical!
