Friday, November 5, 2010

For Fran & Henry

Praha (or Prague as we say in English) is a very special place for this couple. Apparently years ago they got engaged on this very bridge! Since it was quite late in the evening it was very dark and “all their pictures came out crappy”. So Fran requested that I take some photos of the bridge on my recent excursion. I love to have an assignment. I wish I were a more patient person because then I would have just ignored the request or even pretended to have forgotten till Dec 11th and then surprised Fran on her birthday. Obviously I’m not that patient, so here is your finished product(s). GUS_7894

To get this amazing perspective of the bridge, we actually paid to climb the watch tower all the way to the top. We packed along, 2 cameras, a tripod, scarves, gloves and everything  just before sunset so we would be setup and ready to go at the perfect time.

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This is just as the sun was starting to go down.

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You can see the warm evening sun starting to reflect off the Prague Castle on the hill.

GUS_7917 Now the sun has dipped below the horizon and the lights of the city have turned on. It was truly breathtaking. I’m shivering but totally enjoying this view and all that I see around me when out of nowhere ….

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it starts to pour down rain mixed with hail and it even turns to snow before I have all of my gear quickly stowed and out of the nasty weather.  Quinn had left me to go warm up a bit in a museum a few floors below me and I had assured her this was no problem because I was perfectly content to snap away on that tiny rooftop for at least another 1/2 hr.  Of course the one thing we had not brought with us was an umbrella!

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So I don’t know exactly where on the bride they got engaged, but just imagine if it were right here by this very lamppost?

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The next day from a different bridge, again just before sunset, I got this… 

charlesbridge2 saving my favorite for last….charlesbridge2infra

I think it looks magical in infrared.

6 comments:

Terri said...

Absolutely breath taking!!

Franziska Patterson said...

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Thank you so much! I'm so happy! Yes, it's absolutely breath taking, just like the day (or freezing cold night rather) when I stood there, with Henry kneeling in the snow, mumbling something about loving me, and asking whether I'd marry him. Ahhhh, thank you thank you. Those pictures are beautiful. I'd love to request a print, but I have to decide first which one I love best. :) :) :)

Franziska Patterson said...

By the way, the lamp post is probably pretty close to where we did get engaged. It was about half-way into the bridge, and Henry was facing the castle...and it was on the right side of the bridge (if facing the castle). :)

Darilyn said...

Those pictures made me cry. so beautiful, Gusti. I love that you share your talents with others.

Amy C. Quick said...

Prints, love. How do I order them?

Gretchen said...

The ones of the bridge from the other bridge at the end are my favorite. I am reading a book series right now and these totally look like they belong in the book. Looks like a fairytale.