Dormition Cathedral - Kiev Pechersk Lavra

A rear view of the Dormition Cathedral at the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. First established in the year 1051. This site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Rodina Mat - Mother Motherland

The somewhat redundantly named (at least when translated to English) centerpiece of the Musuem of the Second World War in Ukraine. This was image #3 taken on my Canon 400D (aka the Rebel XTi) overall, with some modifications. On the original photo, the sunset was off near the right of the photo. Using some Photoshop magic, I centered it behind the base of the statue. Since this was done quite a few years ago, I can't actually remember how I did it!

Currently the 18th tallest statue in the world. For comparison, the Statue of Liberty is #42.

Held in the statue’s left hand is a shield with the State Emblem of the Soviet Union. For a small fee, you can go up to the height of the shield for a breathtaking view of the Kyiv skyline. Below the towering statue in its base is a Memorial hall that displays the names of 11,600 soldiers and over 200 workers on the home-front, honored during the war with the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mother-motherland

Kiev Water Museum

The Kiev Water Museum, also known as the Water Information Center, is an educational facility occupying one of Kiev's early water towers. The tower was built in 1876 and can be found in Khreshchaty Park, near central Kiev.

House of the Weeping Widow - Kiev

The name of the house derives from the fact that when it rains, the woman on the façade appears to be crying. Taken on a cloudy day (no rain, so I couldn't see the woman crying), so I replaced the sky to make the photo more interesting. I hope!

Marinsky Dreamscape, Kiev

So, why this photo? Why today? Because it snowed last night. Again!

When will this winter end?

A reworking of a photo from a couple of years back. Mariinsky Park, Kiev, using Topaz Glow, Topaz Texture Effects (2 times), and perspective correction. Plus a spot of sun on the left side, because adding your own sunlight is the only way to get it this time of year...

Saint Andrew's Church, Kiev

The Saint Andrew's Church (Ukrainian: Андріївська церква, Andriyivs'ka tserkva; Russian: Андреевская церковь, Andreyevskaya tserkov) is a major Baroque church located in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. The church was constructed in 1747–1754, to a design by the Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli. It is sometimes referred to as a cathedral. The church is part of the National Sanctuary "Sophia of Kiev" as a landmark of cultural heritage.

The Saint Andrew's Church overlooks the historic Podil neighborhood, situated on a steep hill to which the church gave its current name—Andriyivska Hill. It is currently one of four architectural landmarks of Ukraine, which were put down on the List of Mankind Treasures of Five Continents by the world society.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Andrew%27s_Church,_Kiev

Kiev Pechersk Lavra

••  Originally posted December 2014  ••

There’s definitely a bit of a story and some work behind this one.
Last week we had a spell of very cold weather, along with some fog, which left an icy coating on the trees (among other things).  One afternoon it seemed like we were in for some sun, a rare thing in Kiev in December, so I dropped everything and went to “the Lavra” as it’s often referred to in these parts. Sadly, the sun was just a tease and quickly departed for the day, leaving me with a dark, gray, foggy day.  What’s a photographer to do?  Just take some shots and hope processing can correct some of the inherent flaws that come with that type of weather.

Post-Processing
I ran this photo through my “Break the Rules” HDR process, but that did little to make any difference. Bought it into Photoshop and did a curves adjustment, which finally pulled the architecture out of the fog in which it was hiding. Put it through Perfect Effects software, which bought out some more detail and did some tone and color corrections.  But I wanted to do more.  I next ran this through Topaz Impression, which definitely rates as my favorite new software of the year.  I turned it into a black and white sketch, then using blending modes, mixed the B&W sketch effect with the original photo.  The outcome is what you see here.

Miss Mia

Mia from the Colby Files. A painted style via a Photoshop action.