Copyright © Noella Ballenger While we were in St Petersburg, our ship stayed docked near this new bridge crossing the Neva River.  It was beautiful during the day, but at night it was dynamic.

Copyright © Stan & Anne Westfall Peterhof in the background with the Grand Staircase fountains and another large fountain.

 

Now here are some important things to remember about photography in museums, castles and churches when you can’t use a tripod and the light can be dim and sometimes the crowds quite thick.

1.      Understand from the beginning you may not be able to get the shots you have in your mind, but don’t let that throw you.  Just do your best and welcome any opportunities you have. 

2.      Be on time and attentive.  Your tour guide will be more inclined to help you get the shots you want and forgive the occasional time you are just a moment late. 
 

3.      Plan on being at the beginning of the group as you tour or at the end of the group if you want to get images that have few or no people in them.  You need to keep up with the group and share the space to be a good tourist, but on the other hand, you really want to get your shot.
 

4.      Master the art of your camera.  Decisions need to be made on the spur of the moment and if you haven’t gotten the techniques down pretty well you will miss out.
 

5.      Decide ahead of time what you are going to photograph.  Again those photos, books and  post cards come in handy for seeing the ”icons” of the location and pre-planning your shots.  You might not get what you want or see what you want, but you will be closer than if you don’t do your homework.
 

6.      In dimly lit situations, do your best to keep the shutter speed around 1/250 or better.  This might mean that you need to lower your f-stop to an f4 instead of an f8 or 11 or it might mean that you have to bump the ISO to 200 or 400 instead of 100.
 

7.      Decide what your subject is going to be and get the focus right on it. 
 

8.      Look up!  Sometimes the most fascinating things can be shot right over the heads of the other tourists. 
 

9.     Look down!  In palaces, churches and castles, the details of the floors or door knobs can be fascinating.

 

So now that I have given you some ideas on how to do it, please continue to share with me some of the wonderful things we saw in St. Petersburg, Russia and some of Sunny’s, Anne’s and Stan’s images, as well as my own.

 

Copyright © Noella Ballenger Hermitage: The details within the building such as this floor of inlayed woods were spectacular and the small details such as this ornate door handle with wood door trim detail are what make the buildings works of art in themselves.

Copyright © Noella Ballenger

Copyright © Sunny Asch

Looking straight up at this giant chandelier in one of the Catherine’s Palace rooms created a wonderful compliment of photographic elements: patterns, lines, color, texture......it made me think of the center of a flower.

Copyright © Sunny Asch

Copyright © Sunny Asch     Inside the many cathedrals and churches we visited, the details and art were breathtaking.