LF in Vienna anyone?

[tdarden]

Hello all,

I am heading to Vienna, Austria 19-24 Sept. for a travel story for a magazine assignment. I wonder if there are any LFers in the area or if anyone might offer up a few photo suggestions. I plan to have some fun with my Speed, the AeroEktar and Xenotar 150 but don't know the area at all. Thanks in advance for any help.


http://gallery.me.com/tdardeniii#100...lack&view=grid

[Vlad Soare]

Tyler, I was about to open a new thread to ask the same thing, when I saw yours.
I'll be in Vienna between the 17th and the 20th of September, and I'm bringing my 4x5 Calumet. Maybe we could meet there.
Unfortunately I'm as clueless as you are in regard to Viennese photo opportunities. I've only been there once and had no time to see much of the city.

[shmoo]

In tourist areas, watch your pockets and gear...as in most tourist cities, pickpockets are not uncommon. Have fun, though. It's a beautiful city for LF...wish I had mine (and the time) when I went last year.

Check out iJourneys if you have an iPod. It's a pretty good walking tour for a first time visitor. Eat at the Nascht Markt if you want to save some money...great kebab sandwiches, fresh fruits, breakfasts. Have fun!

[Armin Seeholzer]

Here at the german LF page you will find some people from Vienna:

http://www.grossformatfotografie.de/

Good time in Vienna

[hase]

what kind of pictures do you want to make?

br
Hase

[Vlad Soare]

I'd like to try some architecture and cityscapes. As far as architecture is concerned, I'm mostly (but not only) attracted to church and cathedral exteriors and interiors, details as well as full-size views.

What's the policy regarding tripods inside churches and cathedrals? Of course I won't mount my tripod in the middle of an aisle full of tourists. I'm thinking of mounting it between two rows of pews. The tripod has independent legs. Two of them could be fully extended and rest on the floor, while the third one could be extended only halfway and rest on the bench. I don't know if it will work, I've never tried it. Any other ideas?
Will they let me use my tripod inside churches, as long as I don't disturb other tourists? Will I need a permit for that?

Also, could you recommend a few places where I could get some good cityscapes?

[shmoo]

The Ringstrasse area (center of town) is the most architecturally robust area. It is a walking city (okay, you can ride cars, trolleys and trains but the distances aren't bad...walking is the preferred mode within the center of the Ring), so if you're hauling around LF gear, stamina and a good back are helpful. The embassies are also within the Ringstrasse and are incredibly beautiful.

I don't know the policy inside the churches/cathedrals, but I don't recall ever seeing anyone with a tripod inside...but most people were carrying those digi-gizmos. Flashes are NOT smiled upon for the most part...but that varies from church to church.

Exterior-wise, in the center of the city, there are the classic Stephansdom Cathedral, The Hofburg (Hapsburg Palace area, most of the country & city's gov't is located there, lovely park), the Belvedere Palace has beautiful gardens and fountains (and the Gustav Klimt paintings - WOW). Every street and alley way has an interesting angle photgraphically.

Outside the Ring (short ride) is the Schonbrunn Palace. Exquisite gardens, tree-line paths, fountains (unbelievable fountain at the opposite end of the palace). Also outside the Ring is the Nascht Markt which is a wonderful open air market...great people photos to be had there.

I'll take a look at my photos and list the cathedrals that I visited later on.

----it's later on----

Stephansdom
Peterskirche
Augustiner Kirche (my personal favorite)
Jesuiten Kirche
Karls Kirche

[Vlad Soare]

So, here are the pictures I got in Vienna.
These are scans of the final prints, not of the negatives. The prints look better than the jpegs, at least on my uncalibrated monitor.



Here I got a reading of 1/2s at f/32. Instead of making one exposure at 1/2, I made 16 exposures at 1/30.
Too bad about that ugly sky. Oh well...

[Vlad Soare]

Hofburg.
The statue's hand is not cut off in the actual picture. The prints were 24x30cm, and my scanner only goes to A4 (21x30cm), so a slight crop was unavoidable.

[Vlad Soare]

This is St. Ruprechtskirche, the oldest church in Vienna. I was attracted by this wall. It looks to me like the face of an old man - old and textured face, tired eyes full of kindness. Like an old and wise grandfather. Seems appropriate for a church which is itself the grandfather of Vienna's churches.