Sunrise, Camyuva

Sunrise, Camyuva Turkey.

Portrait of a Melonhead

Seen on vacation in Camyuva, Turkey.  Guess they're not big on carving pumpkins there!

Autumn at the Kiev Sea

It's what the locals call it.  Of course, it's not a real sea.  It's a resevoir created by damming the Dnepr north of Kiev.

OMG! It's a Clown Car!

I wish I had gotten another photo of this car, one with the clown in all his glory. But there were quite a few people walking around, and I wanted to get a quick shot before someone got in the way.

Besides, I didn't even see the clown until a couple of days later.

Zen and the Sun

Seen at the Kiev Fall Flower Show, 2011.

Yes, the kimono is made of flowers.

Chernobyl #4 from Hotel Polissya

C H E R N O B Y L - 2 0 1 2

This is a photo I was not supposed to have gotten. At times, the rules about entering buildings can be quite strict; at other times they seem to be more lax. On our trip, our guide was quite serious about us following the rules, of which every one of us broke at one time or another. On other trips, entry into buildings seems to have much fewer restrictions.

The cranes on the right are part of the project to build a new containment structure. Implementation is expected before Chernobyl's 30 year anniversary in 2016.

Classic GAZ Automobile

Seen at the Retro and Exotica Motor Show in Kiev. Likely from the early to mid 1960's.

Hints of Autumn

Part of a Project 52, one photo a week project.

Of course, I still do other photography outside of the project!

Bogdan Khmelnytsky Statue

Bohdan Zynoviy Mykhailovych Khmelnytsky (c. 1595 – 6 August 1657) was a hetman of the Zaporozhian Cossack Hetmanate of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (now part of Ukraine). He led an uprising against the Commonwealth and its magnates (1648–1654) which resulted in the creation of a Cossack state. In 1654, he concluded the Treaty of Pereyaslav with the Tsardom of Russia, which led to the eventual loss of independence to the Russian Empire.

Bogdan Khmelnytsky

Rolling Reklama (advertising)

Old Soviet Era automobile finds new use as a rolling billboard. Lenin would so not approve.  Especially for a tanning salon!

Abandoned Apartment Block, Pripyat

C H E R N O B Y L - 2 0 1 2

Right near the central square, Pripyat Ukraine.

Go Forth and Multiply, My Little One.

In commemoration of the launch of Sputnik 1, October 4, 1957, 55 years ago tomorrow. Seen at the State Scientific and Technical Library of Ukraine, Kiev

Sputnik 1 (Russian: "Cпутник-1" Russian pronunciation: [ˈsputʲnʲək], "Satellite-1", ПС-1 (PS-1, i.e. "Простейший Спутник-1", or Elementary Satellite-1)) was the first artificial Earth satellite. The Soviet Union launched it into an elliptical low Earth orbit on 4 October 1957. The surprise success precipitated the American Sputnik crisis, began the Space Age and triggered the Space Race, a part of the larger Cold War. The launch ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific developments.

Sputnik was also scientifically valuable. The density of the upper atmosphere could be deduced from its drag on the orbit, and the propagation of its radio signals gave information about the ionosphere.

Sputnik 1 was launched during the International Geophysical Year from Site No.1/5, at the 5th Tyuratam range, in Kazakh SSR (now at the Baikonur Cosmodrome). The satellite travelled at about 29,000 kilometers (18,000 mi) per hour, taking 96.2 minutes to complete each orbit. It transmitted on 20.005 and 40.002 MHz which were monitored by amateur radio operators throughout the world. The signals continued for 22 days until the transmitter batteries ran out on 26 October 1957. Sputnik 1 burned up on 4 January 1958, as it fell from orbit upon reentering Earth's atmosphere, after travelling about 60 million km (37 million miles) and spending 3 months in orbit.

Sputnik 1.

Music that Soars

Seen at a local arts festival.