wednesday walk at St.Petersburg with a friend (visual story - 14 foto)

This is a post to go with WednesdayWalk challenge by @tattoodjay

I have a great neightbour, we always tell good morning, hello and goodbye when we meet each otner, but never talked seriously. Suddenly! It appeared he is very much into photography, an amateur like me, and we have a lot of stuff to chew together. I provided him with my spare macro lens (Tamron 60mm) and we planned a joint walk across the local park. Today he had a day off, besides that it was Wednesday :P

So, today's walk turned out not like my usual streetphoto exercises.
I borrowed my everyday telephoto macro lens, a fisheye, and a universal 50mm (just in case I may need it; but I didnt used it). After the dinner we met, and rushed to the Aviatoroff Park.

As we walked and talked, I looked around in search of a suitable plots to capture (as always). But I was relaxed and was not focused on photography most -- communication was my priority.

My friend is fond of doing cool 'bodegons' (standstills). He brought in this little set of things - a few books, notebook, a glass with a vintage cup-holder and a spoon (XIX century!), a thermos with hot tea - to conduct a photosession using the great mid-day dim light we had around. Of course I could not stand away from it. Here is my take:

He was curious about having his own portrait taken with my camera (who will shave the barber? you know this kind of dilemmas, hehe). I have loads of pics taken, but my own portraits make up a negligible percentage of this trash array... And I should note, that sufficient part of it appeared due to this kind of joint walks with my other photo-friends (a good opportunity to send TNKY and to mention here my great companions - @tatdt and @bambuka).

I made a few shots with 150mm, and then decided to introduce to him my best friend (well, actually no, just joking... ofc it is one of my good friends, not the best one) - a manual fisheye Zenitar 16mm lens. Made in USSR! - says the transparant on the lense body. A pleasure to find it, for the folks of our older generation, who were born in the country that missing on up-to-date maps.

So, we made a few portraits with a fish-eye lens. 'A Portrait in the Interior', as I name it.

And then I presented this lens' powerful capabilities to capture the outer world in all its beauty... and wideness...

...and told about its pros and contras. It is comically cheap, and have a great constructive, tho iits a bit weighty, and its totally manual! - and due to that, it demands a lot of efforts and self-control from photographer. You cant simply 'click the shutter' with it... Resulting images always need extra post-processing. Have a look at it 'as shot' and after 'digital development' in PS.

After that I found some mushrooms to shoot, and changed to macro lens again. This is the best one from what I found:

There was a nice buggie sitting there, in the cold, hiding from the wind... but you cant hide from winter, can you? Oh, well, if you are a little buggie, then the answer is YES.

Maybe he was exactly preparing for the drilling session, to build up a winter hideout for himself? Who knows... not me. NB. The white is not the snow, but the pieces of the web, if im not mistaken.

At this turning point we decided its time to round up the route, and headed back home.

I managed to make a few more shots (of the dubious quality -- as I said before, we were discussing and explaining a lot of intresting stuff, I was not focused on the photo-process as priority). And the ducks thing.. you know, you can take their pics non-stop, for ages... at least observe their activity. It is mesmerizing and so relaxing.

This mighty elms alley was our last stop for a few more pics, and soon this pleasurable and memorable walk has finished.

This story has an uncomplicated moral: do talk to your neighbours more often! It is very likely they may be an interesting, wonderful people with same intrests and shared great topics for discussions. Oh, and by the way: walking by foot helps to oxygenate your lungs, and boosts your body's immunity. Don't stay at home! Stay Healthy!

The walk's bouqiet would be not be completed if we do not meet a kitty! And indeed, when we already were approaching our yard, we met a nice blue-to-grey stray cat. He paused exactly for 5 seconds I needed to portray him. Look at his face -- and keep away from him: he's a real predator of the megapolis jungle. A nice touch, and a happy ending. (@ewkaw, in case you are reading this -- dont tell me you enjoyed the last photo more than all the rest of the post :)))

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Thanks for walking with me, see you next time!
Надеюсь, вам было приятно прогуляться со мной по улицам Петербурга!

all images taken with Canon 5D + Sigma 150mm + Zenitar 16mm
location: Park Aviatorov, St.Petersburg, Russia
world map: pinmapple (wednesday walk at SPb)
[//]:# (!pinmapple 59.869316 lat 30.302621 long wednesday walk with a friend, Nov.2020 d3scr)