The legend goes that if you place a lock here with your partner and keep one key each, then you’ll be together for as long as the lock is in place. Taking this at face value, there are a) contingent relationships, because there are locks on locks since the bridge railings are out of space (or maybe mistresses); b) polygamous/ polyandrous relationships, because I’m sure some locks come with multiple sets of keys, or foreigners misunderstood the instructions; c) relationships that ended quickly because of poor foundations, like those who bought cut price locks and had them rust away; and d) those which were forgotten because of misplaced keys. Malostranska, Prague, Leica M9-P and 28/2.8 ASPH.
POTD: Contingent relationships
May 21, 2012 by
Photoessay: The Charles Bridge, Prague
May 12, 2012 by
The Charles Bridge – or Karlov Most in Czech – is one of Prague’s great landmarks. Spanning the River Vltava, it was constructed in the 14th century to connect Prague Castle with the old town. Until 1841, it was the only way to get from one side of the city to the other. It is a majestic 510m long, supported by sixteen stone arches and guarded by two towers on either side. The bridge has borne witness to both countless historical events and natural disasters; being severely damaged during several of these and most recently repaired following major floods in 2002. The span itself is decorated by numerous statues, under whose auspices various tradespeople ply their wares during the day.
From a photographic point of view, it’s an interesting place to observe life – both locals and tourists – and a picturesque backdrop to practice street photography or photojournalism, or even a little architecture if the fancy takes you. MT
This series shot with a Leica M9-P, 28/2.8 ASPH, 50/1.4 ASPH and Olympus E-PM1 Pen Mini and 45/1.8 ZD lenses.
Not technically of the bridge, but you can see its lookout towers in the background.
Photoessay: St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague
April 9, 2012 by
A fantastic piece of gothic architecture, St. Vitus is arguably the centerpiece of Prague Castle – itself at the northern part of the old Malastranska district and overlooking the rest of the city itself. I’ve been inside a number of famous cathedrals – St. Paul’s, Canterbury, Notre Dame, St. Vitus, the Sagrada Familia, and Stefansdom – and the one thing that always amazes me is that we humans could build such structures as early as nine hundred years ago, when the majority of people were living in shacks and huts without sanitation or any other modern infrastructure. Even more amazing is the degree of architectural finesse involved in building these structures in stone – remember, there were no structural members that could take tensile loads, let alone pre formed or pre stressed panels. Everything was reliant on gravity to stay in place. Construction took generations; even with modern building techniques, the Sagrada Familia began in 1882 and isn’t expected to be complete until 2026 – that’s <em>144 years</em>. Frankly, it doesn’t look very different today than when I first visited in 2003. Glass <em>had</em> to be made with lead frames holding together small pieces, simply because there was no way to make big sheets. But the craftsmen of the day found a way to make that beautiful, creating the incredible stained-glass mosaics that survive to this day; a lasting testament to their devotion to their faith. MT
Series shot with the Leica M9-P, 28/2.8 ASPH and 50/1.4 ASPH
Ming Thein | Photographer 