Wandering in Prague

Wandering in Prague - student project

Off the Beaten Path: This shot was taken during my second day in Prague, which was going pretty slowly. The weather forecast had been good, so I was hoping for some nice light, but the day was overcast and the air was cold and close – and most of the things I'd wanted to see that day were closed. I'd mostly given up on photographing and was planning to spend the afternoon in a café reading my book, when I came across this stunning 1930s church (Kostel NejsvÄ›tÄ›jšího Srdce PánÄ›) in the Vinohrady district, unlike any I've ever seen. The bare trees either side gave it a gothic feel to me, and it reminded me how many good things you can find when you stop looking for them! 

Wandering in Prague - image 1 - student project

Bird's Eye: This shot was taken around the corner from the church, and in another moment when I wasn't looking for photos – I was just looking for a metro station to take me back to the river, as the clouds were finally clearing and I wanted to see the sunset over Charles Bridge. As I was trying to navigate a fairly terrifying road-and-tram junction, I crossed this bridge over Prague main station and loved the unusual view that it gave me – all the intersecting railway lines almost forming a heart shape with the station roof, the sunlight on the buildings in the distance, and the emblematic PRAHA sign – just in case we were forgetting where we were. 

Wandering in Prague - image 2 - student project

 

Middle of the Road: I got up early on my last day, so that I could make sure I could take some pictures of the Charles Bridge and the area around Prague Castle before the tourist crowds descended. I loved the converging lines of this staircase leading up to the castle. 

Wandering in Prague - image 3 - student project

 

Signs of Life: This might be my favourite shot of all. This was taken at around 8.30am on a Sunday, when the Charles Bridge was already beginning to fill with tourists. While everyone around him was taking selfies, this elegantly dressed old man – who looked very much like the only local around – slowly walked his dogs across the bridge, stopping to admire the statues on either side as the cathedral bells rang. I was a little too shy to take overt photos of him, or to ask him to stop, but took a sneaky shot from the back. 

Wandering in Prague - image 4 - student project

 

Postcard: If the man on Charles Bridge is my favourite shot, this must be my second. I took it from the park around Strahov Monastery, high above the city, when I had once again been hoping for better weather and beautiful light. Instead, I got clouds and haze, but the winter mist made the imposing buildings of the Old Town look cosy and almost cute, nestled among the bare trees. 

Wandering in Prague - image 5 - student project