Whenever I get a chance, because the view is breathtaking or if the situation wouldn’t fit in a ordinary picture,
I burst out into a panorama. Panoramas often need a tripod or a steady brick wall, and some patient travel mates.
Then, one should always remember to lock the exposure so that all frames are equally exposed. Well, that can be
fixed in the computer later.
If your web browser will resize (reduce) the images to your screen size, you can click on them to get them full
size.
Vilnius, Spring 1999
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Lithuania’s capital Vilnius has much beauty on offer. Shot like this from the top of Gediminas Tower
high on a hill in the middle of the town, it looks impressive, with views just waiting to be seen. Gediminas Tower
from the 14:th century, is Vilnius original castle, now renovated, and the symbol of the country as well. After
1999 some new landmarks have appeared, such as the Mindaugas bridge, spanning between numbers 37-43 in the picture.
The panorama is made from 14 individual frames, taken with a 50-mm standard lens. The image starts and ends at
the three crosses o the Hill of Crosses, a little more than a 360° sweep. Below the image is a schematic sketch
with explanations of all the images and views.
The three crosses is said to have originated from three monks being crucified here in medieval times. Vilnius has
more than 40 churches, and the finest, the Cathedral is in the middle of the image. Other prominent objets are
the Vilnius University sporting some 400 years, and a fantastic University Church. Also check out St. Anne’s church,
with Lithuania’s most beautiful facade. |
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Song Festival in Vilnius 2003
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| The 2003 Song Festival in the Vingis Park in Vilnius “To the 750:th anniversary of King Mindaugas” was a breathtaking
spectacle, with 3000 choir singers, several orchestras, lots of dancers, fireworks and other special effects. Being
Swedish one is all taken aback by the multiplicity, and the relieving, refreshing absolute freedom from pop and
rock music. Absolutely not a celebrity gala. Instead, lots of ordinary people coming from all over the world to
show their admiration for the free Lithuania |
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Nida Panorama 2003
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| Out on the Neringa sand bank, down at the Russian border, is the holiday resort Nida, and if you climb the largest
sand dune you will see this panorama. It covers about half the width of the sandbank and some of the Curonian lagoon,
the sea that Neringa encloses. From left you see the lighthouse on mount Urbas, a military installation, the radio
station, the new church, and Nida’s harbour. |
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Trakai Castle, Spring 2000
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The medieval castle Trakai, situated in the middle of Lake Galve a few kilometres outside Vilnius, is the
pride of Lithuania. It was the hub of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania under Grand Duke Gediminas, who built it at
some distance from the capital Kernave. The count himself moved to Vilnius, but his son Kestutis took over Trakai.
Vytautas the Great was born there and he would later turn Trakai into an economical and political hub. The castle
is in the middle of a lake and the only bridge to the shore is via a small island, to the right. That island was
inhabited by Vytautas’ guardians, the Karajim, a people whose land (Crimea) was taken care of by Vytautas during
his campaigns. They were considered very loyal.
The castle was completely in ruins, and has more or less been fully rebuilt. The restoration works has been fantastic
and today Trakai is a first-class tourist attraction. A painting showing this motif hangs on the wall in most Lithuanian
homes. The panorama is made with a digital camera from a bridge at the shore. The sky is not faked. |
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Now we are a little closer, half way on the bridge between the Karajim Island and the castle, about midway in the
above panorama. This image is spliced from seven individual frames.
The Karajim people still live in the area around Trakai. They have retained their old culture and language and
enjoy a certain amount of respect from the Lithuanians. They also have a mosque in Vilnius. |
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The Presidential Palace in Vilnius
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The Vilnius Presidential Palace vas originally the Vilnius bishop’s living quarters during the 15:th century,
was residence to the Tsar’s general governor from 1795, Napoleon’s residence in 1812, later residence to Kotusov
who beat Napoleon, rebuilt during 1824-1832, was used as officers’ mess to the hoodlums of the Red Army, turned
into art museum and concert hall, and was finally made into presidential residence of the Communist president Brazauskas,
who became speaker of the Parliament in 2002. A varied history, one might say. The Lithuanian coat of arms, the
mounted knight with a shield is located beneath the roof, in the middle.
This panorama is made from three frames taken with a wide-angle lens on free hand a night in February 2008. The
building is very nicely floodlit. |
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