Russian Orthodox Chapel Photo

Photographer’s Note

Yesterday, -17C degrees, the coldest day since thirty years. Jumping for two minutes out of my car to capture this beauty of the Russian Orthodox chapel which was built on the “Mathildenhöhe” in 1897 by the architect Leon N. Benois.

from Wikipedia, sorry only in German available:
Die der Heiligen Maria Magdalena geweihte Russische Kapelle auf der Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt wurde in den Jahren von 1897 bis 1899 von dem Petersburger Architekten Leon N. Benois (eigentlich Leontij Nikolajewitsch Nebnois), einem Großvater Peter Ustinovs, errichtet. Das zwischen verschiedenen Jugendstilgebäuden auf importierter russischer Erde errichtete Gotteshaus, in dem bis zum heutigen Tag orthodoxe Gottesdienste stattfinden, ist im Stil russischer Kirchen des 16. Jahrhunderts gehalten.

Auftraggeber war der russische Zar Nikolaus II. (Russland), der bei Besuchen in der Heimat der Zarin Alexandra, gebürtige Prinzessin Alix von Hessen-Darmstadt, nicht auf ein eigenes Gotteshaus für seine Familie und seinen Hofstaat verzichten mochte.

Die Kosten in Höhe von rund 400.000 Mark wurden aus dem zaristischen Privatvermögen bestritten.

Budapestman, ChrisJ, belido, marjan, Buin, papagolf21, rey316, Cretense, Loic_bzh, Floydian, paura, tomescuc, cfreire, stego, AiresSantos, jafadabret, dip, riclopes, feather, Henryk_Bilor, patdeph, Docarmo, gracious, josepmarin, jlbrthnn, XOTAELE, asajernigan, Cricri, Sistercosmo, JCG, PixelTerror, pierrefonds, saylan-cb, adores, Emile, axiotea, Angshu, Didi, didemay, jaywalker, Jakab has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Budapestman (41086) 2009-01-08 2:47

Hi Achim,
Wonderful architectural photo. Beautiful towards the clear blue sky rising ornate towers. The composition very beautiful, the sharpness excellent. Majestic sight. Congratulations.
Have a nice day!
George

bema (8491) 2009-01-08 2:51

Hallo Achim,

meine Bewunderung für diesen Einsatz in der arktischen Kälte.. ein tolles Resultat ist aber dabei herausgesprungen, wusste garnicht das es so etwas auch hier bei uns gibt..
Danke für die Erweiterung meines Erfahrungsschatzes..

Gruß Bernd

snunney (34186) 2009-01-08 2:59

Hello Achim,
A fine image of this lovely church. The beautiful architecture is shown off to great effect under a sympathetic ambient light and the that lovely blue backdrop. The golden domes positively sparkle and I like the light and shadow play offered by the trees. Perfect exposure with excellent colours and clarity.

BeBeHooker (5074) 2009-01-08 3:01

Hi Achim!
Very interesting Orthodox church. Wonderful architecture. Nice winter scenery. Very nice sky. Beautiful colors.
Cheers!

ChrisJ (69618) 2009-01-08 3:09

Hi Achim

A marvellous winterscape, with the white snow, gold domes, & blue sky, all combining to make a pleasing image of tonal & colour contrasts. Excellent sharpness & smart choice of a vertical frame. Tfs!

pasternak (13038) 2009-01-08 3:11

Seems like this is Russia with the snow and the characteristic church... :)) Excellent light here producing nice color contrasts...

Cheers
A

belido (16109) 2009-01-08 3:25

Hi Achim,

superb composition. The details are really impressive. I also like the highlight/shadow management and the intense blue sky at the back. Very well done!
Regards,
Carlos

JLG (2086) 2009-01-08 3:32

hello Achim
une superbe église que tu nous fais découvrir
un tres bon contraste et une grande richesse dans les details
well done
jean louis

marjan (6081) 2009-01-08 3:38

hi Achim, excellent shot and wonderful motive. Very nice composition and good POV with useful notice
Marjan

Buin (36988) 2009-01-08 4:03

Hallo Achim!
Der Sprung aus dem Auto hat sich gelohnt! Ein ungewöhnlich schönes Winterfoto, das durch das Licht und die abstrakten Schatten zusätzlichen Reiz erhält. Auch der Kontrast zwischen rötlichen Gemäuer und dem blauen Himmel - umwerfend!
Bei diesem Wetter sollte man aber nicht nur kurz aus dem Auto springen ... ;-)
Grüße aus dem kalten und sonnigen Westfalen!
Frank

papagolf21 (56044) 2009-01-08 4:11

Bonjour, cher Achim,
Le grand froid donne un air limpide permettant de donner à la composition tous les détails architecturaux. Superbe église orthodoxe d'une beauté manifeste.
Excellente et très intéressante composition (merci pour la note).
Amitiés.
Philippe

jjcordier (24186) 2009-01-08 5:13

Achim
Étonnant de voir ce genre d'architecture ici!Superbe bâtiment que la belle lumière hivernale magnifie encore.
Amicalement
JJ

Aviller (3086) 2009-01-08 5:13

Beautiful picture with stunning colors and a fine composition. I might have cropped out the lamp that's right next to the left edge of the picture. I feel like it's a bit of a distraction. That's only a minor complaint though and the overall picture is fantastic.

rey316 (1900) 2009-01-08 5:16

Hi Achim
Very interesting church;The composition very beautiful
TFS
ANdrey

Cretense (54954) 2009-01-08 7:16

Hi Achim!

Excellent photo of an architectonic jewel! Simple but effective composition, perfect light managment and fantastic colours! Great sharpness that allows us to enjoy some unbelievable details! Congratulations!

Hercules

Cormac (26449) 2009-01-08 7:43

Beautiful shot of a beautiful building! The low angle light adds some interest, and the snow on the ground somehow seems very appropriate for Russian. I also like the shadow of the trees on the building, which softens the light there and actually makes this more visually interesting. Nice work!

gilou530 (34755) 2009-01-08 9:05

salut achim
magnifique église avec un style plutot russe qu"allemand mais trés bien mise en valeur par cette excellente lumiére, le personnage est judicieux car il donne l'échelle, beau travail
amitiés
gilbert

Loic_bzh (6951) 2009-01-08 9:55

Hi Achim,

happy new year to you and all those you love... :)

Nice shot. This russian chapel is in the right environment: snow and -17°! Nice low winter sun light...

Cheers,

Loïc

Fis2 (45286) 2009-01-08 10:45

Witaj Achim!
Beautiful orthodox church!
Excellent light and colors.
Superb photo.
Regards
Krzysztof

carper (64194) 2009-01-08 10:54

very beautiful Achim,
marvelous shot here, good light, what can I say more then I like it and you did do a fantastic photojob here, well done, have a nice evening.
regard jaap

mauro61 (14734) 2009-01-08 10:57

ciao Achim,
bellissima questa chiesa con i suoi tesori che saranno sicuramente celati all'interno.
Quello che si apprezza da fuori è comunque notevole e la natura che la circonda la rende davvero bella.
bravo e buona serata
maurizio

Floydian (30970) 2009-01-08 11:00

Hallo Achim,

Crystal clear, not only the sky, but the whole area with the building in the middle. Pity about the fence, but that's not your fault. Most important is your exposure and presentation of the beautiful chapel....very nice work.

Regards,

Henk

paura (37896) 2009-01-08 11:20

Achim,
Very beautiful palace in your well composed photo. The architectude details are really amazing.

well done.

Paulo

tomescuc (2837) 2009-01-08 12:49

Beautiful building shown in superb light and in a peaceful winter scene. Superb light and shadow play. Excellent work.
cheers,
Cristian

cfreire (11647) 2009-01-08 12:57

Hi Achim
Another splendid shot well captured with attractive colors and contrasts. Excellent control of lights and shadows. Good job. Best regards, Consuelo

COSTANTINO (22255) 2009-01-08 13:00

Hello Achim,
what a wonderful photo with a great lightness,
the colours are so nice and delicate and the
sharpness so excellent that I can say nothing
more..A photo with many details,architectural,colours,snow,nature,
art everything,bravo in a few words a fine
photo of this lovely church
many wishes for a happy new year 2oo9
regards
Costantino

stego (22340) 2009-01-08 17:09

Hallo Achim,
It might be very cold, but the light was splendid and you took good profit of it to catch the the colours and fine shapes of that beautiful chapel. If it wasn't for the "Germany" caption above the thumbnail, I would think you had been experiencing the Russian winter. The photo is technically spotless, except for a little, almost unnoticeable detail: a slight tilt to the left.
Grüß, José.

jurek1951 (25760) 2009-01-08 20:44

Hallo Achim,
Great capture of the church with beautiful colours and contrasts.
Gruß Georg

shevchenko (9760) 2009-01-08 21:20

Hi Achim,
Interesting composition to show a unique cathedral, lovely colorful walls and artistic design, nice color, lighting and shading, thanks for sharing.
Ally

danyy (68088) 2009-01-08 23:16

Bonjour Achim,
étonnant d'avoir une basilique russe orthodoxe à cet endroit, mais qu'à cele ne tienne, elle est magnifique avec ces coupoles dorées, brillantes.
Tout cela se détache fort bien sous ce fon de ciel bleu.
Une photo très nette et bien balancée dans les couleurs.

Best regards.
daniel.

Graal (57312) 2009-01-08 23:38

Hi Achim,
very nice presentation, great russian architecture, fine colours and contrast. I like it a lot.
Gr., Aleksander

jafadabret (39033) 2009-01-09 1:50

Bonjour Achim.
Tu as eu la belle lumière des jours les plus froids et le résultat est extraordinaire. Cette église est une merveille d'architecture russe.
Une très belle photo !
Jacques

AiresSantos (41468) 2009-01-09 3:07

Hi Achim
Wonderful colours and POV in this excellent picture. I like the architecture and details. Very well framed and done
Have a nice weekend
Aires

dip (12412) 2009-01-09 4:17

Hallo Achim,
wenn man so was sieht muß man fotografieren auch bei -17°und es hat sich auf jeden Fall gelohnt,ein sehr schöne Kirche und ein super Foto!
Dimitris.

Nicou (43977) 2009-01-09 4:17

Hello,

Qu'elle est merveilleuse cette chapelle orthodoxe, avec ces coupoles doére,, ombre et lumière l'accompagne dans a présentation, les jolies barrière, la neige, grandiose compo.

Bravo et maitié

Nicou

giorgimer (20750) 2009-01-09 4:19

Hi Achim,

very beautiful architecture. The white ground allows to better enjoy it. Good details.

TFS

Gio

riclopes (32869) 2009-01-09 4:32

Very impressive church with golden tops. Fascinating details all over the architecture in a very attractive winter environment. Nice long shadows enhancing and good to see the lady in red stepping out of the main entrance.
best wishes,
ricardo

TopGeo (21449) 2009-01-09 5:28

Hi Achim! Interesting picture of church!
that with the architecture and the Russian decor impresses. Good the idea in low reception with background
of blue adds also the shade of tree and on part that is litted up intensely in opposition with the light remainder colour
Georgios

feather (49848) 2009-01-09 7:03

-17°C!! That's cold! I expect the UK stays warmer because it is surrounded by the sea; it's the damp and the wind that chills. This looks far too grand to be a mere chapel; the architecture is beautiful. The shadows point to the chapel and the red of the person catches the eye too.
Kath

Henryk_Bilor (20365) 2009-01-09 8:08

Hi Achim
Amazing light, just the same I had yesterday on my skis. Good capture of the chapel, interesting architecture.
Regards

patdeph (17462) 2009-01-09 8:14

hello Achim
this rachitecture is a jewel!I like how it's standing out the bue sky,that enhances its beauty!The light and the colours are really somptuous!A splendid picture,congratulations!
Regards
Pascale

Docarmo (8814) 2009-01-09 8:46

Hi Achim,
Very beautiful picture, a different architecture (for me, at least) with amazing details. Very well taken, congratulations!
MCV

gracious (20017) 2009-01-09 8:50

Hello Achim,
Thank you for such wonderful scenery of the beautiful church well captured with the best pov!
the beautiful sunlight is just awesome over the place!
good sharpness, nice colour and details on the church!
well done
regards
Tony

berek (28792) 2009-01-09 8:52

Hi Achim,
impressive architecture with lovely blue sky. well framed picture. greetings.
Burak

josepmarin (33611) 2009-01-09 10:06

Hallo Achim,
The intense cold probably is the "guilty" of the clarity, luminosity and beautiful colors in this photo.
The beauty of the architecture of this orthodox Russian chapel, with the golden domes, is impressive, and you have caught it skilfully in your composition, which has a great quality of image.
Best regards,
Josep

lousat (15034) 2009-01-09 10:50

Hi Achim,what a fantastic pic! Surely one of your best! This magic shot no need others comments but just my best best compliments,have a nice day,Luciano

emjleclercq (14133) 2009-01-10 0:35

Beautifull winter views with the snow and the deep blue sky, and of the the glittering golden domes give the best effect on that blue background.

All the best,

Emmanuel

jlbrthnn (37038) 2009-01-10 3:12

Hello Achim,
The orthodoxe churches are often invaluable jewels, like this one, with superb and gilded architecture. Splendid photograph. Congratulations.
Have a nice day.
Cordially.
Joël

Bluejeans (31663) 2009-01-10 3:34

Ola Achim ,
Que magnifica igreja ortodoxa a sua arquitectura é linda , as cúpulas em ouro são lindas fazem um belo contraste com o azul , ficou uma bela composição , parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

rodgerg (23207) 2009-01-10 6:15

Hello Achim,

Very good photowork, very beautiful church and very nice view. The churc and its details well collected arise very well in the image. Good framing too with the tree on the left. Good use of square format.
Have a good WE,
Roger

ahmetgedikli (21621) 2009-01-10 7:42

Good evening Achim,
Very beautiful shot and architecture... The colors, point of view and light are superb. Nice work!
Have a good WE.
Ahmet

XOTAELE (476) 2009-01-10 12:56

Hola Achim.
Magnífica imagen con un color muy bien tratado.
Gran exposición y ajustado encuadre.
Saludos, JL.

asajernigan (13929) 2009-01-10 17:17

Achim,
This is a beautiful shot of this great cathedral. The angle of the shot is fantastic giving the scene a good sense of depth and direction. The lighting and colors are great with excellent sharpness and detail. The shadows gives the shot nice contrast and direction. The tree provides excellent framing for the scene.
TFS,
Asa

Cricri (42894) 2009-01-11 2:01

Hi Achim
Vraiment magnifique église Orthodox, belle lumiére sous le ciel bleu et le sol blanc, une architecture au style bien de la Russie et trés bien présenter
Good sunday for you
Thank you
cricri

Sistercosmo (2523) 2009-01-11 15:18

Lieber Achim,
das ist einfach unbeschreiblich! Diese Schärfe, dieser Himmel, der Schnee - alles 1A! Und dieser Mann in Rot, der heraus kommt aus der Kirche. Wunderbare Aufnahme!
Viele Grüße
Linda

JCG (24899) 2009-01-12 11:30

Hi Achim,

I feel here the cold dry and invigorating!!! You profited from a very beautiful day to photograph this splendid orthodoxe church. I appreciate much the clearness of the image allowing us to see much detail. Thank you Achim.

With all my friendships, a very good evening and receive all my wishes for the New Year's Day,

Jean-Charles

PixelTerror (86036) 2009-01-12 12:10

Hi Achim,
Germany ??? Well you have found a top subject to make use of Russian weather conditions, it glows and shines just as in Mother Russia, it must come to use now because when in Germany now you hear more often Russian spoken than Turkish !
Have a nice day JY

pierrefonds (25953) 2009-01-12 13:11

Hi Achim,

The 3/4 view of thew church is an asset to the composition. The point of view is showing the details and colors of the architecture of the church. The reflection of the light on the snow is enhancing the colors under a nice blue sky. Have a nice day.

Pierre

saylan-cb (12726) 2009-01-12 14:03

Hi Achim,
Superb view!Great capture and very nice architecture with excellent colours,details,POV all wonderful.
TFS/Regards

adores (15315) 2009-01-12 14:53

Hi Achim!
At first glance I really thought it was Russia:)! In spite of the cold weather (it's really cold here also!), you got a really blue sky and a nice sunny day and even some people coming out of the church. The church is great!

silvia_zenova (1318) 2009-01-13 1:12

Hello Achim,
this Russian Orthodox chapel is real fascination, captured in the coldest day. The combination of sunlight, blue sky and the shadows in this rich facade make the picture to be like a postcard, but in the good sense of course:)
Regards, Silvia

jemaflor (38911) 2009-01-13 10:07

Hi Achim,
Nice church taken from a good angle and with a good light, good result for your shot.

Emile (19811) 2009-01-13 12:21

Hola Achim.
Beautiful church with a magnificent architecture, well captured from a very good POV. Good colors, sharpness and frame. Wonderful composition.
TFS.
Best wishes.

axiotea (15933) 2009-01-13 22:21

Hello Achim
-17 Brr! a Siberian weather for me ;) You had a beautiful light and together with the shades it created a pleasant mood to discover this orthodox chapel! I like the shiny texture of the golden domes.
Cheers
Marilyn

wolf38 (12549) 2009-01-13 23:27

Hallo Achim. Du hast die russisch-orthodoxe Kirche in excellenter Weise abgebildet. Das Licht, die starken Farben, die Kontraste usw. sind ideal für diese Art Architektur. Meine Anerkennung. Viele Grüße, wolfgang.

Angshu (33346) 2009-01-15 1:51

Hello Achim
This is fantastic! Like the view of the Russian Orthodox church (in Germany?) is superb sunlight, contrasting well with the snow. Well framed with the tree on the left. -17 degrees...God, I don't know if I would survive in this temperature!
Best Regards
Angshu

delkoo (33988) 2009-01-15 4:13

hi achim;
a very simple and yet clean and fabulous catch of the light painting the Russian Orthodox chapel counter a fantastic blue sky.

best regards
didier

Didi (35782) 2009-01-15 8:51

Hello Mr President
Very good winter lights ambiance and interesting point of view on this church.
Best wishes for 2009.

rajhema (1863) 2009-01-21 6:57

Lovely portrait of the church. Clouds free sky has helped you a lot. Beautiful depth and a sharp picture

TFS
Rajesh

didemay (2417) 2009-01-25 10:47

Hello Achim,
This is a beauty. Perfect light management, wonderful framing. Best Regards,
D:)

jaywalker (12186) 2009-01-30 2:26

Hi Achim, Now I love this building with it's onion domes displayed proudly on top, it shows beautiful detail & the strong light draws out the wonderful golden colours, this is a nicely composed shot, even the branches entering from the left assist the scene & likewise the brilliant blue sky, TFS, kind regards Wilson.

Jakab (3408) 2009-01-31 15:52

Hallo Achim,
oh, gibt es so etwas in Hessen? (Nachgedacht: warum sollte es denn nicht geben, wenn so viele Mitglieder der Romanows - unter anderen auch Katharina die Große - in Deutschland geboren wurde? Und auch in Leipzig steht eine schöne russisch-orthodoxe Kirche an Erinnerung an die Völkerschlacht mit Napoleon.)
Eine sehr gute Aufnahme, der tiefblaue Himmel bietet einen optimalen Hintergrund der schönen, für unseren Geschmack etwas übergezierten Kirche. Dass sie eben im Winter aufgenommen wurde, vertieft die Illusion, ein Stück Russland zu sehen.
Viele Grüße
Laszlo

darek1978 (11143) 2009-02-06 7:30

Hello Achim,
What a beautiful architecture! Lovely game between shadows and sunlight.
Composition and presentation are superb. I really like this snowy atmosphere also. Congratulations!!TFS.
Regards,
Darek

jmdias (18819) 2009-02-09 15:39

achim

amazing architecture. I liked the pov and the light here, colors and framing are perfects. the whole compo is very beautiful and perfect. reading your note ther is a coincidence, the post I did today shows the coldest place in Brazil, the lower temperature registered there was minus 18 some years ago

hugs

jorge

arturski (4444) 2009-02-19 16:13

Hi Achim !
Orthodox church in Germany is quite an unusual view, but as has already come to the eyes can not be detached.
Good quality presentation !

Regards

Artur