Natalia Mamaeva
October 2026 - The Old Lamp Post
About the Image(s)
One more photo about Saint Petersburg… “The Old Lamp Post”.
Saint Petersburg has always been the architectural capital of Russia. In the 19th century, they tried to make even a simple fence into a small piece of architectural beauty.
For example, this old lamp post. It once had beautiful colored glass, with a kerosene lamp glowing inside. Now only the metal frame remains…
Canon EOS 600D + Selena 58mm f/1.9C + Hoya PL-CIR HD Series II.
10 comments posted
Hi Natalia This is so simple but eye-catching. It would be wonderful restored with colored glass and an oil lamp. I like the way your lens/filter has created a vignette of soft focus that gently takes our eye into the lamp although the top right is bright and could be destracting. Can you apply a darkening vignette to tone down the brightness on the border? I think you could lift the brightness of the front face of the lamp. Posted: 10/01/2026 04:39:18
Mark thanks for the advice! Something like this? Posted: 10/01/2026 06:32:19
Natalia, I think the changes helped bring more attention to the lamp. I especially like the contrast between the old dark metal and the soft surrounding foliage. For me, the bright yellow-green areas at the top still pull my eye a little away from the lamp, so I might tone those down slightly. I also really enjoyed the history you shared-it gives the image much more meaning. Posted: 10/02/2026 01:02:58
Sophia, thanks a lot! Posted: 10/02/2026 16:16:10
Hi Natalia. This is a simple but effective image. I like the slight blur and soft focus. It gives it a dreamy feel. I think the vignette has helped with the bright yellow-green areas. Perhaps you could try and selectively darken down the more obvious ones that still remain. I like the texture in the metal frame. Posted: 10/12/2026 05:34:33
Suzanne thanks a lot! :-) Posted: 10/19/2026 13:32:01
Hi Natalia. The lantern is interesting. I don't have any recommendation, but instantly thought that I would photograph it again after the leaves go through transformation farther and maybe in different light - create a series. Would it be still interesting in the winter with no leaves and some snow decorating it? Posted: 10/13/2026 19:32:19
Anna thank you for the idea!
Probably it is worth making a series of photographs in different seasons of the year. Posted: 10/19/2026 13:41:02
Probably it is worth making a series of photographs in different seasons of the year. Posted: 10/19/2026 13:41:02
Natalia, I like what you've seen and achieved. The lantern, in its natural location, is wonderful. I wanted to see how it might look if only the top portion is shown. Thus, I cropped the image and modified the lighting/contrast to emphasize the lantern. What do you think?
Posted: 10/16/2026 01:01:05
Posted: 10/16/2026 01:01:05
Oliver, I like it!! The texture of the metal is very beautifully emphasized :-) Posted: 10/19/2026 13:44:02