2. Photography

Project RuSu 365

Not always so successful or interesting, & not always daily, though certainly a reflection of our daily lives - more like pick of the day. Our goal - to share our world and improve our skills. Thanks to all the members of the SmugMug Daily Community for your support and input. Feel free to leave feedback by clicking on 'Add Comment' below. We look forward to hearing your thoughts. The photo of the day will always be in first position. Thank you for looking. - Rustem Safronov & Susan Gilman a.k.a. RuSu. This gallery was started on October 26, 2010.

Henri Cartier-Bresson said, "Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.", so bear with us...
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I suppose the holiday cards have started streaming in to many of you, so thought we'd send one of our own - certainly more reliable than the Russian post. I was checking our card supply and came across this old envelope, which I decided to photograph. The cancelled stamp & tree are embellishments. The Santa-type figure is known as Grandfather Frost here and he brings presents on New Year's Eve which is when the holidays begin. They then last for 10 days during which the whole country basically shuts down. Hope yours are happy. (12.7.2011)
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I suppose the holiday cards have started streaming in to many of you, so thought we'd send one of our own - certainly more reliable than the Russian post. I was checking our card supply and came across this old envelope, which I decided to photograph. The cancelled stamp & tree are embellishments. The Santa-type figure is known as Grandfather Frost here and he brings presents on New Year's Eve which is when the holidays begin. They then last for 10 days during which the whole country basically shuts down. Hope yours are happy. (12.7.2011)

Grandfather Frostдед морозDed MorozSantaRussian SantaRussian holiday enveloperusurusu photography

  • From the first night of Chanukah. (12.22.2011)<br /> <br /> Sometimes the simplest things can be difficult in Russia. Usually I bring Chanukah candles from the States, but it's a year since we've been home, so we had to hunt these down. I'd never seen anything like these filled with jelled olive oil & was quite concerned when I read that some had been recalled in the USA, but so far, they work. I actually find them quite attractive & a nice change from regular candles, but they do wobble a bit in the menorah (candelabra). Will have to keep an eye on them as we add one additional candle for eight days. <br /> <br /> Wishing you a bright holiday season.
  • Put on your golden heels - the holidays are here! (Paula's challenge for the day) (12.16.2011)<br /> <br /> While in Spain we were captivated by a very elegant lady decked out in jewels & these heels, but were rather taken aback when she subsequently pulled out a pipe, albeit an appropriately elegant one, and started smoking it. To each their own.
  • Liza & Sasha - friends forever. (12.14.2011)<br /> <br /> Though they're only in kindergarten, these two little ones study English with me. Today was our second to the last lesson before the holidays. Liza's off to Siberia to visit relatives & Sasha's off to Singapore for some R&R :) Thanks for all your recent comments.
  • Busy day today, so just a simple shot of our dear Sophie. She's been with us for almost 15 years since we got her at an animal shelter outside of Boston. She chose us - little did she know she'd be traveling half way around the world. Yes, she's bilingual. (12.13.2011)
  • Just back from getting my holiday manicure and took this shot of one the hair stylist's stations. I wanted an appointment closer to the holidays, but it was today or Jan. 20th, if you can believe it. Generally, Russian women spend a large portion of their salaries on cosmetics & salon procedures so it can be difficult to get an appointment. I once offered one of my staff a 20% salary increase during her annual review & she scoffed at it saying it wouldn't even cover her monthly cosmetics expenditures. No, I haven't jumped on that bandwagon. (12.12.2011)<br /> <br /> Have a good Monday!
  • I suppose the holiday cards have started streaming in to many of you, so thought we'd send one of our own - certainly more reliable than the Russian post. I was checking our card supply and came across this old envelope, which I decided to photograph. The cancelled stamp & tree are embellishments. The Santa-type figure is known as Grandfather Frost here and he brings presents on New Year's Eve which is when the holidays begin. They then last for 10 days during which the whole country basically shuts down. Hope yours are happy. (12.7.2011)
  • View from the Vyatskoe church bell tower. (12.5.2011)<br /> <br /> Wishing all a good week. Thanks for your comments the past few days. Always appreciated.
  • Coppélia ballet performance. <br /> <br /> During WWII the Kirov Ballet Troupe, amongst others, were evacuated to the city of Perm in the Ural Mountain region far from the Front. Though the troupe returned to Leningrad (St. Petersburg) after the war, the tradition of ballet remains strong here.
  • My friend, the talented singer-songwriter, Richard Page, formerly of the 80's chart-topping group Mr. Mister. I met Rich backstage while he was in Moscow with Ringo's All Star Band. It's not the best photo of him, but I'm posting this as an excuse to share one of the most beautiful Christmas songs ever. If you have time, have a listen - I think you'll agree it's a classic you'll want to add to your holiday collection. (12.3.2011)<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.myspace.com/video/richard-page-mr-mister-official/i-always-cry-at-christmas/47675853">http://www.myspace.com/video/richard-page-mr-mister-official/i-always-cry-at-christmas/47675853</a>
  • On a recent business trip Rustem went to a village he hadn't visited since he was 8 years old - more than 40 years ago - the village of his grandmother's birth. Amazingly, he was able to find some of his relatives including this sweetie, Albina. (12.2.2011)<br /> <br /> Привет Альбиночка!
  • Oh, it's another from the files as I've been running around all day today.This is a view of English Harbor, Antigua from atop Shirley Heights. A little slice of heaven on earth. Wish we were there right about now. (12.1.2011)
  • I'm posting rather late today & it's not a new shot, but had to post something in order to say thanks to everyone for all your comments on yesterday's church. It was an honor to be the #1 post amongst so many fabulous shots. This camel was shot on the steppe in Kalmykia, Russia. (11.30.2011)<br /> <br /> What do you think about these spam advertising comments of late? I wrote SM & they gave their usual, 'turn on comment approval' answer. I'm really surprised they're letting this kind of spam go through... Hope you're having a good day.
  • "Science & religion are two windows that people look through, trying to understand the big universe outside, trying to understand why we are here. The two windows give different views, but both look out at the same universe. Both views are one-sided, neither is complete. Both leave out essential features of the real world. And both are worthy of respect." ~Freeman Dyson, British-born, American theoretical physicist & mathematician.<br /> <br /> Taken in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia's 5th largest city & an industrial powerhouse, I was struck by the contrast of the simple lines & purity of form & color of this church against the chaotic, industrial greys of the city across the frozen river. Nizhny is probably most famous for being the birthplace of writer Maxim Gorky & place of exile of Nobel Peace Prize winning physicist, Andrei Sakharov. (11.29.2011)
  • Layla Tukhtabaeva dressed against the cold. (11.27.2011)
  • "My home is always there, in the heaven's vault..." ~Mikhail Lermontov<br /> <br /> The parlor at the Tarkhany estate of famous Russian author & poet, Mikhail Lermontov.<br /> <br /> Thanks for all your comments on my turkey/Thanksgiving Day shot. It was nice to see at the end of a horrific day during which my pocketbook with all my documents [everything imaginable] was stolen. Spent hours at the police station where the police convinced me to report it as lost rather than stolen - long story. <br /> <br /> The good news is that I received a call that someone found my bag & although the money & some other things were gone, thankfully, my passport & other important documents have been returned.<br /> <br /> Hope those who celebrated had a wonderful holiday & are enjoying the weekend. (11.26.2011)
  • Happy Thanksgiving! (Moscow, 1992)<br /> <br /> I'd just spent my 1st year here & was determined to do a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. The truth is, there was little food in Moscow in those days, but I'd forewarned an Irish supermarket client about the forthcoming holiday & he special ordered some turkeys - it was even a Butterball. This one may look big because it's on a small plate. In fact, it weighed less than 5 kilos (about 11 lbs) & cost $100!<br /> <br /> I've since done Thanksgiving a couple of times here, but it's not quite the same. We always have to move it to Saturday because of work, it's difficult to get the ingredients for all the fixins', & somehow the concept of thankfulness is sorely lacking.
  • Family at home in the market where they live & work in Bishkek. (11.22.2011)<br /> <br /> Child labor and poverty are inevitably bound together and if you continue to use the labor of children as the treatment for the social disease of poverty, you will have both poverty and child labor to the end of time. ~ Grace Abbott (Director, Children’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor, 1917–1934)<br /> <br /> It's estimated that there may be two hundred and fifty million children in the world today engaged in some form of exploitative child labor. Something to think about this Thanksgiving.
  • Kyrgz boy in a Bishkek mosque. (11.21.2011)<br /> <br /> Thanks for your comments on yesterday's shot of Sir Elton - seems there's a large group of Elton fans in our community. Monday, Monday...
  • The original 'Funky Cat' himself, Sir Elton John. (11.20.2011)<br /> <br /> In my previous life I spent years in the music biz in L.A., so if a friend of mine rolls through town, there's a good chance I'll get to see the show. In this case Kim Bullard, Elton's keyboard player, comp'd me the tickets. Thanks, Kim!
  • House of the Soviets on a wintery, grey day. (11.11.2011)

  • Jerry Barton

    on December 13, 2011

    Excellent work - and thanks for all your comments during 2011! All the best for 2012.

  • 349390pitchingwedge33

    on December 11, 2011

    Have a great Holiday season. Super looking card.

  • Hershy

    on December 8, 2011

    Nice presentation, and happy holidays to you too!

  • Lgood

    on December 8, 2011

    I love this!!! How cherry and festic. Happy holidays to you too.

  • Jeff Graham (JeffreyGraham)

    on December 8, 2011

    Very nice work and and happy holidays as well.

  • Gene Hyder

    on December 8, 2011

    Great! Happy Holidays

  • Tom Reichert

    on December 8, 2011

    Well done! Happy holidays

  • geoghanart

    on December 8, 2011

    Great idea and love the result. Happy Holidays to you as well.

  • webstersway

    on December 7, 2011

    Awesome work...very nicely done!!! Thank you!!! Wishing the same for you as well...

  • Chuck Beehner

    on December 7, 2011

    nicely done! thanks!
    pb ;=))

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