St. Petersburg Photography

[gfranzen]

Is a camera allowed in the Hermitage? Can a flash be used? What about palace and church restrictions?

 

Thanks.

[jkw3tx]

Cameras and video cameras are allowed almost everywhere ussually for a fee but most places do not allow flashes. Try to have a good low light camera option.

jkw

[gfranzen]

Thanks. I have a Nikon D300 which handles low light very well.

[Dushi]

If you book the excursion through the cruise ships, the camera and video passes are included with the Museum entry fee. I used my Nikon D80 and set the ISO at 400 or 1000 depending on the lighting. Some rooms do not allow photography or video and signs will be posted or one of the staff will scowl and yell at tousrists who break the rules.

[TLCOhio]

Is a camera allowed in the Hermitage? Can a flash be used? What about palace and church restrictions?

 

As you can see by the examples below, I took lots of pictures inside the Heritage and at St. Petersburg's great churches, etc. I had a Nikon D-50. At the Hermitage and some others, there is a small added charge for a photo permit/sticker. In some cases a flash was permitted and used. In most cases, I did not use a flash on these pictures. The light from the windows was good and/or the space was too large for a flash to be effective. Some pictures of the church ceilings were taken with a longer lens.

 

Three photo secrets to share! I had a 10-20 mm wide angle lens which helped greatly, especially in capturing the spectacular nature of the Grand Staircase and other large rooms. Holding your camera steady and/or leaning against a fixed wall or column improves picture quality significantly. Framing is important for making things more dramatic and interesting. The great thing about digital cameras is that you can BOTH take lots of pictures (to improve your odds for the best picture results) and know what you are getting as you are having this "once in a lifetime" experience. You can keep shooting until you are happy with the results.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

Inside the Hermitage, Grand Staircase, Great Galleries, etc.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the two great churches with their spectacular interiors. First, St. Isaac and then two from Spilled Blood:

 

 

 

 

 

[laurelogram]

wow! those photos are breathtaking. I can't wait to see it live. Laurel

[gsrunyan]

There is a great group at http://www.pbase.com/azrifel/petersburg2006

 

Enjoy.

 

Glenn:cool:

[TLCOhio]

wow! those photos are breathtaking. I can't wait to see it live. Laurel

 

THANKS, Laurel, for your kind comments! Don't be shy in posting on these boards your many questions to help make your "live" visit more successful. Lots of options and choices in St. Petersburg. The only "dumb" question is what is not asked. The more you research then the better prepared you are to make the right and best choices to fit your interests and needs.

 

The link that Glenn posted is excellent with its many nice pictures. Lots of nice pictures are there. Many great cities have a few buildings that are wonderful and historic. St. Petersburg has dozens and dozens of great options. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[TLCOhio]

TLCOhio, thank you for fantastic shots, I really loved them. Do you have Peterhof ones? Haven't you been to any of the small palaces?

 

THANKS for your kind comments! Below are some pictures from the Peterhof. We enjoyed these fountains and gardens so, so much! It's really something to see, especially on a nice day as we had there. We didn't do any of the insides for the small palaces there at the Peterhof. Had to catch the hydrofoil into main St. Petersburg. We did Catherine's Palace earlier for the great interiors, etc. Happy to share more if needed. Terry in Ohio

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Giantfan13]

TLC

 

That wide angle sure makes a huge difference.

 

A few of more shots, hope you enjoy

 

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe718.jpg

 

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe721.jpg

 

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe730.jpg

 

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe737.jpg

 

Hermitage

 

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe911.jpg

 

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe914.jpg

 

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe910.jpg

 

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe960.jpg

(Rembrandt)

 

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe927.jpg

 

 

The only place they asked us not to take pictures was in the Hermitage, of some paintings, that our guide said were 'acquired' after WWII, and sort of not suppose to be there, if you get her meaning. Mostly Rembrandts and Van Dykes

[BlewWater]

I am trying to decide on which of the numerous private tour agencies to use for our 3-day St. Petersburg visit in September 2010.

 

My wife and I greatly enjoy photography, and are both fairly active.

 

Does anyone know of a particular agency or guide who might arrange a better itinerary for a group of amateur photo enthusiasts?

[LHT28]

I am trying to decide on which of the numerous private tour agencies to use for our 3-day St. Petersburg visit in September 2010.

 

My wife and I greatly enjoy photography, and are both fairly active.

 

Does anyone know of a particular agency or guide who might arrange a better itinerary for a group of amateur photo enthusiasts?

Most of the guides will do a custom tour... if you tell them what you want they will arrange it

 

check with Viktoria of http://www.spb-tours.com/flash.html

[TLCOhio]

I am trying to decide on which of the numerous private tour agencies to use for our 3-day St. Petersburg visit in September 2010. My wife and I greatly enjoy photography, and are both fairly active. Does anyone know of a particular agency or guide who might arrange a better itinerary for a group of amateur photo enthusiasts?

 

There are four or five major firms doing private tour firms in St. Petersburg. I wrote to all of them, being very specific on our personal interests and needs. Some were responsive, reading our questions and actually answering. Some were not. Some just want to sell their pre-set "plans" that fit their needs to serve mass audiences. If they don't listen and are not responsive in the early contacts, you'll get the same "formula" on the tour. We used Anastasia and she was great, BOTH in the planning stages AND for the actual tours. Our actual guide, Jane, had wonderful English skills and loved to share her love for St. Petersburg. She didn't just rattle off info, but had a real "conversation" with us. Two of us in our group of four were into the "PHOTO THING" and she was able to adjust and make it work very well for our needs.

 

Do your advance homework and planning!!! It takes a little time and effort, but it will pay off in a very positive manner. Below are a few added samples of what you can capture photographically in this great city. These are from Catherine's Palace. The sign said no photos in that one room, but the camera just accidentally went off, three times.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

Welcoming music as we approach Catherine's Palace:

 

 

 

Inside the grand main reception room on the second floor of the Palace:

 

 

 

In Amber Room:

 

 

 

Just a little furniture inside the Palace: