St. Petersbourg, Russia

A much better day today! The weather is great today. In comparison with yesterday it is like day and night... except there is no night here! We went out to get some shots of this beautiful city with blue skies and sun. When the city was called Leningrad, it was dirty and grey, even on a sunny day. People called it beautiful then too, but I think it was because of the glorious past you could just still see under the blackened, cracked walls. But today, that glitter is back. And especially now during the White Nights, the city shines.

Today schools let out for the summer. Young students were all dressed up in suits and frilly dresses taking pictures of themselves near the city's sites. As they saw me with the camera, they asked me to take pictures of them with their camera. So, we had a quick, improvised model shoot.

To get some different shots, we took a boat ride on the Neva river. The boat rocked a bit much, but we were able to get some interesting shots of the city seen from the water. But the absolute best shots were to come. I had always wanted to see the Palace bridge open up. It is a very famous shot during the White Nights and on all the postcards. Everyone gathers next to the Neva and waits for the bridge to open at 1:25 in the morning. The sun is just setting and the sky is red on the horizon. The bridge is brightly lit and tourist boats fill the river to watch the spectacle from the water. You can hear the disco music coming from the students' boats as they dance on deck. You have to see it! More pictures on my Facebook page!