Shooter Files by f.d. walker

Street Photography Tips, Interaction, Travel, Guides

Poltava

33 Street Photography Photos from 5 Days in Poltava, Ukraine

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During my time shooting some of the bigger cities in Ukraine, I made a detour to Poltava to visit my good friend there. Poltava has a population under 300,000 so it doesn’t feel anything like a big, urban city. Life is a little slower paced and relaxed. The scenery, while less modern, is beautiful and full of parks everywhere you walk. And while there might be less to do compared to the big city, there was still plenty to see and photograph.

I didn’t have any expectations, but ended up getting a good amount of Street Photography in because of how great Poltava was. It was such a great experience shooting in a smaller city for a change that I even wrote a post about it. 

So here are 33 street photos I took during my 5 days in Poltava…

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Street Shot Sundays
Photo of the Week:
“Market Shadows”

Poltava Market Wall-1

Street Shot Sundays Story & Stats

Story:

This Sunday’s Street Shot of the Week was taken in Poltava, Ukraine at the city’s main market. Ukraine is already big on their markets and this is one of the best you’ll come across in the country. You can find anything and everything here. From fresh produce to clothes to pig heads, this large bazaar has it all. I don’t always love markets as much as others because they can be too crowded with messy backgrounds, but this one was special so I spent hours walking around here. One of my favorite parts was an area with rows of colorful metal stalls that are locked up when the seller isn’t around. I really liked how the light hit this blue stall and cast different shadows. So I stood by it waiting for people to walk by to see if I could capture anything interesting. I got a few shots at this spot that I will include in my 33 photos from Poltava post coming soon, but I’m putting this one up for Street Shot Sundays, partly because of his shadow. It looks like he’s wearing a full brim hat when it’s actually his hair bun in the back and there’s something about that shadow that’s almost cartoonish to me.

Stats:

  • Aperture: f/11
  • Shutter Speed: 1/500
  • ISO: 400
  • Focal Length: 27mm

7 Reasons to Photograph Smaller Cities : in Poltava, Ukraine

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*Side Street Series ventures off the beaten city streets. Many times, the photography ventures away from Street Photography too.

Shooting Smaller Cities in Poltava, Ukraine

So while shooting some work in Ukraine, I made sure to visit my good friend Rita in Poltava for a few days (that pretty girl pictured below).

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My friend Rita walking in her city of Poltava, Ukraine

Poltava isn’t a city that attracts tourists or is known much outside of Ukraine. With a population under 300,000 it’s no village, but it’s not the big city either.

Many times, in the world of Street Photography, we are looking to shoot in the biggest and most famous cities where the streets are always full of life. This makes sense since it provides so many opportunities to capture people in everyday life, but sometimes we neglect all the life that happens in smaller cities around the world.

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While the big cities bring their own perspectives on life, smaller towns can bring other perspectives that are just as important and interesting. Visiting and shooting in Poltava provided a great example of how true this can be.

So I’ve compiled a list of reasons to photograph smaller cities too, with a bit of my experience in Poltava mixed in.

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Street Shot Sundays
Photo of the Week:
“River Relaxing”

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Street Shot Sundays Story & Stats

Story:

This Sunday’s Street Shot of the Week was taken in Poltava, Ukraine by the Vorskla River. It was a beautiful, sunny Sunday in Poltava and my friend took me on a walk to a small beach on the river. I had no idea Poltava’s Vorskla River had a beach access like this and when we walked down from the bridge I saw people sunbathing all over the small stretch of sand. Being in Poltava, it was all locals who seemed to know each other. I definitely got some funny looks walking around the beach. I don’t think they’d ever seen a foreigner find this hidden getaway. By the beach there was a small little store stand where people were hanging out at. The bright sunlight shining on the old man and boy in front of the inside shadow captured my eye. I also liked the contrast of the boy crouched down facing inside the store while the older man stood up facing the opposite direction. It was an interesting scene in their swimwear and the old man’s bearded expression too so I quickly snapped the shot, smiled and kept walking along the beach.

Stats:

  • Aperture: f/11
  • Shutter Speed: 1/500
  • ISO: 400
  • Focal Length: 28mm

Street Shot Sundays
Photo of the Week:
“Train Reflections”

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Street Shot Sundays Story & Stats

Story:

This Sunday’s Street Shot of the Week was taken on a train ride just outside Poltava, Ukraine. I was visiting my good friend in Poltava and she was taking me to see some of the smaller villages in the area. It was the type of older, simpler train made for short commutes instead of long distance travel and I decided to walk around to see if I could find anything interesting. In between the cabins, people come to smoke and I noticed this older man watching the rural landscape roll by as he smoked his cigarette. What interested me the most were the multiple reflections going on in the scene. I made the shot through the door window of the cabin so you could see the reflections of different windows, scenery and people, while leaving the front of the man the least affected. The woman to the right looked back at me just as I snapped the photo.

Stats:

  • Aperture: f/4
  • Shutter Speed: 1/500
  • ISO: 800
  • Focal Length: 35mm