The Long Market, Gdansk, a photo from Pomorskie, West

Photographer's Note

The Long Market street (Długi Targ) is one of the most beautiful streets in Gdansk. The wealthiest Gdansk patricians used to live there. The oldest preserved houses date back to the middle Ages, but most of the buildings were erected in modern times. The tenement houses on Długi Targ are richly decorated with coats of arms, allegoric figures and silhouettes of ancient heroes. Around the 13th century, it was initially a merchant road leading to the oval market place. Soon after the bloody takeover of Gdansk by the Teutonic Knights, known as the Gdansk slaughters, the street became the city's main artery. Before Poland痴 partition it was also called the Royal Route because it served as a road of solemn entrances into the city during the visitations by Polish monarchs. During the monarchs visits to the city they were entertained in the tenement houses along the route and during the feasts of the Royal family the city council arranged fireworks there. The street was inhabited by the most prominent and the wealthiest citizens of the Royal City of Gdansk. It was also a place where witches, heretics and criminals were executed. Now the ground floors are occupied by craft shops and restaurants. The street is dominated by the Ratusz - the town hall - built of deep red brick with a gilded statue of a Polish king atop its slender, 269-foot spire. Next to it is the Neptune fountain, the symbol of the seafaring city. The god's trident spouts water, and the fountain's rim is of wrought iron decorated with Polish eagles. According to one of the Gdansk legends it was Neptune himself who contributed to the creation of the famous Gdansk liqueur called Goldwasser. He got angry at people throwing golden coins into the fountain and hit the water with his trident so hard that the gold fell to pieces, forming small golden flakes which now shine in the tasty herbal liqueur.

I also posted closer view of this fountain taken from a different POV in the WS.

krzychu30, Gigidusud, jhm, danos, tedesse, mjdundee, Hansaphotos, clic, josepmarin, delpeoples, fritzi007 has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Glint (6171) 2012-10-12 3:22

Hello Jean,
this is a well composed image with the fountain at the thirds line. You have found the perfect light to show of the colours of the building. I like the contrast between the dark fountain figure and the pastel colours.
Bev

dta (98848) 2012-10-12 5:53

Bonjour Jean ,
Gdansk est vraiment une tr鑚 belle ville . LA composition est ici excellente , avec la fontaine � gauche , et les fa軋des � droite . La lumi鑽e est douce et agr饌ble .
Amicalement

krzychu30 (15512) 2012-10-12 10:19

Hello Jean,
as I see you made it right in time to capture the famous Neptun Fountain after its renovation work.You chose good POV to have a good overview of the Long Market street and to capture all its most important landmarks.The fountain,beautiful hanzeatic row houses creating a diagonal line through the frame and people making the atmosphere so lively.All these features contribute to the success of your composition.Excellent work.
Have a nice weekend
Krzysztof

cornejo (61504) 2012-10-12 12:40

Salut Jean, j'aime beaucoup cette photo bon et agr饌ble de la place aux belles fa軋des. Je pense qu'une image tr鑚 bonne et int駻essante bien cadr馥 avec une clart�, la profondeur, la bonne lumi鑽e et la couleur. Tr鑚 bon travail et int駻essant mon ami, f駘icitations. Tfs.

Bonne nuit et week-end heureux.
Meilleures salutations et meilleurs voeux.
Angel.

Gigidusud (21679) 2012-10-12 13:05

Bonsoir Jean,
Un superbe point de vue sur cette magnifique architecture color馥.Bravo!
Bon WE,
Gigi.

jhm (211738) 2012-10-12 23:21

Hello Jean,

Gdansk a big city with a big history during the last 70 year.
Nice cityscape with the nice facades, together the statue middle of the square.
A lovely perspective and depth picture, together pleasant colors
Sharpness and clarity are perfect.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice weekend,
John.

Nicou (193814) 2012-10-13 3:21

Hlelo

quelle compo e tiamge superbe quelle eprspective sur ces facades de maison grandisoe cpatage e tiamge de belle couleurs, ce march� et l'animation avec la statue parfaite compo.
Bravo et amiti�
Nicou

danos (110407) 2012-10-13 4:20

hello Jean,
nice the view of this part of the city of Gdansk,with the fountain to dominating the image.I like the colourful houses on the right,the contrast of the colours as the excellent light management.

Have a good weekend,danos

SWEETFREEDOM (24623) 2012-10-13 4:28

Hi Jean,
very nice p.o.v. i like the colored houses' facades.
and the fountain in fg.
regards
Alessandro

macjake (98544) 2012-10-14 0:55

Hi Jean
you won't believe this, but i almost posted the EXACT same photo today! I decided to hold off on it for another day, and now i'm glad i did because i see yours :)
Its interesting that you chose to cut off the ground area, and probably had a good reason to i bet.
it worked out well.
lovely rainbow row of colors in the bg architecture, with the busy activity too.
well done, i like it
cheers
craig

tedesse (25147) 2012-10-14 5:04

Hi Jean!
Great postcard from the Long Market Gdansk and the Fountain of Neptune.
The WS beautifully illustrated Neptune Fountain.
The whole supplemented interesting note.
Have a nice Sunday
Tadeusz

chrisvek (7003) 2012-10-14 13:42

Hello Jean

Superb city shoot of this area of West Poland.Very good framing and POV.Also great architectural details on the right.Well done!

Best Regards
Chris

Sonata11 (34119) 2012-10-15 11:48

Hello Jean,
wonderful composition of the Long Market in Gdansk. Wonderfully executed postcard from this beaugiful city. Colors, sharpness, clarity, great POV. Like it. Thanks for sharing.
All the best,
Barbara

mjdundee (4663) 2012-10-16 10:49

Helo Jean,
Very nice compo with pastel colors and great sharpness.
This is a unique place - so beautifully restored.
Well seen and done.
Thomas

Hansaphotos (11381) 2012-10-17 3:08

Hello Jean

This is a superb photo from the square in the old town of Gdansk. You managed to expose very well and bring out splendid details of the fountain and the colourful facades. Very nice work:) TFS. Have a nice day.

Best regards, Erling

dale54 (17768) 2012-10-22 11:17

jean hi,great pic of this stunning polish town,all those different colors in these buildings,nice and sharp! tfs! dr

clic (76) 2012-10-23 13:24

Bonjour Jean
Les couleurs vari馥s ornant les fa軋des historiques font oublier le temps sombre 馗lairant chichement la place qui malgr� tout est tr鑚 photog駭ique.
Le jour o� on m'offrira un Goldwasser, je pourrai raconter � mes hes la l馮ende des flocons d'or!!
Amicalement.
Robert

jmdias (116441) 2012-10-27 6:25

jean

marvelous angle catching those fantastic fa軋des with beautiful colors and styles. the fountain created a nice visual effect balancing the compo. very beautiful view, what makes me to want to know this town someday.

hugs

jorge

josepmarin (59385) 2012-10-30 3:08

Bonjour Jean,
dans cette bonne composition tu as combin� tr鑚 efficacement l'architecture merveilleuse des maisons avec ses fa軋des en couleurs douces, et la fontaine avec son ensemble 駘馮ant sculptural, en cr饌nt un ensemble tr鑚 riche graphiquement.
La photo a une luminosit� jolie et bien 駲uilibr馥, ainsi que des couleurs magnifiques. J'aime aussi la photo compl駑entaire du WS.
C'est un beau travail, r饌lis� impeccablement.
Amicalement,
Josep

delpeoples (60342) 2012-12-01 2:42

Salut cher Jean

Gdansk is a very characteristic and pretty city. You have captured the daily life of this vibrant town so well. The architecture on the right of the frame is so beautiful and the movement of the crowds adds a real sense of dynamism.

Bonne amiti駸
Lisa

fritzi007 (14698) 2015-02-26 13:19

Hallo Jean,
interesting picture of Gdansk, good comment, well done!
(Thanks for posting your comment, "Hitchcock movie" The Birds "
many greetings
Wolfgang