Tallinn towers Photo

Photographer’s Note

The photo shows two towers and part of the town wall of Tallinn seen from Toompea hill. A dull winter day. A summer view sure would be more attractive, but the absence of leaves at least allows one to see more of ther towers from this POV. ;-)

Medieval forts, which first appeared during the early development of the medieval city in the latter 13th century, surrounded the downtown to create a closed defense zone. Constant additions and improvements meant that, by the 16th century, Tallinn boasted one of the most powerful and strongest defense systems in Northern Europe. The town wall was then 3m thick and 16m high, stretching 4km around the city, and connecting 46 defense towers. Today, 2km of the original wall and 26 of the towers remain intact.

The tower on the right, "Kiek in de Kök", stands separate from the walls and was once the largest cannon tower in the Baltic States. It was built in the late 15th century. The Russians actually managed to blast a large hole into the tower, but it still kept on fighting. The name Kiek in de Kök means "Peep into the kitchen", because the cannon tower was so high that it was possible for the guards to see into the kitchens of the neighboring houses. Kiek in de Kök is 38 meters high, the diameter is 17 meters and the wall thickness is 4 meters. It has been restored to its 17th century appearance. Nowadays it’s a museum. There are also 6 cannonballs dating back to the war of Livonia exhibited in the wall on one side. The tower has 6 storeys and 27 shooting-holes.

The tower on the left is called "Neitsitorn" (The Virgin Tower). It was used in the Middle Ages as a prison for prostitutes. Neitsitorn was built in the second half of the 14th century, together with the city wall. It has suffered under attacks many times through its history, and has been rebuilt several times. Today, it is used as a cafe with a grand view over the Old Town and downtown area.

In WS you can see another view of the same towers with one of the beautiful houses of the Toompea hill on the left.

Geocode: 59.435398, 24.740192
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PP: Cropping, adjustment of highlights and shadows, sharpening.

saxo042, suzzz, Buin, fanni, Longroute, Clementi, danos, ciakgiak, jhm, stego trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

saxo042 (16164) 2009-03-21 4:08

Hej Lasse,
You have chosen a very good spot to take this picture! There are several lines to create depth and balnce here, I´m thinking of slightly diagonal wall in the foreground, perpendicular to the two lampposts and then you have the two impressive towers also along this perpendicular line. The colour of the roof are a nice accent in the otherwise quite calm colours. Fine WS as well and a very interesting note!
Hälsningar
Gunnar

Kielia (8675) 2009-03-21 4:51

Hi Lasse,
you have chosen an excellent POV on this famous place and including the person for the measures was also a good idea. This wonderful winter impression accompanied by an outstanding note is a great contribution to this site. TFS!
Warm regards
Harriet

Silvio1953 (42579) 2009-03-21 7:59

Ciao Lasse, great view of fantastic architecture in the snow, splendid winter composition, very well done, ciao Silvio

suzzz (399) 2009-03-21 10:13

Lasse hi
fantastic composition with lovely warm and cold mood.. the note is very interesting.. I love the POV cuz it shows a great depth in the shot.. trees works as a natutral frame too.. excellent PRESENTATION certainly..
all the best and TFS

Buin (38136) 2009-03-21 11:40

Hallo Lasse!
Towers built for eternity - was my first thought when seeing this picture. Really impressive buildings! The point of view here couldn't be better and the silhouettes of the naked branches here are a beautiful and filigrane addition and contrast to this "stony scenery". It's interesting that the big tower "Kiek in de Kök" obviously has a name with German roots.
Greetings from cloudless but still cool Germany (-6°C this morning)!
Frank

mauro61 (16152) 2009-03-21 11:44

ciao Lasse,
non conosco questa città ma sotto la neve deve offrire prospettive stupende.
Un tuffo nel passato con questa immagine ben realizzata.
buona serata
maurizio

fanni (8791) 2009-03-21 15:18

Hello Lasse,
as awlways, I admire the compositions which you choose for your photos! You really have a very good sense of composition, which I consider a very important part of a photo... apart from some other details ;)
Very beautiful! Maybe once day I should visit Tallinn, too..
I like the perspective view and the snowy colours of this grey day.
Kindest regards,
Elena

Longroute (9713) 2009-03-22 9:07

Very well thought composition and a fine and interesting subject. The pov you chose is just the ideal to give both a nice framing of the two towers and a good sense of depth. The contrast between the snow and the trees and towers is so appealing and contributes to make the buildings stand out. I like also very much the presence of the people who seems a natural feature that belongs to that environment. I like both posted photos which I find very interesting and informative about those outstanding historical buildings. Very good note too.
All th best,
Donato

cobra112 (11832) 2009-03-22 11:02

Hi Lasse. What amazing POV! Great DOF and sharp. Even if low light you've exalted colours very well. Great shot.

Roberto

Clementi (44919) 2009-03-22 12:11

Ciao Lasse,
a beautiful photo where you make us see these beautiful medieval towers, the atmosphere it seems very cold, the light is not of the best, however you have realized a beautiful photo.
Giorgio

danos (33074) 2009-03-22 12:25

Hello Lasse,
nice the view of this snowy environment with the two tower to dominate the whole scene.The lonely woman that walks on the snow adds life in this frozen scenery.Well done.

Have a nice week,Danos

ciakgiak (11080) 2009-03-22 16:10

Hello Lasse,
great POV for this very romantic place.
Light isn't excellent here, howhever you did a great work to give us a very pleasant landscape.
This winter scene is really amazing and very well composed. Congratulations, have a great week.
Best regards
Giorgio

jhm (83161) 2009-03-23 4:10

Hello Lasse,

You be located high above the way, this gives an excellent depth view.
Splendid winter picture, perhaps coming the spring very quick.
Also your subject is very well, splendid colours, and lovely presentation. TFS.

Have a nice day,
John.

stego (22376) 2009-03-23 11:16

Hi Lasse,
While I am not very fond of Winter, I find that the dim light and the snow can give very interesting results. Like you say in the note, if those trees had leaves, this view could be more attractive colour wise, but quite uninteresting as a compo and presentation of the towers. I guess the wintry atmosphere conveys much the medieval appeal of the castle. I like the great clarity, how the wall on the FG does a kind of frame, the lead-in created by the clean path on the snow and the presence of the woman.
The WS is also very good, the glamorous yellow façade making a nice contrast with the castle.
Regards, José.

ls7902 (6318) 2009-04-25 9:32

Hello Lasse,
A nice vertical composition with strong vertical lines of the towers and lamp posts. The human figure adds life to the beautiful and clean winter scenery. I went through the first page of your gallery. It is amazing how the colors from your 400D can be so different to my 350D. I'm sure your L-lens, PP, and winter weather add to the difference as well. Beautiful landscapes of Finland, Sweden, and Estonia you have on the first page. Regards. Latiff.

PS: Clicking the WS in your note brings you to the same photo.