The Umbrellas

May 05, 2024

The Umbrellas

During last year's Easter holiday, we went to Lower Silesia in Poland to visit some old friends and family. I was granted an entire day to explore Wroclaw on my own. Despite the uninviting weather and rain, I was eager to discover the city with my camera in hand. I parked my car near the main station and set off on foot. In my backpack, I brought along my Pentax ME with SMC 1.7/50 as well as a backup camera, the Pentax p30n with SMC 35-105. As soon as I began my journey, I realized that I needed an umbrella.

Although I had visited Wroclaw several times before, I had never had the chance to explore the city without any set plans. In addition to its stunning tourist attractions, Wroclaw boasts an abundance of 19th-century architecture, which particularly captures my interest when visiting urban areas.

To begin my exploration, I had to cross the Old Town, which is usually so crowded that I tend to keep my camera stowed away. However, this time was different. With most people opting to stay indoors due to the inclement weather, I had the freedom to snap photos with ease. It was much easier to capture images of solitary individuals, most of whom carried umbrellas to shield themselves from the rain. In fact, I was able to snap an entire series of umbrella-themed shots.

One of the highlights of that day was stumbling upon the FOTO-GEN photo gallery in the old town. There was a running exhibition of photographs by Stanisław Kulawiak, featuring many street scenes from the 80s and 90s, mostly in black and white. I couldn't resist taking a look, and my Pentax ME Super, which was hanging around my neck, proved to be a good conversation starter. I even had a brief chat with one of the gallery employees. Before leaving, I picked up a catalog to remember the experience. Carrying my camera proved fortuitous as it sparked some engaging conversations, including a particularly intriguing chat with an employee at FOTO-GEN.

My Pentax ME Super with SMC 1.7/50 lens was quite handy that day; I was able to hold it comfortably along with my umbrella. After spending almost eight hours walking across the city, I must conclude that there is no bad weather for taking photos.