Blue Danube, a photo from Ruse, East

Photographer's Note

This man is standing in Bulgaria and is looking towards Romania. Between the countries flows the mighty Danube, the second longest river in Europe, next to the Volga in Russia.

Here is a larger version.

The Danube runs for 2 860 km through several European countries and is known by a number of names, all derived from Latin Danubius. In this photo the man we see would call it Дунав (Dunav) while someone standing on the Romanian side would say Dunărea.

I took this photo in Ruse (Русе), the fifth largest city of Bulgaria with about 150 000 inhabitants. I spent two nights there in 2011 and found it a quite nice city, looking more elegant and prosperous than I had expected. You can see a glimpse from the centre of Ruse in the workshop, while another additional photo shows another view of the Bulgarian-Romanian border running through the Danube.

I arrived in Ruse by train from Bucharest and entered Bulgaria across a 2,2 km long bridge opened in 1954 and originally known as the Friendship Bridge. Nowadays it's just known as the Danube Bridge.

The very approximate map coordinates for this photo are 43.85310 25.95023.

PaulVDV, Tue, Tue, snunney, Cricri, ChrisJ, ikeharel, jhm, rychem, COSTANTINO, Fis2, pierrefonds, PiotrF, mcmtanyel, sacimar, adramad, ricardomattos, macjake, alvaraalto, danos, mehrdad-t ha puntuado esta nota como útil.

Critiques | Translate

Tue (92482) 2018-05-06 1:36

Hello Gert,
Wonderful photo of this sunny day, the composition is superb. The man, looking out over the water of the wide river, and his bicycle are well placed on the right hand side of the photo and the tree is also well included, adding both depth and some nice patches of orange. Very well done.
Lars

PaulVDV (62978) 2018-05-06 1:37

Hello Gert,
I've never been to Ruse but we can admire its beautiful houses in the WS. The Danube I've only seen in Hungary and Austria.
It's always a bit special to be able to include two countries on one picture.
The distance between the tree on the foreground and the man with his bike and between both river banks adds good depth to the picture.
A vivid red - something you always like but maybe preferable for women's attire - makes the photo more attractive.
Are Giurgiu and Ruse connected by a bridge?
Best regards, Paul

kasianowak (17676) 2018-05-06 1:42

As I was writing comments about your other photos you posted another one... :-)
Looking at these with interest because, as a child and then teenager, I travelled many times on the Giurgiu-Ruse ferry but never saw those two towns. So if you have any photos from Giurgiu as well...
Lovely landscape enhanced by the frame made of red fruit and the man with a bike is a nice addition.
Best wishes
Kasia

lousat (139342) 2018-05-06 1:52

Hi Gert,i never been in Bulgaria and maybe this will be one of my next destinations,because there is more things to watch and very cheap prices too..ehehe...3 very nice pics showing the Danube in a lovely perspective very relaxing,i like the other WS with a view from this city truly new for me. Have a nice SUnday and thanks,Luciano

snunney (130967) 2018-05-06 1:56

Hello Gert,
The man with his bicycle is a key element in the composition, supplying an interesting focal point and serving to create depth and perspective for the composition. The red berried shrub makes a very attractive frame. Agreeable warm lights and colours and very good clarity.

jmdias (115280) 2018-05-06 2:12

gert

reading about the name of the bridge in WS. Did they lost the friendship? we have a friendship bridge between paraguay and brazil.
very nice this view. I liked the graphic mood of the fence and the bike mixed with the man watching the river. nice inclusion of the fruits in FG. perfect.

take care

jorge

Cricri (176) 2018-05-06 2:13

Hi Gert
Bien cadrer le monsieur avec le bel arbre aux fruits rouges, la scène est belle , calme, le regard sur le Danube, avec la bicyclette par cette belle journée ensoleillée, belle composition
Beau dimanche
cricri

GyurMaster (24840) 2018-05-06 3:38

Dear Gert,

What we see? A man looking at the Danube, seems to be a local based on his clothing. Its a nice nothing special. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon.

Best Wishes,
Gy

Silvio1953 (221751) 2018-05-06 5:02

Ciao Gert, lovely composition with flowers in FG and standing bkemen, wonderful natural colors, excellent clarity and splendid light, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

jhm (211736) 2018-05-06 6:06

Hello Gert,

Your additional picture somewhere in the mainly pedestrian centre of Ruse is nice as daily life picture.
Your main picture is lovely through the red berries thorn bush.
Colours and presentation are pleasant to look at.
Nice composition, well found.
Very well done, TFS.

Best regards,
John.

ikeharel (113453) 2018-05-06 7:28

Hello Gert,
Wonderfully added the oranges tree (?) to the Danube fascinating river scene.
A mighty river that crosses so many countries and town along its way to the Black-sea.The man and bikes added a nice daily life element to the whole.
Good afternoon,
Ike

pajaran (116011) 2018-05-06 7:49

Dobar dan.
Lep pogled i trenutak, interesantan i dobar tekst ...
Dobar rad sa lepim fotografijama u radionici, lepo pokazano mesto i trenutak, dobar kontarst, lepe boje.
Lepo mesto sa cvecem za odmor sa lepim pogledom na dunav i rumunsku obalu.
Zelim vam lepo popodne za odmor, sve najbolje.
Paja.

Good day.
A nice view and a moment, interesting and good text ...
Good work with nice photos in the workshop, a beautifully shown place and moment, good contour, beautiful colors.
A nice place with a holiday flower with a beautiful view of the Danube and the romanian coast.
I wish you a good afternoon to relax, all the best.

rychem (72187) 2018-05-06 8:39

As photographers, we are often in a situation where we are looking at the other side of the river from one side of the river and another country, your photo is a great illustration of such a situation, perfectly captured and composed
regards Ryszard

Nicou (193806) 2018-05-06 9:49

Hello

quel bel ensemble et vue ce eprsonnage au bor de la rivière quei regard le bateau passer ce vélo contre la barrière et ces buisson aux baies toutes orange splendide ensemble
Belle soirée
Nicou

COSTANTINO (116604) 2018-05-06 12:21

Hello dear Gert and thanks for this
simple but pleasant photo
this capture has interesting details
the amazing blue sy the amazing blue river
the colorful plant and life with the man
standing on Bulgaria and looking
towards Romania
regards
Costantino

pierrefonds (114556) 2018-05-06 12:56

Hi Gert,

The distance between the two shores is creating depth. The presence of the person is animating the scene. The point of view is showing the details of the branches and of the bicycle. Have a nice day.

Pierre

PiotrF (54816) 2018-05-06 14:36

HEllo Gert,
An interesting view of the Danube with a colorful tree in the foreground.Pictures from Ruse in the workshop are also interesting.
Nice presentation.
Regards
Piotr

mcmtanyel (68647) 2018-05-06 20:42

Hello Gert,
I like the fact that the left half of the frame is covered by red berries (chokeberries?). From your WS photo, it looks like the Danube is running a little low.
Regards,
MT

emka (158204) 2018-05-07 0:41

Hello Gert, Nothing special scene with this biker having some rest but very nice with the many red fruits of Sorbus aucuparia. Here it is obvious what to write as a country - we see the man standing in Bulgaria, you were in Bulgaria, so it is clear. But what if you show only the Romanian side? What would you write?
Bulgaria and Romania were very popular in the late fifties and sixties when they were the most exotic countries that could be visited from Poland. I was there in 1958. Going from Bucharest to Varna I used probably this friendship bridge Giurgiu-Ruse.

Have a nice day

MAlgo

dkmurphys (79209) 2018-05-07 3:19

Hello,
Same subject for us today! There are some nice places along Danube in Romania and Bulgaria, I guess Ruse is one of them. Did you know that is a big "industry" there because Romanians are visiting Ruse for the sea food? Is also close to Bucharest...

Daniel

sacimar (38173) 2018-05-07 5:08

Hello Gert,

good image and interesting composition with the man looking at the river, I like the different elements we can see here such as the bicycle and the tree with the red fruits, well done,

Best regards,

Sergio

gervaso (28177) 2018-05-07 8:59

Hello, Gert!

A beautiful and peaceful view of this place, which is not always the case of the borders between countries... Excellent light giving beautiful colors to the scene, especially for these wonderful flowers in the foreground that make the photo much more attractive! Wonderful composition! Well done!

adramad (73006) 2018-05-07 11:17

Hello Gert.
A beautiful composition with the wide view of the magnificent Danube and the wooded shore on the other side, while in the foreground this bush with those wild red fruits, give a beautiful chromatic touch, the man with his bike, takes a break contemplating the river.
A magnificent color that gives a lot of chromatic richness to the image.
Very good lighting management and very good sharpness.
Well done. I like it.
I wish you a nice day.
All the best.
Luis.

ricardomattos (17460) 2018-05-07 17:29

Hi Gertz,

Que lugar convidativo e bonito. A bike sugere que há muito o que apreciar por aí pedalando às margens do Danúbio. As flores vermelhas, digo, frutos vermelhos deram um toque muito harmonioso e bonito à foto.

Parabéns

Ricardo

macjake (98456) 2018-05-07 22:57

Hi Gert
Personally, I've always been intrigued by borders and national lines. I'm not sure why, it just intrigues me. Its interesting how these borders can change our lives. Being born on one side of the river compared to the other side of the river could have severe consequences - and the baby has nothing to do with it.

I can see why you enjoy this type of scene, it has GERT written all over it. I wonder what the man is thinking, we'll never know.

thanks for the WS's too.
cheers
Craig

alvaraalto (42804) 2018-05-08 2:53

Hello Gert
I was misled for a moment by this name for the Donau. But that blue and second longest river put me back on the right trail. A wonderful relaxed photo with the lonely cyclist who looks in peace at the other side of the river. Enjoying a pleasant break from his bike trip.
Have a nice day, groet Rob

mesutilgim (0) 2018-05-08 10:58

Hello Gert,
Very nice capture from Ruse in Bulgaria taken with very good pov and light as well as sharpness.
The eyecatching red color of the wild fruits at left part creates a prfect effect.
As usual many interesting and usefull notes.
TFS and best regards
MESUT ILGIM

danos (110407) 2018-05-09 2:02

Hello Gert,
the view of the leaning man on the rails and the red fruits of the left tree make the image even more attractive.The wooded opposite side of the river completes perfect the backdrop of the image,with the light to enhance even more the details as the contrast of the colours.

Regards,Danos

ChrisJ (171888) 2018-05-09 6:35

Hello Gert

It's been a while since anyone posted a shot from this town. I did it in reverse, departing Veliko Tarnovo for Ruse, having a look around the town for a day, then getting an international bus across the Danube to Bucharest. The reddish orange fruit or berries contrast well against the blue Danube. The cyclist adds a focal point. Tfs!

mehrdad-t (4812) 2018-05-16 8:14

Hello,
Excellent capture. Very good light management with fine colours and clarity.
Regards,
Mehrdad

carlo62 (81265) 2018-05-18 14:54

Ciao Gert
la storia, il potere, la cultura, ci hanno messo dei confini, l'uomo è sulla terra e sta guardando altra terra.....
Ma queste cose esistono e ci dobbiamo convivere.
La foto mi piace molto e mi piacciono anche quelle del ws, questa però è più significativa.
Buon we
Carlo

Miguel82 (47110) 2019-09-27 13:22

Gert, Ruse is located at the Bulgarian-Romanian border in north Bulgaria. I regret i never visit that city. The man is gazing at the Danube. Safety barriers are placed on its bank to protect the visitors and avoid accidents. The orange berries are well included on the left. They add vivid colors to the photo. Good image quality, absorbing photo note, regards.