Author Archives: Brent Osborne

Great Mosque of Sousse, Tunisia 2023

by Brent Osborne

The Great Mosque of Sousse is a great place to check out in Tunisia. Located near the Medina of Sousse, it was built in 851, and is now the oldest mosque in the city as well as the oldest prayer hall in North Africa. I wanted to get some night shots while in Tunisia, and chose the mosque as a great backdrop along with the moon. Not far from the main part of the old section of Sousse, it was only steps away from our hotel and a really fun place to smoke at a hookah lounge. Sousse is on the coast of Tunisia, and unfortunately is known as the place that had terrorist attacks in 2015 that damaged the tourism in Tunisia. Although still trying to recover from those days, Sousse is a good place to visit and Tunisia as a whole. The city is rich with history and was definitely noticeable all around you at every turn. This was shot with my Sputnik, on Provia 100f.

Duomo di Orvieto, Orvieto, Italy 2022

by Brent Osborne

Duomo di Orvieto, is a gorgeous church in the heart of Orvieto, located in the Umbria region of Italy. My wife and I explored Umbria and Tuscany in 2022 by car, and in doing so, got to visit many different little towns off the beaten path. Built between 1290 and 1591, it is an amazing place to visit. Similar to the church in Milan with it’s black and white stonework throughout, it is a sight to see. Personally, I recognize myself as agnostic, but I am still always fascinated by religious structures throughout the world. This one was no exception. As to getting the shot, I managed to have a tiny tabletop tripod that is maybe 3 inches long, and has a quick release system. I slap that on my Sputnik and then find some railing that I can ‘pinch’ it on as I take the shot. I tried the string to foot method in the past, with little success. So, by not being able to use a proper tripod in churches, this is the best I could come up with. Shot on Provia 100f.

Khoa San Road, Bangkok, Thailand 2024

by Brent Osborne

Khoa San Road is a very popular area of Bangkok. Those who have visited may have stayed near there, or are at least ‘in the know’ as to it’s existence. It was once, and still is, a backpacker’s hub (since the 1970’s) with tons of little shops, eateries, street food, and chaos. We happened to stay in this area of Bangkok for the first time, because it is known to be loud, crowded, etc. However, we managed to find a great hotel nearby that was on a much more quiet backstreet and was steps away from everything. Great experience! We happened to be there during Halloween last year and I wanted to get some night shots. As you can see in the photo, there are red streaks of light about head height in the image. Those are lit up red devil horns that people were wearing all night. Glad I captured at least part of that. This exposure I believe was about 20 seconds long. Shot at f16. Shot on (the now hard to get) Provia 100f with a Sputnik.

Georgetown Steam Plant, Seattle, Washington 2024

by Brent Osborne

The Georgetown Steam Plant, owned by Puget Sound Energy, was built back in 1906 to power Seattle’s Streetcars and the small area of Georgetown. It ran until 1953, and then decommissioned in 1972. I was invited by a local camera club (through my coworker Sarah) to come by on a Saturday afternoon to visit. It reminded me of the abandoned hospitals and factories that I used to urban explore back on the East Coast. The only difference was that this was very clean, had lights on, was safe and most of all ‘legal’. This had been my first outing with my TL-120 in a long time. I had a ton of fun using it! I tend to use the Sputnik more often, thanks to it’s size and manageability. I was, and always have been, impressed by the sharpness and quality of the TL-120. Maybe I’ll become brave and take it internationally someday. Shot on Kodak E-100 Ektachrome.

Barber Shop – Syracuse, Sicily 2022

by Brent Osborne

As we walked through the main palazzo in Syracuse, I noticed a barber shop and knew that I had to take a 3D shot of it. The barber was in the middle of shaving someone, so the composition with the mirrors and lighting was amazing. We were headed to another location and I took note of the shop as we passed by to come back to it later. Upon my return, it was of course closed, the barber was gone, and the lights were shut off. Regardless, I put my Sputnik up to the window and as you can see me in the shot, I took the photo. Still a fun shot to take but having the barber there working would have been much better. Shot with my Sputnik on Fuji Provia 100f.

Roman Amphitheater – Syracuse, Sicily 2022

by Brent Osborne

Just outside of Syracuse is a collection of Roman ruins within the Neapolis Archeological Park. Within the park there are many sites to check out, including this Amphitheater built around 212 BC. It is the 3rd largest Amphitheater in Italy. It was in much disrepair and had been used as a quarry at some point by the Spaniards. It was just a shell of what it used to be. I tried to get the best viewpoint to show it’s size from the upper level. Having shot it in 3D, this does give it some of that ‘depth’ that it requires to show it’s true size. Shot with my Sputnik on Fuji Provia 100f.

Hanging Medallions – Pompeii, Italy 2022

by Brent Osborne

Pompeii is an incredible place to visit. Not only do you feel like you have stepped back in time when you are there, but you are also essentially walking through a gravesite. It’s eeriness combined with the story of that fateful day in 79 AD, makes it all the more profound. One could spend hours walking it’s long narrow streets, peering into the empty shells of homes, and imagining the horror that would have flowed through the town that day. It really sends chills down your spine. This shot was one of my favorites that I took on this trip, however the only personal ‘beef’ that I have with this shot is that it’s a little underexposed. The medallions, I’m sure are ‘new’ and were placed there not long ago. However, I don’t know for sure, since there were no markers to say otherwise. There are many hidden gems in Pompeii, from tiny scribbles on the walls by children, hidden brothels, and splendid mosaics in hallways or doorways. Worth a visit if you are ever in the neighborhood. Shot with my Sputnik, on you guessed it, Fuji Provia 100f.

The Tourists – Palatine Hill, Rome, Italy 2022

by Brent Osborne

Just outside of the main Roman Forum and Colosseum is Palatine Hill. This is where alot of the senators and statesman lived, amongst some of the most prestigious and wealthy Roman citizens. The views of the surrounding area, and it’s natural beauty made it an ideal spot for such folks. Walking around it’s remnants of the past, I noticed a couple sitting not far from us, trying to shield themselves from the afternoon sun. I knelt down and captured their ‘break’ from the heat. Shot with my Sputnik spy camera, on (the now coveted) Fuji Provia 100f.

Temple Mount, Jerusalem, Israel 2018

by Brent Osborne

Temple Mount is a very important site for Muslims, Jews, and Christians. It is a beautiful courtyard in East Jerusalem and is defined to be one of the holiest sites in the world. The al-Asqa Mosque is a sight to see, and since it was a beautiful day when I was there, I went nuts trying to capture it’s beauty shooting from all angles. This shot was one of my favorites of what I captured. The walled arch in the picture is called the scales of judgement, believed to be the place where people would be judged before entering the gates of heaven. Note the sundial on the arch.  Israel is filled with religious history and a must see for anyone interested in the subject. Shot with my Sputnik, on Fuji Provia 100f. 

Cormorant Fisherman, Guilin, Guangxi Province, China 2018

by Brent Osborne

In a gorgeous area of China, on the Li River in Guilin, there is an old form of river fishing. The fishermen use cormorant birds to catch fish. The way it works, is that the fishermen would raise the birds from chicks and the birds would then trust the fishermen. Once old enough, the birds would start fishing by instinct by diving to get the river fish. The birds would dive into the river, and come up with the fish in their mouth, which would be snatched from them by the fishermen. The birds would eventually be rewarded, albeit with smaller fish. This practice of fishing is actually not really used much anymore, and has become more of a novelty for tourists, like myself. I wanted to get an iconic image of the fisherman while I was there, but unfortunately the opportunity did not present itself. However, an easy going fisherman let me do a snapshot of him while we were walking down the riverbank. Shot on my Sputnik, with Fuji Provia 100f.

Kathmandu Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal 2016

by Brent Osborne

Kathmandu Durbar Square is an incredible area of Kathmandu, filled with old temples originally built and rebuilt from around the third century. We arrived one year after a major earthquake damaged many buildings in this square. It still held up it’s integrity and prestige even after most of the damage. Sadly some of the temples were reduced to rubble and were only recognizable by placards set up by the tourist government. Due to the damage to Nepal and to it’s infrastructure, there seemed to be less tourists than we had anticipated while we were there, and allowed us to explore most areas in less crowded situations. This shot was taken in the early morning, while locals were out feeding the pigeons. Shot on my Sputnik, on Provia 100f film.

Cusco Cathedral, Cusco, Peru 2017

by Brent Osborne

Cusco is a fascinating town in Peru located near Machu Picchu, and is often where travelers acclimate to the high altitudes before heading off to the famous ruins. There are many old buildings built by the conquistadors, often using stones originally cut out by the Incan, scattered throughout the town. One of the more ornate and beautiful buildings is the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin, or Cusco Cathedral for short. While we were out walking one evening, I wanted to stop and get an interesting shot of the church lit up. While walking up the steps to the church, I noticed that there were two Quechuan women sitting on the steps. This was taken on my Sputnik, when it was still working properly, on Fuji Provia 100f.

Beetle at the Night Market, Oaxaca, Mexico

by Brent Osborne

This was another part of Oaxaca that I wanted to shoot at night. The market was very nearby, and the nightlife carried out into the streets. I really wanted to capture a Beetle while I was there as well, since they are such a part of Mexican culture and are common throughout. Needless to say, I was happy to see one pull up and park near where I standing while taking a different photo down the street. So happy that my ‘other’ Sputnik has sharp matching lenses, it really helps to get the shot right! Shot on Fuji Provia 100f film.

Nighttime Zocalo, Oaxaca, Mexico

by Brent Osborne

I wanted to get a shot of the zocalo (or center of town) at night. There was a lot of activity in Oaxaca at nighttime, and it is such a large part of the overall culture of Mexico. It felt very safe to walk around with a tripod and camera. Not many people paid any attention to me, which was exactly what I wanted. The wind was doing me a favor in making this image a bit more interesting. Shot on my Sputnik, with Fuji Provia 100f film.

‘Chillin’ in the shade’ – Monte Alban, Mexico

by Brent Osborne

Just outside of Oaxaca is Monte Alban. They are Aztec ruins, said to be over 2,000 years old. Very neat place to go and very easy to visit while in Oaxaca. I came across this gentleman hanging out under the shade of one of the few trees within the grounds. Thought that it captured the overall sense of the heat that day. Hit at least into the 90’s, but coming from cloudy Seattle, it was a welcoming sun exposure for me. Shot on my Sputnik, Provia 100f film.