About Me

So, you are here and this probably means you would like to know who I am and what I stand for. It’s a very interesting question, because it’s very difficult to introduce myself without knowing what exactly you would like to know. I can go through all the details, but I think reading them would be a waste of your time. It may be much better if I’d share with you some basic information, and if you would like to know more about me – contact me and I’d be glad to answer your questions.

For now…
My name is Vova Zinger, and I’m an amateur photographer. I am an urban guy and I love all the cities where I have lived – the nice very old Ukrainian city of Lviv(where I was born and lived for almost 40 years), reborn after the Recession of 1970s Pittsburgh (where I started my life in the United States), and beautiful charming Boston (where I’m living now). I love these cities and I like to share my love to them with you by making and displaying their pictures of them. This is why you’ll see a lot of city’s images on my blog.
But I also like to travel, to see new places. By traveling I mean not only visiting new cities (because I like them), but going outside to see the wonders of nature. And when I see something beautiful, I can not resist taking pictures.

I understand that not all of my images are perfect and I’d welcome your opinions about them. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciate.

To explain why I have decided to start this photoblog, I’d like to say that everyone has eyes, but when they are looking at something they may see the same object differently. It’s happening because each of us has unique vision of the surrounding world. Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.  Photography gives us an opportunity to share one’s vision of the beauty with somebody else. And I would like to use this opportunity.

I hope you will enjoy visiting my photoblog.

I’ll try to do my best to update it frequently.

94 thoughts on “About Me”

  1. Pastor Jack

    Hey again; Just read about you. PC means past commodore. My name is Jack swanson and I am the Pastor of Union Congregational church in the Wollaston section of Quincy. I was the commodore of The Squantum Yacht back in 2004. I’d be remiss if I did not invite you to Church Sunday 10AM., and definetly to visit our Club anytime youd like! We’re open on weekends now and during the week after our opening night, May 17th. God Bless and again nice picture!

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  2. Fitch

    Hello! I came across your site while doing a search on photography and I just wanted to say that your work is amazing! You are very talented indeed!

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  3. Elisabeth

    Hi!

    I’m looking for a specific photo of Harvard football stadium and I’m wondering if you can help me. I want a photo taken from the cambridge side that has the river, the weeks footbridge, and the football stadium. Do you know of any in your collection like that?

    Thanks!
    Elisabeth

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  5. artandhistory

    Just want to say thank you for giving me insights into places I pass too quickly in the Boston area. Your impulse to depth – – color, perspective, saturation, etc. is very satisfying and involving.

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  7. Shmuel Browns

    Glad you liked my photo post Vova. We lived 10 years in Cambridge, MA but now I am a guide and photographer in Jerusalem, Israel. If you visit Israel in your travels, look me up.
    Blessings,
    Shmuel

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      Thank you Shmuel very much for your invitation. I was in Israel before, but I’m definitely going to go to Israel again.

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      It is very difficult do not love Boston. Here you can find and see everything and not only beautiful sights. Thank you.

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  11. Outosego

    Great introduction, Sir. You ‘re absolutely right on this : ” I’d like to say that everyone has eyes, but when they are looking at something they may see the same object differently. It’s happening because each of us has unique vision of the surrounding world. “

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  12. Seenorway

    You’re proficient with colors and angles 🙂 I like that!
    Personally I’m into nature, sunsets, the sky, and from time to time when the time is right: Macro!
    I’ve benn a hobby phographer since late 1956 and still going at it! On my blog approximately 7500 pictures published – all from Norway and mainly in ‘full screen’! Please enjoy!

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      Thank you very much for your kind words about my photos. I am not strict in any particular topic. For me, it does not matter, sunset, flower, building, landscape. If I see something interesting, something bright, that catches my eye, I’m trying to take a picture of it and share it with others. I am very glad if someone likes these pictures.

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  13. The Hinoeuma

    It appears that we see things much the same way. I see beauty and I want to capture it. Unfortunately, I only have a stupidphone, not a real camera. Maybe one day…

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      Modern modern smartphones have very powerful cameras (sometimes even more than one). And many famous photographers use them very often, and the results are very impressive.

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      1. The Hinoeuma

        I would have to upgrade said phone. I have a Samsung S7 and the Moon always comes out as a blur. Close up flower shots and bugs can be incredible. Birds of Prey up in tall trees are a blur no matter how I zoom.

        I have been a shutterbug since I was 12 when my grandmother gave me a Kodak Instamatic! LOL! I am, now, 52!

  14. vovazinger Post author

    As far as I know, the Samsung S7 has a great camera. I think you can avoid blurring images by switching from automatic to manual. This allows you to use the Looney 11 rule to get a clear image of the moon. It also allows you to select a higher shutter speed for shooting birds. Good luck.

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      Thank you so much. I love to photograph, but I no less like to share the beauty of the world with everyone. Even if this beauty is very small and very familiar.

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      1. Edward

        ‘Beauty that is very small and very familiar’…it is admirable, even necessary to bring that to everyone/s attention. Keep up the essential work!

  17. cashkeith

    Thank you so much for stumbling onto my site and your likes. I’ve browsed some of your recent posts and they are very nice. You certainly have an eye for composition. I look forward to following your work.

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  18. heavenstobetty

    Your photos look pretty professional to me! I’m surprised and humbled when another photographer “likes” one of my photos. Thanks for stopping by my blog.
    Happy photographing!

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      Thanks so much for your kind comments. Your feeling is very familiar to me. Very often I am not happy with my end result. I see what I did wrong and how it should be done. But I know, as long as I see the flaws of my photos, I can improve them. And I’m trying.

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  20. Roger Ebertz

    Vova, Your photos are very beautiful. I will look forward to following you. And thanks for stopping by Walking on Grace Sreet.
    Roger

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  21. MrOrmsbyAtLarge

    Dobre dehn!
    Vova! Thank you for taking the time to visit my site and I’m glad you liked what you saw.
    I’m from Toronto but I currently live in the UK and, funnily enough, I visit Lviv twice a year and have been doing so since 2000. Here in the UK I teach high school and I’ve also taught at the Ukrainian Catholic University (UKU) in Lviv. Lviv is a spectacular city and I have made some real friends there.
    Small world, eh?
    So, now I’m interested to see what YOU do in YOUR blog.
    Budmo!
    John Ormsby

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      Thanks, John, for visiting my blog. I am very glad that you enjoy visiting Lviv. I spent a lot of time there and I have many good memories. I plan to visit Lviv again and hope that I will not be disappointed.

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  22. NamrataMorwal

    Hello Sir!
    I was just going though several posts and suddenly found your photographic post. Truely I liked seeing your posts and therefore visited your profile to know more about you.
    It was really nice knowing about your journey..

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      Thanks so much for visiting my blog. As you can see, I like to travel, explore new places. And if I saw something interesting, I want to share it with everyone.

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      Thanks a lot Jenny. I really appreciate your comment on my photos. I am very glad when I can please someone with my photos.

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  25. Katerina Bodovski

    Gorgeous pictures! Beautiful and wise. I only got a glimpse of a few but I intend to come back.
    My personal geography overlaps with yours just a bit: Moscow-Jerusalem- State College, Pennsylvania :). But I’m crazy about Boston, obviously visited Pgh many times and a thousand years ago visited L’viv:). Let’s continue seeing and sharing beauty!!

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      Большое спасибо. Очень приятно было на странцах WorlPress встретить бывших соотечественников.

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  26. Marc R.

    Hello, I just visited your website, you have many beautiful photos, I definitely want to see more of this, you have a new follower, keep up the good work! Regards, Marc.

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      Thanks a lot Marc. I love taking pictures and have fun if someone likes them. I hope I can do something else that you enjoy too.

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  29. Cheryl Fils-Aime, Cherfoto Images

    It took me some time to get back to you after your liking one of my posts and I’m glad I finally devoted time to view your beautiful inspiring work. I love your “about me” too. I share your thoughts about viewing the beauty that we see around us and sharing our vision of it with others, this is why I love to shoot too!

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      Thank you very much for your kind words. I love WordPress for three reasons. At first, I like to share what I see, and WordPress gives me that opportunity. Second, posting is relatively easy. And thirdly, I can see what others can do and learn from them, discover new places.

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  30. Ioanna Moudanioti

    Thank you so much for sharing those wonderful flower pictures, it allows one to dive into their beauty and mystical nature! Keep going.

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  31. imagesbyvandyne

    I enjoyed your story, I myself can agree. There is something about seeing the world through some else’s eyes. To capture this great wonder is the most rewarding gift I have experienced. Blessed Be-

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      Many thanks. Sometimes we are so busy and we don’t have time to look around to see the beauties next to us. And I am somehow trying to solve this problem with my photographs.

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  33. Ioanna Moudanioti

    Dear Vova, I believe you do not need external validation, but I’ll share this anyway. This is the most sincere `About section` saw so far. It encourages me to be more myself. The last paragraph about why you make and share your photos was inspiring. I believe it is encouraging for anybody who does `their thing` (the thing they love doing). Thank you.

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      I just tried to explain the reasons why I started this blog. I had one more reason, which I did not mention – the learning process is always associated with correcting errors. But it is very difficult to see them yourself. Therefore, I really appreciate the comments on my photos. Thanks a lot.

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  34. Donna Endacott

    Hi Vova, I am so glad to have had time today to see some of your photographs posted years earlier. Your images show a joy in seeing light, color, and line. Whether of nature or cityscape, they draw me in and show me more than I expected. Thank you for having stopped by my blog last year and for continuing to encourage my humble photo quest by liking my photos.

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      I am deeply convinced that we are surrounded by interesting, amazing, beautiful things. We just need time to look around. As a result, you will see how amazing what you saw just recently looks. I am trying to follow this rule and it seems to work. Thank you, Donna.

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      2. vovazinger Post author

        Yes. Most part of time. I also have a telephoto lens and a wide angle lens. But I prefer to travel light and therefore this is my main lens.

  36. Harshi

    Hi Vovazinger! I was searching for your email address but since I couldn’t find it, I thought of dropping you a comment.

    Sir, I was penning down a poem inspired by your picture titled – Floating Lily and when I glanced on it the second time, I realised that it’s actually a Lotus.

    It’s quite an exquisite picture! I had written my poem keeping the Lily in mind but now I’ll redraft it for a lotus. The reason being, I would very much like to seek your permission to post your photograph along with my poem.

    I completely understand if you would like to turn down my request. No explanation is required.

    Thanks and warm regards
    Harshi

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      I still think it is a white water lily. But I’m not a flowers expert and I could be wrong. I have no objection to your request. You can use this if you like. Just refer to me as the author of this photo.

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  37. Harshi

    My apologies sir. I was reading up on Lotus Vs Water lilies. It’s not the Lily which I had in mind and I wasn’t aware of water lily and it’s resemblance to the Lotus flower.

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    2. vovazinger Post author

      Thank you very much. I also love taking pictures. And there are many reasons for that. To take pictures, I need to be outside. To get an interesting photo, I have to find something attractive to photograph. And sometimes I need to know more about what I have photographed.

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      Thank you very much, Julian. I’m glad you liked my photos. It’s a pity that it’s cold in Wales, but it really makes you appreciate the warmth of home.

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  41. writegardener

    Your words speak to me. I so agree with your sentiments here about photography, nature, unique perspectives. Thank you for sharing your lovely photographs and experience. Warm wishes —

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  42. shoreacres

    I wanted to leave a short note acknowledging the concern many of us feel about events in your native country. If you have family and friends there, I hope they are safe, and that you are able to keep in contact with them. It’s a complex and terrible situation; we’ll hope for the best — whatever that might be.

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      Thank you very much for your compassion. I have relatives and friends there. Unfortunately, I was unable to contact them today due to communication problems. And I can only hope that they are safe now. But what will happen tomorrow scares me a lot.

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      Many thanks. And thank you very much for your support of Ukraine. Every time I talk to my friends there, I talk about how deeply Americans are feeling this terrible war in Ukraine, how they are doing everything they can to help.

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  44. ginnietom

    I hope your people from the old days in today’s combat zone are all safe, what is going on there makes one’s blood run cold and we envy the people who are so attached to their country as it happens almost nowhere else in the world!

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    1. vovazinger Post author

      Thank you very much for your attention to this matter. Everything that is happening in Ukraine now is terrible. When I talked to my friends there, they could not even imagine that this would happen, but it is. Fortunately, they are now alive and well. But what will happen next, no one can predict. Russian poet Alexander Pushkin asked in one of his poems: “What is the coming day preparing for us?” Thanks again.

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  45. Anuradha Sarup

    Hi 🙂 thanks for stopping by my blog. I’m glad you liked my post on the antelopes of South Africa. I enjoyed scrolling through your magnificent photography as well.

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