THE DIARY GAME: 28.06.2021. Rainy Sunset in Saint Petersburg

Forecasters often make mistakes last year or two. Perhaps, something wrong with the climate or with the forecasters. But last night, their promises of rain came true: at 9 pm, when I launched cycling for a seaside sunset, it started drizzling.

No problem, I was tired of +34-degree heat in recent days so summer raindrops were a pleasure. Besides, clouds and rain, if combined with a break in the clouds on the horizon, can make a sunset even prettier.

There were few people at the beach, wet sand was sticking to the wheels of my bicycle, the sunset looked pitiful, and it was still drizzling. I unwillingly took several images while my camera was getting annoyingly wet.

It became clear that it would be better I stayed home. But returning after cycling for 20 minutes was silly.

I went to experiment with defocused photography of the street traffic when a tipsy (slightly drunk) young man emerged and started bothering me.

He asked me to take images of him and I reluctantly clicked the button to make him satisfied and leave. "So, send me the photos on Whatsapp, write down the number". Не was always too close when he was talking to me.

His name was Seryozha. I was cold to him but he couldn't notice I wanted him to go.

– I can find you customers, people who need your photography service.
– I don't need customers.
– I really can!
– I don't want customers. I want the sunset, the time is passing, sorry.
– But when are you going to send me the images?

...

The worst, he was so grateful to me that he constantly wanted to shake my hand and hug me. We did it three times.

I am cautious about coronavirus, I have avoided crowds and public transportation for more than a year and, then, this loony breaks in at the time when too many people in the city are sick.

Should I send him the photo? Or he is punished?

When he left, I squeezed the alcohol gel out of the tube to sanitize my hands and camera.

After the sun dived below the horizon, the light changed dramatically. Everything turned red and purple. It was like a sudden landing on another planet, and the skyscraper on the horizon reminded me of a spaceship from science fiction movies. The sea was rough, dark, and ominous as the living sentient ocean from Solaris.

Finally, the colors began fading. The very last scarlet sunrays were being reflected in windows of residential houses. I got on my bike and headed home.

#steemexclusive

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The Solaris seascape with Lakhta Center will join Cityscape Photo / Art Contest by @axeman in World of Xpilar Community.

All photos were taken on June 28, 2021, in Saint Petersburg, Russia by me with Nikon D750 + a Nikkor 70-300mm telelens.