Duelling Benches

Winter is coming to an end, even in Norway, and what little snow may have been left when this picture was taken a couple of weeks ago is now surely gone, for spring is in the air and the park will soon be teeming with life and filled with colour. My crazy imagination saw these benches as some street furniture kind of ”Jets” and ”Sharks” having a ”stand off” (or perhaps that should be a bench off?) to determine who’s going to be top bench in the park this summer. I liked the colours and the space between the benches, and the symmetry they form –a symmetry of different styles, and with the lamppost as a form of referee Perhaps the two types of bench attract different types of ”sitters”? I must make sure to check once the weather brings out the crowds. Location: Oslo, Norway

The Lane

Lanes are always somehow quite fascinating things, above the level of being a means of getting from A to B. They are places for thought, pondering, conversation (if one has company) and have a much closer, comforting environment than a mere pavement. A lane may take you somewhere, or away from somewhere on more than a physical level. This is a lane I used a lot in my childhood, and visiting it again recently for the first time in ages I was delighted to see that it hadn’t changed one bit. The trees are no doubt bigger, but they didn’t seem to be, because when I last saw them I too was smaller. The flint wall is typical of East Anglia, and I was struck by the way the afternoon light reflected on its uneven surface. Indeed, it was the light that made me want to capture this image. There had been heavy, heavy rain earlier, but the clouds were swept away by a strong Norfolk wind, and the air had a freshness that was uplifting and resolute. I made the tree the centre of the picture rather than the more traditional approach of shooting down the centre of the lane; this allowed me to capture the slight bend in the distance, which is at once both optimistic and renewing. Location: East Dereham, England

Bench in Greece

This is another one I took last autumn while on the island of Samos. Just an ordinary row of benches down by the small harbour. But I liked the unusual colour, and found it quite a nice parallel to the water alongside. The lights in the water also make a nice contrast. Often these benches are used by romantic couples at this time, but here they are empty, waiting... Location: Samos, Greece

Happy Bin!

I pass this rubbish bin almost every day, because it’s just down the street from where I live, and it always makes me smile! I don’t know whether it was the result of some campaign to humanize the lowly bins of Oslo by putting eyes on some of them, or whether it was just someone having a bit of fun, but the gaping mouth of this creature is always hungry for trash, and it seems positively delighted! It proves that street furniture does not have to be boring, and I wish there were more things like this around us to brighten up our days a little –it doesn’t take much! Location: Oslo, Norway