Favourite Picture of the Year

Once again, it's time to post my favourite picture of the last year. And once again, it's a picture of a cat! Now, there is no feline nepotism going on here, for this year I have also photographed dogs and many other animals, plus people, buildings, sunsets, trees, views, boats, and a thousand other things; yet sifting through all the pictures I have taken, I somehow always come back to this one from late summer - of the cat I was babysitter to (or was it the other way round !?). Villem. His look is one of superior reproach, saying (patiently but firmly): "No, you're not going to use the computer now, nor look at those books, not while I'm here; you can just forget about anything else and pay attention to me, do you understand?" I love the way he fills the frame, blocking the view of those other things in my life that clearly are of less importance. He was only with me for a short time, left so much of a mark that my flat seemed empty for weeks afterwards. The photograph makes me smile every time I see it. Happy New Year to you all, cats and humans! Location: Oslo, Norway

Summer Longing

With Christmas all but over, and yet the winter barely begun, we are about to enter what I find the darkest time of the year - the long, (usually) cold month of January. At this time, I find myself often turning to thoughts and dreams of summer -both those of the past and those to come, and somehow just thinking of sunshine, beaches, warm seas and lazy evenings helps to get through weeks where, if I could, I would preferably hibernate. But, if awake we must be, it's a great time to go through all those summer photographs. Here's one that exemplifies for me a peaceful summer idyll: a perfectly quiet café by a calm blue sea, with chairs that are calling out "come on over, sit down, relax..." I like the cleanness of the image, the feeling of space, and the warm colours, with all the white surfaces reaching out to match the true pale yellows. I also like the tree a lot. Now, excuse me, while I go and sit down, I have a large, cool beer waiting over there... Location: Corfu, Greece

Merry Christmas !

A couple of years ago, close to Christmas, the famous statue of Eros on Piccadilly Circus was encased in this magical transparent globe, which, at regular intervals dispersed "snow" like one of those fascinating table-top trinkets that used to be so popular (perhaps they still are, somewhere?). Now this effect was both delightful and seasonal, and proved to be very popular with tourists and anyone else who passed by; it was an iconic landmark given a cheerful little makeover to mark the season of goodwill in a city that doesn't experience snow all that often. What it does experience, however, is wind, and hereby hangs a tale. For, shortly after this picture was taken, this globe was no more. A very troublesome little storm brewed in the West End, and a vicious gust of wind ripped a tear in the fabric of the globe, thus causing it to collapse like a deflated balloon. But not, however, before the thousands of plastic snowflakes swirling inside had been dispersed gleefully over much of Piccadilly Circus, and got into all sorts of places for days afterwards. But perhaps such is Christmas itself -a bubble that is there for a short time only; beautiful while it lasts but gone all too quickly. May I wish you a Happy Christmas, free of strife, worry and bursting globes. Location: London, England