Beneath Westminster Bridge

The terrible events of last week that brought terror to the very heart of London shocked and upset me enormously, as I am sure they did many others. Sadly, similar occurrences and far worse take place all over the world on occasion, and seemingly more so these days tan before, but it is always particularly hard when the place that is struck is close to one's heart. London is my favourite city, its streets are my cherished haunts, and as an inveterate walker I feel I know every corner and feel a personal bond with the history and culture inherent in every cobblestone –which is perhaps odd as I have never lived in London, merely returned to it again and again like an old friend; and it never disappoints. But it hurts when bad things occur there. When these things occur in places my own footsteps have crossed it hurts even more. Westminster Bridge is one such place.I photographed it from many angles a couple of years ago, but this shot taken from below is my favourite because it shows the two "states" of any bridge –that of the world above and that of the world below. The graceful sweep of one of its archways is at the same time impressive and friendly, it doesn't swell over and dominate you completely like many other bridges. Above,on the pavement, people walk by; some look over the side, others are occupied with their telephone. I imagine the scene was much like this before the crazed motorist screeched onto the pavement and mowed down innocent pedestrians last week. Though the bridge itself remains essentially the same, the scars from last week's events will sadly give it a new kind of significance every time I am close to it. Like so many other places. Location: London, England

People in the Park

To contrast a little the last post, here is a different park, in another country, in a different season and with people as its main subject this time rather than trees (though the observant visitor will notice a number of these too!). The point is really that contrasting two images, however slightly related, often works as a rewarding form of presentation, an interesting access point to seeing and appreciating similarities and difference, yet with a common foundation –in this case the concept of "the park" and what that means for different people. Here we have a warm summer afternoon, evening really, but the sun is still up, and you can almost feel the pleasant lazy warmth and smell the grass. Everyone is in their own little blissful world, some dozing, some having a picnic, others reading, greeting a friend, sharing a special moment. They are dotted about like little islands in an ocean of greenn; there is a communal atmosphere but privacy is respected and cherished. The elegant building in the background and the neatly trimmed bushes and beds give a sense of peace and order to the scene, but not too much; the mood is mellow and summer is glorious... ahhhh, may it come again soon. Location: Vienna, Austria

Trees in the Park

Trees always inspire me. I love their quiet, silent wisdom and grace, their noble quality of being able to shade us, embrace us, draw us in and somehow comfort us. Some trees are like old friends –always there for you, always reliable and, each year growing a little in your estimation as well as physically. I find this especially true of trees in isolation. But trees in parks, standing in some kind of order, can also be appealing, as much so in the winter when bereft of their foliage as in the height of glorious summer. Here they stand gracefully silhouetted against the sky, with the blazing sun signalling that spring is on its way. Already, there will be buds on these trees and the snow will soon be gone. Location: Oslo, Norway

Through the Clouds

I really don't know how many times I have taken pictures from airplane windows, mesmerised by the magnificent, awe-inspiring view below, uplifted at having captured something stunningly magical, only to discover later that the pictures far from being wondrous are flat, dull and frequently blurred because of focus problems through the double windows of the plane. Yet, even knowing this this, I still can't help myself when confronted with a nice view from the air. And sometimes the result captures something of the magic. What it never captures is the continuously changing vista as the plane moves forward, for that only video or film would work; photographs can only ever capture moments. Here, the moment is the enthralling parting of the clouds to reveal a fairy-tale-like landscape over south-eastern Norway, dusted with light snow, just as the sun is preparing to set. It's above a landscape like this that one can imagine oneself flying Peter Pan-like on some epic fantasy flight. My only regret was that I was not in the cockpit, for surely the pilots must have had an even greater view of this magical vista. Location: Ostfold,Norway